Definition

Noun: - Defeated troops, remnants of an army: Refers to the remaining soldiers of a military force after a significant defeat or battle. It emphasizes a state of disarray, depletion, and often demoralization. - Remains, survivors: Can denote the scattered and weakened survivors of a military unit.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Sau trận đánh, chỉ còn lại một nhóm tàn binh rút lui trong hỗn loạn. (After the battle, only a group of defeated troops remained, retreating in chaos.)
  • Những tàn binh của đạo quân ấy đã đầu hàng. (The remnants of that army have surrendered.)
  • Họ thu thập các tàn binh để tái tổ chức lực lượng. (They gathered the survivors to reorganize the force.)

Advanced Usage

• "tàn binh lạc tướng": A classical four-word idiom meaning "scattered troops and lost generals," describing a completely routed and disorganized army.
  • Sau thất bại, quân đội rơi vào cảnh tàn binh lạc tướng. (After the defeat, the army was in a state of scattered troops and lost generals.)

Variants and Related Words

• Tàn quân (noun): A direct synonym, also meaning "defeated troops" or "remnants of an army." It is often used interchangeably with .
  • Tàn quân rút về phía núi. (The defeated troops retreated toward the mountains.)
• Binh lính (noun): Soldier(s). The root word means soldier.
• Tàn dư (noun): Remnants, residue. This is a more general term, not specific to the military (e.g., - remnants of the old regime).

Synonyms

• Quân tàn (noun): Defeated troops (a less common, literary synonym).
• Binh sĩ sống sót (noun phrase): Surviving soldiers.

Notes on Meaning

• The word carries a strong connotation of defeat, devastation, and disorganization. It is not a neutral term for "veterans" or "retired soldiers."
• It is primarily used in historical, military, or literary contexts to describe the aftermath of a conflict.

noun

1. defeated troops, remains