Definition

1. Noun:
   • Fontanelle: The soft, membranous gaps between the cranial bones of a newborn baby's skull, where the bones have not yet fully fused.
   • Weak point / Vulnerability: A figurative meaning referring to a person's or system's critical weakness or point of susceptibility.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Anatomical):

  • Trẻ sơ sinh có hai thóp mềm trên đầu. (A newborn baby has two soft fontanelles on the head.)
  • Bác sĩ kiểm tra thóp của em bé. (The doctor checks the baby's fontanelle.)

• Noun (Figurative):

  • Đối thủ đã tìm ra thóp của đội bóng đó. (The opponent found the weak point of that football team.)
  • Anh ta biết rõ thóp của đối phương. (He knows the opponent's vulnerability well.)

Advanced Usage

• The figurative use is common in strategic, competitive, or personal contexts to describe a critical flaw or pressure point that can be exploited.

Variants and Related Words

• Thóp trước (n): The anterior fontanelle, located at the top front of a baby's head.

  • Thóp trước thường đóng lại khi trẻ được 18 tháng. (The anterior fontanelle usually closes when the child is 18 months old.)

• Thóp sau (n): The posterior fontanelle, located at the back of a baby's head.

  • Thóp sau nhỏ hơn và đóng sớm hơn. (The posterior fontanelle is smaller and closes earlier.)

Synonyms

• Fontanelle (for the anatomical meaning).
• Weak spot, vulnerability, Achilles' heel (for the figurative meaning).

Related Idioms

• Biết thóp (của ai): To know someone's weakness or secret pressure point.

  • Ông chủ biết thóp từng nhân viên. (The boss knows each employee's weak spot.)

• Nắm thóp (ai): To have control over someone by knowing their weakness.

  • Hắn nắm thóp đối thủ nên rất tự tin. (He is very confident because he has control over his rival's weakness.)