Definition

1. Noun:
   • Honeycomb briquette / Beehive coal: A type of manufactured solid fuel, typically cylindrical in shape and characterized by numerous vertical holes (like a honeycomb), used for cooking and heating in stoves.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Người bán hàng chất một chồng than tổ ong trước cửa tiệm. (The vendor stacked a pile of honeycomb briquettes in front of the shop.)
  • Bà ngoại vẫn nấu bếp củi bằng than tổ ong. (My grandmother still cooks on a wood stove using beehive coal.)
  • Khói từ than tổ ong có thể gây ô nhiễm không khí. (Smoke from honeycomb briquettes can cause air pollution.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is a compound noun where "than" means "coal" and "tổ ong" means "beehive" or "honeycomb," directly describing the fuel's distinctive perforated structure.

Variants and Related Words

• Viên than ép (n): Coal briquette (a more general term for compressed coal blocks, which may not have the honeycomb structure).
• Bếp than tổ ong (n): A stove specifically designed to burn honeycomb briquettes.

Synonyms

• Coal briquette: A block of compressed coal dust or peat used as fuel.
• Solid fuel briquette: A general term for a compressed block of combustible material.

Notes on Usage

• "Than tổ ong" is a specific, culturally common term in Vietnam for this ubiquitous household fuel. It refers precisely to the cylindrical, perforated form and not to lump coal or other briquette shapes.
• Its usage is often associated with traditional street food vendors, small household stoves, and informal settlements.