Definition

1. Noun (Anatomy):
   • Auricle: The external, visible part of the ear; the pinna. This is the most common and precise anatomical meaning.
   • Atrial auricle (heart): In cardiology, it can refer to a small ear-shaped pouch in the upper chamber of the heart (the atrium). This usage is more specialized.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Anatomy):
  • Bác sĩ kiểm tra tiểu nhĩ của bệnh nhân. (The doctor examined the patient's auricle.)
  • Siêu âm tim phát hiện có cục máu đông trong tiểu nhĩ trái. (The echocardiogram detected a blood clot in the left atrial auricle.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is primarily technical and used in medical or biological contexts. It is not common in everyday conversation.

Variants and Related Words

• Vành tai (n): A more common, non-technical term for the outer ear or pinna.
  • Cô ấy đeo khuyên ở vành tai. (She wears a stud on her outer ear.)

Synonyms

• Pinna: The official anatomical term for the visible part of the outer ear.
• Atrial appendage: The medical term for the heart's auricle.

Notes on Usage

• "Tiểu nhĩ" is a Sino-Vietnamese compound word ("tiểu" meaning small, "nhĩ" meaning ear). Its meaning is almost exclusively anatomical.
• In everyday speech, Vietnamese speakers typically use "vành tai" to refer to the outer ear. "Tiểu nhĩ" is reserved for formal, scientific, or medical descriptions.