Definition

1. Noun:

   • Claw or talon: A sharp, curved nail on the foot of an animal, especially a bird of prey or a predatory mammal.
   • Protruding knot or gnarl: A hard, rough lump or protrusion on a piece of wood, bamboo, or tree root.
   • Lug or catch: A projecting part on a tool or mechanism designed to grip or lock something in place.

2. Adjective (dialectal):

   • Knotted or gnarled: Describing something that has hard, rough lumps or protrusions.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Con đại bàng dùng vấu để bắt mồi. (The eagle uses its talons to catch prey.)
  • Trên thân tre có nhiều vấu. (There are many knots on the bamboo stalk.)
  • Cái máy này có cái vấu để giữ chặt chi tiết. (This machine has a catch to hold the part tightly.)

Advanced Usage

• "vấu hổ": tiger's claws (a literary or dialectal term).

  • Tranh vẽ con hổ với vấu hổ sắc nhọn. (The painting depicts a tiger with sharp claws.)

• Technical use as a "stop notch" or "detent":

  • Vấu trên bộ phận này ngăn bánh xe quay ngược. (The stop notch on this part prevents the wheel from rotating backward.)

Variants and Related Words

• Vấu tre (n): bamboo node or knot.
  • Vấu tre rất cứng. (The bamboo node is very hard.)

Synonyms

• Claw: a curved, pointed nail on an animal's foot.
• Talon: a claw, especially of a bird of prey.
• Knot: a hard, rough lump in wood.
• Lug: a projecting piece for support or connection.
• Catch: a device for securing or locking.

Related Idioms

• Nổi vấu: to become knotted or gnarled; figuratively, to become problematic or thorny.
  • Câu chuyện bắt đầu nổi vấu. (The story began to get complicated.)