Definition

1. Noun:
   • Heliotrope (plant): A type of wild-growing herbaceous plant, often with hairy leaves and a long, curved inflorescence that resembles an elephant's trunk. It is used in traditional medicine.
   • Fulgorid / Lanternfly (insect): A type of insect, specifically a planthopper, known for its elongated head structure that resembles an elephant's trunk.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Plant):
  • Cây vòi voi mọc rất nhiều ở bờ ruộng. (The heliotrope plant grows abundantly on the edges of the fields.)
  • Lá cây vòi voi thường được dùng để đắp giảm sưng. (The leaves of the heliotrope plant are often used as a poultice to reduce swelling.)
• Noun (Insect):
  • Con vòi voi đậu trên cành cây, cái đầu dài trông rất lạ. (The lanternfly perched on the branch, its long head looking very strange.)

Advanced Usage

• The term "vòi voi" is a compound noun in Vietnamese, literally meaning "elephant's trunk". This name vividly describes the shape of the plant's flower spike or the insect's protruding head.
• When used in a botanical or medicinal context, it almost exclusively refers to the plant .

Variants and Related Words

• Cây vòi voi: Specifically refers to the heliotrope plant.
• Con vòi voi: Specifically refers to the lanternfly insect.
• Héliotrope (French loanword): The botanical term for the plant.
• Fulgore (French loanword): The entomological term for the insect.

Synonyms

• For the plant: Heliotropium indicum (scientific name), Indian heliotrope.
• For the insect: Lanternfly, fulgorid (scientific family Fulgoridae).

Related Phrases / Idioms

• There are no common idioms directly using "vòi voi". Its usage is primarily literal, referring to the specific plant or insect.

noun

1. heliotrope