vấu
Definition
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.
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.)