Definition

1. Noun:
   • Bone marrow: The soft, fatty tissue found inside bones, responsible for producing blood cells.
   • The innermost part / the very core: Used figuratively to describe the deepest, most essential part of something, such as a feeling, belief, or tradition.

Usage Examples

• Noun (literal):
  • Cấy ghép xương tuỷ là một thủ thuật y tế phức tạp. (A bone marrow transplant is a complex medical procedure.)
• Noun (figurative):
  • Lòng yêu nước ấy đã thấm sâu vào xương tuỷ. (That patriotism has seeped into the very marrow of their bones.)
  • Nỗi sợ hãi đã ngấm vào tận xương tuỷ. (The fear penetrated to the core of their being.)

Advanced Usage

• The phrase "đến tận xương tuỷ" (to the very marrow) is a common idiom used to intensify a description, meaning "to the deepest possible extent."
  • Cô ấy căm ghét sự dối trá đến tận xương tuỷ. (She hates dishonesty to the very marrow of her bones.)

Variants and Related Words

• Tuỷ xương: This is a synonymous term, also meaning "bone marrow," with the word order reversed. It is commonly used in formal or medical contexts.
  • Bệnh nhân cần được tìm người hiến tuỷ xương phù hợp. (The patient needs to find a suitable bone marrow donor.)

Synonyms

• Core: the central or most important part.
• Essence: the intrinsic nature or indispensable quality of something.
• Heart: the central or innermost part.

Related Idioms

• Thấm vào tận xương tuỷ: to be deeply ingrained or absorbed.
  • Bài học ấy tôi sẽ nhớ thấm vào tận xương tuỷ. (I will remember that lesson to the depths of my soul.)