xẻo

Mẹ dùng dao xẻo một miếng thịt từ miếng thịt lớn.

Definition

1. Verb:
   • To slice off / to cut off a piece: The primary meaning of "xẻo" is to cut or slice a piece from a larger whole, often with a sharp, sweeping or pulling motion of a blade. It implies detaching a thin or small section.
   • To notch / to gash: It can also mean to make a cut or gash into a surface.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Đầu bếp xẻo một miếng thịt từ con lợn quay. (The chef sliced off a piece of meat from the roast pig.)
  • Anh ta bị dao xẻo vào tay. (He got his hand gashed by a knife.)

Advanced Usage

• The word "xẻo" often carries a connotation of a quick, precise, and sometimes deep cut. It is commonly used in contexts involving food preparation, carving, or accidental injuries from sharp objects.

Variants and Related Words

• Xẻ (v): to split, to cleave, to saw (lengthwise or into large sections). This is a more general term for cutting.
• Cắt (v): to cut (the most general term).
• Khứa (v): to score, to make a shallow cut.

Synonyms

• Slice off: to cut a piece from something.
• Carve off: to cut a piece, especially from meat.
• Gash: to make a long, deep cut.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• Xẻo thịt: literally "to slice meat," commonly used to describe the action of cutting portions of cooked meat.
  • Mẹ tôi xẻo thịt gà cho cả nhà. (My mother sliced the chicken meat for the whole family.)
• Xẻo tai: an archaic or severe phrase meaning "to cut off ears."
  • Trong lịch sử, xẻo tai là một hình phạt. (Historically, cutting off ears was a punishment.)