ăn mót
Definition
- Verb:
- To glean: The primary meaning of "ăn mót" is to gather leftover crops from a field after the main harvest. This is a traditional practice of collecting remaining grains, fruits, or vegetables.
- To scavenge / to pick over leftovers: In a broader sense, it can describe the act of collecting or using anything that has been left behind or discarded by others, often out of necessity.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Sau khi thu hoạch, những người nghèo vào ruộng ăn mót lúa. (After the harvest, the poor entered the field to glean rice.)
- Bọn trẻ con ăn mót những trái xoài rơi dưới gốc cây. (The children gleaned the mangoes that had fallen under the tree.)
- Trong thời kỳ khó khăn, họ phải ăn mót từng chút thức ăn thừa. (During the difficult period, they had to scavenge every bit of leftover food.)
Advanced Usage
- The term carries a connotation of poverty, frugality, and making the most of limited resources. It implies a careful, thorough search for items of small value that others have overlooked or abandoned.
Variants and Related Words
- Mót (v): This is the core verb meaning to glean or pick up scraps. "Ăn mót" is a common compound form.
- Họ mót từng hạt ngô còn sót lại. (They gleaned every remaining corn kernel.)
Synonyms
- To glean: To gather grain or other produce left behind after harvest.
- To scavenge: To search for and collect usable items from discarded waste.
- To salvage: To retrieve or save something from loss or destruction.
Related Idioms and Phrases
- Ăn mót chữ: A figurative phrase meaning to painstakingly acquire bits of knowledge or education, often under difficult circumstances.
- Ông cụ ngày xưa phải đi ăn mót chữ. (In the old days, the old man had to painstakingly glean bits of education.)