đá cối

Người nông dân dùng đá cối để xay hạt tiêu.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • Millstone: A large, round stone used in a mill for grinding grains such as wheat or corn into flour. Traditionally, one stone rotates upon another stationary stone.
   • Grindstone: More broadly, any large, hard stone used for grinding, crushing, or sharpening.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Người xưa dùng đá cối để xay lúa mì. (The ancients used millstones to grind wheat.)
  • Chiếc đá cối cũ vẫn còn trong nhà máy xay. (The old millstone is still in the gristmill.)

Advanced Usage

• The term "đá cối" is often part of the compound "cối đá" (stone mill/quern), which refers to the complete grinding apparatus consisting of the stones and often a base.
  • Bà tôi vẫn giữ chiếc cối đá của cụ kỵ. (My grandmother still keeps the ancestral stone quern.)

Variants and Related Words

• Cối xay đá (n): Stone grinder or mill.

  • Cối xay đá này dùng để nghiền ngô. (This stone mill is used for grinding corn.)

• Đá mài (n): Whetstone, sharpening stone. (A related concept for grinding/sharpening tools).

Synonyms

• Millstone: The primary synonym, specifically for grinding grain.
• Grindstone: A general term for a stone used for grinding or sharpening.

Related Idioms and Cultural References

• While not a common idiom itself, the "đá cối" or "cối đá" is a strong cultural symbol of traditional rural life, manual labor, and sustenance in Vietnam.
• "Nặng như đá cối": (Heavy as a millstone) – An expression describing something extremely heavy, either literally or figuratively as a burden.
  • Gánh nặng trách nhiệm ấy nặng như đá cối. (That burden of responsibility is heavy as a millstone.)