ốc

From Proto-Vietic *ʔoːk (“snail”). Cognate with Tho [Cuối Chăm] ʔɔːk⁷.

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [ʔəwk͡p̚˧˦]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [ʔəwk͡p̚˦˧˥]
• (Saigon) IPA^(key): [ʔəwk͡p̚˦˥]

(classifier con) ốc • (沃, 屋, 𧎜, 喔)

1. an animal, especially a mollusk, with a spiral shell

   ốc sên ― a land snail

   ốc mượn hồn ― a hermit crab

   ốc anh vũ ― a nautilus

   • 18th–19th century, Hồ Xuân Hương (胡春香), “Vịnh ốc nhồi (詠屋𧋆) [River Snail]”, in John Balaban, transl., Spring Essence: The Poetry of Hồ Xuân Hương, Copper Canyon Press (book), also hosted by Nôm Foundation (online), published 2000:

     博媄生𫥨分屋𧋆
     𣎀𣈜粦𨀎盎𦹵灰

     Bác mẹ sinh ra phận ốc nhồi,
     Đêm ngày lăn lóc đám cỏ hôi

     Fate and my parents shaped me like a snail,
     day and night wandering marsh weeds that smell foul.

2. (by extension) a nut (that fits on a bolt)

   Synonyms: con tán, ê-cu

• sên; vít

• cố