vietnam
vietnam Lexical Profile
• noun
A country in Southeast Asia located on the eastern edge of the Indochinese Peninsula, bordered by China to the north and Laos and Cambodia to the west.
American The protracted military conflict (1955–1975) involving the United States, South Vietnam, and North Vietnam; the Vietnam War.
"His grandfather served in Vietnam and rarely spoke about his experiences during the conflict."
Word Nuance & Usage
In American English, 'Vietnam' is frequently used as a metonym to refer specifically to the Vietnam War (1955–1975) rather than the modern sovereign nation.
• Rhymes for vietnam
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
From Vietnamese 'Việt Nam', which reverses the Chinese name 'Nányuè' (South Yue). 'Việt' refers to the ancient Baiyue people of the region, and 'Nam' means south.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.