dien bien phu
/djɛnbjɛnˈfuː/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: 2.15 in modern English
19
Scrabble Score
11
Letters
5
Syllables
8
Unique Chars
Meaning
name
A city in Dien Bien Phu prefecture, Dien Bien, Northern Vietnam, North Vietnam, Vietnam.
name
A prefecture of Dien Bien, Northern Vietnam, North Vietnam, Vietnam.
Example Sentences
- "It was argued that during the rainy season the enemy would be roadbound, and the Dien Bien Phu position would therefore prove a real cork in the bottle. To remove it the Communists would attempt to reduce Dien Bien Phu, which would enable the French to induce the main Vietminh forces into a pitched battle on ground where the French could concentrate their supposedly superior forces."
- "Westmoreland reported that the threat in northern I Corps was the most serious of the war. He also noted new intensity in enemy activity in other areas, especially in III Corps, where Saigon is located. He thought that the North Vietnamese saw a similarity between the allied base at Khe Sanh and the base at Dien Bien Phu, where the French had suffered a disastrous defeat in 1954."
- "Early in April there was a respite from the crisis; it seemed that the French troops might be able to hold on at Dien Bien Phu."
Etymology
Borrowed from French Diên Biên Phu, from Vietnamese Điện Biên Phủ (literally “Dienbien Prefecture”), from 奠邊府 (Chinese 奠邊府 /奠边府 (Diànbiānfǔ)); from the province of Điện Biên (literally “stable frontier”) + phu. Of phu, from 府 (Chinese 府 (fǔ)). Of Điện Biên, from 奠邊 (Chinese 奠邊 /奠边 (Diànbiān)); from điện + biên; from 奠 (Chinese 奠) + 邊 (Chinese 邊 /边 (biān)).
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: Điện Biên Phủ, 奠邊府, 府, 奠邊, 奠, 邊