noun
(1) A prolonged war (1954-1975) between the communist armies of North Vietnam who were supported by the Chinese and the armies of South Vietnam who were supported by the United States
(2) A communist state in Indochina on the South China Sea; achieved independence from France in 1945
Proper noun
- A country in Southeast Asia, on the east coast of the Indochina Peninsula.
- The Vietnam War.
Usage
Seen in phrases like
another Vietnam or
the Soviet Union's Vietnam (referring to the 1979–89 occupation of Afghanistan).