Words with "-tain-" (tenere = to hold)
To hold onto information is to ----- it. E.g.; "My memory is weak; I can't ----- half of what I hear" or "You should never ----- information from the police"
What is reTAIN?
What volcanoes do.
What is erupt? (e, ex, = out of)
Why is there no ham in hamburger meat, but there is "ham" in "hamburger"?
Because the sandwich is named for the city of Hamburg, Germany?
Since "-al-" means "relating to" this word literally means relating to the voice
What is vocal?
To feel under the ______ stems from a time when sailors would retreat below their ship's decks when sick or hurt.
What is weather?
Something that holds stuff in place is a ----; e.g. "Gasoline should only be transported in approved of -----s"
What is a container?
"It's rude to ----- a person who is speaking."
What is interrupt
What do the words "helicopter" and "pterodactyl" as well as the Armenian word for feather have in common? What do helicopters and pterodactyls have in common?
What are wings? ("ptero" and "feather" share a root)
Reading is a great way for learners of English to increase their ______, so that they have many words to call upon.
What is vocabulary?
To ____ out a friend in need or a struggling business stems from when buckets would be used to remove seawater from a boat in order to keep it afloat.
What is bail?
To keep something in its prior condition is to ----- it. E.g., "It's more expensive to ----- a Mercedes than a Ford"
What is maintain?
Stroke is usually caused by a --- blood vessel in the brain.
What is ruptured?
You is to du as ____ is to duk. This word originally distinguished the singular and plural forms of the personal pronoun you; y'all nowadays fills in.
What is thou?
As a verb, to speak in favor another person or cause is to ____ for it. As a noun, the same word means "one who supports or argues for something".
What is advocate?
"All hands on ____" meant that all of a ship's sailors were needed to do some task on top of the ship.
What is deck?
To get or to gain possession of something is to ----- it. E.g., "To go to the USA legally, you must first ----- a visa"
What is obtain?
It only takes one ------ politician to poison the well of public trust in government.
What is corrupt? (The prefix "cor" indicates completely or essentially, btw)
Forward, backward, toward, and AWKward. Where or what is an "awk"?
What is a wrong way. (Old Norse)
To call forth a reaction or response from your opponent in a fight is to ____ a reaction. E.g., "Azerbaijan's actions will surely ____ conflict."
What is provoke?
To be "three sheets to the wind" stems from when a ship lost control of its sails and would be unable to keep a straight course in the water. Now it means to be _____
What is drunk?
To finally achieve a long sought after goal or dream is to ----- it.
What is attain.
A failing business may have to file for this sort of legal protection, stemming from an Italian word for bench, from a time when banking was done on benches.
What is bankrupt?
"Fathom" was a unit of measurement in old English, equal to 6', used to measure the depth of water. Now, if something is "unfathomable" it is_______.
What is beyond human understanding?
If you drive drunk, you can expect the cops to _____ your license ____ (or literally to have it called back)
What is revoke?
To show your true _____ means to reveal your real character or intentions, and stems from when pirate ships would fly "false flags" to hide their identity.
What are colors?