Specific Terminology - SSAT Middle Level Verbal

The term "forestry" means related to the science or practice of planting for or caring for "trees." So, to solve this analogy you need to determine which of these words is related to "husbandry." Well, "husbandry" refers to the science or practice of raising and caring for farm "animals."

"Tactile" means of or related to the sense of "touch." So, to solve this analogy you need to determine which of these is described by the word "sonic." The correct answer is that "sonic" means of or related to "sound."

“Ewe” is a noun that means a female sheep, while “ram” is a word that when used as a noun can mean a male sheep. So, because “hen” is a noun that can mean a female chicken, we need to pick out an answer choice that means a male chicken. Both “rooster” and “bird” might look like potentially correct answers, but “bird” specifies a general category into which "hen" could fit, along with other types of birds besides chickens, and it could also refer to an organism of either sex, so it cannot be the correct answer because we’re specifically looking for a word that means a male chicken. “Rooster,” however, is a noun that means a male chicken, and because “rooster” is the name given to a male chicken while “hen” is the name given to a female chicken, just like “ram” is the name given to a male sheep and “ewe” the name given to a female sheep, “rooster” is the correct answer.

A shark uses its teeth to bite things, so we need to pick out an answer that describes what part of a snake it uses to bite things. While “fangs” and “scales” might each look like a potentially correct answer because each refers to a part of a snake’s body, a snake uses its fangs, not its scales, to bite things. Because a snake uses its fangs to bite things just as a shark uses its teeth to bite things, “fangs” is the correct answer.

A rabbit could be the prey of a hawk, meaning that a hawk might eat a rabbit, so we need to pick out an answer choice that describes an animal that might be the prey of a frog, or is something that a frog might eat. While “dragonfly” and “heron” might each look like a potentially correct answer, “heron” cannot be the correct answer because a heron might eat a frog, but a frog would be very unlikely to eat a heron. A frog might eat a dragonfly, though, just as a hawk might eat a mouse, so “dragonfly” is the correct answer.

"Canine" is an adjective that means of or related to dogs. So to solve this analogy, you have to determine which animal the word "feline" relates to. "Feline" means of or related to cats, so the correct answer is “cat.”

Lions live together in "prides," so to solve this analogy you have to determine what term is given to a group of sheep. The correct answer is “herd.”

"Bovine" is an adjective that means of or related to cows, so to solve this analogy, you have to determine which of the answer choices is an adjective that means of or related to cats. The correct answer is “feline," because "feline" means of or related to cats. For clarification, "equine" means of or related to horses and "lupine" means of or related to wolves. "Feral" means wild and is an antonym of "domesticated," which means tame.

"Canine" is an adjective that means of or pertaining to dogs, so to solve this analogy you have to determine which of the answer choices is an adjective related to horses. Equine means of or related to horses, so the correct answer is “equine.” For clarification, "feline" means of or related to cats, "bovine" means of or related to cows, and "ursine" means of or related to bears.

"Lupine" is an adjective that means relating to wolves. You might be able to infer this because the scientific (Latin) name for the common wolf is "canis lupus." So, to solve this analogy, you have to determine which animal is describe by the adjective "ursine." The correct answer is “bear," which you might be able to infer because "ursidae" is the scientific (Latin) name for the family of animals that contains bears, and the constellation called "ursa major" means big bear.

"Feline" is an adjective that means related to cats, so to solve this analogy, you have to determine which of these answer choices is the correct animal noun described by the adjective "simian." The correct answer is “monkey.” "Simian" is to "monkey" in the same way "feline" is to "cat."

Fish use gills to breathe, so to solve this analogy you have to determine which body part it is that humans use to breathe. The correct answer is “lungs.”

“Canine” means related to dogs, so to solve this analogy, you have to determine the animal with which the word "bovine" is associated. The correct answer is a “cow.” Incidentally, "bovine" can also mean cow-like or describe someone who is cow-like in the sense of moving slowly and not being very smart.

A group of lions is called a “pride,” so to solve the analogy, we need to pick out an answer choice that is a term used to describe a group of geese. A group of geese is called a “gaggle,” so "gaggle" is the correct answer.

When a word contains the root “aqua,” it usually refers to something having to do with water, so you can tell that “aquatic” means living in or near water. Whales live in water. So, to solve this analogy, you need to pick out an adjective that describes where sloths live. Sloths spend most of their time in trees, so you need to find a word that means something like "living in or near trees." “Arboreal” means living in or near trees, which makes sense, as "arboreal" is derived from the Latin root "arbor," which means tree. “Amphibious” describes an animal that lives both in water and on land, whereas “terrestrial” refers to animals which only live on land. To help further, “grounded” can mean stuck on land or in one place whilst “mountainous” describes land or terrain that contains mountains.

A “leash” is a length of rope, leather, or chain attached to a dog's collar used to restrain and guide it. "Reins” are a leather straps attached to a horse's bridle used to restrain and guide it. So, just as a leash is used to restrain and guide a dog, reins are used to restrain and guide a horse, so "reins" is the correct answer.

A group of wolves is called a "pack." Similarly, a group of "bison" is called "a herd."

None of the other analogies have this relationship:

"Herd is to fish": herd is not a word used to describe groups of fish.

"Forest is to bush": while there are often numerous bushes in a forest, a collection of bushes is not called a forest.

"Swarm is to fox": Swarm is a word meaning a large group of flying insects, thus foxes cannot form swarms, and a collection of foxes is called a troop or a lead.

"Children is to school": While groups of children are typically found in schools, a group of children is not called a school.

Solving this analogy requires you to know that a "warren" is the name given to a rabbit-hole, the place where a rabbit lives. The correct answer is therefore "den" because this is the name given to a place where foxes live. A "cub" is the name given to babies of many different types of animals, like bears; a "carnivore" is a meat-eater.

The term "feline" means related to cats or the behavior of cats. So, to solve this analogy you need to determine which of these words means related to cows. The correct answer is "bovine." Additionally, "canine" - dogs; "equine" - horses; "ursine" - bears.