Examkin

Question

Difficulty: MediumMultiple-Meaning Words

Exposure to high humidity during storage can compromise the structural integrity of the composite panels. What is the meaning of the underlined word in this sentence?

  1. A
    settle
  2. impairAnswer
  3. C
    strengthen
  4. D
    inspect

Answer

The word 'impair' is the correct meaning of 'compromise' in this sentence.
In technical and structural contexts, 'compromise' means to weaken, endanger, or impair. The sentence warns that moisture harms the structural integrity of the panels, making 'impair' the exact contextual equivalent.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the sentence context and identify the role of the target word.
The sentence describes an environmental factor (high humidity) exerting a negative effect on a physical property (structural integrity).
Determining the cause-and-effect relationship between humidity and structural integrity establishes that the verb denotes damage or weakening.
2
Evaluate the polysemous definitions of the target word against the context.
While 'compromise' commonly means settling differences through mutual concession, in technical and physical contexts it means to endanger, weaken, or expose to harm.
Distinguishing secondary technical senses from common everyday definitions is essential for polysemous vocabulary questions.
3
Match the contextual definition with the appropriate answer choice.
The synonym 'impair' directly corresponds to weakening or damaging the integrity of the material.
Selecting the synonym that preserves the intended meaning verifies the correct answer.

Key Concept

Multiple-Meaning Words in Technical Contexts
Estimated Time:45s
Rate this question

Topics

Multiple-Meaning Words

More questions from this topic