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Difficulty: MediumLatin Roots

By adjusting the vessel's rudder trim immediately, the navigator was able to avert a collision with the submerged reef. Based on the meaning of the Latin root *vert*, which of the following best defines the word avert?

  1. A
    To confront directly or advance toward
  2. To turn away or prevent from occurringAnswer
  3. C
    To inspect visually for structural defects
  4. D
    To broadcast an urgent radio transmission

Answer

To turn away or prevent from occurring
The word 'avert' is derived from the Latin root 'vert' (meaning 'to turn') combined with the prefix 'a-' (meaning 'away'). Therefore, 'avert' means 'to turn away' or 'to ward off/prevent'. In the given context, adjusting the rudder to turn the vessel away prevented a collision.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Isolate the root morpheme in the target word
The base morpheme is the Latin root 'vert' (variant of 'vers').
Identifying the root allows the core semantic meaning to be determined independently of context.
2
Recall the foundational meaning of the Latin root 'vert'
The Latin root 'vert' means 'to turn'.
Root knowledge directly informs the definition of words within the morphological family (e.g., divert, revert, convert).
3
Combine the root meaning with the prefix 'a-' and verify against sentence context
The prefix 'a-' (a variant of 'ab-') means 'away' or 'from'. Combined with 'vert' (to turn), 'avert' literally means 'to turn away', fitting the action of preventing a collision.
Synthesizing morphological components ensures the most accurate and precise definition is selected.

Key Concept

Latin root vert/vers meaning 'to turn'
Estimated Time:45s
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Topics

Latin Roots

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