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Question

Difficulty: MediumSecondary and High-Frequency Alternative Meanings

Fill in the blank in the passage below with the single word that best completes the sentence according to its secondary meaning.

Answer:Faced with severe supply shortages during the prolonged siege, the logistics officer realized that the garrison could endure the harsh winter only if he learned to 【husband】 their dwindling reserves of grain and fuel with rigorous frugality.

Answer

husband
The correct response is 'husband'. In academic and literary English, 'husband' functions as a verb meaning to manage prudently or conserve resources economically. Context clues such as 'supply shortages', 'dwindling reserves', and 'rigorous frugality' directly mandate a word meaning to economize or save.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze contextual clues in the sentence
Identified clues such as 'severe supply shortages', 'dwindling reserves', and 'rigorous frugality'.
The surrounding context indicates a need to carefully manage, conserve, or use resources sparingly.
2
Identify the word whose secondary meaning fits this exact context
Selected 'husband' in its secondary verb form.
While its primary definition is a noun referring to a married man, as a transitive verb 'husband' means to manage economically or conserve resources prudently.

Key Concept

Secondary Meanings of Common Words
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Topics

Secondary and High-Frequency Alternative Meanings

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