Difficulty: Medium
Correct Answer: Traverse
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
One word substitute questions test a candidate's ability to match concise definitions to precise vocabulary items. The given definition here describes a pattern of movement, specifically moving back and forth or sideways. The options include several nouns related to time, rest, and travel, so the candidate must identify which term best captures the idea of repeated or directional movement across space.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
The key idea in the definition is movement across an area, often repeatedly or in different directions. The verb traverse means to travel across, over, or through something, and it can involve moving back and forth along a path. The options sojourn and tarriance refer to temporary stays in a place, and breather refers to a short rest or pause. These three are connected with time and rest, not with the physical act of moving across or sideways. Therefore, the approach is to filter out non motion words and select the only option that implies spatial movement.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Break the definition into clues: move, back and forth, sideways.Step 2: Examine Sojourn. This word means a temporary stay in a place and does not describe movement itself.Step 3: Examine Tarriance. This refers to delay or lingering in a place, again focusing on staying, not moving.Step 4: Examine Breather. This is an informal word for a short rest or pause, usually to catch one's breath, not for movement.Step 5: Examine Traverse. This word means to move across, over, or through an area, often implying covering ground and possibly going to and fro. Thus Traverse best matches the idea of movement back and forth or sideways.
Verification / Alternative check:
Consider example sentences. A hiker may traverse a mountain range, meaning move across it. A robot may traverse the warehouse floor, moving back and forth to collect items. You would not say a traveller sojourned a field or tarrianced a room to express motion. Nor would you call the act of movement a breather. These usage examples confirm that traverse is the only word that naturally pairs with the physical movement described in the definition.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Sojourn: This refers to a temporary stay in a place, such as a short stay in a city, and does not describe the act of moving. Tarriance: This is a rare word meaning delay or lingering, again focusing on time spent, not spatial movement. Breather: This is an informal term for a short rest, often taken after strenuous activity, and is almost the opposite of motion. None of these convey the image of crossing or moving back and forth across an area.
Common Pitfalls:
Some candidates may be unfamiliar with the less common words sojourn and tarriance and may guess among them randomly. Others may overthink the idea of back and forth and mistakenly believe a word related to resting or staying fits better. A sound strategy for one word substitutes is to memorise the core meaning of high frequency formal verbs like traverse and to group stay related nouns separately. Understanding that traverse is linked to crossing or covering ground helps eliminate distractors quickly.
Final Answer:
The one word that best substitutes the given definition is Traverse.
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