Basic Details
Word: Separate
Part of Speech: Verb
Meaning: To divide or keep things apart from one another.
Synonyms: Divide, split, detach
Antonyms: Join, unite, connect
Idioms and Phrases
- Separate the wheat from the chaff: To distinguish between what is valuable and what is not. Example: "The teacher helped us separate the wheat from the chaff in our writing."
- To take a step back and separate: To distance oneself from a difficult situation for better judgement. Example: "When things got heated in the meeting, I decided to take a step back and separate to think more clearly."
Usage Examples
Example 1: It is important to separate the recyclables from the regular trash to help the environment.
Example 2: She asked her friend to help her separate the different colours of yarn for her knitting project.
Example 3: During the science experiment, we had to separate the liquids from the solids to observe the chemical reactions.
Fun Fact
The word "separate" comes from the Latin word "separatus," which means "to set apart." It has been used in English since the 14th century!
Famous Quote
"The hardest part of growing up is letting go of your old self and separating from the past." Anonymous
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
1. What does "separate" mean?
a) To throw away
b) To divide or keep things apart
c) To make things heavier
d) To make a mess
Answer: b) To divide or keep things apart
2. Which of these is a synonym of "separate"?
a) Join
b) Divide
c) Attach
d) Connect
Answer: b) Divide
3. Which word is an antonym of "separate"?
a) Split
b) Unite
c) Detach
d) Divide
Answer: b) Unite
4. Which sentence uses "separate" correctly?
a) I need to separate my toy from the others in the box.
b) She will separate the flower by eating them.
c) The cat wanted to separate the fish and swim with them.
d) The dog likes to separate the barks.
Answer: a) I need to separate my toy from the others in the box.
5. What does the idiom "separate the wheat from the chaff" mean?
a) To gather everything together
b) To focus on what is important and ignore what is not
c) To throw everything away
d) To mix everything up
Answer: b) To focus on what is important and ignore what is not
