SSAT Middle Level Verbal › Animal-related Terminology
Complete this analogy.
Pig is to pork as cow is to __________.
beef
calf
grass
poultry
bull
"Pig" is the name given to an animal, and "pork" the name given to the meat that animal provides. So, we need to pick out a word that is used to describe the meat a cow provides. While "beef," "calf," and "steer" all have to do with cows (a "calf" is a young cow and a "steer" a term for a male cow), "beef" is the correct answer, as meat from a cow is called "beef" just as meat from a pig is called "pork."
Complete this analogy.
Shark is to teeth as snake is to __________.
fangs
scales
sunshine
reptile
constrict
A shark uses its teeth to bite things, so we need to pick out an answer that describes what part of a snake it uses to bite things. While “fangs” and “scales” might each look like a potentially correct answer because each refers to a part of a snake’s body, a snake uses its fangs, not its scales, to bite things. Because a snake uses its fangs to bite things just as a shark uses its teeth to bite things, “fangs” is the correct answer.
Complete this analogy.
Rabbit is to burrow as _________________.
lion is to den
donkey is to horse
desert is to sand
mammal is to paw
mother is to litter
Rabbits live in burrows, so the correct answer will demonstrate a similar relationship between an animal and it's dwelling. Lions live in dwell, so that is the correct answer.
Complete this analogy.
Hawk is to mouse as frog is to __________.
dragonfly
heron
shark
pond
willow
A rabbit could be the prey of a hawk, meaning that a hawk might eat a rabbit, so we need to pick out an answer choice that describes an animal that might be the prey of a frog, or is something that a frog might eat. While “dragonfly” and “heron” might each look like a potentially correct answer, “heron” cannot be the correct answer because a heron might eat a frog, but a frog would be very unlikely to eat a heron. A frog might eat a dragonfly, though, just as a hawk might eat a mouse, so “dragonfly” is the correct answer.
Analogies: Complete this analogy.
Feline is to cat as simian is to __________.
monkey
primate
duck
gorilla
devil
"Feline" is an adjective that means related to cats, so to solve this analogy, you have to determine which of these answer choices is the correct animal noun described by the adjective "simian." The correct answer is “monkey.” "Simian" is to "monkey" in the same way "feline" is to "cat."
Analogies: Complete this analogy.
Dog is to canine as horse is to __________.
equine
jockey
feline
bovine
ursine
"Canine" is an adjective that means of or pertaining to dogs, so to solve this analogy you have to determine which of the answer choices is an adjective related to horses. Equine means of or related to horses, so the correct answer is “equine.” For clarification, "feline" means of or related to cats, "bovine" means of or related to cows, and "ursine" means of or related to bears.
Complete this analogy.
Ship is to fleet as __________.
fish is to school
herd is to deer
bird is to pride
moose is to pack
goose is to bird
A group of ships is called a "fleet," so we need to pick out an answer choice in which the second word is a noun describing a group of the first word’s noun. While both “herd is to deer” and “fish is to school” might look like potentially correct answers, “herd is to deer” cannot be the correct answer because a “deer” is not what one calls a group of "herds," but the other way around. A school is what one calls a group of fish, however, just like how a fleet is what one calls a group of ships, so “fish is to school” is the correct answer.
Complete this analogy.
Cygnet is to swan as foal is to __________.
horse
chicken
duck
cow
turkey
A "cygnet" is a young "swan." So, to solve this analogy you merely need to determine which of these animals could be called a "foal." Well, a "foal" is a young "horse."
Analogies: Complete this analogy.
Canine is to dog as feline is to __________.
Cat
Monkey
Horse
Whale
Cow
"Canine" is an adjective that means of or related to dogs. So to solve this analogy, you have to determine which animal the word "feline" relates to. "Feline" means of or related to cats, so the correct answer is “cat.”
Complete the analogy:
Pack is to wolf as __________.
herd is to bison
school is to children
swarm is to fox
forest is to bush
herd is to fish
A group of wolves is called a "pack." Similarly, a group of "bison" is called "a herd."
None of the other analogies have this relationship:
"Herd is to fish": herd is not a word used to describe groups of fish.
"Forest is to bush": while there are often numerous bushes in a forest, a collection of bushes is not called a forest.
"Swarm is to fox": Swarm is a word meaning a large group of flying insects, thus foxes cannot form swarms, and a collection of foxes is called a troop or a lead.
"Children is to school": While groups of children are typically found in schools, a group of children is not called a school.