Extract:
Select the meaning of the underlined word in the following sentence
A single dose will suppress even the nastiest cough.
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A
Subdue
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B
Cure
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C
Restore
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D
Affect
To suppress a cough means to subdue or inhibit its expression.
This is through physiological intervention, reducing symptom intensity without necessarily eliminating underlying cause.
A) Subdue
Subdue captures suppression's mechanism: reducing intensity or expression of a symptom through active inhibition. Cough suppressants (antitussives) subdue the cough reflex at neurological level, they don't cure respiratory infection but diminish symptomatic expression, exactly matching subdue's connotation of controlled reduction.
B) Cure
Curing eliminates underlying pathology, resolving disease etiology rather than symptom expression. Suppressants may subdue coughs without curing infections (symptomatic treatment); cures resolve causes but may not immediately suppress symptoms. These represent distinct therapeutic objectives: symptom control versus disease resolution.
C) Restore
Restoration returns systems to prior functional states, rehabilitative process rather than inhibitory action. Suppression actively blocks expression; restoration actively rebuilds capacity. These represent inverse therapeutic directions: inhibition versus enhancement.
D) Affect
Affect denotes general influence, neutral impact without specifying direction or mechanism. Suppression constitutes specific inhibitory affect, but not all affects suppress (some exacerbate). This option's vagueness fails to capture suppression's precise inhibitory mechanism.
Conclusion
Suppression functions through active inhibition, reducing symptom expression without necessarily resolving underlying pathology. Unlike cure (etiological resolution), restore (functional rehabilitation), or affect (general influence), subdue alone captures suppression's essential mechanism: targeted reduction of symptomatic intensity through physiological interference with expression pathways.
Topic Flashcards
Click to FlipWhat is a precise synonym for suppress in the context of controlling a symptom or feeling?
Subdue or inhibit. It means to reduce the intensity or activity of something without completely eliminating its source.
What does inhibit mean?
To hinder, restrain, or prevent an action, process, or function. It is very close in meaning to suppress.
What is the meaning of restrain?
To hold back, keep in check, or place limits on someone or something. It focuses on controlling an action or impulse.
What is symptomatic treatment?
Medical care that relieves symptoms (like a cough or pain) without addressing the underlying cause of the disease. Suppressing a cough is a form of symptomatic treatment.
What does quell mean?
To put an end to or suppress (typically something perceived as troublesome), such as quelling a riot or quelling fears.