http://www.grammarly.com/blog/2014/10-verbs-contronyms/
Have you ever encountered a word and thought that it meant the opposite
of what you remembered? If so, you may have come across a contronym.
A contronym, often referred to as a
Janus word or autoantonym, is a word that evokes contradictory or reverse
meanings depending on the context. Specifically, a contronym is a word with a
homonym (another word with the same spelling but different meaning) that is
also an antonym (a word with the opposite meaning).
Generally, contronyms became
contronyms in one of two ways: (1) different words with different etymologies
converged into one word, or (2) one word acquired different and opposite
meanings over time.
Here are some contronyms that are
commonly used as verbs in the English language:
to buckle
Definition
1: to fasten or secure with a buckle
(i.e., a device with a frame, hinged pin, and movable tongue, designed to
fasten together two loose ends of a belt or strap).
Example 1: Our hiking instructors told us to buckle our backpacks to our bodies during rigorous climbs.
Example 1: Our hiking instructors told us to buckle our backpacks to our bodies during rigorous climbs.
Definition
2: to bend, warp, or collapse under
pressure.
Example 2: I felt my legs buckle as I hiked up the steep mountain with my heavy backpack.
Example 2: I felt my legs buckle as I hiked up the steep mountain with my heavy backpack.
to cleave
Definition
1: to join or adhere closely; cling.
Example 1: The shy baby rabbit cleaved to his mother’s body.
Example 1: The shy baby rabbit cleaved to his mother’s body.
Definition
2: to split or divide, especially by
cutting.
Example 2: The hunter uses a Swiss Army knife to cleave the rabbit’s meat from the bone.
Example 2: The hunter uses a Swiss Army knife to cleave the rabbit’s meat from the bone.
to dust
Definition
1: to remove dust.
Example 1: My mother asked me to dust the window shades before the party.
Example 1: My mother asked me to dust the window shades before the party.
Definition
2: to sprinkle with soil or dust.
Example 2: I watched my mother dust my birthday cake in a thin layer of white sugar.
Example 2: I watched my mother dust my birthday cake in a thin layer of white sugar.
to enjoin
Definition
1: to instruct, prescribe, or command.
Example 1: For my sake, our family counselor enjoined my parents to communicate with each other after their divorce.
Example 1: For my sake, our family counselor enjoined my parents to communicate with each other after their divorce.
Definition
2: to prohibit or forbid (especially
via an injunction).
Example 2: After my parents’ divorce, the court enjoined my abusive mother from contacting me and my father.
Example 2: After my parents’ divorce, the court enjoined my abusive mother from contacting me and my father.
to
overlook
Definition
1: to monitor or inspect.
Example 1: Our teachers overlook our academic progress.
Example 1: Our teachers overlook our academic progress.
Definition
2: to fail to notice or choose not to
emphasize.
Example 2: Because they are tired, my teachers often overlook the spelling errors in my homework.
Example 2: Because they are tired, my teachers often overlook the spelling errors in my homework.
to peruse
Definition
1: to skim or read without attention
to detail.
Example 1: My mind wanders when I peruse chemistry textbooks because I have no interest in science.
Example 1: My mind wanders when I peruse chemistry textbooks because I have no interest in science.
Definition
2: to read or examine in detail.
Example 2: To study for the final exam, I sit down in a quiet room to peruse my chemistry notes.
Example 2: To study for the final exam, I sit down in a quiet room to peruse my chemistry notes.
to ravel
Definition
1: to tangle.
Example 1: When she is bored, my daughter ravels her hair into huge knots with her hands.
Example 1: When she is bored, my daughter ravels her hair into huge knots with her hands.
Definition
2: to disentangle threads or fibers.
Example 2: My daughter uses tweezers to ravel stubborn knots in her hair.
Example 2: My daughter uses tweezers to ravel stubborn knots in her hair.
to rent
Definition
1: to sell or lease the use of a
commodity.
Example 1: The landlord rents her apartment in the city to a young couple.
Example 1: The landlord rents her apartment in the city to a young couple.
Definition
2: to buy the use of a commodity.
Example 2: Depending on how much money you want to send, you can rent a room or an entire apartment from the landlord.
Example 2: Depending on how much money you want to send, you can rent a room or an entire apartment from the landlord.
to
sanction
Definition
1: to permit or grant approval.
Example 1: In some countries, the government sanctions the ownership of guns by private citizens.
Example 1: In some countries, the government sanctions the ownership of guns by private citizens.
Definition
2: to condemn or penalize.
Example 2: In some states, the government imposes sanctions on the ownership of guns by private citizens.
Example 2: In some states, the government imposes sanctions on the ownership of guns by private citizens.
to screen
Definition
1: to protect or conceal.
Example 1: Because he did not have a hat or umbrella, he used a newspaper to screen his face from the sun.
Example 1: Because he did not have a hat or umbrella, he used a newspaper to screen his face from the sun.
Definition
2: to show or broadcast (a movie or TV
show).
Example 2: The local movie theater will screen the new horror movie tonight.
Example 2: The local movie theater will screen the new horror movie tonight.
The next time you run into a word
that confuses you, keep in mind that seemingly simple words can have opposite
or multiple implications, and that the meaning of a word depends on both its
dictionary definition and the context in which it is used.
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Thee I could find are:
Reclaim
1.
get back what is lost: reclaim your baggage
2.
turn something into something else: this area will soon be reclaimed by the
desert
Douse
1.
stop a fire by pouring water
2.
soak something in liquid
Rake
1. pull a rake over a surface to make it level
or remove something
2.
search a place carefully for something
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