A word with two opposing meanings 1

[BillyRayPreachersSon]

I came across a word yesterday that has two meanings, one of which means the opposite of the other.

Can anyone guess what the word is? It's 6 letters long and begins with the letter "c".

Dan



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[BadBigBen]

contra" perhaps?

Ben
"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."
How to ask a question, when posting them to a professional forum.
Only ask questions with yes/no answers if you want "yes" or "no"

 

[2ffat]

No, but I can think of another six letter word that starts with "p" and has opposite meanings.



James P. Cottingham
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[rjoubert]

Is it CLEAVE?

1. Split or sever (something), esp. along a natural line or grain.
2. Stick fast to: "Rose's mouth was dry, her tongue cleaving to the roof of her mouth".

 

[Olaf Doschke]

I'd go for a steroetype and add in "no" sometimes means "yes". An inaccuracy often attributed to women.

No idea about a "c" or "p" word.

Bye, Olaf.

 

[Andrzejek]

There was a long discussion about this subject on CarTalk (NPR’s funny talk show,

http://www.CarTalk.com)

some time ago. The only one word I can remember was dust: you can dust you furniture (remove dust) or you can dust for fingerprints (apply dust to the surface)

Have fun.

---- Andy

 

[KenCunningham]

Star rjoubert!

The internet - allowing those who don't know what they're talking about to have their say.

 

[N1GHTEYES]

There is a classic 5-letter word begining with T which has an opposite meaning when you go across the pond.

Another word with a US/UK difference can lead to some potentially dangerous situations. It begins with P and is 8 letters long.

Tony

 

[JCreamerII]

I know a five letter work that begins with "A" and has two exact opposite meanings.

Jim C.

 

[SantaMufasa]

So...do you all want us to guess, or are you just being selfish with your word discoveries? <grin>

"Bad" nowadays could mean "bad" or it could mean "way good".

"Dope" could mean "really stupid" or it could mean "really good".

Mufasa
(aka Dave of Sandy, Utah, USA)
“People may forget what you say, but they will never forget how you made them feel.

 

[SamBones]

Fast = Moving quickly / Fixed in place
Inflamable = Burns easily / Doesn't burn easily

 

[DrB0b]

Sanction - "to permit", and also "to punish"
Weather - can mean "to endure" (as in a storm) or "to erode" (as in a rock).
Buckle - can mean "to fasten" or "to bend then break"

Anyone know the term for a word that fits these molds?

"You don't know what you got, till it's gone..
80's hair band Cinderella or ode to data backups???

 

[strongm]

>Inflamable = Burns easily / Doesn't burn easily


Inflammable has never meant "doesn't burn easily". In- is not a prefix in this case

 

[djj55]

strongm, I agree as in college I made that mistake in chemistry class. Luckily the professor was a nice person.

djj
The Lord is my shepherd (Psalm 23) - I need someone to lead me!

 

[SantaMufasa]

Lest someone get the wrong (spelling) idea from above posts, both flammable and inflammable require two &quot;m&quot;s. &lt;grin&gt;

Mufasa
(aka Dave of Sandy, Utah, USA)
“People may forget what you say, but they will never forget how you made them feel.&quot;

 

[guitarzan]

Inflammable has never meant "doesn't burn easily". In- is not a prefix in this case

In- IS a prefix, just not a prefix meaning "not".

OK, good opportunity for me to look up the origin of a word that has bugged me for years. Found this site:

http://www.copyediting.com/tip-week-inflammable-statements

Inflammable entered English first, around 1425, as a medical term meaning “liable to inflammation,” according to the Chambers Dictionary of Etymology ...

Inflammable picked up its “able to set on fire” meaning in 1605. Once it was used this way, the confusion started. Although in- has more than one meaning, many people gravitated to the “not” meaning. Had enough people done this, inflammable would have picked up a new meaning; but clearly not enough people did.

Inflammable referring to inflammation, I have no problem with.
Inflammable referring to fire, well, not the best choice for a word IMO.

 

[kwbMitel]

Another example of an "in" word that does not "not" the word.

habitable and Inhabitable.

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What's most important is that you realise ... There is no spoon.

 

[cspilman]

what about:

hospitable and inhospitable


Regards,
Chuck

 

[DrB0b]

Am I missing this one:

inhospitable (ɪnˈhɒspɪtəb ə l, ˌɪnhɒˈspɪt-)

— adj
1. not hospitable; unfriendly
2. (of a region, an environment, etc) lacking a favourable climate, terrain, etc

From:

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/inhospitable

That seems to mean (in = not)-hospitable

"You don't know what you got, till it's gone..
80's hair band Cinderella or ode to data backups???

 

[strongm]

>In- IS a prefix, just not a prefix meaning "not".

Arguable. It is derived from a latin preposition (same one as used in inquire/enquire or inscribe) rather than a latin prefix.