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ASVAB · Context Clues

In the sentence 'The chef garnished the dish with fresh herbs,' GARNISHED most nearly means:

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Correct answer

Decorated or adorned

  1. A Removed
  2. B Cooked thoroughly
  3. C Burnt
  4. D Decorated or adorned

Why this is the answer

GARNISHED means decorated or embellished, especially food. Context clue: 'with fresh herbs' suggests adding something for decoration or flavor enhancement. From Old French 'garnir' (to provide or equip). Example: 'The plate was garnished with parsley and lemon.' Synonyms: decorate, adorn, embellish, ornament. Note: 'garnish' has a second, completely different meaning in legal/financial contexts — to garnish wages means to legally seize part of someone's pay to satisfy a debt. This is GARNISHMENT. Context is essential to choose the right meaning. ASVAB tip: when a word has multiple meanings, use the sentence context to determine which applies. Other words with multiple meanings: BANK (financial institution OR side of a river); BARK (sound a dog makes OR outer covering of a tree); LIGHT (illumination OR not heavy); SPRING (season OR a coiled metal device OR a water source OR to leap).
Source: ASVAB WK — Multiple Meanings

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About this topic: Context Clues

Context-clue questions give the word inside a sentence; the surrounding words tell you whether it is positive or negative, large or small, action or state. Use that before reaching for a definition. This is one of 10 Word Knowledge questions on context clues, each with a full explanation on a single study page.

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