The question asks us to identify the odd pair of words from the given options. To do this, we need to examine the relationship between the words in each pair and find the pair where the relationship is different from the others.
Analyzing Each Word Pair
Let's look closely at each pair provided:
Pair 1: Bullock : Vixen
Bullock: This refers to a castrated male ox.
Vixen: This refers to a female fox.
Relationship: These words represent different animals altogether (a type of bovine and a fox), and they are not the male and female counterparts of the same species.
Pair 2: Cock : Hen
Cock: This is a male chicken.
Hen: This is a female chicken.
Relationship: This pair represents the male and female of the same species (chicken).
Pair 3: Dog : Bitch
Dog: While sometimes used for the species generally, it typically refers to a male dog in contrast to the female.
Bitch: This refers to a female dog.
Relationship: This pair represents the male and female of the same species (dog).
Pair 4: Lord : Lady
Lord: This is a title often used for a man of high rank or authority.
Lady: This is a title often used for a woman of high rank or authority, or as the female equivalent of 'Lord'.
Relationship: This pair represents the male and female counterparts based on title or social status.
Identifying the Odd Pair
Now let's compare the relationships we identified:
Cock : Hen — Male and female of the same species.
Dog : Bitch — Male and female of the same species.
Lord : Lady — Male and female counterparts based on title/status.
Bullock : Vixen — A male bovine and a female fox (different species).
The pairs Cock : Hen, Dog : Bitch, and Lord : Lady all represent a male-female relationship, whether of an animal species or a social title. The pair Bullock : Vixen does not follow this pattern as it pairs a male of one species (bovine) with a female of a completely different species (fox).
Therefore, the pair Bullock : Vixen is the odd one out.
Conclusion
The pair Bullock : Vixen is the odd pair because the other pairs (Cock : Hen, Dog : Bitch, Lord : Lady) represent a male-female relationship, while Bullock and Vixen are different animals from different species.
Revision Table: Word Pair Relationships
Word Pair
Relationship Type
Bullock : Vixen
Different Animals (Male Bovine : Female Fox)
Cock : Hen
Male : Female (Same Species - Chicken)
Dog : Bitch
Male : Female (Same Species - Dog)
Lord : Lady
Male : Female (Title/Status Equivalent)
Additional Information on Word Pair Analogies
Finding the odd pair based on relationships is a common type of verbal reasoning question. These questions test your ability to identify patterns and relationships between words. Common relationships include:
Synonyms (e.g., Happy : Joyful)
Antonyms (e.g., Hot : Cold)
Part-Whole (e.g., Finger : Hand)
Cause-Effect (e.g., Study : Success)
Worker and Tool (e.g., Carpenter : Hammer)
Male and Female (e.g., Lion : Lioness)
Parent and Young (e.g., Cat : Kitten)
Habitat (e.g., Bird : Nest)
Understanding various types of relationships helps in quickly analyzing word pairs and identifying the underlying pattern or the one that deviates.
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