Understanding the Brick : Mortar :: Body Analogy

The question asks us to find the word that completes the analogy: Brick : Mortar : : Body : ?. To solve this word analogy, we first need to understand the relationship between the first pair of words, "Brick" and "Mortar".

Relationship Between Brick and Mortar

Mortar is a paste used in masonry construction to bind building blocks, such as bricks, together and fill the gaps between them. Without mortar, bricks would just be a pile of loose objects. Mortar provides the adhesion, structural integrity, and unity that allows individual bricks to form a stable structure like a wall or a building. It is essential for transforming a collection of bricks into something functional and cohesive.

Applying the Relationship to Body

Now, we need to find something that relates to the "Body" in a similar way that "Mortar" relates to "Brick". We are looking for something that binds, gives integrity, unity, or purpose to the physical "Body", transforming it from just a collection of parts into a complete entity.

Analyzing the Options for the Body Analogy

Let's look at the given alternatives and see which one fits this relationship best:

• Life: Life is the state or quality that distinguishes living organisms from dead organisms or inanimate matter. Life animates the body and allows it to function. This is a possible connection, as mortar gives the bricks function as a building material.
• Flesh: Flesh is the soft substance of a body, consisting of muscle, fat, and connective tissue. Flesh is part of the body itself, not something that binds it externally or internally in the way mortar binds bricks.
• Soul: In many belief systems, the soul is considered the spiritual or non-physical part of a person, often regarded as immortal. It is frequently seen as the essence or animating principle that gives a body its identity, consciousness, and purpose, uniting its physical parts into a being. This aligns metaphorically with how mortar unites bricks into a structure with purpose.
• Blood: Blood is a vital fluid circulating in the body. It transports oxygen and nutrients. While essential for the body's function, it doesn't serve the role of binding the physical structure together like mortar does for bricks.

Determining the Best Fit

Comparing the options, "Soul" provides the most fitting analogy. Just as mortar holds individual bricks together to create a complete, functional structure (a building), the soul is often conceived as the element that holds the physical body together, giving it life, identity, and purpose, thereby creating a complete being. While 'Life' is also related, 'Soul' more closely mirrors the concept of a non-physical essence that provides the binding integrity and identity to the physical component (Body), similar to how mortar provides physical integrity and structure to bricks.

Therefore, the word that best completes the analogy Brick : Mortar : : Body : ? is Soul.

Revision Table: Word Analogy Concepts

Additional Information: Types of Analogies

Word analogies are common in verbal reasoning tests. They assess your ability to recognize relationships between pairs of words. Different types of relationships include:

• Synonyms (e.g., Happy : Joyful)
• Antonyms (e.g., Hot : Cold)
• Part to Whole (e.g., Finger : Hand)
• Cause and Effect (e.g., Rain : Flood)
• Worker and Tool (e.g., Carpenter : Hammer)
• Object and Function (e.g., Knife : Cut)
• Classification (e.g., Dog : Mammal)
• Metaphorical Relationships (like the Body : Soul analogy)

Understanding these common relationships helps in solving various word analogy problems.