tame
tame [tame tames tamed taming] adjective, verb BrE [teɪm] NAmE [teɪm] adjective (tamer, tam·est) 1. (of animals, birds, etc.)not afraid of people, and used to living with them •The bird became so tame that it was impossible to release it back into the wild. Opp: ↑wild 2. (informal)not interesting or exciting •You'll find life here pretty tame after New York. 3. (informal) (of a person)willing to do what other people ask •I have a tame doctor who'll always give me a sick note when I want a day off. Word Origin: Old English tam (adjective), temmian (verb), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch tam and German zahm, from an Indo-European root shared by Latin domare and Greek daman ‘tame, subdue’. Example Bank: •I found the violence in the film surprisingly tame. •Most of the jokes are relatively tame. •The recent violence makes previous uprisings look tame by comparison. •To us it was all pretty tame stuff. •living a life that makes Wild West movies look positively tame •After what I've just been through, hitching a ride seems pretty tame stuff! •Such games must all sound rather tame to today's children. •You'll probably find life here pretty tame after New York. Derived Words: ↑tamely ▪ ↑tameness verb ~ sth to make sth ↑tame or easy to control •Lions can never be completely tamed. •She made strenuous efforts to tame her anger. Verb forms: Word Origin: Old English tam (adjective), temmian (verb), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch tam and German zahm, from an Indo-European root shared by Latin domare and Greek daman ‘tame, subdue’.
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