Want to Buy a Vowel? Trivia Quiz

Answer: aloe

Aloe is a plant genus containing over 500 species. Probably the most well-known is aloe vera, meaning "true aloe", which is cultivated for medicinal purposes, e.g., externally, to relieve skin discomforts, and internally, as a juice for digestive problems.

Answer: ouzo

Ouzo is a clear Greek liqueur with a licorice flavor.

Answer: epee

An epee is a type of sharp-pointed dueling sword designed for thrusting. It is also used in the sport of fencing, with the end blunted.

Answer: ache

An ache is a dull continuous pain, where the pain may be constant but it is not severe or life-threatening.

Answer: iamb

The word iamb (or iambus) refers to a metrical foot with two syllables which is used in poetry; it is a short syllable, followed by an accented or stressed syllable, e.g., delay, forget, remark. Iambic pentameter is a line which consists of five iambs.

Answer: onion

The onion is a vegetable and the most widely cultivated species which comes from the genus Allium. It is usually served cooked, but can be eaten raw (preferably on a night when you're alone).

Answer: edema

An edema is a swelling characterized by an excess of watery fluid collecting in the cavities or tissues of the body. Edema is the body's response to an injury or inflammation.

Answer: Aesop

Aesop (620-564 BC) was an ancient Greek storyteller whose tales or fables usually had some kind of moral to the story. The fables can be characterized by animals or inanimate objects that can speak (think Mrs. Potts and Chip in "Beauty and the Beast").

Answer: Ebola

Ebola or EVD (Ebola Virus Disease) is caused by a virus, and was originally called Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever (EHF). The virus can be transmitted from wild animals to people, and can then result in human to human transmission. The outbreaks in West Africa had an extremely high fatality rate just a few years ago, but it can be controlled better now.

Answer: audio

Audio is a noun which refers to sound, i.e., recorded, transmitted or reproduced, as in audio equipment or audio-visual aids. It relates to acoustic, mechanical or electrical frequencies of approximately 5 to 20,000 hertz.

Answer: uvula

The uvula is the fleshy extension at the back of the soft palate which looks like a tiny punching bag. It hangs above the throat and, in conjunction with the soft palate, the uvula prevents food from entering the nasal cavity.

Answer: eaves

Eaves are the edges of the roof that meet or hang over the walls of a building. The primary function of eaves is to keep rain water off the walls or from entering the building at the junction where the roof meets the wall.

Answer: Apache

The Apache are Native Americans from the Southwestern United States and Northern Mexico. The Apaches were known to be fierce warriors and excellent strategists, as they tried to defend their lands against the US Army, e.g., The Apache Wars fought between 1849 and 1886.

Answer: oration

An oration is a formal speech, e.g., one given on a ceremonial occasion like a funeral or a university graduation. One of the greatest orators of all time was Demosthenes (384-322 BC), a prominent statesman of Ancient Athens.

Answer: equator

The equator is an imaginary line around the middle of the Earth, halfway between the North and South Poles. As Merriam-Webster would have it: "the great circle of the celestial sphere whose plane is perpendicular to the axis of the earth". Isn't that simple?