PAIRS AND SNARES XXVII

The words in each group below can be easily confused. Can you give a simple definition of each one that shows the difference between them?

1. ADAPT - ADEPT - ADOPT

2. ORDNANCE - ORDINANCE

3. COO - COOP - CO-OP - COUP - CORPS - CORPSE

4.  GAMBIA - GUINEA - GHANA - GUYANA - GUIANA - NEW GUINEA

Answers:

1. ADAPT - Make changes so as to be suitable for a new purpose

   ADEPT - Skilled or proficient at something

   ADOPT - Take up, follow, or use - as a policy or way of doing things / Legally take another's child and raise him/her as your own 

2. ORDNANCE - Guns, munitions, artillery, weapons

    ORDINANCE - Municipal legislation (i.e. a smoking ban in restaurants) / A prescribed rite (i.e. offering the sacrament in church)

 3. COO - Soft murmuring sound make by a dove or pigeon /  (Verb) Make similar sounds using romantic words

     COOP - Enclosure, as for chickens / (with "up") Pen in 

     CO-OP - A co-operative society, business, or enterprise - as co-op housing

     COUP - Violent overthrow of a government / A notable or successful stroke or move

     CORPS - A military unit (Marine Corps) / A body of people engaged in a particular activity (press corps)

     CORPSE - A dead body

4. GAMBIA is a small country on the west (Atlantic) coast of Africa bounded by Senegal.

   GUINEA is a west African country below Senegal.

   GHANA  is an African country on the south Atlantic coast - east of Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast)

  GUYANA is a country on the north (Caribbean) coast of South America - east of Venezuela.

  GUIANA (FRENCH GUIANA) is an overseas department of France on the northeast corner of South America.

[Note: GUYANA and FRENCH GUIANA are separated by the country of Suriname in between them.] 

   NEW GUINEA (PAPUA NEW GUINEA) is an island country located in Melanesia (southwestern Pacific Ocean) northwest of Australia