tame

Everyday

1. Of an animal: not wild or afraid of people, because it has been trained or lives with people. tree →
2. (verb) To train a wild animal to live with people and obey them. tree →
3. Dull and not exciting. tree →
4. (verb) To control something strong or wild. tree →
5. Tame can also describe a person who is meek and does what others tell them to do. tree →

In the lessons

In science, people tamed wild animals long ago — wolves became dogs, wild cats became pets; tame animals live calmly with people. In safety, even an animal that seems tame can bite, and wild animals in parks are never tame. In stories, a hero tames a horse or a dragon; a tame ending is boring. Phrases: «tame animals», «tame a horse», «a tame ending».

Examples

• The deer in the park are quite tame. tree →
• Long ago, people tamed wolves, and they became dogs. tree →
• The horse was hard to tame. tree →
• Our pet rat is very tame and sits on my shoulder. tree →
• Even a tame animal may bite if it is frightened. tree →
• The film was quite tame — not scary at all. tree →
• She tamed her wild hair with a brush. tree →
• A wild fox is not tame, so keep away. tree →
• I must talk it over with my tame sweetheart. tree →

Note

Comparatives: tamer, tamest. Opposite: «wild» or «fierce». Tame is not the same as «domesticated» (bred by people for many generations), though they are close.