Bridge words — the dictionary of connecting words

The heart of Chainle is the bridge: one word that connects the clue words through meaning. This dictionary currently covers 62 word pairs. Every entry gives the relation type, a per-clue explanation, alternative answers and an example sentence.

Dictionary · 62 hand-built entries · answers shown, full clue ladders on each entry page.

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• Shared locationaltar → pewchurch

  The altar stands at the front of a church.

• Shared locationanchor → starfishseabed

  An anchor's flukes grip into the seabed.

• Second meaningautumn → dropfall

  Fall is the North American name for the autumn season.

• Shared associationbeach → desertsand

  A beach is ringed with soft sand above the tide line.

• Shared locationbear → treasurecave

  Bears den up for winter inside caves.

• Second meaningbed → mountainfoot

  The foot of a bed is the end farthest from the pillows.

• Part or functionbicycle → watchgear

  A bicycle shifts speed through its gears.

• Second meaningbird → machinecrane

  A crane is a long-legged wading bird.

• Shared associationbirthday → weddingcake

  Birthdays are celebrated with candles on a cake.

• Part or functionboat → windmillsail

  A boat is propelled across water by its sail.

• Shared materialbottle → windowglass

  Bottles are commonly blown or moulded from glass.

• Familiar phrasebread → fruitbasket

  A breadbasket is the basket bread is served in.

• Part or functionbridge → scaffoldbeam

  A bridge deck rests on load-bearing steel beams.

• Shared actionbroom → vacuumsweep

  A broom sweeps dust into a tidy pile.

• Shared materialcandle → honeycombwax

  A candle is typically made of wax that burns for light.

• Shared materialchalk → marblecalcium

  Chalk is composed largely of calcium carbonate.

• Shared propertycloud → sheepfluffy

  Fair-weather clouds look fluffy from the ground.

• Shared materialcoin → pipecopper

  Many coins are struck in copper or copper alloys.

• Shared associationcompass → mapnavigation

  A compass is the classic navigation instrument.

• Shared locationcoral → shipwreckreef

  Coral polyps build up living reefs over centuries.

• Shared locationdesk → cabinetoffice

  A desk is the centrepiece of any office.

• Shared propertydiamond → granitehard

  Diamond is the hardest known natural material.

• Shared actiondog → detectivesniff

  A dog sniffs out scents with remarkable accuracy.

• Part or functioneye → cameralens

  The eye focuses incoming light using its lens.

• Shared locationfarmer → haybarn

  A farmer spends much of the working day in the barn.

• Part or functionfaucet → trumpetvalve

  A valve controls the flow of water inside a faucet.

• Shared propertyfeather → foamlight

  A feather weighs almost nothing for its size.

• Familiar phrasefire → milkman

  A fireman is the traditional name for a firefighter.

• Familiar phrasefoot → handball

  A football is named for being propelled by the foot.

• Shared associationghost → pumpkinspooky

  Ghosts are the classic spooky figures of folklore.

• Part or functionguitar → violinstring

  A guitar makes music through vibrating strings.

• Shared actionhook → netcatch

  An angler hooks a fish one at a time.

• Shared propertylemon → vinegarsour

  Lemon juice tastes sharply sour.

• Second meaningmatch → drawtie

  A match can finish in a tie when scores are level.

• Shared associationmedal → podiumvictory

  A medal is awarded to mark a victory.

• Shared materialmug → teapotceramic

  Mugs are usually thrown or moulded in ceramic.

• Shared actionnet → sievestrain

  A net strains catch from the surrounding water.

• Second meaningocean → wirecurrent

  An ocean current is a vast, moving stream of seawater.

• Shared actionoven → sunbake

  An oven bakes dough into bread and cake.

• Shared materialpaper → denimcotton

  High-quality paper is often made from cotton rag fibres.

• Part or functionpiano → lockkey

  A piano is played by pressing its keys.

• Shared materialpizza → pastatomato

  Pizza is commonly made with tomato sauce as its base.

• Shared associationpopcorn → ticketmovie

  Popcorn is the classic snack of a movie theatre.

• Familiar phraserain → snowfall

  Rainfall is the amount of rain that falls in a period.

• Shared actionrazor → planeshave

  A razor shaves hair cleanly from the skin.

• Shared materialsail → tentcanvas

  Sails are traditionally cut from heavy canvas.

• Shared locationsalmon → canoeriver

  Salmon swim upriver from the sea to spawn.

• Shared actionsaw → scissorscut

  A saw cuts timber with toothed steel.

• Familiar phrasesnow → tennisball

  A snowball is the classic compound of snow and ball.

• Shared propertysoap → iceslippery

  Wet soap is famously slippery between the fingers.

• Second meaningsphere → galaball

  A ball is a round sphere used in play.

• Shared propertysponge → desertdry

  A squeezed sponge left out becomes bone dry.

• Familiar phrasestar → jellyfish

  A starfish is named for its star-like arms.

• Shared propertysteel → oakstrong

  Steel is prized in construction for being strong.

• Familiar phrasesun → moonlight

  Sunlight is the light the sun sheds by day.

• Shared materialsword → nailsteel

  Swords are traditionally forged from hardened steel.

• Part or functionthermometer → speedometerdial

  A thermometer often reads out on a circular dial.

• Shared materialtire → balloonrubber

  Tires are made of vulcanized rubber for grip and resilience.

• Second meaningtree → bookleaf

  A leaf is the green organ that grows on a tree.

• Second meaningtree → handpalm

  A palm is a tall tropical tree with a crown of fronds.

• Shared associationumbrella → bootsrain

  An umbrella is carried against the rain.

• Familiar phrasewind → peppermill

  A windmill turns wind into mechanical power.

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