All 3 Uses of
vary
in
Childhood's End
- The objcctions and policies of these groups varied enormously: some took the religious viewpoint, while others were merely expressing a sense of inferiority.†
Chpt 3 *varied = differed; or changed
- Could the result be varied by conditioning or by the use of appropriate orchestration?†
Chpt 15
- It would climb the spectrum and hover at the edge of yellow, and the cycle would reverse itself, the, star would expand and cool, becoming once more a ragged, flame-red cloud.... ("Typical pulsating variable," said Rashaverak eagerly.†
Chpt 18variable = able to changestandard suffix: The suffix "-able" in variable means able to be. This is the same pattern you see in words like breakable, understandable, and comfortable. Note that when "-able" is placed at the end of a word that ends in "Y", the "Y" is often replaced with "I" as in enviable and deniable.
Definition:
to be different, or to change
Vary is often used to describe small differences or changes--especially about things of the same type. It would be more common to say "The weight of full-grown elephants varies depending upon diet and other factors," than to say "The weight of elephants varies from that of mice."