Body Roots

Front 1

corpus collection of writings

Back 1

corpus (body) This is the Latin singular (the plural is "corpora"). In medical or legal phrases, "corpus" usually refers to an actual body, but here, the word is used figuratively to refer to a body of knowledge.

Front 2

corps body of people associated together

Back 2

corpus (body) Unlike the Marine Corps, Job Corps is not "an army unit usually consisting of two or more divisions." But the name of the federal initiative was intended to give the literal and figurative collections of youthful bodies and jobs a sense of discipline and duty that is often associated with the militar

Front 3

corpse the dead body of a human being

Back 3

corpus (body) The "p" in "corpse" was originally silent and the "e" was rarely added before the 19th century, so earlier references to a dead body were often spelled "corse" or "corps."

Front 4

corporal affecting the body as opposed to the mind or spirit

Back 4

corpus (body) + al (suffix forming adjectives) The word is used as an adjective in the example sentence, but it can also be a noun that refers to "a noncommissioned officer in the armed forces." This meaning could be traced to the Latin root "caput" which means "head." The head of a body of troops, a corporal might use corporal punishment to train soldiers whose bodies, minds, and spirits need to be disciplined enough to withstand punishing environments.

Front 5

corporeal characteristic of the body as opposed to the mind or spirit

Back 5

orpus (body) + al (suffix forming adjectives) As the roots and definitions show, "corporal" and "corporeal" are nearly identical. But as the example sentences suggest, "corporal" is often used to differentiate from another type of physical punishment ("capital punishment" is a death sentence). "Corporeal" is often used to describe physical experiences that differ from those disconnected from the body ("incorporeal").

Front 6

corpulent excessively fat

Back 6

corpus (body) + ulentus (suffix meaning "full of") Although the tone of the adjective is not positive, the example sentence pairs it with "florid" which can mean "inclined to a healthy reddish color." This makes it less negative than the synonymous "obese" (from "obedere" which means "to eat oneself fat").

Front 7

corpuscle (nontechnical usage) a tiny piece of anything

Back 7

corpus (body) + cule (suffix forming diminutives) The technical usage of "corpuscle" refers to "either of two types of cells (erythrocytes and leukocytes)." But the example sentence is developing a metaphor in which the modern city is a human body and the pedestrians are the tiny cells inside it. If corpuscles become cancerous, or pedestrians behave rudely, the health of the whole body or city is affected.

Front 8

corporate possessing or existing in bodily form

Back 8

corpus (body) + ate (suffix forming adjectives) The adjective is more often used to mean "of or belonging to a business firm." This meaning is also intended by the example sentence, which compares the evolution of a tortoise to that of a business (clue: the source is the business magazine Forbes).

Front 9

corporationa business firm recognized by law as a single body

Back 9

corpus (body) + ation (suffix forming nouns) Closer to its literal root, "corporation" could be slang for "paunch" (big belly). Thus, a large health insurance corporation could be accused of having a corporation.

Front 10

corporatism control of a state or organization by large interest groups

Back 10

corpus (body) + ate (suffix forming adjectives) + ism (suffix forming nouns) "Corporate" can also mean "done by or characteristic of individuals acting together." This could describe a positive work environment, but once "ism" is added to the adjective, the word takes on a negative tone that, as the example sentence suggests, ignores the individuals.

Front 11

incorporate make into a whole or make part of a whole

Back 11

in (prefix meaning "into") + corpus (body) + ate (suffix forming verbs) The example sentence is from a science magazine, so both the literal and figurative connections to body are intended here. New information is incorporated into a person's body of knowledge when the brain physically creates new synaptic connections between cells.

Front 12

habeas corpusa writ ordering a prisoner to be brought before a judge

Back 12

habere (to have, to hold); corpus (body) The reason for this right is to prevent prisoners from being illegally detained in some unknown location. This does not usually apply to animals, especially those whose bodily appearance would turn a courtroom into a circus.

Front 13

corseta woman's close-fitting foundation garment

Back 13

corpus (body) + ette (suffix forming diminutives) The slight change in spelling is due to the word passing through Old French. As both the French and Latin roots suggest, the purpose of a corset is to create the image of a small body (in particular, a female's waist). The example sentence defends the corset, but for many who are not actresses playing Disney princesses, the corset symbolizes a painfully unrealistic standard of female perfection that is focused on the body.