Reading Root Flashcards Mp 1

Front 1

Corpus

Sentence: 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.

Back 1

a collection of writings

Front 2

corps

Sentence: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 military.

Back 2

a body of people associated together

Front 3

corpse

Sentence: 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."

Back 3

the dead body of a human being

Front 4

corporal

Sentence: 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.

Back 4

affecting the body as opposed to the mind or spirit

Front 5

corporeal

Sentence: 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").

Back 5

characteristic of the body as opposed to the mind or spirit

Front 6

corpulent

sentence: 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").

Back 6

excessively fat

Front 7

corpuscle

sentence: 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.

Back 7

(nontechnical usage) a tiny piece of anything

Front 8

corporate

sentence: 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).

Back 8

possessing or existing in bodily form

Front 9

corporation

Sentence: 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.

Back 9

a business firm recognized by law as a single body

Front 10

corporatism

sentence: "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.

Back 10

control of a state or organization by large interest groups

Front 11

incorporate

sentence: 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.

Back 11

make into a whole or make part of a whole

Front 12

habeas corpus

sentence: 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.

Back 12

a writ ordering a prisoner to be brought before a judge

Front 13

corset

sentence: 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.

Back 13

a woman's close-fitting foundation garment