Lesson 12: The Body

Let's start with words related to the skin, all coming from the root DERMA.

Key Words

📝Example Usage:

• An expert in dermatology gave a lecture on preventing common skin diseases.
• The human epidermis, though no thicker than a sheet of paper, is a vital protective barrier against infection.

🧠Memory Trick:

• In dermatology class, we studied a diagram of the epidermis to understand its layers.

These words all relate to 'the back,' stemming from the root DORSUM. This can mean the physical back or the act of giving 'backing' or support.

Key Words

📝Example Usage:

• Before the bank teller could cash the check, I had to endorse it by signing my name on the back.
• The spy agency compiled a detailed dossier on the foreign diplomat, tracking all her movements.

🧠Memory Trick:

• To endorse the secret agent, the director reviewed a dossier that included a photo of a tattoo on his dorsal side.

Time for lunch! These words are all about the stomach and good eating, from the root GASTER.

Key Words

📝Example Usage:

• My uncle, a true gastronome, loves exploring new restaurants and critiquing their food.
• Chewing food thoroughly stimulates the flow of gastric juices needed for digestion.

🧠Memory Trick:

• The famous gastronome knew that eating too quickly could cause gastric discomfort.

The root NERVUS means 'nerve' or 'sinew,' and this word describes what happens when your strength and energy are taken away.

Key Words

📝Example Usage:

• Climbing a mountain at high altitude, where the air is thin, can quickly enervate even experienced hikers.
• The long flight and time difference enervated the traveler, who felt weak and tired for days.

🧠Memory Trick:

• A long, boring lecture can completely enervate a person, making them feel drained of all energy.

These words are all about 'blood,' from the root SANGUIS. They can refer to literal blood relationships, a reddish color, or a cheerful, blood-filled disposition.

Key Words

📝Example Usage:

• Even after her team lost the game, she remained sanguine about their chances of winning the championship.
• The genealogist discovered the close consanguinity between the two families by tracing their shared ancestry.

🧠Memory Trick:

• Her sanguine outlook on life was strengthened by the close consanguinity she felt with her supportive family.

From the root SEDEO, meaning 'to sit' or 'to settle,' these words describe sitting, settling down to work, settling a disagreement, or being replaced by someone who takes your 'seat.'

Key Words

📝Example Usage:

• An assiduous student will be diligent and attentive in completing all homework assignments.
• New smartphone models are released so frequently that they quickly supersede the old ones.
• During the spooky seance, the listeners believed they heard a ghost tap the table.

🧠Memory Trick:

• The assiduous but sedentary dissident, hoping to supersede the current leader, secretly held a seance to ask for otherworldly help.