Lesson 4: 6. Tort (Tors), 7. Vict (Vinc), 8. Fract (Frag), 9. Omni, 10. Fleet (Flex)

Let's untangle the meanings of words that come from the Latin root TORT or TORS, which means 'to twist'!

Key Words

• The pirates tried to extort the location of the treasure from the captain.
• You can distort what I said by only repeating the first half of my sentence.
• The mountain path was a tortuous route, full of sharp turns and switchbacks.

These words all relate to the idea of twisting. This can be a physical action, like a contortionist twisting their body or a road having many twists. It can also be figurative, like when someone tries to distort the truth or extort money through force.

Ready to conquer your vocabulary? These words are all built on VICT or VINC, the Latin root for 'conquer' or 'show conclusively'.

Key Words

• After the chess tournament, the victor graciously congratulated her opponent.
• The young musician began to evince a remarkable talent for the piano at an early age.
• With their star player, the basketball team seemed invincible throughout the championship.

This group is all about winning and proving. It includes words for defeating an opponent (vanquish), proving someone's guilt (convict), or proving a point (convince). If a team cannot be conquered, it is considered invincible.

Let's break down some new words! The Latin root FRACT or FRAG, meaning 'to break,' is the foundation for all of these terms.

Key Words

• Be careful with that antique teacup; it's extremely fragile.
• Forgetting to return the library book on time is a minor infraction of the rules.
• The archaeologist found a small fragment of the ancient pot, which helped identify its origin.

Everything here relates to the idea of breaking. This can be a literal break, like a fracture in a bone or a fragment of a dish. It can also be more abstract, like an infraction (breaking a rule) or a fractious child who is easily 'broken' into a bad mood.

Get ready for some all-encompassing words! The Latin prefix OMNI means 'all,' 'every,' or 'everywhere,' and it gives these words their powerful meanings.

Key Words

• A good detective needs to gather all the facts, but even the best is not omniscient.
• In the comic book, the villain's goal was to become omnipotent and rule the universe.
• My dog seems to be omnipresent; no matter which room I go into, he's already there.

The prefix OMNI gives these words a sense of 'all-ness.' Someone who is omnipotent is all-powerful, one who is omniscient is all-knowing, and something omnipresent is everywhere at once. An omnivorous reader enjoys all types of books.

Let's bend our minds around these words derived from FLECT or FLEX, the Latin root meaning 'to bend'.

Key Words

• Pulling your hand away from a hot stove is a natural reflex.
• Gymnasts must be extremely flexible to perform their routines.
• The manager's inflexibility on the deadline made the team feel stressed.

These words are all about bending. It can be a physical action, like when you flex a muscle or have a strong flexor. It can also mean being bendable, like a flexible schedule. Bending can be abstract, too, like when you reflect on an idea or change the inflection in your voice.