Latin Roots

rupt

break, burst

abrupt (adj.)

1. broken off; lacking in continuity; steep (ant. sloping)
2. sudden; quick and unexpected (ant. leisurely; deliberate; gradual)

corrupt (adj.)

changed (“broken to pieces'“) from good to bad; vicious

corrupt (v.)

change (“break to pieces”) from good to bad; debase; pervert; falsify break apart; cause disorder

disrupt (v.)

break apart; cause disorder

erupt (v.)

burst or break out

incorruptible (adj.)

inflexibility honest; incapable of being corrupted or bribed

interrupt (v.)

break into or between; hinder; stop

rupture (n.)

1. break; breaking
2. hostility

cide

killing, killer

bactericide (n.)

substance that kills bacteria

biocide (n.)

substance that destroys many different organisms

fratricide (n.)

act of killing (or killer of) one’s brother

fungicide (n.)

substance that kills fungi or inhibits their growth

genocide (n.)

deliberate extermination of a racial or cultural group

germicide (n.)

substance that kills germs

herbicide (n.)

substance that kills plants

homicide (n.)

killing of one human by another

infanticide (n.)

act of killing (or killer of) an infant

insecticide (n.)

substance that kills insects

matricide (n.)

act of killing (or killer of) one’s mother

patricide (n.)

act of killing (or killer of) one’s father

pesticide (n.)

substance that kills rats, insects, bacteria, etc.

regicide (n.)

act of killing (or killer of) a king

sororicide (n.)

act of killing (or killer of) one’s sister

suicide (n.)

act of killing (or killer of) one’s self

tyrannicide

act of killing (or killer of) a tyrant

string (strict)

bind, draw tight

astringent (adj.)

1. drawing (the tissues) tightly together (e.g. to check blessing)
2. stern; austere

astringent (n.)

substance that shrinks the tissues and checks flow of blood

boa constrictor (n.)

snake that “constricts” or crushes its prey in its coil

constrict (v.)

draw together, render narrower; shrink (ant. expand)

restrict (v.)

keep within limits (literally, “keep back”); confine

stricture (n.)

1. adverse criticism (literally, “tightening”); censure
2. restriction

stringent (adj.)

strict (literally, “binding tight”); rigid; severe

unrestricted (adj.)

1. not confined within bounds; free
2. open to all

vor

eat greedily

carnivore (n.)

flesh-eating animal

carnivorous (adj.)

flesh-eating

devour (v.)

1. eat greedily or ravenously
2. seize upon and destroy

frugivorous (adj.)

feeding on fruit

herbivore (n.)

plant-eating animal

herbivorous (adj.)

dependent on (literally, “eating”) plants as food

insectivorous (adj.)

dependent on (literally, “eating”) insects as food

omnivore (n.)

person or animal that eats everything (both flesh and plants)

omnivorous (adj.)

1. eating everything, both plant and animal substances
2. avidly taking in everything as an *omnivorous* reader

voracious (adj.)

1. greedy in eating
2. insatiable, as a *voracious* appetite

viv

live, alive

convivial (adj.)

fond of eating and drinking with friends; sociable; jovial; hospitable (ant. taciturn, inclined to silence; stolid, unemotional)

revive (v.)

bring back to life; restore

survive (v.)

outlive; remain alive after (ant. perish)

vivacious (adj.)

lively in temper or conduct (ant. languid, lacking in vigor)

vivacity (n.)

liveliness of spirit

vivid (adj.)

1. (used with things) having the vigor and spirit of life
2. sharp and clear; graphic

vivify (v.)

enliven; make vivid

vivisection (n.)

operation on a living animal for scientific investigation

tort (tors)

twist

contortionist (n.)

person who can twist his or her body into odd postures

distort (v.)

1. twist out of shape; contort
2. twist out of the true meaning; misrepresent; pervert; falsify

extort (v.)

wrest (money, promises, etc.) from a person by force (literally, “twist out”)

retort (v.)

reply quickly or sharply (“twist back”)

retort (n.)

quick, witty, or cutting reply

torsion (n.)

act of twisting; stress due to twisting forces exerted on a body

tortuous (adj.)

1. full of twists or curves; winding, as a tortuous road
2. tricky; crooked; circuitous

torture (v.)

1. wrench; twist
2. inflict severe pain upon

torture (n.)

anguish of body or mind; agony

convict (v.)

prove guilty; show conclusively to be quilty

convict (n.)

person serving a prison sentence

conviction (n.)

1. state of having been judged guilty of an offense
2. strong belief

convince (v.)

persuade or show conclusively by argument or proof

evict (v.)

1. expel by legal process, as to evict a tenant
2. oust

evince (v.)

show clearly; disclose; reveal

invincible (adj.)

incapable of being conquered

vanquish (v.)

overcome in battle; conquer; defeat

victor (n.)

winner; conqueror

fraction (n.)

one of more of the equal parts of a whole; fragment

fractions (adj.)

apt to break out into a passion; cross; irritable (ant. peaceable)

fracture (n.)

1. break or crack
2. breaking of a bone

fragile (adj.)

easily broken; frail; delicate (ant. tough; durable)

fragment (n.)

part broken off

infraction (n.)

act of breaking; breach; violation, as an infraction of a law

refract (v.)

bend (literally, “break back”) from a straight path (such as a sunlight refracts against a prism to show the rainbow)

refractory (adj.)

resisting; intractable; hard to manage; as a refractory mule (ant. malleable; tractable; adaptable)

omni

all, every, everywhere

omnibus (adj.)

covering many things at once, as an omnibus bill

omnibus (n.)

1. bus
2. book containing a variety of works by one author, as a Hemingway omnibus

omnifarious (adj.)

of all varieties, forms, or kinds

omnific (adj.)

all-creating

omnipotent (adj.)

unlimited in power; almighty

omnipresent (adj.)

present everywhere at the same time; ubiquitous

omniscient (adj.)

knowing everything

omnivorous (adj.)

1. eating everything, both plant and animal substances
2. avidly taking in everything, as an omnivorous reader

flect (flex)

bend

deflect (v.)

turn (“bend”) aside

flex (v.)

bend, as to flex a limb

flexible (adj.)

pliable (“capable of being bent”); not rigid; tractable (ant. inflexible)

flexor (n.)

muscle that serves to bend a limb

genuflect (v.)

bend the knee; touch the right knee to the ground, as in worship

inflection (n.)

change (“bend'“) in the pitch or tone of a person’s voice

inflexibility (n.)

rigidity; firmness