Create Human Body Lesson Plans
with Latin Roots
With Latin roots your human body lesson plans become a tremendous resource for new vocabulary words. Many of these derivatives are simple enough for grade school students to learn, others can be found on the SAT and GRE exams.
Take a moment to read our lists of human body derivatives.
CAPUT, CAPITIS: Start with the HEAD!
CAPITAL CITY: What’s the HEAD city of your country or state?
CAPTAIN: Who’s at the HEAD of this ship?
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT: Don’t lose your HEAD!
DECAPITATE: Off with their HEADS!
CAPITULATE: Ever nod your HEAD in surrender when you give up?
RECAPITULATE: Just summarize the high points, the HEADS, if you will.
PER CAPITA: How many Latin scholars per HEAD in your school?
PRECIPICE: Don’t fall HEADLONG over the cliff! [In many compound words, the –a- of capitis becomes an –i-]
PRECIPITATE: The leader’s actions PRECIPITATED a war, i.e. caused the nation to speed HEADLONG into war.
CHAPTER: Find more material below under a new HEADING!
OCULUS, OCULI: EYE, to see new vocabulary!
OCULIST: Set your goals high, become an EYE doctor!
BINOCULARS: Or become bird watcher, but look carefully with BOTH EYES!
MONOCLE: Or study precious stones, looking carefully with ONE EYE!
OCULAR: You CAN believe your EYES, if you have OCULAR proof!
OCULUS: As an architect, build a dome with an EYE for gazing out at the stars!
OCULATE: In the OCULATE feathers of the peacock’s tail you will find the hundred EYES of Argus.
INOCULATE: Oculus is EYE, it’s true. But it’s also a BUD, and so when a doctor implants an antigen to protect you from future disease, you are said to be inoculated.
NASUS, NASI: Your NOSE will sniff out several new words!
NASAL: Of or pertaining to the NOSE – A NASAL passage, a NASAL whine.
NALALISE: Know anyone who speaks through the NOSE?
NASALITY: A tone of voice when speaking through the NOSE.
NASOPALATINE: Relating to the NOSE and palate.
NASOSCOPE: An instrumental for examining inside the NOSE.
NASO: The genus of several species of unicorn fish, with protruding NOSES! [As in nasocaeruleacauda, or blue-tailed nose fish]
OS, ORIS: ORAL: Become an ORAL surgeon to help those with diseases of the MOUTH!
ORATION: Use your MOUTH for public good – Give a passionate speech!
ORATOR: With practice, you may become influential using your MOUTH!
ORATORY: The art of public SPEAKING is important to develop early in life.
PERORATION: The final persuasive conclusion of a SPEECH.
PERORAL: Doctors administered the drug THROUGH the MOUTH (i.e. PERORALLY).
PECTUS, PECTORIS: New words from the heart (actually, the CHEST)
PECTORAL: The guys at the beach were really flexing their CHEST muscles.
PECTUS: The BREAST of a bird. PARAPET: They built a CHEST-high wall around the entire yard.
Find more Latin roots for your human body lesson plans: Check back frequently to find more vocabulary help with your human body lesson plans!
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