VOR comes from the Latin verb vorare, "to eat," and the ending -ivorous shows up in words that refer to eaters of certain kinds of food. Frugivorous (for "fruit-eating"), granivorous (for "grain-eating"), and graminivorous (for "grass-eating") aren't too rare, but you won't run across phytosuccivorous ("plant-sap-eating") every day.

CARN comes from a Latin word meaning "flesh" or "meat." Carnation originally meant "the color of flesh," which was once the only color of the flower we call the carnation. In Christian countries, Lent is the period when the faithful traditionally give up something they love, often meat. The days leading up to Lent are known as the carnival season, from the Italian carnelevare, later shortened to carnevale, which meant "removal of meat"--though during carnival, of course, people indulge in just about everything, and the removal of meat only comes later.

CRED comes from credere, the Latin verb meaning "to believe" or "to entrust." We have a good credit rating when institutions trust in our ability to repay a loan, and we carry credentials so that others will believe that we are who we say we are.

FID comes from fides, the Latin word for "faith" or "trust." Fidelity is another word for "faithfulness." Confidence is having faith in someone or something. An infidel is someone who lacks a particular kind of religious faith. And the once-popular dog's name Fido is Latin for "I trust."

CURR/CURS comes from currere, the Latin verb meaning "to run." Although words based on this root don't tend to suggest speed, the sense of movement remains. Current, for instance, refers to running water in a stream or river, or electron running through a wire, and an excursion is a trip from one place to another.

PED comes from the Latin word for "foot." A pedal is pushed by the foot; a pedicure is a treatment of the feet, toes, and toenails; and a pedestal is what a statue stands on--in a sense, its foot.

FLECT comes from flectere, the Latin verb meaning "to bend." The root sometimes takes the form flex-. Things that are flexible can be bent, and when you flex a muscle, you're usually bending a limb--which, as a trainer at the gym will tell you, requires the use of flexor muscles.

POST comes from a Latin word meaning "after" or "behind." A postscript (or PS) is a note that comes after an otherwise completed letter, usually as an afterthought. Postpartum refers to the period following childbirth, with any related events and complications. To postdate a check is to give it a date after the day it was written.

Words from Mythology