- Today's Word
Recapitulate
[ree-kuh-PITCH-uh-layt]
Definition
- (verb) To summarize and state again the main points of something; to give a brief summary. As a verb, it means to restate or provide a concise review of what has been said, written, or learned previously.
Example
At the end of the lecture, the professor took a few minutes to recapitulate the key concepts covered during class.
Fun Fact
The word “recapitulate” comes from the Latin “recapitulare,” which breaks down into “re” (again) and “capitulum” (heading or chapter), literally meaning “to go over the headings again.” In biology, the term took on a fascinating secondary meaning through Ernst Haeckel’s 1866 theory of recapitulation, which suggested that an organism’s embryonic development repeats its evolutionary history. Though this theory was later disproven, the term “recapitulation” remains an important concept in developmental biology and has influenced fields ranging from psychology to music theory.
(verb) To coax or persuade someone into doing something through flattery, soft words, or gentle persistent manipulation.
She had wheedled the extension out of her professor so smoothly that he’d agreed before he realized he’d been asked — which was precisely the point.