recapitulate
UK: ˌriːkəˈpɪtʃʊleɪt | US: ˌriːkəˈpɪtʃəleɪt
vt. to summarize and restate the main points of something
vt. (biology) to repeat the evolutionary stages of an organism during embryonic development
recapitulate = re<again> + capit<head> + ulate<verb suffix>
- re: Latin prefix meaning "again" or "back."
- capit: Derived from Latin caput (head), referring to the main points or summary.
- ulate: Verb-forming suffix indicating action (from Latin -ulare).
Etymology Origin:
The word traces back to Latin recapitulare ("to go over the main points again"), combining re- (repetition) and capitulum (a small head or chapter). It originally described summarizing a discourse by revisiting its "headings." In biology, it metaphorically describes an embryo's developmental stages echoing evolutionary history.
The professor asked the students to recapitulate the key arguments of the lecture.
The documentary's final episode recapitulates the major events of the series.
During the meeting, she recapitulated the project’s progress for clarity.
The embryo’s development recapitulates aspects of its species’ evolution.
He paused to recapitulate his thoughts before making a decision.