Animals
Mammals, birds, fish, insects, and the words biologists use to describe them.
531 words
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Some words in this topic are A2–C2 — part of Pro. A1 words are always free.
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godwit
C2
/ˈɡɑːdwɪt/
a large migratory wading bird of the genus Limosa, with a very long bill and long legs
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redstart
C2
/ˈrɛdstɑːrt/
any of several small Old World insect-eating birds, especially members of the genus Phoenicurus, with conspicuous reddish tails
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pigweed
C2
/ˈpɪɡˌwiːd/
any of various common weedy plants, especially amaranths or goosefoots, some formerly used as pig fodder or leafy food
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dunnock
C2
/ˈdʌnək/
A small European and Asian passerine bird, Prunella modularis; the hedge sparrow or hedge warbler.
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spiracle
C2
/ˈspɪrəkəl/
zoology: an external respiratory opening in an insect or another air-breathing arthropod, connected to the tracheal system
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titman
C2
/ˈtɪtmən/
dialectal or historical: the smallest or weakest animal in a litter; a runt
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muskmelon
C2
/ˈmʌskˌmɛlən/
a sweet, aromatic melon of the species Cucumis melo, including cantaloupes and related varieties
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coralline
C2
/ˈkɔːr.ə.laɪn/
a branching bryozoan or hydroid that resembles coral, especially in older zoological writing
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echinus
C2
/ɪˈkaɪnəs/
a sea urchin, especially one described by the older zoological name Echinus
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prothorax
C2
/proʊˈθɔræks/
the front of the three segments of an insect's thorax, bearing the first pair of legs but no wings
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sheepcote
C2
/ˈʃiːpˌkoʊt/
chiefly British or historical: a pen or small shelter for sheep
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surcingle
C2
/ˈsɝːsɪŋɡəl/
a broad strap or girth passed around a horse or other pack animal to secure a saddle, blanket, or load
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caruncle
C2
/ˈkærəŋkəl/
a small fleshy outgrowth forming a normal part of an animal, such as a bird's wattle or a growth near the eye
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operculum
C2
/oʊˈpɝ.kjə.ləm/
a hard flap or plate that covers an opening in an animal, such as a fish's gills or a snail's shell
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scutella
C2
/skuːˈtɛlə/
a small horny plate or scale on a bird's foot or toe
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coachmaker
C2
/ˈkoʊtʃˌmeɪkɚ/
historical: a craftsperson or business that builds horse-drawn coaches and carriages
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melanism
C2
/ˈmɛlənɪzəm/
an unusually high amount of dark melanin pigment in an animal or person, making the skin, fur, feathers, or eyes darker than usual
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goatsucker
C2
/ˈɡoʊtˌsʌkɚ/
a dated name for a nightjar, a crepuscular or nocturnal bird of the family Caprimulgidae
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peltry
C2
/ˈpɛltri/
animal pelts or furs collectively, especially raw, undressed skins traded as a commodity
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seafowl
C2
/ˈsiːˌfaʊəl/
a bird that lives or feeds at sea or along the coast; a seabird
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goosander
C2
/ɡuːˈsændər/
the common merganser, Mergus merganser, a large fish-eating diving duck of northern rivers and lakes
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anopheline
C2
/əˈnɑfəˌlaɪn/
a mosquito of the genus Anopheles or a closely related genus, including species that transmit malaria
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stonechat
C2
/ˈstoʊntʃæt/
any of several small Old World insect-eating birds of the genus Saxicola, especially the European stonechat
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nidification
C2
/ˌnɪdəfəˈkeɪʃən/
nest-building by birds or other animals
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elytron
C2
/ˈɛl.ɪˌtrɑːn/
one of the hardened front wings of a beetle or similar insect that covers and protects the flight wings
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nervure
C2
/ˈnɝvjʊr/
one of the rigid veins that support an insect's wing
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wood sorrel
C2
/ˈwʊd ˌsɔːr.əl/
any herb of the genus Oxalis, especially woodland species with sour sap, compound leaves, and five-petaled white, pink, purple, or yellow flowers
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neuration
C2
/nuˈreɪʃən/
the pattern or arrangement of veins, especially in an insect's wing and sometimes in a leaf
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southernwood
C2
/ˈsʌðɚnˌwʊd/
an aromatic shrubby species of wormwood (Artemisia abrotanum), grown for its finely divided leaves and lemon-like scent
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dragonet
C2
/ˈdræɡənɛt/
any small, often brightly colored, scaleless bottom-dwelling marine fish of the family Callionymidae
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clypeus
C2
/ˈklɪpiəs/
a shieldlike plate on the front of an insect's head, between the frons and the upper lip
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pygidium
C2
/paɪˈdʒɪdiəm/
the terminal dorsal plate or last exposed abdominal segment of certain insects
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vibrissa
C2
/vɪˈbɹɪsə/
one of the long, stiff, highly sensitive hairs on the snout or face of many mammals; a whisker
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mesothorax
C2
/ˌmɛzəˈθɔˌræks/
the middle of the three segments of an insect's thorax, bearing the second pair of legs and, when present, the forewings
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metasternum
C2
/ˌmɛtəˈstɝnəm/
entomology: the ventral exoskeletal plate of an insect's metathorax
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gaggle
C2
/ˈɡæɡl̩/
a group of geese, especially on land or water
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