English Vocabulary
Pick a CEFR level (A1–C2) — A1 is the friendliest place to start — and browse its words grouped by topic: travel, food, the body, emotions, and more. Each word shows its meaning, example sentences, and US/UK pronunciation.
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78 words
amen
C2+
/(ˌ)ɑːˈmɛn/
Certainly; verily.
errand
C2+
/ˈɛɹənd/
A journey undertaken to accomplish some task.
meadow
C2+
/ˈmɛd.oʊ̯/
A field or pasture; a piece of land either intentionally cultivated with grass or (especially) naturally covered with grass, especially one that is intended to be mown for hay or to be grazed.
scalp
C2+
/skælp/
the skin that covers the top of the head
inter
C2+
/ɪnˈtɚ/
To bury in a grave.
akin
C2+
/ʌˈkɪn/
Of persons, of the same kin; related by blood.
wigwam
C2+
/ˈwɪɡwɑːm/
Any more or less similar dwelling used by indigenous people in other parts of the world.
ombu
C2+
/ɑːmˈbuː/
a massive, fast-growing South American plant, Phytolacca dioica, with a broad trunk of soft water-rich tissue and a wide evergreen crown
cowpath
C2+
/ˈkaʊˌpæθ/
a path made or regularly used by cows, especially between pasture and barnyard
alerce
C2+
/əˈlɝːsə/
a very large, long-lived evergreen tree of southern Chile and Argentina, Fitzroya cupressoides, valued for its durable reddish wood
muckheap
C2+
/ˈmʌkˌhiːp/
a pile of manure, refuse, or other decaying farmyard waste
ergotism
C2+
/ˈɜrɡəˌtɪzəm/
poisoning caused by eating fungus-infected grain, causing convulsions or gangrene
beray
C2+
/bɪˈreɪ/
to befoul, defile, or soil thoroughly
besmirch
C2+
/bɪˈsmɝtʃ/
to soil or to damage someone's reputation or honor
enlarge
C2+
/ɛnˈlɑrdʒ/
to make or grow larger; to expand
befilth
C2+
/bɪˈfɪlθ/
to make filthy; to soil thoroughly
bemud
C2+
/bɪˈmʌd/
to soil or bespatter with mud
bloomer
C2+
/ˈblumər/
a stupid mistake; also a plant that flowers
buttercup
C2+
/ˈbʌtərˌkʌp/
a yellow-flowered wild plant of the genus Ranunculus
eradicative
C2+
/ɪˈrædɪkeɪtɪv/
tending or serving to eradicate or root out completely
soy
C2+
/sɔɪ/
the soybean plant or products made from it
ananas
C2+
/əˈnænəs/
a pineapple, or the plant bearing it
chaff
C2+
/tʃæf/
the husks of grain separated from the seed; worthless matter; to tease
engraft
C2+
/ɛnˈɡræft/
to insert a shoot into another plant, or to fix firmly into something
germinate
C2+
/ˈdʒɜrmɪneɪt/
to begin to grow or sprout, as a seed; to develop
rake
C2+
/reɪk/
a toothed tool for gathering leaves or smoothing soil
terminology
C2+
/ˌtɜrməˈnɑlədʒi/
the specialized vocabulary of a particular field
accrete
C2+
/əˈkrit/
to grow or form by gradual accumulation or adherence
agriculturalist
C2+
/ˌæɡrɪˈkʌltʃərəlɪst/
a person who studies or practices agriculture; a farmer or expert
bedrock
C2+
/ˈbɛdˌrɑk/
the solid rock beneath soil; figuratively, a fundamental basis
bindweed
C2+
/ˈbaɪndwid/
a twining climbing plant with trumpet-shaped flowers, often a pernicious weed
brassica
C2+
/ˈbræsɪkə/
a plant of the cabbage genus, including cabbage, mustard, and turnip
canker
C2+
/ˈkæŋkɚ/
a spreading ulcer or plant sore; a corrupting influence
coneflower
C2+
/ˈkoʊnˌflaʊɚ/
a daisy-like plant with a raised central cone, such as echinacea
cornflower
C2+
/ˈkɔrnˌflaʊɚ/
a blue-flowered plant that grows in cornfields; bachelor's button
cultivar
C2+
/ˈkʌltɪˌvɑr/
a plant variety produced by selective breeding in cultivation
dibble
C2+
/ˈdɪbəl/
a pointed tool for making holes for seeds; to plant with one
drumhead
C2+
/ˈdrʌmhɛd/
the tightly stretched membrane of a drum; summary, as in a field trial
fester
C2+
/ˈfɛstɚ/
to become infected and suppurate, or to grow steadily worse
fig
C2+
/fɪɡ/
the soft sweet fruit of the fig tree, or a thing of trivial value
germination
C2+
/ˌdʒɚmɪˈneɪʃən/
the process by which a seed begins to grow and develop
helianthus
C2+
/ˌhiːliˈænθəs/
a plant of the sunflower genus, with large radiate flower heads
husbandman
C2+
/ˈhʌzbəndmən/
a farmer or tiller of the soil
larkspur
C2+
/ˈlɑrkˌspɜr/
a tall plant bearing spurred flowers, often blue or purple
lime
C2+
/laɪm/
a green citrus fruit; a calcium compound; or to treat soil with lime
nomenclature
C2+
/ˈnoʊmənˌkleɪtʃər/
a system of names used in a particular field
pomato
C2+
/pəˈmeɪtoʊ/
a grafted plant bearing both potatoes and tomatoes
prune
C2+
/prun/
to trim a plant by cutting branches, or a dried plum
rootle
C2+
/ˈrutl/
to dig or rummage with or as if with the snout; to root about
soya
C2+
/ˈsɔɪə/
the soybean plant or its protein-rich seed, used for food and oil
starken
C2+
/ˈstɑrkən/
to make or grow stark, stiff, or harsh (archaic/dialectal)
lichenous
C2+
/ˈlaɪkənəs/
covered with or bearing lichen
etiolate
C2+
/ˈiː.ti.əˌleɪt/
to make a plant pale, weak, and abnormally elongated by depriving it of light
highbush blueberry
C2+
/ˈhaɪˌbʊʃ ˈbluːˌbɛri/
a tall, moisture-loving North American blueberry shrub (Vaccinium corymbosum), the principal source of cultivated blueberries
laetation
C2+
/liːˈteɪʃən/
obsolete: manure or other material used to fertilize soil
John's wort
C2+
/ˈdʒɑːnzˌwɝːt/
any of numerous herbs or shrubs of the genus Hypericum, typically bearing yellow five-petaled flowers
cycadaceous
C2+
/ˌsaɪkəˈdeɪʃəs/
of, relating to, or resembling cycads, especially plants of the family Cycadaceae
upas tree
C2+
/ˈjuːpəs ˌtriː/
a tall tropical Asian tree (Antiaris toxicaria) whose poisonous latex has been used to prepare arrow poison
jacitara
C2+
/ˌdʒæsəˈtɑːrə/
a spiny Brazilian climbing palm of the genus Desmoncus, whose hooked leaflets help its stem scramble up trees
alburnum
C2+
/ælˈbɝnəm/
sapwood: the younger, usually paler outer wood of a tree trunk, between the cambium and heartwood
tacsonia
C2+
/tækˈsoʊniə/
a chiefly Andean passionflower formerly placed in the genus Tacsonia and now classified within Passiflora, typically with a long floral tube
manurance
C2+
/məˈnʊrəns/
the cultivation, occupation, or working of land; archaic
coelospermous
C2+
/ˌsiːloʊˈspɝməs/
having a seed or seedlike fruit whose inner face is hollowed or incurved
orthospermous
C2+
/ˌɔrθoʊˈspɝməs/
having a seed or seedlike fruit whose inner face is straight rather than hollowed or incurved
peloria
C2+
/pəˈlɔɹiə/
the abnormal development of radial symmetry in a flower that is normally bilaterally symmetrical
phyllodineous
C2+
/ˌfɪləˈdɪniəs/
having phyllodes, or relating to plants in which flattened leafstalks perform the function of leaf blades
auricula
C2+
/ɔˈrɪkjələ/
a cultivated Alpine primrose with clusters of often brightly coloured flowers
palm leaf
C2+
/ˈpɑm ˌliːf/
a leaf or frond of a palm tree, especially one used for thatching, weaving, fibre, or decoration
pinweed
C2+
/ˈpɪnˌwiːd/
any of several slender North American herbs of the genus Lechea, with many small leaves and tiny flowers
algarroba
C2+
/ˌælɡəˈroʊbə/
the carob tree or its long, sweet, edible pod
dogfennel
C2+
/ˈdɔɡˌfɛnəl/
any of several strong-smelling, fennel-like plants, especially the North American weed Eupatorium capillifolium
champac
C2+
/ˈtʃæm.pæk/
a tropical Asian evergreen tree, Magnolia champaca, cultivated for its strongly fragrant yellow or orange flowers
digitated
C2+
/ˈdɪdʒɪteɪtɪd/
divided into fingerlike lobes or leaflets that spread from one point, especially in botany
dichogamous
C2+
/daɪˈkɑːɡəməs/
having male and female reproductive organs that mature at different times, reducing self-fertilization in a hermaphroditic organism
floriculturist
C2+
/ˌflɔr.ɪˈkʌl.tʃɚ.ɪst/
a specialist who cultivates flowering and ornamental plants, especially as a profession
antherozoid
C2+
/ˌænθərəˈzoʊɪd/
botany: a motile male gamete produced in an antheridium by algae, bryophytes, ferns, and certain other plants
dispetal
C2+
/dɪsˈpɛtəl/
to strip the petals from a flower
seedhead
C2+
/ˈsiːdˌhɛd/
the seed-bearing part of a plant that remains after flowering