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Word
English Vocabulary
Pick a CEFR level (A1–C2, plus C2+ for rare words beyond the CEFR scale) — 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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View all levelsC2+ is beyond the official CEFR scale: rare, specialist, and literary words kept for reference.
855 words
desideratum
C2
/dɪˌsɪdəˈɹɑːtəm/
something considered necessary or highly desirable
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coypu
C2
/ˈkɔɪ.pu/
aquatic South American rodent resembling a small beaver
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triglyph
C2
/ˈtraɪɡlɪf/
architecture: a tablet with three vertical grooves in a Doric frieze
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guenon
C2
/ɡəˈnoʊn/
a slender, long-tailed African monkey of the genus Cercopithecus, often with distinctive facial coloring
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workbag
C2
/ˈwɝːkˌbæɡ/
a bag used to hold tools or materials needed for work, especially sewing, knitting, or other needlework
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curculio
C2
/kɝˈkjuːlioʊ/
a weevil of the genus Curculio, especially one whose larvae develop inside acorns or nuts
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odontoglossum
C2
/oʊˌdɑːntəˈɡlɑːsəm/
a showy tropical American orchid formerly classified in the genus Odontoglossum, now generally placed within Oncidium
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knop
C2
/nɑp/
an ornamental knob or rounded swelling on a stem, post, vessel, or architectural feature
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wynd
C2
/waɪnd/
in Scotland, a narrow lane, alley, or passage between buildings
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mantelshelf
C2
/ˈmæn.təlˌʃelf/
a shelf above a fireplace; a mantel
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stairhead
C2
/ˈstɛrˌhɛd/
the top of a flight of stairs or the landing at the top of a staircase
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tussore
C2
/ˈtʌs.ɔɹ/
a strong, naturally tan or brownish silk produced by the larvae of several wild Asian saturniid moths
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labret
C2
/ˈleɪbrɪt/
an ornament worn through a piercing in or near the lip; also the piercing itself
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bowshot
C2
/ˈboʊˌʃɑt/
the distance over which an arrow can be shot effectively from a bow
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entrepôt
C2
/ˈɑːntrəpoʊ/
a trading port or commercial center where goods are imported, stored, and re-exported
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perquisite
C2
/ˈpɜɹkwəzɪt/
Any monetary or other incidental benefit beyond salary.
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usnea
C2
/ˈəsniə/
any branching gray-green or yellowish lichen of the genus Usnea, often hanging from trees
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cilium
C2
/ˈsɪliəm/
a microscopic hairlike projection from a eukaryotic cell, used for movement, moving fluid, or sensing the environment
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fishline
C2
/ˈfɪʃˌlaɪn/
a line or cord fitted with a hook and used for fishing; a fishing line
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sphex
C2
/sfɛks/
a sand or digger wasp of the genus Sphex or a closely related genus
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nilgai
C2
/ˈnɪlɡaɪ/
a large antelope, Boselaphus tragocamelus, native to the Indian subcontinent, the adult male of which is bluish gray
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relatum
C2
/rɪˈleɪ.təm/
one of the terms or entities that stand in a relation; plural relata
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sudarium
C2
/ˌsuˈdɛɹ.i.əm/
in ancient Rome, a small linen cloth carried for wiping perspiration from the face; a handkerchief
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multiplane
C2
/ˈmʌltiˌpleɪn/
an airplane having at least three superposed main planes
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hotchpot
C2
/ˈhɑtʃˌpɑt/
the legal combining of property or earlier gifts into a common fund so that an inheritance can be divided equally
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leafage
C2
/ˈliː.fɪdʒ/
the leaves of plants collectively; foliage
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marsupium
C2
/mɑrˈsuːpiəm/
the external abdominal pouch in which a female marsupial carries and nurses its undeveloped young
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comitia
C2
/koʊˈmɪʃ.i.ə/
in ancient Rome, an assembly of citizens convened to elect officials or exercise legislative or judicial authority
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cedilla
C2
/səˈdɪlə/
a diacritical mark, often similar to a comma, placed below the letter c to indicate that it is pronounced as an s
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chyle
C2
/kaɪl/
a milky digestive fluid made of lymph and absorbed fats, formed in the small intestine
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steatite
C2
/ˈstiːəˌtaɪt/
a soft, dense variety of talc with a soapy feel, commonly called soapstone
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cassone
C2
/kəˈsoʊ.ni/
a large decorated Italian chest, especially a Renaissance marriage or dowry chest
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airt
C2
/ɛrt/
in Scots and northern English, a direction, quarter, or point of the compass
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anapaest
C2
/ˈæn.ə.piːst/
prosody: a metrical foot of three syllables in which two unstressed syllables are followed by one stressed syllable
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deerhound
C2
/ˈdɪɹhaʊnd/
a very large, rough-coated sighthound originally bred in Scotland to hunt deer
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cinquefoil
C2
/ˈsɪŋkˌfɔɪl/
any of numerous plants of the genus Potentilla, typically bearing leaves with five leaflets and five-petaled flowers
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embonpoint
C2
/ɑ̃.bɔ̃ˈpwɛ̃/
a rounded or plump bodily figure, especially one regarded as pleasantly full
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namespace
C2
/ˈneɪmspeɪs/
a named scope that groups identifiers so they do not conflict with identical names elsewhere
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antineutron
C2
/ˌæn.tiˈnuː.trɑːn/
the antiparticle of the neutron, with the same mass and no net electric charge but opposite baryon number
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estanciero
C2
/ˌɛstɑːnsiˈɛroʊ/
in South America, especially Argentina and Uruguay: the owner or manager of an estancia, a large ranch or landed estate
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limekiln
C2
/ˈlaɪmˌkɪln/
a kiln or furnace in which limestone or shells are burned to produce lime
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lacquerwork
C2
/ˈlæk.ɚˌwɝːk/
decorative or artistic work made by applying, carving, painting, or inlaying layers of lacquer
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huia
C2
/ˈhuːjə/
an extinct glossy-black New Zealand wattlebird, Heteralocha acutirostris, whose male and female had strikingly different bill shapes
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thaumaturge
C2
/ˈθɔːməˌtɜː(ɹ)d͡ʒ/
one who practices magic or sorcery
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flatout
C2
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diataxis
C2
/ˌdaɪəˈtæksɪs/
a systematic arrangement or ordering across parts; (in technical writing) a framework organizing documentation into distinct types
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duplo
C2
/ˈduːploʊ/
a brand of construction toys made by LEGO, designed for younger children with larger, easier-to-handle pieces
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eidos
C2
/ˈaɪdɑːs/
the ideal form or essence of something, especially in philosophical contexts
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omakase
C2
/ˌoʊməˈkɑseɪ/
a Japanese dining experience in which the chef chooses the dishes
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optimates
C2
/ˌɑptɪˈmeɪtiz/
a political faction in ancient Rome representing the interests of the aristocracy and the conservative elite
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villanage
C2
Alternative form of villeinage.
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stallage
C2
The erection and use of a stall at a fair or market.
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mulct
C2
/mʌlkt/
A fine or penalty, especially a pecuniary one.
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cain't
C2
/keɪnt/
nonstandard, especially Southern US: cannot or can't
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overplus
C2
/ˈoʊvɚˌplʌs/
an amount beyond what is needed, owed, or expected; a surplus or excess
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zoophyte
C2
/ˈzoʊəfaɪt/
in older zoology, a plantlike invertebrate such as a coral, sponge, or sea anemone
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phylarch
C2
/ˈfaɪ.lɑːrk/
the chief ruler of a phyle, or tribal division, in ancient Greece
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trierarch
C2
/ˈtraɪ.əˌrɑːrk/
a commander or captain of a trireme in the ancient Greek world
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workbasket
C2
/ˈwɝkˌbæskɪt/
a basket used to hold sewing, needlework, or other craft materials and tools
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uranyl
C2
/ˈjʊr.əˌnɪl/
the linear dioxouranium(VI) cation UO2^2+, a common structural unit in uranium(VI) compounds and complexes
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priestcraft
C2
/ˈpriːstˌkræft/
derogatory: the use of priestly authority or religious influence for political or worldly control
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prisonhouse
C2
/ˈprɪzənˌhaʊs/
a prison or the principal building of a prison
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peptone
C2
/ˈpɛptoʊn/
a water-soluble mixture of peptides and amino acids produced by the partial hydrolysis of protein
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photomicrograph
C2
/ˌfoʊtəˈmaɪkrəˌɡræf/
a photograph made through a microscope so that a highly magnified subject can be recorded
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indecorum
C2
/ˌɪndɪˈkɔɹəm/
lack of proper behavior, manners, or good taste; impropriety
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peppergrass
C2
/ˈpɛpɚˌɡræs/
any of various pungent cresses of the genus Lepidium, especially garden cress or Virginia peppergrass
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pleonexia
C2
/ˌpliː.əˈnɛk.si.ə/
an excessive desire to possess more, especially more wealth, power, or advantage than one's fair share
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downthrow
C2
/ˈdaʊnˌθroʊ/
the downward displacement of rock strata on one side of a geological fault, or the amount of that displacement
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rhomb
C2
/rɑːm/
a rhombus; a parallelogram whose four sides are equal
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arborvitae
C2
/ˌɑrbərˈvaɪti/
any of several evergreen conifers of the genera Thuja and Thujopsis, commonly grown as ornamental trees or hedges
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serrature
C2
/ˈsɛrətʃɚ/
a row or arrangement of sawlike notches or teeth along an edge
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gallinazo
C2
/ˌɡɑːliˈnɑːzoʊ/
any of several American vultures, especially the black vulture or turkey vulture
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amphioxus
C2
/ˌæmfiˈɑːksəs/
a lancelet: a small, translucent, fishlike marine chordate that burrows in sand and retains a notochord throughout life
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sternwheel
C2
/ˈstɝnˌwil/
a paddle wheel mounted at the stern of a vessel to propel it through the water
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wigeon
C2
/ˈwɪdʒən/
any of several medium-sized dabbling ducks of the genus Mareca, especially the Eurasian or American wigeon
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catarrhine
C2
/ˈkætəˌraɪn/
a primate of the group Catarrhini, comprising Old World monkeys, apes, and humans
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volute
C2
/vəˈluːt/
a spiral scroll ornament, especially one forming a characteristic part of an Ionic column capital
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barbule
C2
/ˈbɑɹ.bjuːl/
one of the minute branches growing from a feather barb, often bearing hooks that interlock with neighboring branches
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steatopygia
C2
/ˌstiː.ə.toʊˈpɪdʒ.i.ə/
an unusually pronounced accumulation of fat on the buttocks
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cachalot
C2
/ˈkæʃəˌlɑt/
a sperm whale, Physeter macrocephalus, especially in older natural-history or whaling writing
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exophthalmos
C2
/ˌɛksɑfˈθælməs/
protrusion of the eyeball from the socket
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pilus
C2
/ˈpaɪləs/
A hair.
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sphygmogram
C2
/ˈsfɪɡməˌɡræm/
The recording made by a sphygmograph
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penetralia
C2
/ˌpɛ.nəˈtɹeɪ.li.ə/
the innermost parts
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ech
C2
/ɛx/
Scots and Northern English: an exclamation expressing surprise, pity, or disgust
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enthymeme
C2
/ˈɛnθəˌmiːm/
rhetoric: an argument resembling a syllogism in which a premise or conclusion is left unstated
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superficies
C2
/ˌsuːpərˈfɪʃiˌiːz/
the outer surface or external aspect of something
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