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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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All 27,899 wordsC2+ is beyond the official CEFR scale: rare, specialist, and literary words kept for reference.
518 words
foal
C2
/foʊl/
a young horse or other equine, especially one less than a year old
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termite
B2
/ˈtɝːmaɪt/
a pale, soft-bodied social insect that lives in a colony and feeds chiefly on wood or other cellulose-rich material
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cur
C2
/kɝ/
a dog regarded as aggressive, inferior, or of mixed breed; now usually contemptuous
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heron
C2
/ˈhɛɹən/
grey or white wading bird with long neck and long legs and (usually) long bill
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thoroughbred
C2
/ˈθɝːəbred/
a horse of the Thoroughbred breed, developed chiefly for racing from English mares and imported Arabian, Barb, and Turkoman stallions
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reptilian
C2
/ɹɛpˈtɪljən/
Relating to reptiles such as snakes, lizards, and crocodiles.
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haddock
B2
/ˈhædək/
a North Atlantic marine fish related to cod and widely caught for food
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retriever
C2
/ɹiˈtɹivəɹ/
a gun dog trained to find and bring back shot game, or a dog belonging to one of the breeds developed for that work
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larva
C2
/ˈlɑɹ.və/
an immature form of an insect, amphibian, or other animal, usually very different from the adult
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carnivorous
C2
/kɑɹˈnɪv.ə.ɹəs/
relating to or characteristic of carnivores
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sty
B2
/staɪ/
a pen or enclosure in which pigs are kept
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collie
B2
/ˈkɑːli/
a dog of any of several related herding breeds, typically alert, agile, and long-muzzled
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centaur
C1
/ˈsen.tɔːr/
in Greek mythology, a creature with a horse's body and a human head, arms, and torso
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cheep
C2
/tʃiːp/
a short, high-pitched cry made by a young bird or another small animal
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songbird
C2
/ˈsɔŋˌbɝd/
a bird known for a musical call or song
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carnivore
C2
/ˈkɑɹ.nɪ.voɹ/
any animal that feeds on flesh
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shoal
C2
/ʃəʊl/
A large group of fish swimming together.
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whinny
C2
/ˈwɪn.i/
a gentle or relatively high-pitched neigh made by a horse
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girth
C2
/ɡɝθ/
stable gear consisting of a band around a horse's belly that holds the saddle in place
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lapdog
C2
/ˈlæpˌdɔɡ/
a small, tame dog that can be held comfortably on a person's lap
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anchovy
C2
/ˈænt͡ʃoʊ.vi/
a small marine fish, especially one preserved in salt or oil and used for its strong savory flavor
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basset
C2
/ˈbæsɪt/
a basset hound, a short-legged dog with long ears and a strong sense of smell
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burro
C1
/ˈbɝː.oʊ/
a small donkey, especially one used as a pack animal in the southwestern United States or Mexico
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ewe
C1
/juː/
An adult female sheep.
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woodcock
C2
/ˈwʊdˌkɑk/
a stocky woodland wading bird of the genus Scolopax, with mottled plumage and a long slender bill
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bloodsucker
C2
/ˈblʌdˌsʌkɚ/
an animal, especially a leech or biting insect, that feeds by sucking blood
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peregrine
C2
/ˈperɪɡrɪn/
the peregrine falcon, a powerful and widely distributed bird of prey noted for its extremely fast dive
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teat
C2
/tiːt/
the projecting part of a mammary gland through which milk is drawn by a young mammal
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menagerie
C2
/məˈnædʒ.ɚ.i/
a collection of wild or unusual animals kept for exhibition
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horner
C2
/ˈhɔrnɚ/
historical: a craftsperson who works animal horn into combs, vessels, handles, or other goods
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man-eater
C2+
/ˈmænˌiːtɚ/
an animal that has killed and eaten humans, especially a tiger, lion, crocodile, or shark
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ibis
C1
/ˈaɪbəs/
a long-legged wading bird with a long, downward-curving bill used to probe mud for food
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mastodon
C2
/ˈmæs.tə.dɑn/
an extinct elephant-like mammal of the genus Mammut, distinguished from mammoths and elephants by the cone-shaped cusps on its molar teeth
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gaucho
C2
/ˈɡaʊ.tʃoʊ/
a skilled horseman and cattle worker of the South American pampas, especially in Argentina and Uruguay
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septum
C1
/ˈseptəm/
a wall or partition separating two cavities or regions in an animal or plant body
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emu
C2
/ˈim(j)u/
large Australian flightless bird similar to the ostrich but smaller
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furlong
C2
/ˈfɝː.lɔːŋ/
a unit of distance equal to one eighth of a mile, 220 yards, or 201.168 metres, now used chiefly in horse racing
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avian
C2
/ˈeɪvi.ən/
Relating to or typical of birds.
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meagre
C2
/ˈmiːɡɚ/
An edible fish, of species Argyrosomus regius, of the family Sciaenidae, found from the Black Sea to the eastern Atlantic.
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warthog
C1
/ˈwɔɹtˌhɔɡ/
a large African wild pig with tusks and wartlike growths on its face
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bevy
C2
/ˈbɛvi/
a flock of birds, especially when gathered close together on the ground
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rawhide
C2
/ˈrɑː.haɪd/
animal hide, especially cattle hide, that has been cleaned but not tanned
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echidna
C2
/əˈkɪdnə/
a spiny, toothless, egg-laying mammal of Australia and New Guinea that feeds mainly on ants and termites
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dachshund
C2
/ˈdɑksˌhʊnt/
a small dog of a German breed with a long body, very short legs, and long drooping ears
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minnow
C2
/ˈmɪnoʊ/
a very small freshwater fish, especially the common Eurasian minnow Phoxinus phoxinus
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skylark
B2
/ˈskaɪlɑɹk/
A small brown bird known for singing while flying high into the air.
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bonito
C2
/bəˈniːtoʊ/
any of several swift marine fishes of the genus Sarda, related to mackerel and tuna and valued as food and sport fish
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antler
C1
/ˈænt.lɚ/
one of the branching bony structures grown and usually shed each year by deer and related animals
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cicada
C2
/sɪˈkeɪdə/
a stout-bodied insect with large transparent wings, whose males produce a loud buzzing or clicking call
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canter
C1
/ˈkæn.tɚ/
a controlled three-beat gait of a horse, faster than a trot but slower than a gallop
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offal
C2
/ˈɔːfəl/
the edible internal organs and other trimmings of a butchered animal
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anteater
B1
/ˈæntˌiːtər/
a toothless mammal of tropical America with a long snout and tongue, specialized for feeding on ants and termites
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birdcage
B2
/ˈbɝːdkeɪdʒ/
A cage for keeping a pet bird in.
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cobweb
B2
/ˈkɑːb.web/
a spider's web, especially an old, dusty, or irregular one
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whelp
C2
/wɛlp/
a young dog or wolf, or the young of certain other carnivorous mammals
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entomologist
C2
/ˌen.t̬əˈmɑː.lə.dʒɪst/
a scientist who specializes in the study of insects
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zoological
C2
/zoʊəˈlɑd͡ʒɪkl̩/
of or relating to animals or animal groups
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dobbin
C2
/ˈdɑbɪn/
dated: a quiet, patient horse used for ordinary farm work or transport
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anemone
C2
/əˈnem.ə.ni/
a sea animal related to coral, with a cylindrical body and a ring of stinging tentacles
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zoologist
C2
/zoʊˈɑləd͡ʒɪst/
A scientist who studies animals.
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earwig
C1
/ˈɪə(ɹ)wɪɡ/
an elongated insect with a pair of forceps-like pincers at the end of its abdomen
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asp
C2
/æsp/
a venomous snake of North Africa traditionally identified with the cobra said to have killed Cleopatra
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tepee
C1
/ˈtiː.piː/
a portable conical dwelling traditionally made from poles and animal hides or canvas by Indigenous peoples of the North American Plains
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bedbug
C2
/ˈbɛdˌbʌɡ/
a small, flat, nocturnal insect that hides near sleeping places and feeds on the blood of people or other warm-blooded animals
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ornithologist
C2
/ˌɔɹnɪˈθɑləd͡ʒɪst/
a scientist who studies birds
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aviary
C2
/ˈeɪviˌɛəɹi/
a building where birds are kept
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pupa
C2
/ˈpjuːpə/
an insect in the inactive stage between larva and adult
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kingfisher
C2
/ˈkɪŋˌfɪʃɝ/
a nonpasserine large-headed bird with a short tail and long sharp bill
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tsetse
C2
/ˈtsiː.tsiː/
any blood-feeding African fly of the genus Glossina, some species of which transmit trypanosomes that cause sleeping sickness in humans and disease in livestock
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mastiff
C2
/ˈmæstəf/
an old breed of powerful deep-chested smooth-coated dog used chiefly as a watchdog and guard dog
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suet
C2
/ˈsuː.ɪt/
the hard white fat around the kidneys and loins of cattle or sheep, used in cooking and in making tallow
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horsehair
C2
/ˈhɔːrs.her/
hair taken from a horse's mane or tail, used in brushes, bows, upholstery, and other products
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sheldrake
C2
/ˈʃɛlˌdreɪk/
an older name for a shelduck, especially a male bird of the genus Tadorna
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tallow
C2
/ˈtæloʊ/
A hard animal fat obtained from suet, etc.; used in cooking as well as to make candles, soap and lubricants.
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yearling
C2
/ˈjɪrlɪŋ/
an animal between one and two years old, or otherwise classed as being in its second year
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entomology
C2
/ˌentəˈmɑːlədʒi/
the scientific study of insects, including their classification, anatomy, behavior, ecology, and relationships with humans
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subspecies
C2
/ˈsʌbspiːʃiːz/
A rank in the classification of organisms, below species.
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vivisection
C2
/ˌvɪvɪˈsɛkʃən/
surgical cutting into, or other invasive experimentation on, a living animal or organism for scientific research
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woodbine
C2
/ˈwʊdˌbaɪn/
British: honeysuckle, especially the fragrant climbing species Lonicera periclymenum
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biped
C2
/ˈbaɪpɛd/
an animal, person, or machine that walks on two feet or legs
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toucan
C2
/ˈtuːˌkæn/
a tropical American bird with a very large, often brightly colored bill
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ocelot
C2
/ˈɑːsəlɑːt/
a medium-sized, mostly nocturnal wild cat of the Americas with a yellowish coat marked by dark spots and elongated blotches
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ornithology
C2
/ˌɔɹnɪˈθɑlədʒi/
the branch of zoology concerned with the scientific study of birds
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domesticate
C1
/dəˈmɛ.stɪ.keɪt/
To tame an animal so it can live with and be useful to humans.
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pachyderm
C2
/ˈpækɪdɝːm/
an elephant, rhinoceros, hippopotamus, or other large thick-skinned mammal formerly grouped in the obsolete order Pachydermata
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chine
C2
/tʃaɪn/
the backbone of an animal, especially with the adjoining flesh, or a cut of meat or fish containing it
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dugong
C2
/ˈduɡɑŋ/
sirenian tusked mammal found from eastern Africa to Australia
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tench
C2
/tɛntʃ/
a robust freshwater fish, Tinca tinca, native to Europe and western Asia and widely introduced elsewhere
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curlew
C2
/ˈkɝːluː/
a large migratory wading bird of the genus Numenius, with long legs and a long slender bill curved downward
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farrier
C2
/ˈfɛɹi.ɚ/
a craftsperson who trims and shoes horses' hooves
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steeplechase
C2
/ˈstiː.pəl.tʃeɪs/
a horse race across country or around a course containing fences, ditches, and other obstacles
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spoor
C2
/spʊr/
the tracks, scent, droppings, or other trail left by an animal
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horsemanship
C1
/ˈhɔːrs.mən.ʃɪp/
skill in riding, handling, and sometimes training horses
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saurian
C2
/ˈsɔriən/
a lizard or lizardlike reptile, especially a large or prehistoric reptile
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dace
C2
/deɪs/
a small, slender European freshwater fish, Leuciscus leuciscus, that commonly swims in shoals
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lamprey
C2
/ˈlæmpri/
a jawless, eel-shaped aquatic vertebrate with a round sucking mouth, many species of which attach to other fish
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