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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.
290 words
spikenard
C2
/ˈspaɪkˌnɑːɹd/
a Himalayan aromatic plant, Nardostachys jatamansi, whose rhizome yields fragrant oil
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pouter
C2
/ˈpaʊtɝ/
one of a breed of pigeon that enlarge their crop until their breast is puffed out
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acanthus
C2
/əˈkæn.θəs/
a plant of the genus Acanthus, with large deeply cut or spiny leaves and tall spikes of flowers
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orchis
C2
/ˈɔɹ.kɪs/
a terrestrial orchid, especially a plant of the genus Orchis
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granule
C2
/ˈɡrænjuːl/
a very small grain or particle of a substance
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comfit
C2
/ˈkʌm.fɪt/
a confection consisting of a nut, seed, spice, or piece of fruit coated with sugar
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pelargonium
C2
/ˌpɛlɑɹˈɡoʊniəm/
a flowering plant of the genus Pelargonium, often cultivated as a tender ornamental and commonly called a geranium
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teasel
C2
/ˈtiːzəl/
a tall prickly plant of the genus Dipsacus with spiny, cone-shaped flower heads
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heartsease
C2
/ˈhɑɹtsˌiz/
the European wild pansy, Viola tricolor, a small flower with petals commonly marked in three colors
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kauri
C2
/ˈkaʊɹi/
a large Australasian conifer of the genus Agathis, especially the New Zealand tree Agathis australis
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métayer
C2
/ˌmɛtəˈjeɪ/
historical: a sharecropper who cultivates a landlord's land for a portion, often half, of the harvest while the landlord supplies stock, seed, or tools
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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
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araucaria
C2
/ærɔˈkɛriə/
an evergreen coniferous tree of the genus Araucaria, which includes the monkey puzzle, bunya pine, and hoop pine
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scabious
C2
/ˈskeɪ.bi.əs/
a plant with pincushion-like flower heads, especially one of the genera Scabiosa or Knautia
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buttonwood
C2
/ˈbʌtənˌwʊd/
the American sycamore, a large North American plane tree with round buttonlike fruiting heads
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cotyledon
C2
/ˌkɑtəˈliːdən/
an embryonic leaf in a seed, often serving as the seedling's first leaf or food store
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stook
C2
/stʊk/
chiefly British: a group of sheaves of grain set upright together in a field to dry
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ovule
C2
/ˈɑː.vjuːl/
in seed plants, the structure that contains the female reproductive cells and develops into a seed after fertilization
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axil
C2
/ˈæksəl/
in botany, the upper angle between a leaf, branch, or leafstalk and the stem or axis from which it grows
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sapwood
C2
/ˈsæpwʊd/
the younger, living outer wood of a tree trunk or branch, through which water and minerals are conducted
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nectary
C2
/ˈnɛk.təɹi/
a gland or specialized plant structure that secretes nectar
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strophanthus
C2
/stroʊˈfænθəs/
a tropical African or Asian tree, shrub, or woody vine of the genus Strophanthus, often with long twisted petals
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mullein
C2
/ˈmʌlɪn/
a plant of the genus Verbascum, typically having woolly leaves and a tall spike of yellow flowers
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liverwort
C2
/ˈlɪv.ɚˌwɝːt/
a small nonvascular plant related to mosses, usually growing in damp places as a leafy shoot or flat thallus
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sepal
C1
/ˈsɛpəl/
one of the usually green, leaflike parts that enclose a flower bud and together form the calyx
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germen
C2
/ˈdʒɝːmən/
historical botany: the ovary of a flower, containing the ovules and developing into the fruit after fertilization
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epiphyte
C2
/ˈɛpəˌfaɪt/
a plant that grows on another plant for physical support without drawing nourishment from it as a parasite
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harebell
C2
/ˈhɛɚˌbɛl/
A perennial flowering plant, Campanula rotundifolia, native to the Northern Hemisphere, with blue, bell-like flowers.
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antirrhinum
C2
/ˌæntəˈraɪnəm/
a snapdragon plant of the genus Antirrhinum
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cardoon
C2
/kɑː(ɹ)ˈduːn/
Any of species Cynara cardunculus of prickly perennial plants which has leaf stalks eaten as a vegetable, related to the artichoke.
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convolvulus
C2
/kənˈvɑlvjələs/
a trailing or twining plant of the genus Convolvulus, typically with trumpet-shaped flowers; a bindweed
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fruitage
C2
/ˈfruː.tɪdʒ/
the fruit produced by a plant, or the amount of fruit it yields
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bulrush
C2
/ˈbʊlˌrʌʃ/
any of several tall, rushlike wetland plants, especially a cattail or reedmace with a cylindrical flower spike
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gumwood
C2
/ˈɡʌmwʊd/
the wood of a gum tree, especially eucalyptus or sweetgum, used for timber and other products
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petiole
C2
/ˈpɛti.oʊl/
botany: the stalk that attaches a leaf blade to a plant stem
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modius
C2
/ˈmoʊdiəs/
an ancient Roman dry measure, especially for grain, equal to about 8.7 liters or 0.96 imperial peck
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gynaeceum
C2
/ˌɡaɪ.nəˈsiː.əm/
botany: variant of gynoecium, the collective female reproductive parts of a flower
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plumbago
C2
/plʌmˈbeɪɡoʊ/
a warm-climate flowering plant of the genus Plumbago, commonly called leadwort
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seedtime
C2
/ˈsiːdˌtaɪm/
the season or time for sowing seed
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alerce
C2+
/əˈlɝːsə/
a very large, long-lived evergreen tree of southern Chile and Argentina, Fitzroya cupressoides, valued for its durable reddish wood
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sweet william
C2
/ˌswiːt ˈwɪljəm/
a widely cultivated European flowering plant (Dianthus barbatus) with dense, flat clusters of white, pink, red, or purple flowers
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ergotism
C2+
/ˈɜrɡəˌtɪzəm/
poisoning caused by eating fungus-infected grain, causing convulsions or gangrene
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cannabis
C2+
/ˈkænəbɪs/
a plant whose dried parts are used as a drug and for fiber
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bloomer
C2+
/ˈblumər/
a stupid mistake; also a plant that flowers
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buttercup
C2+
/ˈbʌtərˌkʌp/
a yellow-flowered wild plant of the genus Ranunculus
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soy
C2+
/sɔɪ/
the soybean plant or products made from it
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ananas
C2+
/əˈnænəs/
a pineapple, or the plant bearing it
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barleycorn
C2+
/ˈbɑrliˌkɔrn/
a grain of barley; an old unit of length equal to one third of an inch
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chaff
C2+
/tʃæf/
the husks of grain separated from the seed; worthless matter; to tease
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gruel
C2+
/ˈɡruəl/
a thin porridge of oatmeal or other grain boiled in water
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lattermath
C2+
/ˈlætɚˌmæθ/
a second crop of grass cut after the first mowing; an aftermath
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pith
C2+
/pɪθ/
the essential or central part of something; spongy plant tissue
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pod
C2+
/pɑd/
a seed case of certain plants, or a small detachable compartment
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pollard
C2+
/ˈpɑlɚd/
a tree cut back to the trunk to promote dense growth, or to prune thus
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sapling
C2+
/ˈsæplɪŋ/
a young, slender tree
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shaw
C2+
/ʃɔ/
a small wood or thicket; the leafy tops of root vegetables
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aftergrass
C2+
/ˈæftərˌɡræs/
grass that grows after the first crop of hay is cut
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arrowhead
C2+
/ˈæroʊˌhɛd/
the pointed striking head of an arrow, or a marsh plant with arrow-shaped leaves
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baconweed
C2+
/ˈbeɪkənˌwid/
a common name for goosefoot, a weedy edible plant
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basswood
C2+
/ˈbæsˌwʊd/
the American linden tree or its soft, pale timber
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bindweed
C2+
/ˈbaɪndwid/
a twining climbing plant with trumpet-shaped flowers, often a pernicious weed
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bitesheep
C2+
/ˈbaɪtʃip/
dialectal name for a plant or condition causing sheep to bite or fret, or a rough pasture
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boulevard
C2+
/ˈbʊləvɑrd/
a broad, often tree-lined city avenue
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brassica
C2+
/ˈbræsɪkə/
a plant of the cabbage genus, including cabbage, mustard, and turnip
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breadstuff
C2+
/ˈbrɛdstʌf/
grain or flour for making bread, or bread itself
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bunchflower
C2+
/ˈbʌntʃˌflaʊɚ/
a North American marsh plant of the genus Melanthium bearing clustered flowers
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canker
C2+
/ˈkæŋkɚ/
a spreading ulcer or plant sore; a corrupting influence
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coneflower
C2+
/ˈkoʊnˌflaʊɚ/
a daisy-like plant with a raised central cone, such as echinacea
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cornflower
C2+
/ˈkɔrnˌflaʊɚ/
a blue-flowered plant that grows in cornfields; bachelor's button
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cultivar
C2+
/ˈkʌltɪˌvɑr/
a plant variety produced by selective breeding in cultivation
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dibble
C2+
/ˈdɪbəl/
a pointed tool for making holes for seeds; to plant with one
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fig
C2+
/fɪɡ/
the soft sweet fruit of the fig tree, or a thing of trivial value
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helianthus
C2+
/ˌhiːliˈænθəs/
a plant of the sunflower genus, with large radiate flower heads
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husbandman
C2+
/ˈhʌzbəndmən/
a farmer or tiller of the soil
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larkspur
C2+
/ˈlɑrkˌspɜr/
a tall plant bearing spurred flowers, often blue or purple
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pawpaw
C2+
/ˈpɔpɔ/
a North American tree or its edible fruit; also a name for the papaya
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pomato
C2+
/pəˈmeɪtoʊ/
a grafted plant bearing both potatoes and tomatoes
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prickle
C2+
/ˈprɪkəl/
a small sharp point on a plant or skin, or to cause a tingling sensation
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soya
C2+
/ˈsɔɪə/
the soybean plant or its protein-rich seed, used for food and oil
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acorn
B1
/ˈeɪ.kɔːrn/
the nut of the oak tree, typically rounded and held in a rough, scaly cupule
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clove
B1
/kloʊv/
a dried flower bud used as a spice, known for its aromatic and pungent flavor
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clover
B1
/ˈkloʊvər/
a small plant with three-lobed leaves, often found in fields and pastures
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aestivation
C2
/ˌiːstɪˈveɪʃən/
(botany) the arrangement of sepals and petals in a flower bud before it opens
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upas tree
C2+
/ˈjuːpəs ˌtriː/
a tall tropical Asian tree (Antiaris toxicaria) whose poisonous latex has been used to prepare arrow poison
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fustic
C2
/ˈfʌstɪk/
the yellow dyewood or dye obtained from the tropical American tree Maclura tinctoria, also called old fustic or dyer's mulberry
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alburnum
C2+
/ælˈbɝnəm/
sapwood: the younger, usually paler outer wood of a tree trunk, between the cambium and heartwood
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radicle
C2
/ˈɹædɪkəl/
the embryonic root of a seedling, which is the first part to grow downward from a germinating seed
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corn chandler
C2+
/ˈkɔrn ˌtʃændlər/
British, historical: a retailer or merchant dealing in cereal grain, seeds, animal feed, and related agricultural goods
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peloria
C2+
/pəˈlɔɹiə/
the abnormal development of radial symmetry in a flower that is normally bilaterally symmetrical
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plumule
B2
/ˈpluːˌmjuːl/
the embryonic shoot of a seed, situated above the cotyledons and developing into the stem and leaves
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umbel
C2
/ˈʌmbəl/
a flat-topped or rounded flower cluster whose individual stalks arise from nearly the same point
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stipule
C2
/ˈstɪpjuːl/
one of a pair of small, often leaflike appendages at the base of a leaf stalk
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palm leaf
C2+
/ˈpɑm ˌliːf/
a leaf or frond of a palm tree, especially one used for thatching, weaving, fibre, or decoration
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potamogeton
C2
/ˌpɑtəmoʊˈdʒiːtɑn/
a submerged or floating-leaved aquatic plant of the genus Potamogeton; a pondweed
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algarroba
C2+
/ˌælɡəˈroʊbə/
the carob tree or its long, sweet, edible pod
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champac
C2+
/ˈtʃæm.pæk/
a tropical Asian evergreen tree, Magnolia champaca, cultivated for its strongly fragrant yellow or orange flowers
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