This week on The Missing Workbook
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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.
499 words
tambourine
B2
/ˌtæmbəˈriːn/
a handheld frame drum, usually with small metal disks in its rim that jingle when shaken or struck
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tinder
C1
/ˈtɪndɚ/
dry, easily combustible material used to start a fire
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poncho
C2
/ˈpɑntʃoʊ/
a cloak made from a single piece of fabric with an opening for the head, traditionally worn in South America
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blowtorch
C2
/ˈbloʊˌtɔɹtʃ/
a portable burner that produces a very hot, concentrated flame by mixing fuel gas with air or oxygen
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mallet
B2
/ˈmælɪt/
a hammer with a large head, usually made of wood, rubber, or another relatively soft material
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clack
C2
/klæk/
a sharp, hard sound made when solid objects strike together
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nozzle
C1
/ˈnɑː.zəl/
a projecting tube or spout that directs or controls a stream of liquid, gas, or other material
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varnish
C1
/ˈvɑɹnɪʃ/
a transparent liquid coating that dries to form a hard, protective, usually glossy surface
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piston
B2
/ˈpɪstən/
a solid disk or cylinder that moves tightly inside a larger cylinder to transmit pressure or drive a machine
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turquoise
C2
/ˈtɝ.k(w)ɔɪz/
an opaque blue-green mineral containing hydrated copper and aluminium phosphate, valued as a gemstone
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anvil
C1
/ˈænvəl/
a heavy iron or steel block on which metal is shaped by hammering
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crayon
A2
/ˈkɹeɪ.ɑn/
a small stick or pencil of colored wax, chalk, charcoal, or similar material used for drawing
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disinfectant
B2
/ˌdɪs.ɪnˈfɛk.tənt/
a chemical or other agent used on surfaces or objects to destroy or inactivate harmful microorganisms
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foundry
C1
/ˈfaʊn.dɹi/
a factory or workshop where metal is melted and poured into molds to make cast objects
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crepe
C2
/kɹeɪp/
a light, thin fabric with a finely wrinkled or crinkled surface
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smithy
C2
/ˈsmɪði/
a workshop where a smith heats, shapes, and repairs metal; a forge
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drape
C2
/dɹeɪp/
the manner in which fabric hangs or falls
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smut
C2
/smʌt/
sexually explicit or obscene writing, images, or other material, especially when regarded as having little artistic value
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pellet
C2
/ˈpel.ɪt/
a solid missile discharged from a firearm
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duvet
B1
/d(j)uːˈveɪ/
A soft, thick cover for a bed, filled with feathers or other material and used instead of blankets.
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bullion
C2
/ˈbʊl.jən/
gold or silver in bulk form, especially bars or ingots valued by weight
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pigment
B2
/ˈpɪɡmənt/
a substance that gives color to animal or plant tissue or to another material
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antiseptic
C1
/ˌæn.tiˈsep.tɪk/
a substance applied to living tissue to prevent or slow the growth of harmful microorganisms
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cinder
C2
/ˈsɪndɚ/
a small piece of partly burned coal, wood, or other material
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embankment
B2
/ɪmˈbæŋkmənt/
a long raised bank of earth, stone, or other material built to hold back water or support a road or railway
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siphon
C2
/ˈsaɪ.fən/
a bent tube used to move liquid from a higher container to a lower one through continuous flow
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stimulant
B2
/ˈstɪmjʊlənt/
A substance or drug that makes the body or mind more active.
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flatulence
B2
/ˈflætʃələns/
the presence or release of excessive gas in the digestive system
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topaz
C2
/ˈtoʊˌpæz/
a hard aluminium fluorosilicate mineral, often transparent and cut as a gemstone in colorless, yellow, blue, pink, brown, or other varieties
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crucible
C2
/ˈkɹuː.sɪ.bəl/
a vessel made of material that does not melt easily
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chiffon
C2
/ʃɪˈfɑːn/
a very light, sheer fabric woven from silk or synthetic fibers
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turpentine
C2
/ˈtɝː.pən.taɪn/
a volatile liquid distilled from pine resin and used as a solvent, paint thinner, and source of chemical compounds
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tinsel
C1
/ˈtɪn.səl/
thin strips or threads of shiny material used as decoration
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clod
C2
/klɑd/
a compact lump of earth, clay, or a similar material
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biochemistry
B1
/ˌbaɪəʊˈkɛmɪstɹi/
The study of the chemical processes that happen inside living things.
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palladium
C2
/pəˈleɪdiəm/
a rare, lustrous, silvery-white chemical element with atomic number 46 and symbol Pd
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skewer
C1
/ˈskjuː.ɚ/
a long, thin pin of metal or wood used to hold pieces of food during cooking
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perspiration
B2
/ˌpɝspəˈɹeɪʃən/
The salty liquid that comes out of your skin when you are hot or nervous; sweat.
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mildew
C1
/ˈmɪlˌdu/
a thin, usually whitish fungal growth on plants or damp organic material
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corduroy
C1
/ˈkɔːdɹɔɪ/
a durable cotton fabric with raised parallel ribs running along its surface
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nitroglycerin
C2
/ˌnaɪ.troʊˈɡlɪs.ɚ.ɪn/
a dense, oily, highly explosive liquid made by nitrating glycerol and used in explosives such as dynamite
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fakir
C2
/fəˈkɪr/
a Muslim religious mendicant, especially a Sufi ascetic who renounces material possessions
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cistern
C1
/ˈsɪs.tɚn/
a tank or underground reservoir for collecting and storing water or another liquid
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lye
C2
/laɪ/
a strongly alkaline solution, traditionally made by leaching water through wood ashes
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drainpipe
C2
/ˈdreɪnˌpaɪp/
a pipe that carries rainwater, wastewater, or another liquid away
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spool
C1
/spuːl/
a cylinder or spindle around which thread, wire, film, or another flexible material is wound
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lapis
C2
/ˈlæp.ɪs/
lapis lazuli, especially when used as a gemstone, pigment source, inlay, or decorative material
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carbonate
B2
/ˈkɑːrbənət/
a salt or ester of carbonic acid, typically containing the carbonate ion CO3^2-
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acetone
C1
/ˈæs.ə.toʊn/
a colorless, volatile, flammable liquid that is the simplest ketone and is widely used as a solvent
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tartan
B2
/ˈtɑɹtn̩/
a woven fabric or pattern formed by horizontal and vertical bands of different colors crossing one another
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shackle
C2
/ˈʃæk.əl/
a metal restraint for a wrist or ankle, usually one of a connected pair; figuratively, anything that severely restricts freedom
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awning
C2
/ˈɔnɪŋ/
a sheet of canvas or other material extended over a window, doorway, deck, or outdoor area to provide shelter from sun or rain
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cymbal
B2
/ˈsɪmbəl/
a round, slightly hollow metal percussion instrument that is struck with a stick or against another cymbal
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muslin
C2
/ˈmʌz.lɪn/
a prototype of a sewing project, generally made of muslin or other cheap plain fabric
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wisp
C2
/wɪsp/
a small, thin strand or tuft of hair, grass, or similar material
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rivet
C2+
/ˈɹɪvət/
a metal pin fastened by hammering one end flat
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pumice
C2
/ˈpʌm.ɪs/
a very light, porous volcanic glass formed when gas-rich lava cools rapidly
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knocker
B1
/ˈnɑkɚ/
a hinged metal object fixed to a door and struck against it to attract attention inside
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filament
C2
/ˈfɪl.ə.mənt/
a very thin thread or fiber of natural or manufactured material
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whey
B2
/weɪ/
the watery liquid left after milk has curdled and the curds have been removed, especially during cheesemaking
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lacquer
C2
/ˈlæk.ɚ/
a liquid or resinous coating that dries to form a hard, smooth, glossy surface on wood, metal, or another material
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brocade
C2
/brəˈkeɪd/
a rich, heavy fabric woven with a raised ornamental design, traditionally using gold or silver thread
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mackintosh
C2
/ˈmækɪntɑʃ/
a waterproof raincoat, traditionally made from rubberized fabric
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glob
C2
/ɡlɑb/
a compact, rounded, and usually shapeless lump of a soft or sticky substance
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cesium
C2
/ˈsiːziəm/
the soft, highly reactive alkali-metal chemical element with atomic number 55 and symbol Cs
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condenser
C2
/ˈkʰəndɛnsɚ/
an apparatus that converts vapor into liquid
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lattice
C2
/ˈlætəs/
A flat panel constructed with widely-spaced crossed thin strips of wood or other material, commonly used as a garden trellis.
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phosphate
B2
/ˈfɑsfeɪt/
a salt or ester of phosphoric acid
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acetylene
C2
/əˈsɛtəˌlin/
a colorless, highly flammable gas used especially for welding and cutting metals; ethyne
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fume
B2
/ˈfjuːm/
Strong-smelling or dangerous gas, smoke, or vapour.
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gypsum
C1
/ˈdʒɪpsəm/
a soft white or colorless mineral consisting of hydrated calcium sulfate, widely used to make plaster, cement, and wallboard
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liniment
C2
/ˈlɪn.ə.mənt/
a medicinal liquid or lotion rubbed on the skin to ease pain or stiffness
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solder
C2+
/ˈsɑd.ɚ/
an alloy, usually of lead and tin, used when melted to join two metal surfaces
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etching
C2
/ˈɛt͡ʃ.ɪŋ/
The art of cutting a design into a metal plate with acid so prints can be made from it.
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tarpaulin
C2
/tɑrˈpɔlɪn/
a large sheet of strong waterproof material used to cover and protect things
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emulsion
C2
/ɪˈmʌl.ʃən/
a dispersion of tiny droplets of one liquid in another liquid with which it does not normally mix
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stucco
C1
/ˈstʌkoʊ/
a durable plaster-like material used to coat or decorate walls, ceilings, and exterior surfaces
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perforation
C1
/ˌpɝːfəˈreɪʃən/
a hole or opening made by piercing through a material or part of the body
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patina
C2
/pəˈtiː.nə/
a thin surface layer produced by oxidation or other chemical change, especially the green coating on aged copper or bronze
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talc
C2
/tælk/
an extremely soft hydrous magnesium silicate mineral with a greasy or soapy feel, used in ceramics, paint, paper, plastics, and powders
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cadmium
C1
/ˈkæd.mi.əm/
the soft, silvery-white, toxic chemical element with symbol Cd and atomic number 48
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droplet
B2
/ˈdrɑːp.lət/
a very small drop of liquid, especially one suspended in a gas or deposited on a surface
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windowpane
C2
/ˈwɪndoʊˌpeɪn/
A fabric pattern of widely-spaced intersecting vertical and horizontal lines forming large squares.
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diuretic
C2
/ˌdaɪ.jəˈrɛt.ɪk/
a drug or other substance that increases urine production, often helping the body remove excess salt and water
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gingham
C1
/ˈɡɪŋ.əm/
a lightweight cotton fabric woven from dyed and white yarn, typically in checks
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repellant
C1
A substance used to keep insects or animals away.
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brazier
C2
/ˈbɹeɪʒəɹ/
large metal container in which coal or charcoal is burned
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filigree
C2
/ˈfɪləˌgriː/
A delicate and intricate ornamentation made from platinum, gold or silver (or sometimes other metal) twisted wire.
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outflow
B1
/ˈaʊtˌfloʊ/
the movement or discharge of a liquid, gas, or other material out of a place
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sackcloth
C2
/ˈsækˌklɔθ/
a coarse, rough fabric like the material traditionally used for sacks
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damask
C2
/ˈdæməsk/
a rich fabric whose woven pattern is visible through contrasting textures, often reversible
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ionization
C1
/ˌaɪ.ə.nəˈzeɪ.ʃən/
the generation of one or more ions from atoms, molecules, or other chemical entities, for example through electron loss or gain or through dissociation
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flagon
C2
/ˈfleɪ̯ɡ(ə)n/
a large metal or pottery vessel with a handle and spout
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sensationalism
C1
/sɛnˈseɪ.ʃən.əˌlɪz.əm/
the use of exaggerated, shocking, or lurid material to attract attention, especially in journalism
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chintz
C2
/tʃɪnts/
a printed cotton fabric, often glazed and decorated with brightly colored floral patterns
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metalwork
C2
/ˈmɛtəlˌwɝk/
objects, fittings, or structural parts made of metal
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