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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All 27,237 words
493 words
petiole
C2
/ˈpɛti.oʊl/
botany: the stalk that attaches a leaf blade to a plant stem
liliaceous
C2
/ˌlɪliˈeɪʃəs/
botany: belonging or relating to the lily family Liliaceae
weedless
C2
/ˈwiːdləs/
free from weeds
seedsman
C2
/ˈsiːdzmən/
a person or business that sells seeds
palmate
C2
/ˈpæl.meɪt/
shaped like an open hand, with lobes, leaflets, veins, or other parts radiating from a common point
ingathering
C2
/ˈɪnˌɡæðərɪŋ/
the gathering in of a harvest
gynaeceum
C2
/ˌɡaɪ.nəˈsiː.əm/
botany: variant of gynoecium, the collective female reproductive parts of a flower
orchidaceous
C2
/ˌɔrkɪˈdeɪʃəs/
relating to orchids or the orchid family
pedunculate
C2
/pɪˈdʌŋkjələt/
attached to or borne on a peduncle, stalk, or stem
leafage
C2
/ˈliː.fɪdʒ/
the leaves of plants collectively; foliage
winterberry
C2
/ˈwɪntɚˌbɛri/
an eastern North American deciduous holly (Ilex verticillata) bearing persistent bright red berries
plumbago
C2
/plʌmˈbeɪɡoʊ/
a warm-climate flowering plant of the genus Plumbago, commonly called leadwort
cinquefoil
C2
/ˈsɪŋkˌfɔɪl/
any of numerous plants of the genus Potentilla, typically bearing leaves with five leaflets and five-petaled flowers
monocotyledonous
C2
/ˌmɑːnəˌkɑːtəˈliːdənəs/
having or relating to a single cotyledon in the seed, as in grasses, lilies, palms, and other monocots
seedtime
C2
/ˈsiːdˌtaɪm/
the season or time for sowing seed
alerce
C2+
/əˈlɝːsə/
a very large, long-lived evergreen tree of southern Chile and Argentina, Fitzroya cupressoides, valued for its durable reddish wood
sweet william
C2
/ˌswiːt ˈwɪljəm/
a widely cultivated European flowering plant (Dianthus barbatus) with dense, flat clusters of white, pink, red, or purple flowers
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)
cultivator
C1
/ˈkʌltəˌveɪtər/
a person or tool that cultivates land, plants, or crops
conferva
C2
/kənˈfɝvə/
an obsolete or historical botanical term for threadlike freshwater algae, formerly grouped in the genus Conferva
cryptogamic
C2
/ˌkrɪptəˈɡæmɪk/
relating to cryptogams, the formerly grouped plants and plant-like organisms that reproduce by spores rather than flowers or seeds
foliaceous
C2
/ˌfoʊ.liˈeɪ.ʃəs/
resembling a leaf or composed of leaflike parts
fructification
C2
/ˌfrʌk.tɪ.fɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/
the process of bearing or producing fruit
scytheman
C2
/ˈsaɪðmən/
a person who cuts grass or grain with a scythe; a mower
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
wood sorrel
C2
/ˈwʊd ˌsɔːr.əl/
any herb of the genus Oxalis, especially woodland species with sour sap, compound leaves, and five-petaled white, pink, purple, or yellow flowers
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
peppergrass
C2
/ˈpɛpɚˌɡræs/
any of various pungent cresses of the genus Lepidium, especially garden cress or Virginia peppergrass
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
southernwood
C2
/ˈsʌðɚnˌwʊd/
an aromatic shrubby species of wormwood (Artemisia abrotanum), grown for its finely divided leaves and lemon-like scent
radicle
C2
/ˈɹædɪkəl/
the embryonic root of a seedling, which is the first part to grow downward from a germinating seed
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
dicotyledonous
C2
/ˌdaɪkɑtəlˈiːdənəs/
having an embryo with two cotyledons, as in the flowering plants traditionally called dicotyledons
orthospermous
C2+
/ˌɔrθoʊˈspɝməs/
having a seed or seedlike fruit whose inner face is straight rather than hollowed or incurved
pipewort
C2
/ˈpaɪpˌwɝt/
any of several aquatic or marsh plants of the genus Eriocaulon, with narrow leaves and small flowers gathered in dense heads
repastination
C2
/riːˌpæstɪˈneɪʃən/
obsolete: the act of digging or turning over soil again
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
plumule
B2
/ˈpluːˌmjuːl/
the embryonic shoot of a seed, situated above the cotyledons and developing into the stem and leaves
umbel
C2
/ˈʌmbəl/
a flat-topped or rounded flower cluster whose individual stalks arise from nearly the same point
auricula
C2+
/ɔˈrɪkjələ/
a cultivated Alpine primrose with clusters of often brightly coloured flowers
arborvitae
C2
/ˌɑrbərˈvaɪti/
any of several evergreen conifers of the genera Thuja and Thujopsis, commonly grown as ornamental trees or hedges
farmsteading
C2
/ˈfɑːrmˌstiː.dɪŋ/
chiefly British or Scottish: a farmstead, especially the farmhouse and its surrounding farm buildings considered as a group
inarch
C2
/ɪnˈɑːrtʃ/
to graft one growing plant onto another while both stock and scion remain attached to their own roots
stipule
C2
/ˈstɪpjuːl/
one of a pair of small, often leaflike appendages at the base of a leaf stalk
laciniate
C2
/ləˈsɪniət/
botany and zoology: cut into a fringe or into deep, narrow, irregular lobes
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