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
841 words
guenon
C2
/ɡəˈnoʊn/
a slender, long-tailed African monkey of the genus Cercopithecus, often with distinctive facial coloring
peludo
C2+
/pəˈluːdoʊ/
a hairy South American armadillo, especially the big hairy armadillo of Argentina and neighboring countries
curculio
C2
/kɝˈkjuːlioʊ/
a weevil of the genus Curculio, especially one whose larvae develop inside acorns or nuts
nemertean
C2+
/nəˈmɝtiən/
an unsegmented worm of the phylum Nemertea, typically marine and equipped with a long eversible proboscis; a ribbon worm
viviparous
C2
/vɪˈvɪpərəs/
producing live young that developed inside the parent's body rather than laying eggs
hymenopterous
C2
/ˌhaɪməˈnɑːptərəs/
belonging or relating to the insect order Hymenoptera, which includes bees, wasps, ants, and sawflies
operculum
C2
/oʊˈpɝ.kjə.ləm/
a hard flap or plate that covers an opening in an animal, such as a fish's gills or a snail's shell
pewee
C2
/ˈpiːwiː/
a small North American flycatcher of the genus Contopus, named for its call
motmot
C2+
/ˈmɑːtˌmɑːt/
a tropical American bird of the family Momotidae, usually green or blue-green and often having two long racket-tipped central tail feathers
scutella
C2
/skuːˈtɛlə/
a small horny plate or scale on a bird's foot or toe
furcula
C2
/ˈfɝkjələ/
the forked bone formed by the fused collarbones of most birds; the wishbone
veery
C2
/ˈvɪəɹi/
a tawny North American woodland thrush noted for its descending, flute-like song
melanism
C2
/ˈmɛlənɪzəm/
an unusually high amount of dark melanin pigment in an animal or person, making the skin, fur, feathers, or eyes darker than usual
goatsucker
C2
/ˈɡoʊtˌsʌkɚ/
a dated name for a nightjar, a crepuscular or nocturnal bird of the family Caprimulgidae
frugivorous
C2
/fruˈdʒɪvərəs/
feeding chiefly or entirely on fruit
sphex
C2
/sfɛks/
a sand or digger wasp of the genus Sphex or a closely related genus
teru-tero
C2+
/ˌtɛruːˈtɛroʊ/
a South American lapwing with a conspicuous crest, a sharp alarm call, and a spur at the bend of each wing
nilgai
C2
/ˈnɪlɡaɪ/
a large antelope, Boselaphus tragocamelus, native to the Indian subcontinent, the adult male of which is bluish gray
whitethroat
C2
/ˈwaɪtθroʊt/
an Old World warbler with a conspicuously pale throat, especially the common whitethroat, Curruca communis
natatory
C2
/nəˈteɪ.tə.ɹi/
relating to swimming or adapted for movement through water
aculeate
C2+
/əˈkjuːliət/
zoology: having a stinger, especially belonging to the hymenopteran group Aculeata
seafowl
C2
/ˈsiːˌfaʊəl/
a bird that lives or feeds at sea or along the coast; a seabird
marsupium
C2
/mɑrˈsuːpiəm/
the external abdominal pouch in which a female marsupial carries and nurses its undeveloped young
goosander
C2
/ɡuːˈsændər/
the common merganser, Mergus merganser, a large fish-eating diving duck of northern rivers and lakes
anopheline
C2
/əˈnɑfəˌlaɪn/
a mosquito of the genus Anopheles or a closely related genus, including species that transmit malaria
deerhound
C2
/ˈdɪɹhaʊnd/
a very large, rough-coated sighthound originally bred in Scotland to hunt deer
blackbeetle
C2+
/ˈblækˌbiːtəl/
chiefly British: the Oriental cockroach, a large dark-brown or blackish cockroach
stonechat
C2
/ˈstoʊntʃæt/
any of several small Old World insect-eating birds of the genus Saxicola, especially the European stonechat
suctorial
C2
/sʌkˈtɔɹiəl/
adapted for drawing in food or liquid by sucking
landrail
C2+
/ˈlændˌreɪl/
the corncrake, a migratory Eurasian rail that lives mainly in meadows and fields
hindfoot
C2+
/ˈhaɪndˌfʊt/
a rear foot of a four-legged animal, especially when contrasted with a forefoot
huia
C2
/ˈhuːjə/
an extinct glossy-black New Zealand wattlebird, Heteralocha acutirostris, whose male and female had strikingly different bill shapes
polar bear
B2
fang
C2+
/fæŋ/
a long sharp tooth, as of a snake or dog
badger
C2+
/ˈbædʒɚ/
a burrowing nocturnal mammal; to pester or harass persistently
barking
C2+
/ˈbɑːrkɪŋ/
making a dog's sharp cry; British slang for mad or crazy
beastly
C2+
/ˈbiːstli/
like a beast; very unpleasant or disagreeable
bovine
C2+
/ˈboʊvaɪn/
relating to cattle; sluggish or dull in manner
hound
C2+
/haʊnd/
a hunting dog; also, to pursue or harass relentlessly
pest
C2+
/pɛst/
a destructive insect or animal, or an annoying person
decoy
C2+
/ˈdiˌkɔɪ/
something used to lure or mislead, often a fake bird
halter
C2+
/ˈhɔltɚ/
a rope or strap for leading an animal; a noose for hanging
brutish
C2+
/ˈbrutɪʃ/
savagely violent, coarse, or animal-like
cub
C2+
/kʌb/
the young of a bear, lion, or other carnivorous mammal
mongrel
C2+
/ˈmʌŋɡrəl/
a dog or animal of mixed or indeterminate breed
animalcule
C2+
/ˌænɪˈmælkjul/
a microscopic animal, such as an amoeba or other tiny organism
animalivore
C2+
/ˌænɪˈmælɪˌvɔr/
an animal that feeds on other animals; a carnivore
arachnid
C2+
/əˈræknɪd/
an eight-legged invertebrate such as a spider, scorpion, or mite
barghest
C2+
/ˈbɑrɡɛst/
a monstrous goblin-dog of northern English folklore, an omen of death
bleat
C2+
/blit/
to make the wavering cry of a sheep or goat; to complain feebly
burdenous
C2+
/ˈbɜrdənəs/
burdensome; oppressive or heavy to bear
burrow
C2+
/ˈbɜroʊ/
an animal's underground hole; to dig or nestle into something
carp
C2+
/kɑrp/
to complain or find fault persistently; a freshwater fish
catlike
C2+
/ˈkætˌlaɪk/
resembling a cat in stealth, grace, or agility
doe
C2+
/doʊ/
a female deer, rabbit, or hare
elephantic
C2+
/ˌɛləˈfæntɪk/
of or resembling an elephant; huge and ponderous
feline
C2+
/ˈfiˌlaɪn/
of or resembling a cat; catlike
herbivore
C2+
/ˈhɜːrbəˌvɔːr/
an animal that feeds on plants
howler
C2+
/ˈhaʊlɚ/
a glaring and ludicrous mistake; also an animal that howls
leam
C2+
/lim/
a leash for a hound, or to lead a dog by such a leash
leonine
C2+
/ˈliəˌnaɪn/
resembling or characteristic of a lion
maw
C2+
/mɔ/
the jaws or gullet of a voracious animal; a devouring opening
ovine
C2+
/ˈoʊvaɪn/
of, relating to, or resembling sheep
porkish
C2+
/ˈpɔrkɪʃ/
resembling pork or a pig; piggish
ratter
C2+
/ˈrætɚ/
a dog or other animal that hunts and kills rats
redbreast
C2+
/ˈrɛdˌbrɛst/
a bird with a red breast, especially the European robin
reptile
C2+
/ˈrɛptaɪl/
a cold-blooded scaly vertebrate such as a snake, lizard, or crocodile
rook
C2+
/rʊk/
a black crow-like bird; a chess castle; to cheat or swindle
sloth
C2+
/slɔθ/
habitual laziness; also a slow-moving tropical mammal
talon
C2+
/ˈtælən/
a sharp hooked claw, especially of a bird of prey
tether
C2+
/ˈtɛðɚ/
a rope or chain that ties an animal so it can graze only within a set range
visitant
C2+
/ˈvɪzɪtənt/
a visitor, especially a supernatural one or a migratory bird
wether
C2+
/ˈwɛð.ɚ/
a castrated male sheep
trout
B1
/traʊt/
a common freshwater fish with a speckled body, prized as a game fish
coleopterous
C2
Of or pertaining to beetles of the order Coleoptera.
bizcacha
C2+
Rare form of viscacha.
cirripede
C2
/ˈsɪrəˌpiːd/
a marine crustacean such as a barnacle, with feathery appendages for catching food
stridulation
C2
/ˌstrɪdʒəˈleɪʃən/
the production of a shrill sound by rubbing body parts together, especially in insects
nidification
C2
/ˌnɪdəfəˈkeɪʃən/
nest-building by birds or other animals
anthropomorphous
C2
/ˌænθrəpəˈmɔrfəs/
having human form or humanlike characteristics
hummingbird
B2
/ˈhʌmɪŋˌbɜrd/
a tiny bird that can hover and feeds on nectar
jellyfish
B2
/ˈdʒɛliˌfɪʃ/
a soft sea animal with a gelatinous body and stinging tentacles
tail-feather
C1
/ˈteɪlˌfɛðər/
one of the feathers in a bird's tail
wing-feather
C1
/ˈwɪŋˌfɛðər/
one of the feathers of a bird's wing
breeding-season
C1
/ˈbridɪŋˌsizən/
the time of year when animals mate and produce young
elytron
C2
/ˈɛl.ɪˌtrɑːn/
one of the hardened front wings of a beetle or similar insect that covers and protects the flight wings
tuco-tuco
C2+
/ˈtuː.koʊˌtuː.koʊ/
any of several stocky burrowing South American rodents of the genus Ctenomys
nervure
C2
/ˈnɝvjʊr/
one of the rigid veins that support an insect's wing
ocellated
C2+
/ˈɑː.səˌleɪ.tɪd/
marked with rounded, eye-shaped spots called ocelli
zoophagous
C2+
/zoʊˈɑfəɡəs/
feeding on animals or animal matter; carnivorous
cleg
C2+
/klɛɡ/
a horsefly or gadfly, especially in northern British and Irish usage
dowp
C2+
/daʊp/
the carrion crow, in northern English dialect
nauplius
C2+
/ˈnɔː.pli.əs/
an early free-swimming crustacean larva with a median eye, little body segmentation, and usually three pairs of appendages
tornaria
C2+
/tɔrˈnɑːr.i.ə/
the transparent, free-swimming larva of an acorn worm or another enteropneust hemichordate
zoophyte
C2
/ˈzoʊəfaɪt/
in older zoology, a plantlike invertebrate such as a coral, sponge, or sea anemone
lepidopteron
C2+
/ˌlɛpɪˈdɑptərən/
an insect of the order Lepidoptera, comprising butterflies, moths, and skippers