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
staghound
C2+
/ˈstæɡˌhaʊnd/
a large, powerful hound formerly bred and used to hunt stags and other large game
zoophagy
C2+
/zoʊˈɑfədʒi/
the feeding on animals or animal matter; carnivorous feeding
mammiferous
C2+
/mæˈmɪf.ɚ.əs/
historical zoology: mammalian; belonging to the class of animals whose females have mammary glands
water ouzel
C2
/ˈwɑː.t̬ɚ ˌuː.zəl/
a dipper: any of the small aquatic songbirds of the genus Cinclus (family Cinclidae) that wade and dive in swift streams, especially the white-throated dipper in Eurasia or the American dipper in North America
mistle thrush
C2
/ˈmɪs.əl ˌθrʌʃ/
a large thrush (Turdus viscivorus) of Europe, North Africa, and temperate Asia, with pale, boldly spotted underparts, noted for eating and vigorously defending berry-bearing trees, including mistletoe
swim bladder
C2
/ˈswɪm ˌblæd.ɚ/
a gas-filled internal sac present in many bony fishes, used chiefly to regulate buoyancy and maintain depth and, in some species, also involved in respiration, hearing, or sound production
tyrant flycatcher
C2
/ˈtaɪ.rənt ˌflaɪˌkætʃ.ɚ/
any bird of the large New World family Tyrannidae, whose members typically have a broad, flattened bill and feed mainly on insects
willow wren
C2
/ˈwɪl.oʊ ˌrɛn/
a traditional British name for the willow warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus), also formerly applied to the closely related chiffchaff
chucao
C2+
/tʃuːˈkaʊ/
the chucao tapaculo (Scelorchilus rubecula), a secretive, loud-calling forest bird with a reddish throat and breast, native to central and southern Chile and adjacent Argentina
niata
C2+
/niˈɑː.tə/
an extinct breed of small South American cattle, formerly found in Argentina and Uruguay, distinguished by a very short, broad, upturned muzzle and projecting lower jaw
tropilla
C2+
/troʊˈpiː.jə/
in Argentina and Uruguay, a group of riding horses kept together, traditionally trained to follow a bell mare
surmullet
C2+
/ˌsɚˈmʌlɪt/
a red mullet or related goatfish, a brightly colored marine fish with sensory barbels beneath its chin
aperea
C2+
/ˌɑːpəˌriˈɑː/
a wild South American cavy of the species Cavia aperea, closely related to the domestic guinea pig
coleoptera
C2+
/ˌkoʊ.liˈɑːp.tə.rə/
beetles collectively; insects of the order Coleoptera, characterized by hardened forewings that protect the flight wings
phorusrhacos
C2+
/ˌfɔːrəsˈrɑːkɑːs/
an extinct giant flightless predatory bird of the South American genus Phorusrhacos, known from Miocene fossils
ganoid
C2
/ˈɡænɔɪd/
having hard, shiny, enamel-like scales of the type found on gars and some other fishes
brown thrasher
C2+
/ˌbraʊn ˈθræʃɚ/
a reddish-brown North American songbird (Toxostoma rufum) with a long tail, streaked underparts, and a varied song
fallfish
C2
/ˈfɔːlˌfɪʃ/
a large silvery freshwater minnow (Semotilus corporalis) native to streams of northeastern North America
tu-whit tu-whoo
C2+
/təˌwɪt təˈwuː/
a conventional imitation of an owl's cry, especially the paired calls associated with tawny owls
wood pewee
C2+
/ˈwʊd ˌpiːwiː/
either of two small North American flycatchers of the genus Contopus, especially the eastern wood pewee (C. virens)
exuvia
C2
/ɪɡˈzuːviə/
a skin, shell, exoskeleton, or other outer covering shed by an animal during molting
hen harrier
C2+
/ˈhɛn ˌhɛriɚ/
a long-winged Eurasian bird of prey (Circus cyaneus) whose male is pale gray and whose female is brown; historically also a name for the closely related North American northern harrier
fishhawk
C2+
/ˈfɪʃˌhɔk/
an osprey, a large bird of prey that dives feet-first to catch fish
estivate
C2+
/ˈestəveɪt/
to spend a hot or dry period in a dormant or inactive state
chewink
C2+
/tʃɪˈwɪŋk/
an eastern towhee, a large New World sparrow with reddish sides and, in the male, black upperparts
neuration
C2
/nuˈreɪʃən/
the pattern or arrangement of veins, especially in an insect's wing and sometimes in a leaf
teleostean
C2
/ˌtɛliˈɑstiən/
relating to the teleosts, the large group containing most living bony fishes
pachydermatous
C2
/ˌpækɪˈdɝmətəs/
of, relating to, or characteristic of pachyderms
carunculated
C2+
/kəˈrʌŋkjəˌleɪtɪd/
having one or more caruncles, especially fleshy growths on the head or neck of a bird
cephalopodic
C2+
/ˌsɛfələˈpɑːdɪk/
belonging to, characteristic of, or resembling a cephalopod
fossorial
C2
/fɑˈsɔriəl/
adapted for digging or for living chiefly underground
homopterous
C2+
/həˈmɑptərəs/
relating to the Homoptera, a former grouping of insects including cicadas, aphids, and scale insects
palpus
C2
/ˈpælpəs/
a segmented sensory appendage attached to a mouthpart of an arthropod and used chiefly for touch or taste
stridulate
C2+
/ˈstrɪdʒəˌleɪt/
to make a shrill chirping, creaking, or grating sound by rubbing specialized body parts together
peetweet
C2+
/ˈpiːˌtwiːt/
a North American name for the spotted sandpiper, derived from its call
dragonet
C2
/ˈdræɡənɛt/
any small, often brightly colored, scaleless bottom-dwelling marine fish of the family Callionymidae
elater
C2
/ˈɛlətɚ/
a click beetle of the family Elateridae, able to spring into the air with a clicking movement when placed on its back
gallinazo
C2
/ˌɡɑːliˈnɑːzoʊ/
any of several American vultures, especially the black vulture or turkey vulture
amadavat
C2+
/ˈæmədəˌvæt/
a variant name for the red avadavat, a small South and Southeast Asian estrildid finch whose breeding male is red with white spots
amphioxus
C2
/ˌæmfiˈɑːksəs/
a lancelet: a small, translucent, fishlike marine chordate that burrows in sand and retains a notochord throughout life
stercovorous
C2+
/ˌstɝːˈkɑːvərəs/
feeding on dung, especially as an insect or other small animal
mud turtle
C2+
/ˈmʌdˌtɝːtəl/
any of several small freshwater turtles, especially of the genus Kinosternon, that live in muddy ponds, marshes, and slow streams
annelidous
C2+
/əˈnelɪdəs/
relating to or resembling annelids, the segmented worms that include earthworms and leeches
phalanger
C2
/fəˈlændʒɚ/
an Australasian arboreal marsupial of the family Phalangeridae, including the cuscuses and brushtail possums
fishbelly
C2+
/ˈfɪʃˌbɛli/
the underside or belly of a fish
edental
C2+
/iːˈdentəl/
having no teeth, or having very few teeth
univalve
C2
/ˈjuːnɪˌvælv/
having a shell formed from one piece or valve, especially as opposed to a bivalve shell
wigeon
C2
/ˈwɪdʒən/
any of several medium-sized dabbling ducks of the genus Mareca, especially the Eurasian or American wigeon
catarrhine
C2
/ˈkætəˌraɪn/
a primate of the group Catarrhini, comprising Old World monkeys, apes, and humans
water moccasin
C2+
/ˈwɔːtɚˌmɑːkəsɪn/
a venomous semiaquatic pit viper of the southeastern United States, also called the cottonmouth
clypeus
C2
/ˈklɪpiəs/
a shieldlike plate on the front of an insect's head, between the frons and the upper lip
titlark
C2+
/ˈtɪtˌlɑːrk/
an old or regional name for a pipit, especially the meadow pipit of Europe and western Asia
platyrrhine
C2
/ˈplætɪˌraɪn/
a New World monkey of the primate group Platyrrhini, including capuchins, marmosets, howler monkeys, and their relatives
pygidium
C2
/paɪˈdʒɪdiəm/
the terminal dorsal plate or last exposed abdominal segment of certain insects
culpeo
C2+
/kʊlˈpeɪoʊ/
a large foxlike South American canid of the Andes and Patagonia, Lycalopex culpaeus
plantain-eater
C2+
/ˈplæntɪnˌiːtɚ/
a fruit-eating African bird of the turaco family Musophagidae; now especially either of the grey plantain-eaters in the genus Crinifer
chevrotain
C2+
/ˈʃɛvrəˌteɪn/
a very small, hornless, deerlike ruminant of the family Tragulidae, native to tropical Africa or Asia; a mouse deer
vibrissa
C2
/vɪˈbɹɪsə/
one of the long, stiff, highly sensitive hairs on the snout or face of many mammals; a whisker
barbule
C2
/ˈbɑɹ.bjuːl/
one of the minute branches growing from a feather barb, often bearing hooks that interlock with neighboring branches
cephalothorax
C2
/ˌsɛfələˈθɔˌræks/
the fused head and thorax forming the front body region of spiders, crustaceans, and some other arthropods
entozoon
C2+
/ˌɛntəˈzoʊɑːn/
historical zoology: an animal parasite living inside another animal, especially an intestinal or tissue-dwelling worm
foretarsus
C2+
/ˌfɔrˈtɑrsəs/
the tarsus or distal foot segment of a foreleg, especially in an arthropod
honeysucker
C2+
/ˈhʌniˌsʌkɚ/
historical or regional: a sunbird, especially one of the nectar-feeding birds of Africa or southern Asia
interoperculum
C2+
/ˌɪntəroʊˈpɜːrkjələm/
ichthyology: one of the bones in the opercular series of a bony fish, lying below the preopercle and between neighboring gill-cover bones
mesothorax
C2
/ˌmɛzəˈθɔˌræks/
the middle of the three segments of an insect's thorax, bearing the second pair of legs and, when present, the forewings
metasternum
C2
/ˌmɛtəˈstɝnəm/
entomology: the ventral exoskeletal plate of an insect's metathorax
nidify
C2+
/ˈnɪdəˌfaɪ/
formal or zoological: to build a nest or engage in nesting
prosternum
B2
/proʊˈstɝnəm/
entomology: the ventral exoskeletal plate of an insect's prothorax
cachalot
C2
/ˈkæʃəˌlɑt/
a sperm whale, Physeter macrocephalus, especially in older natural-history or whaling writing
hoolock
C2+
/ˈhuːlɑk/
any gibbon of the genus Hoolock, native to forests of northeastern India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and nearby regions
musk deer
C2+
/ˈmʌskˌdɪr/
a small tusked, antlerless Asian hoofed mammal of the family Moschidae, whose males have traditionally been hunted for a musk-producing gland
sultan tit
C2+
/ˈsʌltənˌtɪt/
a large Asian tit, Melanochlora sultanea, with glossy dark upperparts, yellow underparts, and a prominent crest
Great Dane
C2+
/ˌɡreɪt ˈdeɪn/
a very large, tall domestic dog of a smooth-coated breed