TOEFL wordlist 24

1. depot [ˈdepəʊ]

(1). n. A depot is a place where large amounts of raw materials, equipment, arms, or other supplies are kept until they are needed.

(2). n. A depot is a large building or open area where buses or railway engines are kept when they are not being used.

(3). n. A depot is a bus station or railway station.

The building was used as an arms depot.

2. tycoon [taɪˈkuːn]

n. A tycoon is a person who is successful in business and so has become rich and powerful.

For every crooked tycoon there are thousands of ordinary citizens living on fixed incomes.

3. decipher [dɪˈsaɪfə(r)]

v. If you decipher a piece of writing or a message, you work out what it says, even though it is very difficult to read or understand.

Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic script was finally deciphered.

4. crustacean [krʌˈsteɪʃn]

n. A crustacean is an animal with a hard shell and several pairs of legs, which usually lives in water. Crabs, lobsters, and shrimps are crustaceans.

Every year more than one million tons of crustaceans are produced by fishery for human consumption in the country.

5. gregarious [ɡrɪˈɡeəriəs]

(1). adj. Someone who is gregarious enjoys being with other people.

(2). adj. Gregarious animals or birds normally live in large groups.

Man is a gregarious animal.

6. chafe [tʃeɪf]

(1). v. If your skin chafes or is chafed by something, it becomes sore as a result of something rubbing against it.

(2). v. If you chafe at something such as a restriction, you feel annoyed about it.

She soon chafed at the restrictions of her situation.

7. lizard [ˈlɪzəd]

n. A lizard is a reptile with short legs and a long tail.

Many lizards can detach their tails to escape from predators.

8. gravel [ˈɡrævl]

n. Gravel consists of very small stones. It is often used to make paths.

There is a gravel path from my home to school.

9. panorama [ˌpænəˈrɑːmə]

(1). n. A panorama is a view in which you can see a long way over a wide area of land, usually because you are on high ground.

(2). n. A panorama is a broad view of a state of affairs or of a constantly changing series of events.

There is a superb panorama of the mountains from the hotel.

10. afflict [əˈflɪkt]

v. If you are afflict by pain, illness, or disaster, it affects you badly and makes you suffer.

Financial difficulties afflicted the Smiths.

11. enzyme [ˈenzaɪm]

n. An enzyme is a chemical substance that is found in living creatures which produces changes in other substances without being changed itself.

Some enzymes are used commercially, for example, in the synthesis of antibiotics.

12. sumptuous [ˈsʌmptʃuəs]

adj. Something that is sumptuous is grand and obviously very expensive.

We dined in sumptuous surroundings.

13. allegiance [əˈliːdʒəns]

n. Your allegiance is your support for and loyalty to a particular group, green, or belief.

Some chants showed people's allegiance to religious leaders or symbols.

14. hover [ˈhɒvə(r)]

(1). v. To hover means to stay in the same position in the air without moving forwards or backwards. Many birds and insects can hover by moving their wings very quickly.

(2). v. If you hover, you stay in one place and move slightly in a nervous way, for example because you cannot decide what to do.

(3). v. If you hover, you are in an uncertain situation or state of mind.

(4). v. If something such as a price, value, or score hovers around a particular level, it stays at more or less that level and does not change much.

The criminal is hovering between life and death.

15. percussion [pə'kʌʃ(ə)n]

n. Percussion instruments are musical instruments that you hit, such as drums.

The track features Joey Langton on percussion.

16. crooked ['krʊkɪd]

(1). adj. If you describe something as crooked, especially something that is usually straight, you mean that it is bent or twisted.

(2). adj. A crooked smile is uneven and bigger on one side than the other.

(3). adj. If you describe a person or an activity as crooked, you mean that they are dishonest or criminal.

Don't take crooked ways to solve the problem.

17. stratum ['strɑːtəm; 'streɪtəm]

(1). n. A stratum of society is a group of people in it who are similar in their education, income, or social status.

(2). n. Strata are different layers of rock.

People from all social strata attended this meeting.

18. evergreen [ˈevəɡriːn]

n. An evergreen is a tree or bush which has green leaves all the year round.

In addition, the shelter provided by evergreen plants can make it easier for younger evergreen plants to survive cold and drought.

19. plumage [ˈpluːmɪdʒ]

n. A bird's plumage is all the feathers on its body.

The bird's plumage has turned grey over one night.

20. decadent [ˈdekədənt]

adj. If you say that a person or society is decadent, you think that they have low moral standards and are interested mainly in pleasure.

Due to arguments over the nature of morality, whether a society is decadent or not is a matter of debate.

21. hummingbird [ˈhʌmɪŋbɜːd]

n. A hummingbird is a small brightly coloured bird found in America, especially Central and South America. It has a long thin beak and powerful narrow wings that can move very fast.

Hummingbirds are capable of slowing down their metabolism at night, or any other time food is not readily available.

22. estate [ɪˈsteɪt]

(1). n. An estate is a large area of land in the country which is owned by a person, family, or organization.

(2). n. People sometimes use estate to refer to a housing estate or an industrial estate.

(3). n. Someone's estate is all the money and property that they leave behind them when they die.

(4). n. An estate is the same as an estate car.

The old woman left her estate to her granddaughter.

23. stylistic [staɪˈlɪstɪk]

adj. Stylistic describes things relating to the methods and techniques used in creating a piece of writing, music, or art.

The professor observes that, in practice, most stylistic analysis has attempted to deal with the complex and "valued" language within literature.

24. varnish [ˈvɑːnɪʃ]

(1). n. Varnish is an oily liquid which is painted onto wood or other material to give it a hard, clear, shiny surface.

(2). n. The varnish on an object is the hard, clear, shiny surface that it has when it has been painted with varnish.

(3). v. If you varnish something, you paint it with varnish.

The main task of the painters was to varnish furniture.

25. peninsula [pəˈnɪnsjələ]

n. A peninsula is a long narrow piece of land which sticks out from a large piece of land and is almost completely surrounded by water.

Though the Cold War ended two decades ago, people on the Korean Peninsula are still living in its shadow.

26. luxurious [lʌɡˈʒʊəriəs]

(1). adj. If you describe something as luxurious, you mean that it is very comfortable and expensive.

(2). adj. Luxurious means feeling or expressing great pleasure and comfort.

I wish I could own a luxurious sports car like this, but I can't afford it.

27. ornate [ɔːˈneɪt]

adj. An ornate building, piece of furniture, or object is decorated with complicated patterns or shapes.

This music fountain is famous for its ornate and unique design.

28. plaudit ['plɔːdɪt]

When the performance was over, all the performers got plaudits from the audience.

29. quiver [ˈkwɪvə(r)]

(1). v. If something quivers, it shakes with very small movements.

(2). v. If you say that someone or their voice is quivering with an emotion such as rage or excitement, you mean that they are strongly affected by this emotion and show it in their appearance or voice.

(3). n. A quiver is a container for carrying arrows in.

When I put the little bird in my palm, I can feel the quiver of it.

30. saunter [ˈsɔːntə(r)]

v. If you saunter somewhere, you walk there in a slow, casual way.

Many tourists saunter along the streets with shopping bags.

31. usher [ˈʌʃə(r)]

(1). v. If you usher someone somewhere, you show them where they should go, often by going with them.

(2). n. An usher is a person who shows people where to sit, for example at a wedding or at a concert.

(3). n. An usher is a person who organizes people who are attending a law court in Britain.

We followed the usher down the aisle and found our seats.

32. vigor [ˈvɪgə]

n. Vigour is physical or mental energy and enthusiasm.

Chinese traditional culture adds new vigor to the Olympic opening ceremony.

33. solitude [ˈsɒlətjuːd]

n. Solitude is the state of being alone, especially when this is peaceful and pleasant.

I can't believe that man in the news passed 25 years in solitude.

34. whim [wɪm]

n. A whim is a wish to do or have something which seems to have no serious reason or purpose behind it, and often occurs suddenly.

Lisa had a sudden whim to go shopping today.

35. apparatus [ˌæpəˈreɪtəs]

(1). n. The apparatus of an organization or system is its structure and method of operation.

(2). n. Apparatus is the equipment, such as tools and machines, which is used to do a particular job or activity.

That passage covers all kinds of heating apparatus.

36. vogue [vəʊɡ]

(1). n. If there is a vogue for something, it is very popular and fashionable.

(2). phrase. If something is in vogue, is very popular and fashionable. If it comes into vogue, it becomes very popular and fashionable.

Jogging is in vogue all over the world.

37. censor [ˈsensə(r)]

(1). v. If someone in authority censors letters or the media, they officially examine them and cut out any information that is regarded as secret.

(2). n. A censor is a person who has been officially appointed to examine letters or the media and to cut out any parts that are regarded as secret.

(3). v. If someone in authority censors a book, play or film, they officially examine it and cut out any parts that are considered to be immoral or inappropriate.

(4). n. A censor is a person who has been officially appointed to examine plays, films, and books and to cut out any parts that are considered to be immoral.

Some of the scenes were cut by the censor.

38. respire [rɪˈspaɪə(r)]

To my surprise, some aquatic animals living under the water respire through their skins.

39. morphology [mɔːˈfɒlədʒi]

n. The morphology of something is its form and structure. In linguistics, morphology refers to the way words are constructed with stems, prefixes, and suffixes.

In this way, morphology is the branch of linguistics that studies patterns of word formation within and across languages.

40. adroit [əˈdrɔɪt]

adj. Someone who is adroit is quick and skilful in their thoughts, behaviour, or actions.

Jack is a quick-learner, and soon he becomes adroit at driving.

41. moss [mɒs]

n. Moss is a very small soft green plant which grows on damp soil, or on wood or stone.

The little boy was asleep on a pile of leaves and moss when he was found.

42. perch [pɜːtʃ]

(1). v. If you perch on something, you sit down lightly on the very edge or tip of it.

(2). v. To perch somewhere means to be on the top or edge of something.

(3). v. If you perch something on something else, you put or balance it on the top or edge of that thing.

(4). v. When a bird perches on something such as a branch or a wall, it lands on it and stands there.

(5). n. A perch is a short rod for a bird to stand on.

(6). n. You can refer to a high place where someone is sitting as their perch.

(7). phrase. If someone is knocked off their perch, they are no longer admired or no longer thought of as important or clever.

(8). n. A perch is an edible fish. There are several kinds of perch.

The Greens live in a remote small village which is perched at the foot of a mountain.

43. neon [ˈniːɒn]

(1). adj. Neon lights or signs are made from glass tubes filled with neon gas which produce a bright electric light.

(2). n. Neon is a gas which occurs in very small amounts in the atmosphere.

Two quite different kinds of neon lighting are in common use.

44. permeate [ˈpɜːmieɪt]

(1). v. If an idea, feeling, or attitude permeates a system or permeates society, it affects every part of it or is present throughout it.

(2). v. If something permeates a place, it spreads throughout it.

Water will permeate blotting paper.

45. midterm [ˌmɪdˈtɜːm]

Next Friday, a week from today, is the midterm exam, marking the half way point in the semester.

A: How about seeing the new movie at the North Park Theater tonight?

B: Sounds great. But I got to go over my notes for tomorrow's midterm.

整理自《柯林斯词典》、《新东方托福词汇》，侵删歉。