TOEFL wordlist 27

1. exempt [ɪɡˈzempt]

(1). adj. If someone or something is exempt from a particular rule, duty, or obligation, they do not have to follow it or do it.

(2). v. To exempt a person or thing from a particular rule, duty, or obligation means to state officially that they are not bound or affected by it.

You are not exempt from the rules!

2. marine [məˈriːn]

(1). n. A marine is a member of an armed force, for example the US Marine Corps or the Royal Marines, who is especially trained for military duties at sea as well as on land.

(2). adj. Marine is used to describe things relating to the sea or to the animals and plants that live in the sea.

(3). adj. Marine is used to describe things relating to ships and their movement at sea.

The southwestern coastal region has a humid mild marine climate.

3. cling [klɪŋ]

(1). v. If you cling to someone or something, you hold onto them tightly.

(2). v. If someone clings to a position or a possession they have, they do everything they can to keep it even though this may be very difficult.

(3). v. Clothes that cling to you stay pressed against your body when you move.

(4). v. Something that is clinging to something else is stuck on it or just attached to it.

(5). v. If someone clings to a person they are fond of, they do not allow that person to be free or independent.

(6). v. If you cling to an idea or way of behaving, you continue to believe in its value or importance, even though it may no longer be valid or useful.

The baby clung to its mother.

4. hostile [ˈhɒstaɪl]

(1). adj. If you are hostile to another person or an idea, you disagree with them or disapprove of them, often showing this in your behaviour.

(2). adj. Someone who is hostile is unfriendly and aggressive.

(3). adj. Hostile situations and conditions make it difficult for you achieve something.

(4). adj. A hostile takeover bid is one that is opposed by the company that is being bid for.

(5). adj. In a war, you use hostile to describe your enemy's forces, organizations, weapons, land, and activities.

The citizens were hostile to the report's conclusions.

5. tile [taɪl]

(1). n. Tiles are flat, square pieces of baked clay, carpet, cork, or other substance, which are fixed as a covering onto a floor or wall.

(2). n. Tiles are flat pieces of baked clay which are used for covering roofs.

(3). v. When someone tiles a surface such as a roof or floor, they cover it with tiles.

(4). phrase. If someone has a night on the tiles or is out on the tiles, they go out in the evening, for example to a bar or a club, and do not return home until very late.

6. sloth [sləʊθ]

(1). n. Sloth is laziness, especially with regard to work.

(2). n. A sloth is animal from Central and South America. Sloths live in trees and move very slowly.

7. furry [ˈfɜːri]

(1). adj. A furry animal is covered with thick, soft hair.

(2). adj. If you describe something as furry, you mean that it has a soft rough texture like fur.

(3). adj. If you have a furry tongue, your tongue is covered with a layer of a soft greyish-white substance, usually because you are unwell.

The African grass mouse's furry stripe is like a chipmunk's, which helps it blend in with its environment.

8. luminosity [ˌluːmɪˈnɒsəti]

n. The luminosity of a star or sun is how bright it is.

Scientists use this measurement when measuring the luminosity of other stars.

9. vegetative [ˈvedʒɪtətɪv]

(1). adj. If someone is in a vegetative state, they are unable to move, think, or speak, and their condition is not likely to improve.

(2). adj. Vegetative growth or development is the growth or development of plants.

For this kind of plant, botanists still depend on vegetative reproduction.

10. plasma [ˈplæzmə]

n. Plasma is the clear liquid part of blood which contains the blood cells; a hot ionized material consisting of nuclei and electrons.

11. swarm [swɔːm]

(1). n. A swarm of bees or other insects is a large group of them flying together.

(2). v. When bees or other insects swarm, they move or fly in a large group.

(3). v. When people swarm somewhere, they move there quickly in a large group.

(4). n. A swarm of people is a large group of them moving about quickly.

(5). v. If a place is swarming with people, it is full of people moving about in a busy way.

One of these migrating swarms was estimated to contain 124 billion locusts.

12. locomotion [ˌləʊkəˈməʊʃn]

n. Locomotion is the ability to move and the act of moving from one place to another.

The pterosaurs rely on wind power for their locomotion.

A great deal can be learned from the actual traces of ancient human locomotion.

13. utmost [ˈʌtməʊst]

(1). adj. You can use utmost to emphasize the importance or seriousness of something or to emphasize the way that it is done.

(2). n. If you say that you are doing your utmost to do something, you are emphasizing that you are trying as hard as you can to do it.

(3). phrase. If you say that something is done to the utmost, you are emphasizing that it is done to the greatest extent, amount, or degree possible.

The clay used in prehistoric pot-making was invariably selected with the utmost care.

14. dignity [ˈdɪɡnəti]

(1). n. If someone behaves or moves with dignity, they are calm, controlled, and admirable.

(2). n. If you talk about the dignity of people or their lives or activities, you mean that they are valuable and worthy of respect.

(3). n. You dignity is the sense that you have of your own importance and value, and other people's respect for you.

Many poor people struggle to maintain their dignity.

15. rudimentary [ˌruːdɪˈmentri]

(1). adj. Rudimentary things are very basic or simple and are therefore unsatisfactory.

(2). adj. Rudimentary knowledge includes only the simplest and most basic facts.

Many animals are capable of using objects in the natural environment as rudimentary tools.

16. bud [bʌd]

(1). n. A bud is a small pointed lump that appears on a tree or plant and develops into a leaf or flower.

(2). v. When a tree or plant is budding, buds are appearing on it or are beginning to open.

(3). n. Some men use bud as a way of addressing other men.

(4). phrase. When a tree or plant is in bud or has come into bud, it has buds on it.

(5). phrase. If you nip something such as bad behaviour in the bud, you stop it before it can develop very far.

The tree is in bud already.

17. slumber [ˈslʌmbə(r)]

n. Slumber is sleep.

The baby fell into a deep and peaceful slumber.

18. complement [ˈkɒmplɪment , ˈkɒmplɪmənt]

(1). v. If one thing complements another, it goes well with the other thing and makes its good qualities more noticeable.

(2). v. If people or things complement each other, they are different or do something different, which makes then a good combination.

(3). n. Something that is a complement to something else complements it.

(4). n. The complement of things or people that something has is the number of things or people that is normally has, which enable it to function properly.

(5). n. In grammar, the complement of a link verb is an adjective group or noun group which comes after the verb and describes or identifies the subject. For example, in the sentence 'They felt very tired', 'Very tired' is the complement. In 'They were students', 'students' is the complement.

The myths and songs complemented our historical knowledge of the lives of animals and of people here.

I think his new haircut really complements his beard.

19. outcry [ˈaʊtkraɪ]

n. An outcry is a reaction of strong disapproval and anger shown by the public or media about a recent event.

If the government continues to build a large parking lot in this area, there'll be a great outcry among the local people.

20. inertia [ɪˈnɜːʃə]

(1). n. If you have a feeling of inertia, you feel very lzay and unwilling to move or be active.

(2). n. Inertia is the tendency of physical object to remain still or to continue moving, unless a force is applied to it.

The car made use of inertia to move several meters on the pavement.

21. liquefy [ˈlɪkwɪfaɪ]

v. When a gas or solid substance liquefies or is liquefied, it changes its form and becomes liquid.

The researchers find it very hard to liquefy this substance at a relatively low temperature.

22. shrimp [ˈlɪkwɪfaɪ]

n. Shrimps are small shellfish with long tails and many legs.

23. assimilate [əˈsɪməleɪt]

(1). v. When people such as immigrants assimilate into a community or when that community assimilates them, they become an accepted part of it.

(2). v. If you assimilate new ideas, techniques, or information, you learn them or adopt them.

Such kinds of foods are assimilated much more easily than others.

24. soybean ['sɔɪˌbiːn]

n, Soybeans are the same as soya beans.

Many farmers prefer not to sell their soybeans dur to the low price.

25. banner [ˈbænə(r)]

(1). n. A banner is a long strip of cloth with something written on it. Banners are usually attached to two poles and carried during a protest or rally.

(2). phrase. If someone does something under the banner of a particular cause, idea, or belief, they do it saying that they support that cause, idea, or belief.

Banners are used in many business ventures, marketing to their potential customers.

26. infiltrate [ˈɪnfɪltreɪt]

(1). v. If people infiltrate a place or organization, or infiltrate into it, they enter it secretly in order to spy on it or influence it.

(2). v. To infiltrate people into a place or organization means to get them into it secretly in oorrder to spy on it or influence it.

The thick smoke has infiltrated through the window into the bedroom.

27. leach [liːtʃ]

Farmers scattered the fertilizer over the farmland, which was leached into the ground after rain.

28. momentum [məˈmentəm]

(1). n. If a process or movement gains momentum, it keeps developing or happening more quickly and keeps becoming less likely to stop.

(2). n. In physics, momentum is the mass of a moving object multiplied by its speed in a particular direction.

The red team began to gain momentum in the first half of the game.

29. odorous [ˈəʊdərəs]

Odorous smells hang about a group of homeless children.

30. percolate [ˈpɜːkəleɪt]

(1). v. If an idea, feeling, or piece of infomation percolates through a group of people or a thing, it spreads slowly through the group or thing.

(2). v. When you percolate coffee or when coffee percolates, you prepare it in a percolator.

(3). v. To percolate somewhere means to pass slowly through something that has very small holes or gaps in it.

The news that the general manager will resign is percolating through the firm.

31. supersonic [ˌsuːpəˈsɒnɪk]

adj. Supersonic aircraft travel faster than the speed of sound.

It is reported that the country is developing supersonic aircraft in secret.

32. thermal [ˈθɜːml]

(1). adj. Thermal means relating to or caused by heat or by changes in temperature.

(2). adj. Thermal streams or baths contain water which is naturally hot or warm.

(3). adj. Thermal clothes are specially designed to keep you warm in cold weather.

(4). n. A thermal is a movement of rising warm air.

Jane's mother bought her a suit of thermal underwear as her birthday present.

33. vaporize [ˈveɪpəraɪz]

v. If a liquid or solid vaporizes or if you vaporize it, it changes into vapour or gas.

When water is heated above 100 degrees Celsius, molecules of water begin to vaporize.

34. waggle [ˈwæɡl]

v. If you waggle something, or is something waggles, it moves up and down or from side to side with short quick movements.

When a dog meets its owner, it often greets him by waggling its tail.

35. bisect [baɪˈsekt]

v. If something long and thin bisects an area or line, it divides the area or line in half.

Jim bisected a big red apple and gave them to two children.

36. dividend [ˈdɪvɪdend]

(1). n. A dividend is the part of a company's profits which is paid to people who have shares in the company.

(2). phrase. If something pays dividends, it brings advantages at a later date.

The boss of our company declared to give every employee a large dividend at the annual meeting this year.

37. tarnish [ˈtɑːnɪʃ]

(1). v. If you say that something tarnishes someone's reputation or image, you mean that it causes people to have a worse opinion of them than they would otherwise have had.

(2). v. If a metal tarnishes or if something tarnishes it, it becomes stained and loses its brightness.

(3). n. Tarnish is a substance which forms of the surface of some metals and which stains them or causes them to lose their brightness.

Exposure to the open air tarnished the silver bowl.

The news in the local newspaper has tarnished his image.

38. extrapolate [ɪkˈstræpəleɪt]

v. If you extrapolate from known facts, you use them as a basis for general statements about a situation or about what is likely to happen in the future.

A good leader can extrapolate future development direction of the company from present conditions.

39. mural [ˈmjʊərəl]

n. A mural is a picture painted on a wall.

40. amenity [əˈmiːnəti]

n. Amenities are things such as shopping centres or sports facilities that are provided for people's convenience, enjoyment, or comfort.

The little dog immediately found the amenity of its new surroundings.

41. pretension [prɪˈtenʃn]

(1). n. If you say that someone has pretensions, you disapprove of them because they claim or pretend that they are more important than they really are.

(2). n. If someone has pretensions to something, they claim to be or do that thing.

The movie mocks the pretensions of the upper class.

42. grimly [ˈgrimli]

(1). adj. A situation or piece of information that is grim is unpleasant, depressing, and difficult to accept.

(2). adj. A place that is grim is unattractive and depressing in appearance.

(3). adj. If a person or their behaviour is grim, they are very serious, usually because they are worried about something.

(4). adj. If you say that something is grim, you think that it is very bad, ugly, or depressing.

It was a long way but he trudged along grimly.

43. refurbish [ˌriːˈfɜːbɪʃ]

v. To refurbish a building or room means to clean it and decorate it and make it more attractive or better equipped.

Once the hotel's refurbished, it could start to attract people to our town again.

整理自《柯林斯词典》、《新东方托福词汇》，侵删歉。