TOEFL wordlist 12

1. yeast [jiːst]

n. Yeast is a kind of fungus which is used to make bread rise, and in making alcoholic drinks such as beer.

2. wreck [rek]

(1). v. To wreck something means to completely destroy or ruin it.

(2). v. If a ship is wrecked, it is damaged so much that it sinks or can no longer sail.

(3). n. A wreck is something such as a ship, car, plane, or building which has been destroyed, usually in an accident.

(4). n. A wreck is an accident in which a moving vehicle hits something and is damaged or destroyed.

(5). n. If you say that someone is a wreck, you mean that they are very exhausted or unhealthy.

The scandal wrecked the politician's chances of being elected.

3. incinerate [ɪnˈsɪnəreɪt]

(1). v. When authorities incinerate rubbish o waste material, they burn it completely in a special container.

(2). v. If people are incinerated, for example in a bomb attack or a fire, they are burnt to death.

The waste is incinerated in a large furnace.

4. topsoil [ˈtɒpsɔɪl]

n. Topsoil is the layer of soil nearest the surface of the ground.

The fieldstones remain in a frozen layer of topsoil.

5. emblem [ˈembləm]

(1). n. An emblem is a design representing a country or organization.

(2). n. An emblem is something that represents a quality or idea.

The dove is an emblem of peace.

6. tributary [ˈtrɪbjətri]

n. A tributary is a stream or river that flows into a larger one.

This stream is a tributary of the Yellow River.

7. pulp [pʌlp]

(1). n. If an object is pressed into a pulp, it is crushed or beaten until it is soft, smooth, and wet.

(2). n. In fruit or vegetables, the pulp is the soft part inside the skin.

(3). n. Wood pulp is material made from crushed wood. It is used to make paper.

(4). adj. People refer to stories or novels as pulp fiction when they consider them to be of poor quality and intentionally shocking or sensational.

(5). v. If paper, vegetables, or fruit are pulped, they are crushed into a smooth, wet paste.

(6). v. If money or documents are pulped, they are destroyed. This is done to stop the money being used or to stop  the documents being seen by the public.

(7). phrase. If someone is beaten to a pulp or beaten to pulp, they are hit repeatedly until they are very badly injured.

Unsold copies of the magazine had to be pulped.

8. refrain [rɪˈfreɪn]

(1). v. If you refrain from doing something, you deliberately do not do it.

(2). n. A refrain is a short, simple part of a song, which is repeated many times.

(3). n. A refrain is a comment or saying that people often repeat.

Refrain from using informal languages in your essay.

9. indolent [ˈɪndələnt]

adj. Someone who is indolent is lazy.

The indolent girl resisted doing her homework.

10. slacken [ˈslækən]

(1). phrase. If something slackens or if you slacken it, it becomes slower, less active, or less intense.

(2). phrase. If your grip or a part of your body slackens or if you slacken your grip, it becomes looser or more relaxed.

We've been really busy, but things are starting to slacken off now.

11. prophet [ˈprɒfɪt]

(1). n. A prophet is a person who is believed to be chosen by God to say the things that God wants to tell people.

(2). n. A prophet is someone who predicts that something will happen in the future.

The famous writer was also one of the nearly prophets of socialism.

12. obligate [ˈɒblɪgeɪt]

v. If something obligates you to do a particular thing, it creates a situation where you have to do it.

The contract obligates the firm to complete the work in six weeks.

13. scoff [skɒf]

(1). v. If you scoff at something, you speak about it in a way that shows you think it is ridiculous or inadequate.

(2). v. If you scoff food, you eat it quickly and greedily.

They all scoffed when I told them that I planned to become a writer.

14. oppressive [əˈpresɪv]

(1). adj. If you describe a society, its laws, or customs as oppressive, you think they treat people cruelly and unfairly.

(2). adj. If you describe the weather or the atmosphere in a room as oppressive, you mean that it is unpleasantly hot and damp.

(3). adj. An oppressive situation makes you feel depressed and uncomfortable.

The air is stale and oppressive, and I feel it hard to breathe.

15. scornful [ˈskɔːnfl]

adj. If you are scornful of someone or something, you show contempt for them.

He was scornful of anyone who disagreed with his political beliefs.

16. imbibe [ɪmˈbaɪb]

(1). v. To imbibe alcohol means to drink it.

(2). v. If you imbibe ideas or arguments, you listen to them, accept them, and believe that they are right or true.

Camels can imbibe over 100 liters in a few minutes.

17. alkali  [ˈælkəlaɪ]

n. An alkali is a substance with a pH value of more than 7. Alkalis form chemical saits when they are combined with acids.

18. suffragist [ˈsʌfrədʒɪst]

n. A suffragist is a person who is in favour of women having the right to vote, especially in societies where women are not allowed to vote.

In 1916, United States suffragist Alice Paul founded the National Women's Party delicated to establishing equal rights for women.

19. pharmacy [ˈfɑːməsi]

(1). n. A pharmacy is a shop or a department in a shop where medicines are sold or given out.

(2). n. Pharmacy is the job or the science of preparing medicines.

She's studying pharmacy at the university.

20. sprawl [sprɔːl]

(1). v. If you sprawl somewhere, you sit or lie down with your legs and arms spread out in a careless way.

(2). v. If you say that a place sprawls, you mean that it covers a large area of land.

(3). n. You can use sprawl to refer to an area where a city has grown outwards in an uncontrolled way.

(4). n. If something sprawls, its structure is disorganized or it lacks direction.

The town sprawled along the side of the lake.

21. monarch [ˈmɒnək]

n. The monarch of a country is the king, queen, emperor, or empress.

22. epidemic [ˌepɪˈdemɪk]

(1). n. If there is an epidemic of a particular disease somewhere, it affects a very large number of people there and spreads quickly to other areas.

(2). n. If an activity that you disapprove of is increasing or spreading rapidly, you can refer to this as an epidemic of that activity.

The terrible epidemic killed most of the people it infected.

23. debris [ˈdebriː]

n. Debris is pieces from something that has been destroyed or pieces of rubbish or unwanted material that are spread around.

Emergency teams are still clearing the debris from the plane crash.

24. annex  [əˈneks] 

v. If a country annexes another country or an area of land, it seizes it and takes control of it.

Money and reputation are not always annexed to happy life.

25. ore [ɔː(r)]

n. Ore is rock or earth from which metal can be obtained.

26. gentility [dʒenˈtɪləti]

n. Gentility is the fact or appearance of belonging to a high social class.

Many people think fine clothes are a mark of gentility.

27. despoil [dɪˈspɔɪl]

v. To despoil a place means to make it less attractive, valuable, or important by taking things away from it or by destroying it.

28. folklore [ˈfəʊklɔː(r)]

n. Folklore is the traditional stories, customs, and habits of a particular community or nation.

Nancy Ward, a Cherokee leader of the 1700s, became a legendary figure in Tennessee folklore.

29. glacial [ˈɡleɪʃl]

(1). adj. Glacial means relating to or produced by glaciers or ice.

(2). adj. If you say that a person, action, or atmosphere is glacial, you mean that they are very unfriendly or hostile.

(3). adj. If you say that something moves or changes at a glacial pace, you are emphasizing that it moves or changes very slowly.

(4). adj. If you describe someone, usually a woman, as glacial, you mean they are very beautiful and elegant, but do not show their feelings.

A glacier maintains the same shape throughout the glacial process.

30. libel [ˈlaɪbl]

(1). n. LIbel is a written statement which wrongly accuses someone of something, and which is therefore against the law.

(2). v. To libel someone means to write or print something in a book, newspaper, or magazine which wrongly damages that person's reputation and is therefore against the law.

She claimed she had been libeled in an article the magazine had published.

31. lax [læks]

adj. If you say that a person's behaviour or a system is lax, you mean they are not careful or strict about maintaining high standards.

The company's lax attitude towards intellectual property violations has angered the professor.

32. evacuation [ɪˌvækju'eɪʃ(ə)n]

The radio mentioned possible evacuation routes.

33. quaint [kweɪnt]

adj. Something that is quaint is attractive because it is unusual and rather old-fashioned.

The museum displayed quaint advertisements from the 1920s.

整理自《柯林斯词典》、《新东方托福词汇》，侵删歉。