Academic Vocabulary List

Academic Vocabulary List
http://www.eslgold.com/acad_vocab_list_master.html

Alphabetical list of words and meanings

adolescent	a teenager
affiliate	associate as a member
alarm	a device that sound a warning
alley	a narrow passageway or street
almanac	book of facts published annually
alphabet	a set of English letters
alternative	choice, selection, option
analgesic	something used to reduce pain
antique	object prized for its age
apiece	each, individually
appetite	desire to eat
approach	get closer
ardor	with great intensity
assemble	come together, meet
astonish	surprise, amaze
astronomy	science that deals with the universe
athlete	sportsman or woman
attic	area between the roof and ceiling of a house
authenticity	reality, certainty
axe	instrument used in chopping wood
bake	to cook in an oven
banknote	paper money or currency
bargain	something you can buy cheaply
barrel	a large round container used for holding great amounts of liquid
bat	a small, furry mammal which flies at night
bathrobe	clothing worn after taking a shower
blackout	electric power outage
blade	the flat, cutting edge of a knife or tool
blame	to accuse someone or wrongdoing
blank	empty, without any marks
blissful	extremely happy
boast	brag; say great things about yourself
bounce	spring or leap like a ball
burglar	one who breaks into a building and steals
cage	a structure made of wires or bars for confining animals
carve	to create a form by cutting
cattle	a general name for "cows"
cellophane	a plastic wrapping
century	period of one hundred years
challenge	call for energetic work or action
charge	postpone or delay payment until the bill comes
chew	to cut and grind with the teeth
chime	device that produces a bell-like sound
cite	give reference to
coffin	a box in which a dead body is placed for burial
collapse	fall down
combination	joining together of things or ideas
compassion	feeling of sympathy towards another person
compensation	payment for service, loss or expense
concoct	create by combining various ingredients
condominium	individual home within a building of similar homes
confess	admit to wrongdoing
confront	raise an issue directly and argumentatively
conquer	defeat, overcome
consumer	person who buys things
contact	to get in touch with; get together to talk with
contemporary	from the same time period
cope	handle or deal with a difficult situation
cork	material from the bark of a tree, often used as toppers for wine bottles
coward	a person who is not brave
cracker	a hard, salty, cookie-like food
cream	thick, fluffy milk based product
credentials	qualifications or background
crook	a thief, criminal, swindler
crummy	lousy, miserable, or worthless
curiosity	desire to know; inquisitive interest
decathlon	ten track and field events
decorative	ornamental, with artistic design
dent	weaken, lessen the value of something, usually by hitting
depending	trusting, relying on
deposit	put money into a bank account
desperate	without hope
dessert	sweet dish served after a meal
detect	to discover the existence of something
devout	very religious
dip	put lightly into water or liquid
discrimination	treating people unfairly because of differences in race, gender, etc.
dozen	a set of twelve
drudgery	hard, uninteresting labor
dull	boring, not exciting; not bright or sharp
dweller	inhabitant, person who lives at a certain place
earn	get money through working
eclipse	event obscuring the sun or moon
emerald	a precious stone of bright green color
encourage	give help, support or confidence
ensure	make certain, insure
enthusiastic	very interested or excited about something
entirely	on the whole
estate	property, land, possessions
evaluate	give feedback
evolve	develop slowly
exhausted	extremely tired
exile	forced removal from one's country
expansion	growth
expert	a person with a high degree of knowledge or skill
eyelid	a fold of skin which covers the eyeball
fantasy	imagination, dream world
fascinating	very interesting, exciting, fun
fatal	causing death
finesse	ability to handle difficult situations well
fleet	group of ships
flock	group of sheep
fold	to lay or bend something over upon itself
former	the first of two things
fortune	good or bad luck, fate
frighten	to make someone scared or afraid
fugitive	one who tries to escape, runaway
fur	thick animal hair
galaxy	a group of millions of stars
gallery	place where art is displayed for the public
generous	giving unselfishly, usually large amounts
gigantic	huge, large, enormous
glance	to look quickly
glimpse	a brief look; an indication
goofy	funny, silly
hanger	a device upon which clothing is hung
harvest	gather crops at the end of growing season
hatch	break out of an egg
havoc	a lot of trouble, chaos
heir	one who inherits from a parent
hemorrhage	excessive bleeding
hop	jump a short distance, sometimes on one foot
ignore	don't pay attention
illusion	false idea, dream
immigrant	person who comes into a country to live
incident	an occurrence or even; happening
incredible	unbelievable
inferior	of lower or lesser quality
inform	to tell, give the facts
inhabitant	resident
inquire	ask questions
inquiry	the act or process of questioning
instinct	natural or innate ability
interfere	to get in the way; prevent someone from doing a task
irrational	impossible to explain reasonably
irrelevant	not related or applicable
issue	things that need to be discussed
jam	sweet preserved fruit spread
jogging	running slowly
juvenile	young, immature, youthful
knot	formed when two ropes are tied together
lack	absence, deficiency
latter	the second of two things
leak	a hole or crack which allows water to pass thorough
lecturer	a university professor
legitimate	lawful, conforming to accepted standards
listless	lacking energy or spirit
log	a fallen tree trunk or bulky piece of timber
lonely	without needed companionship
lumber	wood which has been sawed into boards
magician	one who performs illusions
maid	paid housekeeper
mathematics	course subject dealing with numbers and calculations
melt	to reduce from a solid to a liquid by heat
monopoly	complete commercial control
motive	reason
museum	institute that displays artifacts for the public
naked	without covering or clothing
narrow	thin, not wide
nationwide	everywhere in the country
negligent	failing to give proper care or attention
observe	perceive thorough the senses, see
octopus	deep sea animal with eight legs
opaque	not transparent
ounce	unit of weight, one-sixteenth of a pound
outraged	upset, very mad
outskirts	the suburbs, area around a city
outstanding	distinguished, excellent
owe	to be under obligation or indebted to someone
own	possess
parlance	language, usually used by a particular group
participation	taking part, getting involved in a group activity
patriotic	having feelings of devotion towards one's country
peak	top of the mountain
peasant	poor, simple farmer
peddler	someone who sells things
perceive	sense, notice, observe through the senses
perceive	to sense (see, hear, smell, touch)
personality	the nature or character of a person
plug	part of a machine which is connected to an electrical source
pocket	a flat pouch sewn into the clothing
poll	survey from the general population
portion	small part or section
pounding	beating, hitting repeatedly
poverty	condition of being poor
practical	useful and realistic
premarital	before marriage
prevent	stop something from happening
priceless	very valuable
profit	money people make from business
proportion	segment or section, percentage of the whole
province	a designated political area within a country; similar to a state
psychiatry	branch of medicine dealing with mental disorders
punish	impose a penalty for wrongful behavior
puppet	doll or toy which can be animated by manipulation
qualm	feeling of uneasiness, doubt or fear
railing	a bar which is used for support when climbing stairs
rainbow	an arch containing the colors of the spectrum
ramble	to talk on an on without saying much
rancher	person who owns a large farm with animals
region	area, location
reinforce	give support to, strengthen
relationship	social connection between people
release	set free, allow to go out
reluctance	hesitation, unwillingness to do something
rendezvous	meeting at a pre-arranged place
revenue	earnings, income from a business
revolver	gun, pistol
ribbon	a narrow strip of cloth used for decoration
rinse	to cleanse with water after washing with soap
rise	go up, get higher
risk	possibility of danger or loss
roam	wander, walk around without direction
rough	having a bumpy surface; not smooth
route	path, road, way
sample	try or test food for taste
sand	a grainy type of soil found on beaches
scientist	an expert in a field of study
seal	an aquatic mammal prized for its fur
severe	cruel, harsh
sheet	a large thin cloth which can be spread on a bed
significantly	in an important or meaningful way
skill	ability, talent
slang	informal language
slim	skinny; thin
soak	to immerse or drench in water or other liquid
sober	not drunk; serious
spill	to allow something to fall or run out of a vessel or container
sponge	an absorbent material used for washing
squeeze	to compress; press closely, usually for extracting juice
starvation	terrible hunger
stow	put something in a small space for storage
struggle	have difficulty doing something; fight
subsequent	coming after, following
supply	materials kept in stock for future use
survey (noun)	a questionnaire, or a report showing results of a poll
survey (verb)	ask questions to find out people’s opinions
swallow	to move food or drinks down the throat
swell	get bigger, enlarge
swing	to move back and forth, sway
tap	to strike or hit gently
telescope	instrument for viewing distant objects
teller	a person who works at a bank window
textile	fabric, cloth, woven material
therapy	professional psychological counseling
thermometer	an instrument used for measuring temperature
thrilling	exciting
thunder	noise usually followed by a flash of lightning
tipping	giving extra money for services
toss	throw lightly
trampoline	athletic equipment used for jumping into the air
transfer	change vehicles or methods of transportation en route to
trapper	one’s destination
treat	person who catches wild animals for a living special delight
trend	a fad that lasts for a long time
trophy	prize given in a race or competition
unflattering	not in a complimentary way
upgrade	improve the quality of something
varnish	a substance painted on wood to make it glossy
vast	huge, immense
vocational	pertaining to a specific job
volunteer	person who gives service without pay
walrus	large seal-like mammal with tusks
warehouse	large building for storage
warrior	fighter
waste	use wrongly, use too much of
wed	get married
widespread	covering a large area
widow	woman whose husband has died
wilderness	wild, unsettled area
withdraw	take money out of the bank
wooden	made of lumber or timber products
workaholic	compulsive worker
wrap	to cover with paper, cloth, or plastic
yawn	open the mouth in an expression of sleepiness

 
Note: These are general meanings for the words. You may encounter other definitions depending on context.
Check a dictionary for other meanings.