🏛️ TOEFL iBT – university academic vocabulary · Vocabulary by Exam · 123 words

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registrar /ˌredʒɪˈstrɑː/ n	the university office that handles enrolment, records and grades You'll need to go to the registrar to change your major officially.
bursar /ˈbɜːsə/ n	the office or person managing a college's money and fees Late tuition payments should be discussed with the bursar's office.
financial aid /faɪˌnænʃl ˈeɪd/ n	money given or lent to students to help pay for college She applied for financial aid because her family couldn't cover tuition.
dean /diːn/ n	a senior official in charge of a faculty or students at a university The dean approved his request to take an extra course this semester.
office hours /ˈɒfɪs ˌaʊəz/ n	set times when a professor is available to meet students If you're confused about the essay, come to my office hours on Tuesday.
course load /ˈkɔːs ləʊd/ n	the number of courses or credits a student takes in a term Working part-time with a heavy course load left him exhausted.
drop a class /ˌdrɒp ə ˈklɑːs/ phrase	to stop taking a course after registering for it If you drop a class after Friday, it will appear on your record.
add-drop period /ˌæd ˈdrɒp ˌpɪəriəd/ n	the first weeks of term when students can change their courses You can still switch sections during the add-drop period.
midterm /ˌmɪdˈtɜːm/ n	an exam taken in the middle of a university term The midterm will cover chapters one to six of the textbook.
final exam /ˌfaɪnl ɪɡˈzæm/ n	the last and usually most important exam of a course The final exam is worth forty percent of your overall grade.
GPA /ˌdʒiː piː ˈeɪ/ n	grade point average, a number showing a student's overall results You need a GPA of at least 3.5 to qualify for the scholarship.
honor code /ˈɒnə kəʊd/ n	a set of rules about honesty that students promise to follow Copying a classmate's answers is a serious violation of the honor code.
work-study /ˈwɜːk ˌstʌdi/ n	a programme where students work on campus to help pay for college Through work-study, he earns money shelving books in the library.
resident advisor /ˌrezɪdənt ədˈvaɪzə/ n	a senior student who supervises and helps others in a dormitory Talk to your resident advisor if your roommate is too noisy.
meal plan /ˈmiːl plæn/ n	a prepaid arrangement for eating at university dining halls Her meal plan includes fifteen meals a week in the dining hall.
commencement /kəˈmensmənt/ n	the ceremony at which students receive their degrees Families travelled from abroad to attend the spring commencement.
freshman /ˈfreʃmən/ n	a student in the first year of high school or college Every freshman must take a writing seminar in the first semester.
sophomore /ˈsɒfəmɔː/ n	a student in the second year of high school or college By the end of sophomore year, students must choose a major.
graduate student /ˌɡrædʒuət ˈstjuːdnt/ n	a student studying for a master's or doctoral degree A graduate student teaches the Friday discussion section.
lab report /ˈlæb rɪˌpɔːt/ n	a written account of an experiment, its method and results Your lab report should include a clear description of your method.
problem set /ˈprɒbləm set/ n	a group of exercises assigned as homework, especially in science The physics problem set is due every Monday morning.
term paper /ˈtɜːm ˌpeɪpə/ n	a long essay students write during a term His term paper examines trade between Venice and the Ottoman Empire.
interlibrary loan /ˌɪntəˌlaɪbrəri ˈləʊn/ n	a service for borrowing books from another library The book isn't in our collection, but you can request it through interlibrary loan.
on reserve /ɒn rɪˈzɜːv/ phrase	kept in a library for short-term use by a particular class The professor put three articles on reserve at the main library.
study group /ˈstʌdi ɡruːp/ n	a small group of students who meet to study together Joining a study group helped her prepare for the chemistry midterm.
chlorophyll /ˈklɒrəfɪl/ n	the green substance in plants that absorbs light for energy Leaves turn yellow in autumn as the chlorophyll breaks down.
cell membrane /ˈsel ˌmembreɪn/ n	the thin layer that surrounds a cell and controls what enters Water passes through the cell membrane by a process called osmosis.
microorganism /ˌmaɪkrəʊˈɔːɡənɪzəm/ n	a living thing too small to be seen without a microscope Soil contains billions of microorganisms that break down dead matter.
fungi /ˈfʌŋɡiː/ n	organisms such as mushrooms and moulds that feed on organic matter Many trees rely on fungi in the soil to absorb nutrients.
symbiosis /ˌsɪmbaɪˈəʊsɪs/ n	a close relationship between two different species living together The clownfish and the sea anemone live in symbiosis.
mutualism /ˈmjuːtʃuəlɪzəm/ n	a relationship between species in which both benefit Bees and flowering plants are a classic example of mutualism.
parasite /ˈpærəsaɪt/ n	an organism that lives on or in another and harms it The parasite lives inside the fish and slowly weakens it.
camouflage /ˈkæməflɑːʒ/ n	colours or patterns that help an animal blend into its surroundings The moth's grey wings provide perfect camouflage against tree bark.
mimicry /ˈmɪmɪkri/ n	when one species looks like another to protect itself Through mimicry, a harmless fly can look exactly like a wasp.
mutation /mjuːˈteɪʃn/ n	a change in the genetic structure of a living thing A single mutation allowed the bacteria to resist the antibiotic.
offspring /ˈɒfsprɪŋ/ n	the young of an animal or plant Penguins share the work of feeding their offspring.
larva /ˈlɑːvə/ n	the young form of an insect before it changes into an adult The larva feeds on leaves for several weeks before forming a cocoon.
metamorphosis /ˌmetəˈmɔːfəsɪs/ n	the process by which some animals change form as they grow A tadpole undergoes metamorphosis to become an adult frog.
pollination /ˌpɒləˈneɪʃn/ n	the transfer of pollen so that plants can produce seeds Wind pollination is common in grasses and many trees.
pollinator /ˈpɒləneɪtə/ n	an animal, such as a bee, that carries pollen between flowers Bats are important pollinators of desert cactus flowers.
nectar /ˈnektə/ n	a sweet liquid produced by flowers that attracts insects and birds Hummingbirds feed on nectar from long, tube-shaped flowers.
germinate /ˈdʒɜːmɪneɪt/ v	to begin to grow from a seed Some desert seeds germinate only after heavy rainfall.
seed dispersal /ˈsiːd dɪˌspɜːsl/ n	the spreading of seeds away from the parent plant Birds play a key role in seed dispersal by eating fruit.
deciduous /dɪˈsɪdʒuəs/ adj	losing its leaves every year in autumn Oak and maple are deciduous trees common in eastern forests.
coniferous /kəˈnɪfərəs/ adj	producing cones and usually keeping needle-like leaves all year Coniferous forests cover much of Canada and northern Russia.
canopy /ˈkænəpi/ n	the top layer of branches and leaves in a forest Most rainforest animals live high in the canopy, far above the ground.
tundra /ˈtʌndrə/ n	a vast cold area without trees where the ground stays frozen Only small plants and mosses survive on the Arctic tundra.
savanna /səˈvænə/ n	a large flat grassland with few trees in a warm region Lions, zebras and elephants roam freely across the African savanna.
estuary /ˈestʃuəri/ n	the wide part of a river where it meets the sea The estuary is a rich feeding ground for migrating birds.
plankton /ˈplæŋktən/ n	tiny plants and animals that float in the sea or lakes Blue whales survive almost entirely on tiny plankton.
algae /ˈældʒiː/ n	simple plants without stems or leaves that grow in water Warm water caused algae to spread across the surface of the lake.
invertebrate /ɪnˈvɜːtɪbrət/ n	an animal without a backbone, such as an insect or worm Over ninety percent of animal species are invertebrates.
vertebrate /ˈvɜːtɪbrət/ n	an animal with a backbone, such as a bird, fish or mammal Fish were the first vertebrates to appear on Earth.
amphibian /æmˈfɪbiən/ n	an animal like a frog that lives both in water and on land Amphibians are very sensitive to pollution in water.
reptile /ˈreptaɪl/ n	a cold-blooded animal with scales, such as a snake or lizard Reptiles lie in the sun to raise their body temperature.
primate /ˈpraɪmeɪt/ n	a member of the group of mammals that includes monkeys and humans Chimpanzees are among the most intelligent primates on the planet.
herbivore /ˈhɜːbɪvɔː/ n	an animal that eats only plants Elephants are herbivores that eat up to 150 kilograms of plants daily.
carnivore /ˈkɑːnɪvɔː/ n	an animal that eats meat Wolves are carnivores that hunt in organised packs.
forage /ˈfɒrɪdʒ/ v	to search widely for food Ants forage up to a hundred metres from their nest.
territorial /ˌterəˈtɔːriəl/ adj	defending an area against other animals of the same kind Male robins are highly territorial during the breeding season.
courtship /ˈkɔːtʃɪp/ n	behaviour animals use to attract a mate Peacocks spread their tail feathers as part of a courtship display.
hibernation /ˌhaɪbəˈneɪʃn/ n	a state of deep sleep that some animals enter during winter During hibernation, a bear's heart rate drops dramatically.
sediment /ˈsedɪmənt/ n	sand, stones and mud carried by water and left in a place Rivers carry sediment downstream and deposit it at the coast.
sedimentary rock /ˌsedɪˌmentri ˈrɒk/ n	rock formed from layers of sediment pressed together Fossils are most often found in sedimentary rock like limestone.
igneous rock /ˌɪɡniəs ˈrɒk/ n	rock formed when hot liquid rock cools and becomes solid Granite is an igneous rock that cooled slowly underground.
metamorphic rock /ˌmetəˌmɔːfɪk ˈrɒk/ n	rock changed by great heat and pressure Marble is a metamorphic rock formed from limestone.
weathering /ˈweðərɪŋ/ n	the breaking down of rock by wind, water and temperature Weathering slowly turned the sharp peaks into rounded hills.
glaciation /ˌɡleɪsiˈeɪʃn/ n	the process or period of land being covered by glaciers The valley's U shape is evidence of past glaciation.
plate tectonics /ˌpleɪt tekˈtɒnɪks/ n	the theory that Earth's surface is made of moving plates Plate tectonics explains why earthquakes happen along certain lines.
fault line /ˈfɔːlt laɪn/ n	a long crack in Earth's crust where movement occurs The city was built directly on top of an active fault line.
magma /ˈmæɡmə/ n	hot liquid rock found below Earth's surface When magma reaches the surface, it is called lava.
crust /krʌst/ n	the hard outer layer of the Earth The Earth's crust is thinnest under the oceans.
mantle /ˈmæntl/ n	the thick layer of hot rock between Earth's crust and core Heat from the mantle drives the movement of tectonic plates.
fossil record /ˈfɒsl ˌrekɔːd/ n	all the fossils found and the history they show Gaps in the fossil record make it hard to date the change.
strata /ˈstrɑːtə/ n	layers of rock or soil with different features Geologists date fossils by studying the strata in which they lie.
geyser /ˈɡiːzə/ n	a natural spring that shoots hot water and steam into the air The famous geyser erupts about every ninety minutes, drawing crowds.
delta /ˈdeltə/ n	flat land where a river divides before entering the sea The Mekong Delta is one of the world's richest rice-growing regions.
continental drift /ˌkɒntɪˌnentl ˈdrɪft/ n	the slow movement of continents across Earth's surface Continental drift explains why similar fossils appear on distant continents.
ice age /ˈaɪs eɪdʒ/ n	a long period when ice covered large parts of the Earth Mammoths roamed Europe during the last ice age.
celestial /səˈlestiəl/ adj	relating to the sky or outer space Ancient sailors used celestial bodies to find their way at night.
comet /ˈkɒmɪt/ n	a ball of ice and dust orbiting the sun, often with a tail The comet's tail always points away from the sun.
meteorite /ˈmiːtiəraɪt/ n	a piece of rock from space that has landed on Earth A meteorite impact may have wiped out the dinosaurs.
crater /ˈkreɪtə/ n	a large round hole in the ground made by an impact or volcano The moon's surface is covered with thousands of craters.
nebula /ˈnebjələ/ n	a cloud of gas and dust in space where stars may form New stars are being born inside the glowing nebula.
supernova /ˌsuːpəˈnəʊvə/ n	the huge explosion of a star at the end of its life The supernova was so bright it could be seen during the day.
light-year /ˈlaɪt jɪə/ n	the distance light travels in one year, used for space The nearest star is just over four light-years away.
dwarf planet /ˌdwɔːf ˈplænɪt/ n	a small round body orbiting the sun that is not a full planet In 2006, Pluto was reclassified as a dwarf planet.
gas giant /ˌɡæs ˈdʒaɪənt/ n	a large planet made mostly of gases, such as Jupiter Jupiter, the largest gas giant, has a storm bigger than Earth.
asteroid belt /ˈæstərɔɪd belt/ n	the region between Mars and Jupiter where many asteroids orbit Most asteroids in our solar system lie in the asteroid belt.
gravitational pull /ˌɡrævɪˌteɪʃənl ˈpʊl/ n	the force by which a large object attracts others towards it The moon's gravitational pull is the main cause of ocean tides.
eclipse /ɪˈklɪps/ n	when the moon or Earth blocks light from the sun or moon Thousands gathered to watch the total eclipse of the sun.
equinox /ˈekwɪnɒks/ n	one of two days when day and night are of equal length Many ancient monuments line up with the sunrise on the equinox.
Neolithic /ˌniːəˈlɪθɪk/ adj	relating to the late Stone Age, when farming began Neolithic farmers built the first permanent villages in Europe.
archaeologist /ˌɑːkiˈɒlədʒɪst/ n	a person who studies past societies by digging up objects Archaeologists uncovered a Roman bath beneath the car park.
excavation /ˌekskəˈveɪʃn/ n	the careful digging of a site to find ancient objects The excavation revealed tools that were over ten thousand years old.
nomadic /nəʊˈmædɪk/ adj	moving from place to place rather than living in one location Nomadic herders moved their animals with the seasons.
hunter-gatherer /ˌhʌntə ˈɡæðərə/ n	a person who lives by hunting animals and collecting wild plants Early hunter-gatherers followed herds of animals across the open plains.
domestication /dəˌmestɪˈkeɪʃn/ n	the process of taming animals or growing wild plants for human use The domestication of wheat changed human history forever.
civilisation /ˌsɪvəlaɪˈzeɪʃn/ n	a developed society with its own culture, laws and cities The Maya civilisation built huge cities in the rainforest.
dynasty /ˈdɪnəsti/ n	a series of rulers from the same family The Ly dynasty moved the capital to Thang Long in 1010.
colonial /kəˈləʊniəl/ adj	relating to a country controlled by another country Many colonial buildings still stand in the city centre.
Renaissance /rɪˈneɪsns/ n	the period of renewed interest in art and learning in Europe, 14th–16th centuries Florence was the heart of the Italian Renaissance.
Industrial Revolution /ɪnˌdʌstriəl ˌrevəˈluːʃn/ n	the rapid growth of factories and machines from the late 1700s The Industrial Revolution drew millions of workers into cities.
textile /ˈtekstaɪl/ n	any type of cloth made by weaving or knitting The textile industry was the first to use steam-powered machines.
guild /ɡɪld/ n	an organisation of craftsmen or merchants in the Middle Ages Medieval guilds controlled prices and trained young apprentices.
trade route /ˈtreɪd ruːt/ n	a path used by merchants to move goods between places The Silk Road was a trade route linking China and Europe.
feudal /ˈfjuːdl/ adj	relating to the medieval system where peasants worked land for lords In feudal society, peasants owed labour to their lord.
peasant /ˈpeznt/ n	a poor farmer of low social rank, especially in the past Most peasants lived in small huts and grew their own food.
printing press /ˈprɪntɪŋ pres/ n	a machine for printing text, invented in Europe around 1440 The printing press made books far cheaper and more common.
fresco /ˈfreskəʊ/ n	a painting made on wet plaster on a wall or ceiling Michelangelo spent four years painting the frescoes on the chapel ceiling.
mural /ˈmjʊərəl/ n	a large painting done directly on a wall Local artists painted a colourful mural on the side of the school.
pigment /ˈpɪɡmənt/ n	a substance that gives colour to paint or to living things Early painters made blue pigment from crushed stones.
still life /ˌstɪl ˈlaɪf/ n	a painting of objects such as fruit or flowers The Dutch artist was famous for his still life paintings of flowers.
Impressionism /ɪmˈpreʃənɪzəm/ n	a 19th-century art style showing light and colour with quick brushstrokes Impressionism began in France when painters worked outdoors.
abstract art /ˌæbstrækt ˈɑːt/ n	art that uses shapes and colours rather than realistic images Many visitors find abstract art difficult to interpret.
sculptor /ˈskʌlptə/ n	an artist who makes sculptures The sculptor carved the statue from a single block of marble.
ceramic /səˈræmɪk/ adj	made of clay that has been heated to make it hard The museum displays ceramic bowls from the Song dynasty.
mosaic /məʊˈzeɪɪk/ n	a picture made from small pieces of coloured stone or glass The Roman villa's floor is covered with a beautiful mosaic.
Gothic /ˈɡɒθɪk/ adj	an architectural style with pointed arches and tall windows The Gothic cathedral took more than a century to complete.
dome /dəʊm/ n	a rounded roof shaped like half a ball The great dome of the cathedral was an engineering triumph.
motif /məʊˈtiːf/ n	a repeated pattern, image or idea in art or music The lotus flower is a common motif in Asian temple art.
composer /kəmˈpəʊzə/ n	a person who writes music The composer wrote his first symphony at the age of eight.
symphony /ˈsɪmfəni/ n	a long piece of music for a large orchestra Beethoven was almost completely deaf when he wrote his ninth symphony.