The 19,801–19,900 most common English words

19,801forebearAn ancestor or forefather.
19,802tartnessthe quality of having a sharp, sour taste or a cutting, biting manner
19,803meristemA region of plant tissue consisting of actively dividing cells that produce new growth.
19,804thermoseta type of polymer that permanently hardens when cured and cannot be remelted.
19,805cytokinesisThe process by which the cytoplasm of a cell is divided into two parts following nuclear division.
19,806impastoa technique in painting where paint is laid on very thickly, or the thick paint itself.
19,807racemea flower cluster with flowers attached by short stalks at intervals along a central stem, blooming from the bottom up.
19,808skewnessA measure of the asymmetry of a probability distribution around its mean.
19,809bractA modified leaf associated with a flower or flower cluster, often brightly colored.
19,810clothespina small clip used to fasten clothes to a clothesline while they dry.
19,811custodianshipThe responsibility of protecting and taking care of something on behalf of others.
19,812enantiomerOne of two molecules that are mirror images of each other but cannot be superimposed, like left and right hands.
19,813predicationThe act of asserting or affirming something about a subject; the logical attribution of a property or quality to something.
19,814valencyThe combining power of an element or atom, expressed as the number of bonds it can form with other atoms.
19,815vulcanizationA chemical process that hardens rubber by treating it with sulfur at high heat.
19,816amphiboleA group of dark, rock-forming silicate minerals commonly found in igneous and metamorphic rocks.
19,817foliationthe arrangement of layers or leaf-like structures in rock or other materials.
19,818palpitationA rapid, irregular, or unusually strong heartbeat, often felt as a fluttering sensation.
19,819pluperfectA verb tense expressing an action completed before another past action; the past perfect.
19,820serrateHaving a jagged edge with tooth-like notches, resembling the blade of a saw.
19,821tapenadeA thick paste made from blended olives, capers, and anchovies, typical of Provençal cuisine.
19,822corbelA projection of stone, wood, or metal jutting out from a wall to support a structure above it.
19,823cormA short, swollen underground stem base that stores nutrients and enables a plant to survive winter.
19,824pilasterA rectangular column projecting slightly from a wall, used as a decorative architectural element.
19,825sepalone of the leaf-like parts that form the outer protective covering of a flower bud
19,826stalactiteA tapering rock formation that hangs from the ceiling of a cave, formed by the dripping of mineral-rich water.
19,827accretionaryrelating to growth or increase by the gradual accumulation of additional layers or material.
19,828adenoidA mass of lymphatic tissue located at the back of the nasal cavity, especially prominent in children.
19,829eukaryotean organism whose cells have a distinct membrane-bound nucleus
19,830aphelionThe point in the orbit of a planet or comet at which it is farthest from the Sun.
19,831ostracizeto exclude someone from a group or society by general consent.
19,832stalagmiteA tapering column of calcium carbonate built up on the floor of a cave by dripping water.
19,833gametophytethe haploid, gamete-producing phase in the life cycle of a plant or alga that alternates with the sporophyte generation.
19,834louverA slanted slat or set of slats in a window, door, or panel that allows air and light to pass through while blocking rain or direct view.
19,835pointillisma painting technique in which small, distinct dots of pure color are applied to form an image.
19,836pungencyA sharp, strong, and often irritating quality of smell or taste.
19,837circumspectionCareful consideration of all circumstances and possible consequences; caution.
19,838deglazeto dissolve the browned residue left in a pan after cooking by adding liquid such as wine or stock.
19,839endoskeletonAn internal skeleton found inside the body of an animal.
19,840gastrulationThe stage of embryonic development in which a single-layered blastula reorganizes into a multi-layered structure with distinct germ layers.
19,841imperfectiveRelating to a grammatical aspect that expresses an action as ongoing, repeated, or incomplete rather than finished.
19,842vacillateTo waver indecisively between different opinions or actions.
19,843angiospermA flowering plant that bears seeds enclosed in a fruit or ovary.
19,844infixA word element inserted within the body of a word to modify its meaning or grammatical function.
19,845originalismA legal philosophy that interprets a text, especially a constitution, according to its meaning at the time it was written.
19,846ovuleA small structure in the ovary of a plant that develops into a seed after fertilization.
19,847vitiateto impair or spoil the quality, efficiency, or validity of something.
19,848centromereThe specialized region of a chromosome that links sister chromatids and serves as the attachment point for spindle fibers during cell division.
19,849circumscribeTo restrict or limit something within certain boundaries.
19,850confabulationThe unconscious production of fabricated or distorted memories without the intention to deceive.
19,851drumlinA smooth, elongated hill formed by glacial ice moving over deposited sediment.
19,852micelleA microscopic spherical cluster formed by surfactant molecules in a liquid, with hydrophobic tails pointing inward and hydrophilic heads facing outward.
19,853photometerAn instrument used to measure the intensity or brightness of light.
19,854subdominantthe fourth degree of a musical scale, lying one step below the dominant (fifth degree).
19,855bewilderto cause someone to become confused or puzzled
19,856caramelizeto heat sugar or food containing sugar until it turns brown and develops a rich, sweet flavor.
19,857fossilizationthe process by which organic remains become preserved as fossils through mineral replacement over time.
19,858haliteA naturally occurring mineral form of sodium chloride; rock salt.
19,859jejunumThe middle section of the small intestine, between the duodenum and the ileum.
19,860notochordA flexible, rod-like structure that provides support in the embryos of all chordates, later replaced by the vertebral column in vertebrates.
19,861oviparousProducing young by means of eggs that hatch outside the mother's body.
19,862soteriologyThe branch of theology concerned with the doctrine of salvation.
19,863syllabaryA set of written symbols in which each character represents a syllable rather than a single sound or a whole word.
19,864emulsifyto combine two liquids that do not normally mix into a smooth, stable mixture.
19,865eskerA long, narrow ridge of gravel and sand deposited by a stream that once flowed beneath or within a glacier.
19,866galvanometerAn instrument for detecting and measuring small electric currents.
19,867internodethe section of a plant stem between two nodes or joints.
19,868enumerableAble to be counted or listed one by one.
19,869equivocateTo use ambiguous or unclear language in order to avoid committing to a clear position or to mislead.
19,870metonymyA figure of speech in which one word or phrase is substituted for another closely associated with it.
19,871naysayera person who habitually expresses negative or pessimistic views; someone who says no or objects to ideas.
19,872prophaseThe first stage of mitosis or meiosis, during which chromosomes condense and become visible.
19,873umbelA flower cluster in which stalks of nearly equal length spring from a common center, forming a flat or rounded surface, typical of the carrot family.
19,874ciliuma tiny hair-like structure on the surface of a cell that moves rhythmically.
19,875sporophytethe spore-producing, diploid phase of a plant or algae that alternates with the gametophyte generation.
19,876bronchusone of the two main airway tubes that branch from the trachea into the lungs
19,877cotyledonThe first leaf or pair of leaves produced by a germinating seed, providing stored food for the young plant.
19,878monetarismAn economic theory holding that controlling the money supply is the most effective way to manage economic growth and inflation.
19,879nephronthe basic functional unit of the kidney, responsible for filtering blood and producing urine.
19,880syzygythe alignment of three or more celestial bodies in a straight line, especially within a gravitational system.
19,881entailmentA necessary consequence or condition logically or legally attached to something.
19,882librationa slow oscillation or wobbling motion, especially the apparent wobbling of the Moon as seen from Earth, which reveals portions of its far side.
19,883spandrelThe roughly triangular space between the curve of an arch and the rectangular frame surrounding it, or a similar space in construction.
19,884chlorosisA condition in plants where leaves turn yellow due to lack of chlorophyll.
19,885nominalismThe philosophical view that universal or abstract concepts have no independent existence and are merely names or labels.
19,886optativeRelating to or denoting a grammatical mood that expresses a wish or desire.
19,887plosivea consonant sound made by stopping airflow completely and then releasing it suddenly.
19,888streetlampa lamp mounted on a tall post that lights a public street or road.
19,889disinflationA reduction in the rate of inflation, where prices still rise but more slowly than before.
19,890eudaimoniaA state of human flourishing, happiness, and well-being, especially as described in Aristotelian ethics.
19,891molaritythe number of moles of a solute dissolved per liter of solution, used to express concentration.
19,892oxidizationthe process by which a substance combines with oxygen, often resulting in rust or corrosion.
19,893ramekinA small individual dish used for baking or serving food.
19,894refractometerAn optical instrument that measures the refractive index of a substance, used to determine concentration of solutions.
19,895machinationa secret and cunning scheme or plot intended to harm someone or achieve a selfish goal.
19,896multipotentHaving the ability to develop into multiple, but not all, cell types or forms.
19,897epiphyteA plant that grows on another plant for physical support but derives no nutrients from it, getting moisture and nutrients from the air and rain.
19,898inroadan advance or encroachment into a new area, often at the expense of something else.
19,899tropismthe growth or movement of an organism in response to an external stimulus, such as light or gravity.
19,900asthenosphereThe relatively weak, partially molten layer of the upper mantle on which tectonic plates move.