The 19,901–20,000 most common English words

19,901convokeTo call together or summon people to a formal meeting or assembly.
19,902lateralizationThe process by which certain functions become specialized in one side of the brain or body.
19,903spatheA large bract or leaf-like sheath enclosing the flower cluster of certain plants.
19,904bilabialRelating to or produced using both lips.
19,905interlanguageA developing linguistic system created by a language learner that contains features of both the native language and the target language.
19,906flakinessthe tendency to be unreliable or to frequently change plans without warning.
19,907graffitoA single piece of writing or drawing scratched or painted on a wall or surface in a public place.
19,908catkina slim, cylindrical flower cluster that hangs from trees such as willows or birches.
19,909glowworma crawling insect or larva that produces a soft glowing light from its body, especially at night.
19,910palmateshaped like an open hand with fingers spread; having lobes or leaflets radiating from a common point.
19,911sandhiA phonological process in which sounds change at the boundary between words or morphemes.
19,912annelidA member of the phylum Annelida; a worm with a body divided into ring-like segments, such as an earthworm or leech.
19,913gesticulateto use gestures, especially dramatic ones, instead of speaking or to emphasize what one is saying.
19,914laharA destructive mudflow or debris flow composed of volcanic material and water flowing down the slopes of a volcano.
19,915misgivingA feeling of doubt, worry, or distrust about a future event or action.
19,916petrificationA state of being so frightened that one cannot move; also, the process of turning organic matter into stone.
19,917polysemyThe coexistence of multiple related meanings within a single word.
19,918sporangiumA case or capsule in which spores are produced and stored in fungi, algae, mosses, and ferns.
19,919chromosphereThe layer of the sun's atmosphere situated above the photosphere and below the corona, visible as a reddish glow during a solar eclipse.
19,920retroflexPronounced with the tip of the tongue curled back toward the hard palate.
19,921supernaturalismThe belief that events or phenomena exist beyond the natural world and cannot be explained by natural laws alone.
19,922abscissionThe natural process by which plants shed leaves, fruits, or other parts.
19,923astrometryThe branch of astronomy concerned with measuring the precise positions and motions of celestial objects.
19,924earpluga small piece of soft material inserted into the ear to block out noise or protect hearing.
19,925isotropyThe property of being identical in all directions; independence of physical properties from direction.
19,926manometerAn instrument used to measure the pressure of a gas or liquid.
19,927stockpotA large, deep pot used for making soups, stocks, or stews.
19,928turgorthe pressure exerted by fluid inside a plant cell against its cell wall, keeping the plant firm and upright.
19,929demurrerA legal objection that admits the facts of the opponent's claim but asserts that those facts are insufficient to support a valid legal action.
19,930labiumA lip-like anatomical structure, especially one of the folds of skin bordering the vulva, or the lower lip-like part of certain insect or plant structures.
19,931reflationthe process of stimulating an economy by increasing the money supply or reducing taxes after a period of deflation or recession.
19,932spadixA spike of tiny flowers on a fleshy stem, typically enclosed by a spathe, found in plants such as arums and palms.
19,933periapsisThe point in an orbit where an orbiting body is nearest to the body it orbits.
19,934shenanigana playful or mischievous trick or act of deception.
19,935axilthe upper angle between a leaf or branch and the stem from which it grows.
19,936monocota flowering plant whose seed contains a single cotyledon (embryonic leaf).
19,937anabolismThe set of metabolic processes that build complex molecules from simpler ones, using energy.
19,938consommea clear, strong broth made by straining and clarifying meat or vegetable stock.
19,939countertransferenceThe therapist's own unconscious emotional reactions toward a client, triggered by the client's words or behavior.
19,940cytokininA type of plant hormone that promotes cell division, shoot formation, and delays aging in plant tissues.
19,941nutationa small, periodic nodding or wobbling motion of a rotating body's axis.
19,942cymea type of flower cluster in which the central or terminal flower blooms first, with subsequent flowers developing on lateral branches.
19,943locutionA particular word, phrase, or way of expressing something.
19,944underlaymentA layer of material placed under a floor covering to provide cushioning, insulation, or moisture protection.
19,945bolometricRelating to or measured by a bolometer; referring to the total radiation energy across all wavelengths.
19,946archaismThe use of an old or obsolete word, expression, or style no longer in common use.
19,947commodifyTo treat something as a commercial product that can be bought and sold.
19,948gibberellinA plant hormone that promotes growth, stem elongation, germination, and flowering.
19,949axiologyThe branch of philosophy concerned with the study of value and value judgments, including ethics and aesthetics.
19,950peneplainA large, nearly flat land surface produced by long-continued erosion.
19,951prokaryoteA single-celled organism that has no distinct nucleus enclosed within a membrane.
19,952protistA eukaryotic organism that is not an animal, plant, or fungus, such as algae, amoebas, and paramecia.
19,953alveolusA small cavity or socket, especially one in the jawbone that holds a tooth, or a tiny air sac in the lungs.
19,954reductantA substance that reduces another substance by donating electrons in a chemical reaction.
19,955allophonea phonetic variant of a phoneme that does not change the meaning of a word.
19,956dicota flowering plant whose seed contains two embryonic leaves (cotyledons).
19,957lexemeThe basic unit of the vocabulary of a language, representing a word and all its inflected forms.
19,958chemisorptionThe chemical bonding of atoms or molecules to a solid surface, forming a strong, often irreversible attachment.
19,959ablautA systematic vowel change within a word to indicate grammatical function, common in Indo-European languages.
19,960auspiceprotection, support, or patronage given by an influential person or organization.
19,961cogitateTo think deeply and carefully about something.
19,962flambeto pour alcohol over food and ignite it, creating a brief burst of flames for flavor or dramatic effect.
19,963decrescendoA gradual decrease in loudness in a piece of music.
19,964idiolectThe variety of language unique to an individual speaker.
19,965saltationA sudden leap or jump; in biology, an abrupt evolutionary change rather than gradual progression.
19,966spermatozoona mature male reproductive cell capable of fertilizing a female egg.
19,967deboneto remove the bones from meat or fish.
19,968fermataA musical symbol indicating that a note or rest should be held longer than its normal duration, at the performer's discretion.
19,969gymnospermA plant that produces seeds not enclosed within an ovary or fruit, such as conifers and cycads.
19,970telophaseThe final phase of mitosis or meiosis in which the chromosomes reach the poles of the cell and new nuclear envelopes form around them.
19,971testateHaving made a legally valid will before death.
19,972affricateA speech sound consisting of a stop followed immediately by a fricative, such as the 'ch' in 'church'.
19,973calqueA word or phrase borrowed from another language by literal translation of its components.
19,974crosshatchingA shading technique in which sets of parallel lines are drawn crossing each other to create tones or textures.
19,975epenthesisThe insertion of an extra sound or letter within a word.
19,976nectaryA nectar-secreting gland or organ found in a flower or on a plant.
19,977totipotentCapable of developing into a complete organism or differentiating into any cell type.
19,978stolonA horizontal stem that grows along the ground and produces new plants at intervals.
19,979deixisThe use of words or expressions whose meaning depends on context, such as the identity of the speaker, location, or time.
19,980forcemeatA mixture of finely chopped or ground meat, fish, or vegetables, seasoned and used as a stuffing or filling.
19,981labiodentalrelating to a speech sound produced using both the lips and the teeth
19,982phototropismthe growth or movement of a plant in response to light, either toward or away from the source.
19,983commensalismA type of relationship between two organisms in which one benefits and the other is neither helped nor harmed.
19,984dissimilationA sound change in which one of two similar or identical sounds in a word becomes less like the other.
19,985allotropeA distinct physical form in which an element can exist, differing in the arrangement of its atoms.
19,986homonymyThe state of two or more words having the same form but different, unrelated meanings.
19,987apoapsisThe point in an orbit where an orbiting body is at its greatest distance from the body it orbits.
19,988arbitrageurA person who practices arbitrage by exploiting price differences for the same asset in different markets.
19,989inculpatoryTending to show or establish guilt; incriminating.
19,990vagaryan unexpected and inexplicable change in a situation or in someone's behavior.
19,991planetesimalA small solid celestial body that existed in the early solar system and could combine with others to form planets.
19,992buretA graduated glass tube with a stopcock at the bottom, used in laboratory titrations to dispense precise volumes of liquid.
19,993logograma written symbol that represents a word or morpheme as a whole, not individual sounds.
19,994corymba flower cluster in which the lower stalks are longer than the upper ones, resulting in a flat or convex top.
19,995perpendicularityThe state or quality of being at an exact right angle (90 degrees) to a given line or surface.
19,996isostasythe state of gravitational equilibrium in which the Earth's crust floats on the denser mantle, rising or sinking to maintain balance.
19,997etiolationThe process by which a plant grown without light becomes pale, weak, and elongated.
19,998allomorphone of two or more variant forms of a morpheme that have the same meaning but differ in sound depending on context.
19,999chemosynthesisthe process by which certain organisms use chemical energy to synthesize organic compounds, without sunlight.
20,000coreferencea relationship between two or more expressions that refer to the same person or thing.