A Drop in the Ocean: English Vocabulary List

a large collection of islands or the sea surrounding them

"An archipelago has many islands."

"The Malay Archipelago is a massive collection of over twenty-five thousand islands stretching between Southeast Asia and Australia"

an area of land that is covered with water or is always very wet

"A swamp has very wet land."

"The mangrove swamp is home to a wide variety of fish, birds, and other wildlife."

a steep cliff or edge of a rock face, often with a significant drop

"The car stopped at the precipice edge."

"A precipice is a very steep or overhanging cliff face"

a large body of land that is partially surrounded by water but is attached to a larger area of land

"A peninsula has water."

"The ancient civilization thrived on the fertile land of the peninsula, surrounded by the sea."

a small, natural watercourse or stream; typically characterized by a gentle and continuous flow

"Small brook flows quietly."

"A clear and peaceful brook flows through the green forest behind our village every day."

relating to or located at or near the geographic equator, the imaginary line dividing the Earth into the Northern and Southern Hemispheres

"The rainforest is equatorial."

"The climate is equatorial with high temperatures and heavy rainfall throughout the entire year."

an open and high land covered with grass, bushes and heather

"The moorland stretched for miles."

"The wild moorland is covered with purple heather flowers in late summer every year."

an area of land, particularly in reference to its physical or natural features

"The rocky terrain was difficult to cross."

"Terrain refers to the physical features and surface characteristics of a tract of land"

a structure built along the water's edge; often with a platform for ships to load and unload goods

"The fishermen unloaded their catch at the wharf."

"The busy wharf was full of ships loading and unloading cargo yesterday morning."

a low-lying piece of land between hills or mountains, often with a river flowing through it

"A river flowed through the vale."

"The green vale between the mountains is very peaceful and beautiful in spring."

(of land or a climate) very dry because of not having enough or any rain

"The desert is arid."

"The arid desert receives less than ten inches of rain per year so only specially adapted plants and animals can survive there."

a plant or tree's branches and leaves collectively

"Autumn foliage covered the hiking trail beautifully"

"The autumn foliage turned beautiful shades of red and gold."

a plant-like organism that often grows on organic matter and has no flowers or leaves, such as moulds and mushrooms

"A mushroom is a type of fungus."

"A persistent fungus infection may require a long course of antifungal medication."

to deposit pollen on a plant or flower so that it can produce new seeds or fruit

"Bees pollinate flowers while collecting nectar daily."

"Bees and other insects help to pollinate flowers by carrying pollen from one plant to another."

a small and young tree

"The sapling will grow into a tree."

"The young sapling was tied to a wooden stake to keep it straight while its roots grew deep enough to support the tree on its own."

(of a seed or plant) to begin growing

"Seeds sprout after heavy rain."

"The seeds will sprout within a week if you keep the soil moist and warm enough."

(of an object) able to be broken down by living organisms such as bacteria, which is then safe for the environment

"This bag is biodegradable."

"The company switched to biodegradable packaging that decomposes naturally in the environment and does not harm wildlife or pollute the oceans."

to make a place, substance, etc. dirty or harmful by adding dangerous material

"Factory waste contaminates the nearby river water."

"The chemical spill contaminated the local river and killed thousands of fish living in the polluted water."

related to the connection between animals, plants, and humans and their environment

"The damage is ecological."

"The ecological damage caused by the oil spill will take decades to repair and many species of fish and birds have been affected."

liquid waste or sewage discharged into rivers, lakes, or the sea

"The factory effluent polluted the river and killed all the fish."

"Effluent is liquid waste discharged from a sewage treatment plant or industrial process into a natural water body"

(of a vehicle) not producing gases harmful to the environment

"The car is zero-emission."

"The zero-emission bus runs on electricity and produces no exhaust fumes so it helps improve air quality in crowded cities."

in relation to activities that minimize disruption to ecosystems; emphasizing sustainability and reduced ecological footprint

"Low-impact farming helps."

"Swimming is low impact exercise that is easy on the joints and good for older people."

a small amount of rain, snow, etc. that moves in a quick and stormy way and lasts only for a short period of time

"A flurry of snow fell gently."

"The sudden flurry of snow only lasted a few minutes but left a thin white layer on the sidewalks and car roofs before melting in the afternoon sun."

a very powerful wind

"The gale knocked down trees."

"A gale is a very strong wind"

the line where the sky and earth seem to come in contact with each other

"The horizon looks clear."

"The sun sank below the horizon painting the sky in shades of orange and pink."

a period in the summer during which wind blows and rain falls in India or other hot South Asian countries

"The monsoon brought heavy rain that flooded the streets for days."

"A monsoon is a seasonal prevailing wind bringing torrential rainfall to South and Southeast Asia"

a period during which the weather becomes warmer causing snow and ice to melt

"The spring thaw caused the river to rise."

"The spring thaw melted all the snow and made the river flow again."

having the capacity to be used to grow crops

"The land is arable."

"The land is arable and perfect for growing wheat corn and other important crops."

a lake, either natural or artificial, from which water is supplied to houses

"The reservoir provides drinking water."

"A reservoir is an artificial lake built to store water for irrigation"

the highest point or summit of a mountain

"The mountain has a pinnacle."

"Reaching the snow-capped pinnacle of the majestic mountain required immense physical endurance and skill."

a layer of matter that has been accumulated, particularly by a body of water

"River deposit formed the land."

"Geologists studied the thick deposit of sediment left behind by the ancient river."

relating to a large mass of compressed ice like those near the poles or on mountains

"The ice is glacial."

"The immense glacial ice sheets are slowly melting due to rising global temperatures."

a small steep waterfall, usually one of several others

"Small waterfall cascade."

"Water cascaded down the rocks into the pool below creating a soothing sound that echoed through the forest."

a natural or man-made structure built along a river or waterway to prevent flooding by confining the water within its boundaries

"Build a levee now."

"Engineers constructed a massive levee to protect the coastal city from the impending hurricane surge."

the upper layer of trees in a forest that creates a dense cover with interlocking leaves; offering shade and shelter in the ecosystem

"We sat under the forest canopy."

"Sunlight barely reaches through the dense forest canopy."

communities of plant life native to a specific area or period

"See the flora here."

"The unique flora of the Amazon rainforest includes countless species of plants found nowhere else on Earth."

(of plants) lasting for several years, often returning and flowering repeatedly during its life cycle

"This flower is perennial."

"Lavender is a hardy perennial plant that blooms beautifully year after year in the garden."

a new growth on a tree or plant or the part of a plant that starts to appear above the ground because it is growing

"The shoot grows fast."

"The bamboo shoot emerged from the ground and grew several inches in just one day."

the practice of preparing and using land for growing crops, especially on a large scale

"Rice cultivation requires a lot of water."

"Careful cultivation of the land produces good crops every year for the farmers."