College words, by topic.
Precise, educated vocabulary grouped into 22 themes, from colors and dances to sciences, philosophies, and the sea. Each question gives a definition and five possible words: choose the one that matches.
Words for Bearing or Carrying
Words built on roots meaning “to bear” or “to carry.”
Causation and Formation
Words for causing, making, and forming things.
Grammatical Cases
The names of grammatical cases, and what each one means.
Adjectives of Relation
The formal adjectives that belong to everyday nouns. Hundreds of them, in seven parts.
Words for Names
Terms for different kinds of names and naming.
Color Terms
Precise and unusual names for colors and shades.
Styles of Dance
Dances from around the world and across history.
Fabric and Cloth
Names of fabrics, weaves, and materials.
Feeding and Eating
Words for what, how, and how much living things eat.
Carriages and Chariots
The names of historical carriages and chariots.
Shapes and Forms
Words that describe the shape and form of objects.
Sciences and Studies
The “-ologies” and other names for fields of study.
Scientific Instruments
The names of scientific instruments and what they measure.
Nautical and Seafaring Terms
The language of ships, sailors, and the sea.
Contour Lines
Words for lines of equal value on maps and charts.
Philosophical “Isms”
Doctrines and schools of thought, defined.
Forms of Government
Words for kinds of rule and rulers.
Worship and Belief
Forms of worship and religious belief.
Divination and Fortune-telling
The many historical methods of predicting the future.
Love, Fondness and Preference
Words for loving and liking particular things.
Manias and Obsessions
The names of manias, defined.
Fighting and Killing
Words for combat, and the formal words for killers and killing.
Learn words in families.
Pick a topic you like
Words are easier to remember when they belong to a theme you find interesting.
Look for roots
Many words share Latin and Greek roots. Learn one root and you unlock a whole family.
Use them in writing
Try two new words in your next essay. That is when vocabulary becomes yours.
A bigger vocabulary, a stronger writer.
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