< V > TOEFL Vocabulary (176)

Rip (verb) 

to separate or pull apart by force

To fully exterminate an ant colony, the must be located and treated—and in some cases,

walls must be ripped open.

Ripple (noun) 

a small wave or series of waves; a gentle rising and falling sound that spreads through a 

group of people  

Muscular contractions cause a ripple-like movement that carries the contents down the

small intestine - somewhat like a conveyor belt.

Risk (noun) 

a situation involving exposure to danger

Another group doesn't want to risk repercussions while perhaps another group just

doesn't care one way or the other.

Ritual (noun) 

a religious or solemn ceremony involving a series of actions performed according to a set 

order 

There are seven sacraments or rituals in the Catholic Church.

Rivet (noun) 

a headed pin or bolt used for uniting two or more pieces by passing the shank through a 

hole in each piece and then beating or pressing down the other end to make a second head

Second only to iron and steel, aluminum is used in the construction of lawn chairs,

baseball bats, air and space vehicles, and even the rivets that hold them together. 

Root (noun)  

a rhizome;  a plant on to which another variety is grafted 

Born in Atlanta on January 15, 1929, Dr. Martin Luther King's roots were formed in the

African-American Baptist church.

Rotate (verb) 

move in a circle round an axis

It is now known that Mercury rotates three times in two of its years.

Rotation (noun) 

the action or process of rotating

The Moon's axis of rotation is nearly perpendicular to the plane of its orbit around the

Sun, so the Sun always appears at or near the horizon in the polar regions of the Moon.

Rough (adjective)  

having an uneven or irregular surface, not smooth or level; approximate

While these data are at best rough estimates, there is one certainty we spent only a tiny

percentage of the $800 billion on prevention. 

Route (noun) 

a way or course taken in getting from a starting point to a destination  

Grapevine Canyon is one of the three eastern exit routes from Death Valley, and the

location of Scotty's Castle.