< V > TOEFL Vocabulary (189)

Steer (verb) 

to control the course of

What they may not remember is that this was the war that steered the United States to

center stage as a world power. 

Stem (noun) 

the main body or stalk of a plant 

Like other rodents, the gerbil lives in semiarid regions and prefers to eat the roots and

stems of a variety of plants.

Stepchild (noun) 

a child of one's wife or husband by a former marriage

Remote sensing, a stepchild of the space age, is prying out many of Earth’s innermost

secrets.

Stepped-up (adjective) 

to become greater in number, amount, or intensity

Scientists have identified a spike representing fallout from stepped-up atmospheric

testing that took place just prior to the 1963 Test Ban Treaty, which allowed for

underground tests only.

Stifling (adjective) 

oppressive due to a lack of fresh air

Due to noxious smog, there is a stifling heat in the Inland Empire during the summer.

Stigmata (noun) 

bodily marks or pains resembling the wounds of the crucified Christ and sometimes 

accompanying religious ecstasy  

St. Francis is depicted wearing a brown habit worn by Franciscan Monks and by the

stigmata over the heart.

Stimulate (verb) 

to arouse to action; to elicit a strong emotional response from

Studies have proven that using one’s vocal cords stimulates natural memory.  

Stipulate (verb) 

to demand an express term in an agreement -- used with for

The General has stipulated that there will be no weapons after 72 hours," said the

spokesman for the international force, Colonel Gerard Dubois. "Weapons that remain in

Bunya will be confiscated," he told reporters in Bunya.

Stock (noun) 

the original as a person, race, language, or animal from which others derive: source  

The low cost technology pioneered by Seahorse Ireland could be transferred to poorer

parts of the world where seahorse stocks are fast becoming depleted. 

Strenuous (adjective) 

marked by vigorous physical exertion; requiring great effort

As an individual gets older, he starts to lose his ability to perform strenuous activities

such as running or swimming.