< V > TOEFL Vocabulary (54)

Blaze, noun (blazes, blazing, blazed)  

blare, flame, flare, glare, glow

For example, a blaze is a large fire which is difficult to control and which destroys a lot of

things.    

Two firemen were hurt in a blaze which swept through a tower clock last night.

Sweep, verb (sweeps, sweeping, swept)  

circulate, diffuse, disperse, disseminate, distribute

For example, if events, ideas, or beliefs sweep through a place, they spread quickly. 

A flu epidemic is sweeping through Moscow.

Polish, noun (polishes, polishing, polished) 

luster, glaze, glint, gloss, sheen, shine

For example, polish is a substance that you put on the surface of an object in order to clean

it and make it shine.  

She used furniture polish to restore her dance shoes back to their original color.

Rub, verb (rubs, rubbing, rubbed) 

buff, burnish, furbish, glance, glaze, gloss, shine

For example, if you rub an object or a surface, you move a cloth backward and forward

over it in order to clean or dry it.  

She took off her glasses and rubbed them hard.

   

Participant, noun (participants) 

actor, partaker, participator, party, sharer

For example, the participants in an activity are the people who take part in it. The speaker gave all participants an opportunity to voice their opinions.

Instrument, noun (instruments) 

implement, tool, utensil 

For example, a musical instrument is an object such as a piano, guitar, or flute, which you

play in order to produce music. 

Learning a musical instrument introduces a child to an understanding of music.

Make a point, verb phrase 

For example, to make a point is to give a fact, idea, or opinion.  

One person is making a point to the others.

Row, noun (rows)    

line, file, queue, rank, string, tier

For example, a row of things or people is a number of them arranged in a line.

The men are arranging school desks and chairs into neat rows.

Neat, adjective (neater, neatest) 

orderly, prim, shipshape, snug, spick-and-span, tidy, trim, uncluttered, well-groomed

For example, a neat object, part of the body, or shape is quite small and has a smooth

outline.

He folded his clothes in a neat pile on the chair.

Overpass, noun (overpasses)  

For example, an overpass is a structure which carries one road over the top of another one.

The highway ends at the overpass.

Pull over, verb

For example, when a vehicle or driver pulls over, the vehicle moves closer to the side of the

road and stops there.  

Some cars have pulled over to the side of the road.