< V > TOEFL Vocabulary (68)

Authentic (adjective) 

worthy of belief because of precision, faithfulness to an original, etc. 

These are not counterfeit dollar bills; rather they are authentic bills printed by the

United States Treasury.

Autobiography (noun) 

a written account of one’s life

Mayu Angelou is best known for her autobiographies: All God's Children Need

Traveling Shoes (1986), The Heart of a Woman (1981), Singin' and Swingin' and Gettin' Merry Like Christmas (1976), Gather Together in My Name (1974), and I Know Why the

Caged Bird Sings (1969), which was nominated for the National Book Award.

Aviation (noun) 

airplane manufacture, development, and design

Due to a deep recession and to recent terrorist attacks involving aircraft, the aviation

industry is on the verge of economic collapse, with many businesses laying off 1/3 of their

workforce.

  

Avalanche (noun) 

mass of snow and ice tumbling down a mountain

There are many different types of avalanches, but the one that worries us the most is

the "slab" avalanche, in which a mass of cohesive snow releases as a unit. 

Awkwardness (noun) 

the state of being characterized by embarrassment and discomfort

The awkwardness of the situation is evident since Alex had to meet with his ex-wife the

day before he was to be married to a different woman.

Axis (noun) 

imaginary line about which an object rotates

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.

Azure (adjective) 

deep blue color

The white sand and the azure sky entice many vacationers to Destin, Florida.

Babble (verb) 

to talk aimlessly or incoherently

At approximately the age of six months, a child begins to babble, but many of the sounds

he/she makes may not yet carry meaning for the child.

Backed (adjective) 

characterized as promoting the interests or cause of or upholding or defending as valid 

The U.S. House earlier this year passed a Bush administration backed measure that

would ban both types of cloning. The measure hasn't been acted on in the Senate. 

Backsplash (noun) 

the act of hurling or scattering a liquid in a reverse motion of its normal path 

At the lower end of the esophagus, a one way valve (the esophageal sphincter) prevents

the backsplash of stomach contents upward into the esophagus.

Bald (noun) 

without the usual covering

Chemotherapy causes patients to become bald although it is usually a temporary

condition.