英语中的定义单词（Defining Vocabulary）
同事买了个电子词典，但是感觉不好使，两个近意单词A，B，拿A解释B，拿B解释A。A,B都不认识怎么办？英文释义不应该是这样的，比如著名的朗文词典使用了约2000个定义单词（Defining Vocabulary），用这2000单词解释所有的词，牛津词典使用了3000个定义单词。这些定义单词应该是英语中最常用的单词，掌握了这些单词，理论上英语表达就没有什么问题了。下面是朗文的定义单词，看看还有没有不认识的？
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courage course court cover cow coward cowardly crack crash cream creature creep cricket crime criminal crop cross crowd cruel cruelty crush cry cultivate cup cupboard cure curl current curse curtain curve custom customer cut cycle daily damage dance danger dangerous dare daring dark date daughter day dead deal dear death debt decay deceit deceive decide decimal decision declaration declare decorate decoration decrease deep deer defeat defend defense degree delay delicate delight deliver demand department depend dependent depth descend describe description descriptive desert deserve desirable desire desk destroy destruction detail determination determined develop devil diamond dictionary die difference different difficult difficulty dig dinner dip direct direction dirt dirty disappoint discourage discouragement discover discovery dish dismiss distance distant ditch divide division do doctor dog dollar door doorway dot double doubt down drag draw drawer dream dress drink drive drop drown drug drum drunk dry duck dull during dust duty each eager ear early earn earth east eastern easy eat edge educate education effect effective effort egg eight eighth either elastic elbow elect election electric electricity elephant else employ employer employment empty enclose enclosure encourage encouragement end enemy engine engineer enjoy enjoyment enough enter entertain entertainment entrance envelope equal equality escape especially establish establishment even evening event ever every everyone everything everywhere evil exact examination examine example excellent except exchange excite excited exciting |
excuse exercise exist existence expect expensive experience explain explanation explode explosion explosive express expression extreme eye eyelid face fact factory fail failure faint fair fairy faith faithful fall false fame familiar family famous fancy far farm farmer farmyard fashion fashionable fast fasten fat fate father fault favor favorable favorite fear feather feed feel feeling feelings fellow female fence fever few field fierce fifth fight figure fill film find fine finger finish fire fireplace firm first fish fisherman fit five fix flag flame flash flat flesh flight float flood floor flour flow flower fly fold follow fond food fool foolish foot football footpath footstep for forbid force forehead foreign foreigner forest forget forgive fork form formal former formerly fort fortunate fortune forward forwards four fourth fox frame free freedom freeze frequent fresh friend friendly frighten frightening from front fruit fulfill full fun funeral funny fur furnish furniture further future gain game garage garden garment gas gasoline [petrol] gate gather general generous gentle gentleman get gift girl give glad glass glory glue go goat god gold golden good good-bye goods govern government grace graceful gradual grain gram grammar grand grandfather grandmother grass grateful grave gray great green greet greeting grief grieve ground group grow growth guard guess guest guidance guide guilt gun habit habitual hair hairy half hall hammer hand handkerchief handle hang |
happen happy hard harden hardly hardship harm harmful harmless hasty hat hate hatred have he head health healthy hear heart heat heaven heavy heel height help helpful hen her here hers herself hide high hill him himself hire his historical history hit hold holiday hollow holy home honest honesty honor honorable hook hope hopeful hopeless horizon horn horse hospital host hot hotel hour hourly house how human humor humorous hundred hundredth hunger hungry hunt hurry hurt husband hut ice icy idea if ill image imaginary imagination imagine importance important improve improvement in include including income increase indoor indoors industrial industry infect infection infectious influence influential inform information ink inner inquire inquiry insect inside instead instruct instruction instrument insurance insure intend intention interest interesting international interrupt interruption into introduce introduction invent invention invitation invite inwards iron island it its itself jaw jealous jealousy jelly jewel jewelry job join joint joke journey joy judge judgment juice jump just justice keen keep key kick kill kilo kilogram kilometer kind king kingdom kiss kitchen knee kneel knife knock knot know knowledge labor lack ladder lady lake lamb lamp land language large last late lately laugh laughter law lawyer lay lazy lead lead leaf lean learn least leather leave left leg legal lend length less lesson let letter level library lid lie life lift light |
lightning like likely limb limit line lion lip liquid list listen liter literature little live load loaf local lock lodging lodgings log lonely long look loose lord lose loss lot loud love low lower loyal loyalty luck lump lung machine machinery mad magazine magic magician main make male man manage manager manner many map march mark market marriage marry mass master mat match material matter may me meal mean meaning means measure meat medical medicine meet meeting melt member memory mend mention merry message messenger metal meter method metric microscope middle might mile military milk million millionth mind mine mineral minister minute mirror miss mist mistake mix mixture model modern moment money monkey month monthly moon moral morals more morning most mother motor mountain mouse mouth move much mud multiply murder muscle music musician must my myself mysterious mystery nail name narrow nasty nation national nature naval navy near nearly neat necessary neck need needle neighbor neighborhood neither nerve nervous nest net network never new news newspaper next nice night nine ninth no no one noble nobleman noise none nonsense nor north northern nose not nothing notice noun now nowhere number nurse nut nylon o'clock obedience obedient obey object obtain occasion ocean odd of off offend offense offensive offer office officer official often oil old old-fashioned on once one |
oneself onion only open operate operation opinion opponent oppose opposite opposition or orange order ordinary organ organization origin other otherwise ought our ours ourselves out outdoor outdoors outer outside over owe owing to own oxygen pack packet page pain painful paint painting pair palace pale pan paper parallel parcel parent park parliament part participle particular partner party pass passage passenger past pastry path patience patient pattern pause pay payment peace peaceful pen pence pencil people pepper per perfect perform perhaps period permission permit person personal persuade pet photograph photography phrase physical piano pick picture piece pig pile pilot pin pink pipe pity place plain plan plane plant plastic plate play pleasant please pleased pleasure plenty plural poem poet poetry point pointed poison poisonous pole police polish polite political politician politics pool poor popular popularity population port position possess possession possibility possible possibly post pot potato pound pour powder power powerful practical practice praise pray prayer precious preparation prepare presence present preserve president press pressure pretend pretty prevent price prickly pride priest prince principle prison prisoner private prize probability probable problem process procession produce product production profession profit promise pronounce pronunciation proof proper property protect protection protective proud prove provide provision provisions public pull pump punish punishment pupil pure purple purpose push put quality quantity quarrel quarter queen question quick |
quiet quite rabbit race radio railway rain raise range rank rapid rare rat rate rather raw reach read ready real really reason reasonable receive recent recently recognition recognize record red reduce reduction refusal refuse regard regular related relation relative religion religious remain remark remember remind remove rent repair repeat reply report represent representative republic request respect respectful responsible rest restaurant result return reward rice rich rid ride right ring ripe rise risk river road rob rock rod roll roof room root rope rose rough round row royal rub rubber rude ruin rule ruler run rush sad safe safety sail sale salt same sand satisfaction satisfactory satisfy save say scale scatter scene scenery school science scientific scientist scissors screw sea search season seat second secrecy secret secretary see seed seem seize sell send sensation sense senseless sensible sensitive sentence separate serious servant serve service set settle seven seventh several severe sew sex sexual shade shadow shake shall shame shape share sharp she sheep sheet shelf shell shelter shield shine ship shirt shock shoe shoot shop shopkeeper shore short shot should shoulder shout show shut sick side sideways sight sign signal signature silence silent silk silly silver similar similarity simple since sincere sing single singular sink sister sit situation six sixth size skill skillful skin skirt sky slave sleep slide slight slip |
slippery slope slow small smell smile smoke smooth snake snow so soap social society sock soft soil soldier solemn solid some somehow someone something sometimes somewhere son song soon sore sorrow sorry sort soul sound soup sour south southern space spacecraft spade speak spear special specialist speech speed spell spend spin spirit spite splendid split spoil spoon sport spot spread spring square stage stair stamp stand standard star start state station stay steady steal steam steel steep stem step stick sticky stiff still sting stitch stomach stone stop store storm story straight strange stranger stream street strength stretch strike string stroke strong structure struggle student study stupid style subject substance subtract succeed success successful such suck sudden suffer sugar suggest suit suitable sum summer sun supper supply support suppose sure surface surprise surround swallow swear sweep sweet swell swim swing sword sympathetic sympathy system table tail take talk tall taste tax taxi tea teach team tear tear telephone television tell temper temperature temple tend tendency tender tennis tense tent terrible terror test than thank that the theater their theirs them themselves then there therefore these they thick thief thin thing think third thirst thirsty this thorough those though thought thousand thousandth thread threat threaten three throat through throw thumb thunder thus ticket tidy tie tiger tight time timetable tin tire [tyre] |
tire title to tobacco today toe together tomorrow tongue tonight too tool tooth top total touch tour tourist towards tower town toy track trade traffic train translate transparent trap travel treat treatment tree tremble tribe trick trip tropical trouble trousers true trunk trust truth try tube tune turn twice twist type typical ugly uncle under understand undo uniform union unit unite universal universe university until up upper upright upset upside down upstairs urge urgent us use useful useless usual valley valuable value variety various vary vegetable vehicle verb very victory view village violence violent visit voice vote vowel voyage wages waist wait waiter wake walk wall wander want war warm warmth warn wash waste watch water wave way we weak wealth weapon wear weather weave wedding week weekly weigh weight welcome well west western wet what whatever wheat wheel when whenever where whether which whichever while whip whisper whistle white who whoever whole why wicked wide widespread width wife wild will willing win wind wind window wine wing winter wire wisdom wise wish with within without witness woman wonder wood wooden wool woolen word work world worm worry worse worship worst worth worthy worthy of would wound wrap wreck wrist write wrong wrongdoing yard year yearly yellow yes yesterday yet you young your yours yourself youth zero |