Nature & Weather vocabulary
100 words to learn about nature & weather.
mountainAn elevation of land of considerable dimensions rising more or less abruptly, forming a conspicuous figure in the landscape, usually having a small extent of surface at its summit.riverA large and often winding stream which drains a land mass, carrying water down from higher areas to a lower point, oftentimes ending in another body of water, such as an ocean or in an inland sea.forestA dense uncultivated tract of trees and undergrowth, larger than woods.oceanOne of the large bodies of water separating the continents.desertA barren area of land or desolate terrain, especially one with little water or vegetation; a wasteland.valleyAn elongated depression cast between hills or mountains, often with a river flowing through it.islandA contiguous area of land, smaller than a continent, totally surrounded by water.weatherThe short term state of the atmosphere at a specific time and place, including the temperature, relative humidity, cloud cover, precipitation, wind, etc.stormA heavy fall of precipitation (hail, rain, or snow) or bout of lightning and thunder without strong winds; a hail storm, rainstorm, snowstorm, or thunderstorm.thunderThe loud rumbling, cracking, or crashing sound caused by expansion of rapidly heated air around a lightning bolt.lightningA flash of light produced by short-duration, high-voltage discharge of electricity within a cloud, between clouds, or between a cloud and the earth.rainbowA multicoloured arch in the sky, produced by prismatic refraction of light within droplets of rain in the air.sunshineThe direct rays, light or warmth of the sun.breezeA light, gentle wind.cloudA visible mass of water droplets suspended in the air.snowAn instance of the falling of snow (etymology 1, sense 1); a snowfall; also, a snowstorm.frostA cover of minute ice crystals on objects that are exposed to the air.humidContaining perceptible moisture (usually describing air or atmosphere); damp; moist; somewhat wet or watery.droughtA period of unusually low rainfall, longer and more severe than a dry spell.floodAn overflow of a large amount of water (usually disastrous) from a lake or other body of water due to excessive rainfall or other input of water.earthquakeA shaking of the ground, caused by volcanic activity or movement around geologic faults.wildlifeUndomesticated animals, especially mammals, birds, and fish, which live in the wild.meadowA field or pasture; a piece of land covered or cultivated with grass, usually intended to be mown for hay.waterfallA flow of water over the edge of a cliff.horizonThe visible horizontal line (in all directions) where the sky appears to meet the earth in the distance.climateThe context in general of a particular political, moral, etc., situation.sunsetThe moment each evening when the sun disappears below the western horizon.sunriseThe time of day when the sun appears above the eastern horizon.volcanoA kind of firework producing an upward plume of sparks.glacierA large body of ice which flows under its own mass, usually downhill.jungleA large, undeveloped, humid forest, especially in a tropical region, that is home to many wild plants and animals; a tropical rainforest.swampAn area of wet (water-saturated), spongy (soft) land, often with trees, generally a rich ecosystem for certain plants and animals but ill-suited for many agricultural purposes.cliffA vertical (or nearly vertical) rock face.shoreLand adjoining a non-flowing body of water, such as an ocean, lake or pond.pebbleA small stone, especially one rounded by the action of water.blossomTo have, or open into, blossoms; to bloom.foggyObscured by mist or fog; unclear; hazy.chillyCold enough to cause discomfort.muddyCovered or splashed with, or full of, mud (“wet soil”).streamAny steady flow or succession of material, such as water, air, radio signal or words.canyonA valley, especially a long, narrow, steep valley, cut in rock by a river.prairieAn extensive area of relatively flat grassland with few, if any, trees, especially in North America.tideThe daily fluctuation in the level of the sea caused by the gravitational influence of the moon and the sun.hailBalls or pieces of ice falling as precipitation, often in connection with a thunderstorm.drizzleTo rain lightly.windyAccompanied by wind.pondAn inland body of standing water, either natural or man-made, that is smaller than a lake.wildernessUncultivated and unsettled land in its natural state inhabited by wild animals and with vegetation growing wild; (countable) a tract of such land; a waste or wild.landscapeA portion of land or territory as defined by its landform, its geographical (and architectural) features.hillAn elevated landmass smaller than a mountain.peakThe highest value reached by some quantity in a time period.ridgeAny extended protuberance; a projecting line or strip.slopeAn area of ground that tends evenly upward or downward.caveA large, naturally-occurring cavity formed underground or in the face of a cliff or a hillside.cavernA large cave.boulderA large mass of stone detached from the surrounding land.gravelSmall fragments of rock, used for laying on the beds of roads and railways, and as ballast.sandRock that is ground more finely than gravel, but is not as fine as silt (more formally, see grain sizes chart), forming beaches and deserts and also used in construction.duneA ridge or hill of sand piled up by currents of wind or water.marshAn area of low, wet land, often with tall grass or herbaceous plants.wetlandLand that is covered mostly with water, with occasional marshy and soggy areas.lakeA large, landlocked stretch of water or similar liquid.lagoonA shallow body of water separated from deeper sea by a bar.creekA stream of water, typically a stream of freshwater smaller than a river; in Australia, also used of river-sized bodies of water.brookA body of running water smaller than a river; a small stream.springTo move or burst forth.geyserA boiling natural spring which throws forth jets of water, mud, etc., at frequent intervals, driven upwards by the expansive power of steam.reefA chain or range of rocks, sand, or coral lying at or near the surface of the water.coralAny of many species of marine invertebrates in the class Anthozoa, most of which build hard calcium carbonate skeletons and form colonies, or a colony belonging to one of those species.seashellThe empty shell of a marine mollusk.seaweedAny of numerous marine algae, such as a kelp.tundraA flat and treeless Arctic biome.savannaA mixed woodland-grassland biome and ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close.grasslandAn area dominated by grass or grasslike vegetation.rainforestA forest in a climate with high annual rainfall and no dry season.woodlandLand covered with woody vegetation.groveA small forest.orchardA garden or an area of land for the cultivation of fruit or nut trees.thicketA dense, but generally small, growth of shrubs, bushes or small trees; a copse.shrubA woody plant smaller than a tree, and usually with several stems from the same base.bushA woody plant distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and lower height, being usually less than six metres tall; a horticultural rather than strictly botanical category.fernAny of a group of some twenty thousand species of vascular plants classified in the division Pteridophyta that lack seeds and reproduce by shedding spores to initiate an alternation of generations.mossAny of various small, green, seedless plants growing on the ground or on the surfaces of trees, stones, etc.; now specifically, a plant of the phylum Bryophyta (formerly division Musci).vineA climbing plant that produces grapes.rootThe part of a plant, generally underground, that anchors and supports the plant body, absorbs and stores water and nutrients, and in some plants is able to perform vegetative reproduction.trunkThe luggage storage compartment of a sedan/saloon-style car.branchThe woody part of a tree arising from the trunk and usually dividing.twigA small thin branch of a tree or bush.leafThe usually green and flat organ that represents the most prominent feature of most vegetative plants.petalOne of the component parts of the corolla of a flower.pollenA fine, granular substance produced in flowers.nectarThe sweet liquid secreted by flowers to attract pollinating insects and birds.seedAny propagative portion of a plant which may be sown, such as true seeds, seed-like fruits, tubers, or bulbs.sproutA new growth of or on a plant, whether from seed or other parts.harvestThe process of gathering the ripened crop; harvesting.wildflowerA wild (uncultivated) flowering plant.sunflowerAny plant of the genus Helianthus, so called probably from the form and color of its floral head, having the form of a large disk surrounded by yellow ray flowers.cactusAny member of the family Cactaceae, a family of flowering New World succulent plants suited to a hot, semi-desert climate.mushroomAny of the fleshy fruiting bodies of fungi typically produced above ground on soil or on their food sources (such as decaying wood).pineconeA conical seed-bearing structure produced on a pine tree.