400 Must Have Words for the TOEFL LESSON 17 – Military Operations Vocabulary Test

Word List

allegiance [əˈliːdʒəns] n.

Loyalty

→ My allegiance to my country is based on respect for its principles.

Usage tips     Allegiance is commonly followed by a to phrase.

artillery [ɑːˈtɪlərɪ] n.

Large guns that shoot powerful shells; army units that handle such guns

→ An artillery barrage broke down the city’s thick walls within seconds.

Usage tips     When it means a part of an army, artillery is sometimes plural.

battle [ˈbætl] v.

To fight against

→ The Viet Minh battled French forces at Dien Bien Phu for nearly two months in 1954.

Parts of speech     battle n.

cease [siːs] v.

Stop

→ The lightning continued even after the thunder had ceased.

Usage tips     Cease is found in official statements,not usually in everyday speech.

Parts of speech     cessation n., ceaseless adj.

hierarchy [ˈhaɪərɑːkɪ] n.

A system of levels that places people high or low according to their importance

→ Starting as a lowly private, Burt Jones gradually rose through the hierarchy of the army.

Usage tips     Hierarchy is often followed by an of phrase.

Parts of speech     hierarchical adj., hierarchically adv.

in the trenches [trentʃ] n.

In the middle of the hardest fighting or work

→ With their unrealistic view of this war, our generals don’t know what things are like out in the trenches.

Usage tips     Creates an image of soldiers fighting in a long, dug-out place in the battlefield.

mobilize [ˈməʊbɪlaɪz] v.

To put members of a group into motion

→ After a terrible storm, the governor mobilized the National Guard to rescue victims.

Parts of speech     mobilization n.

rank [ræŋk] v.

To put into a many-leveled order, depending on importance or achievement

→ The Marines ranked Jim Hurst highest among all their officer candidates.

Parts of speech     rank n.

ratio [ˈreɪʃɪəʊ] n.

The relationship of one number or amount to another

→ Military analysts say that the ratio of attackers to defenders in a battle should be about three to one for the attackers to win.

Usage tips     Ratio is very often followed by an of . . . to structure.

strategic [strəˈtiːdʒɪk] adj.

Related to long-term plans for achieving a goal

→ The United States has formed strategic friendships with Tajikistan and Mongolia to have Central Asian bases in the future.

Usage tips     Strategic is often used with nouns for plans.

Parts of speech     strategy n., strategize v., strategically adv.