Collins Dictionaries - Collins English Dictionary and Thesaurus Essential

c

1centi- 2(cricket) caught 3cubic 4the speed of light in free spaceC 1(music) the first note of a major scale containing no sharps or flats ( C major) 2(chem) carbon 3Celsius 4centigrade 5century: C20 6coulomb 7the Roman numeral for 100 8a high-level computer programming languagec. (used preceding a date) about: c. 1800cab n 1a taxi ◇ SYNONYMS: taxi, minicab, taxicab, hackney carriage 2the enclosed driver's compartment of a lorry, bus, or traincabal (kab- bal) n 1a small group of political plotters 2a secret plot or conspiracycabaret ( kab-a-ray) n 1a floor show of dancing and singing at a nightclub or restaurant 2a place providing such entertainmentcabbage n 1a vegetable with a large head of green or reddish-purple leaves 2(informal, offensive) a person who is unable to move or think, as a result of brain damagecabbage tree n (NZ) a palm-like tree with a bare trunk and spiky leavescabbie or cabby n, pl -bies(informal) a taxi drivercaber n (Scot) a heavy section of trimmed tree trunk tossed in competition at Highland gamescabin n 1a room used as living quarters in a ship or boat ◇ SYNONYMS: room, berth, quarters, compartment 2a small simple dwelling: a log cabin ◇ SYNONYMS: hut, shed, cottage, lodge, shack, chalet, shanty, whare (NZ) 3the enclosed part of an aircraft in which the passengers or crew sitcabin cruiser n a motorboat with a cabincabinet n a piece of furniture containing shelves, cupboards, or drawers for storage or display: a filing cabinet; a cocktail cabinet ◇ SYNONYMS: cupboard, case, locker, dresser, closet (US), press, chiffonierCabinet n a committee of senior government ministers or advisers to a president ◇ SYNONYMS: council, committee, administration, ministry, assembly, boardcabinet-maker n a person who makes fine furniture > cabinet-making ncable n 1a strong thick rope of twisted hemp or wire 2a bundle of wires covered with plastic or rubber that conducts electricity 3a telegram sent abroad by submarine cable or telephone line 4Also called: cable stitcha knitted design which resembles a twisted rope 5short for cable television ▸ vb -bling, -bled 6to send (someone) a message by cablecable car n a vehicle that is pulled up a steep slope by a moving cablecable television n a television service in which the subscriber's television is connected to a central receiver by cablecaboodle n the whole caboodle(informal) the whole lotcabriolet (kab-ree-oh- lay) n a small two-wheeled horse-drawn carriage with a folding hoodcacao (kak- kah-oh) n a tropical American tree with seed pods ( cacao beans) from which cocoa and chocolate are preparedcache ( kash) n a hidden store of weapons, provisions, or treasurecachet ( kash-shay) n prestige or distinction: a Mercedes carries a certain cachetcack-handed adj (informal) clumsy: I open cans in a very cack-handed waycackle vb -ling, -led 1to laugh shrilly 2(of a hen) to squawk with shrill broken notes ▸ n 3the sound of cackling > cackling adjcacophony (kak- koff-on-ee) n harsh discordant sound: a cacophony of barking > cacophonous adjcactus n, pl -tusesor -tia thick fleshy desert plant with spines but no leavescad n (old-fashioned, informal) a man who behaves dishonourably ◇ SYNONYMS: scoundrel (slang), rat (informal), bounder (Brit old-fashioned, slang), rotter (slang, chiefly Brit), heel, wrong 'un (slang) > caddish adjcadaver (kad- dav-ver) n (med) a corpsecadaverous adj pale, thin, and haggardcaddie n 1a person who carries a golfer's clubs ▸ vb -dying, -died 2to act as a caddiecaddis fly n an insect whose larva (the caddis worm) lives underwater in a protective case of silk, sand, and stonescaddy n, pl -dies(chiefly Brit) a small container for teacadence ( kade-enss) n 1the rise and fall in the pitch of the voice 2the close of a musical phrasecadenza n a complex solo passage in a piece of musiccadet n a young person training for the armed forces or the policecadge vb cadging, cadged(informal) to get (something) from someone by taking advantage of his or her generosity > cadger ncadmium n (chem) a bluish-white metallic element found in zinc ores and used in electroplating and alloys. SYMBOL: Cdcadre ( kah-der) n a small group of people selected and trained to form the core of a political organization or military unitcaecum or (US) cecum ( seek-um) n, pl -ca(-ka) the pouch at the beginning of the large intestineCaesar ( seez-ar) n 1a Roman emperor 2any emperor or dictator 3short for Caesar salad Caesarean section n surgical incision into the womb in order to deliver a babyCaesar salad n a salad of lettuce, cheese, and croutons with a dressing of olive oil, garlic, and lemon juicecaesium or (US) cesium n (chem) a silvery-white metallic element used in photocells. SYMBOL: Cscafé n 1a small or inexpensive restaurant that serves drinks and snacks or light meals ◇ SYNONYMS: snack bar, restaurant, cafeteria, coffee shop, brasserie, coffee bar, tearoom, lunchroom 2(S African) a corner shopcafeteria n a self-service restaurantcaffeine n a stimulant found in tea, coffee, and cocoacaftan n same as kaftancage n 1an enclosure made of bars or wires, for keeping birds or animals in ◇ SYNONYMS: enclosure, pen, coop, hutch, pound 2the enclosed platform of a lift in a mine ▸ vb caging, caged 3to confine in a cage > caged adjcagey adj cagier, cagiest(informal) reluctant to go into details; wary: he is cagey about what he paid for the business > cagily advcagoule (kag- gool) n (Brit) a lightweight hooded waterproof jacketcahoots pl n in cahoots(informal) conspiring together: the loan sharks were in cahoots with the home-improvement companiescairn n a mound of stones erected as a memorial or markercajole vb -joling, -joledto persuade by flattery; coax: he allowed himself to be cajoled into staying on > cajolery ncake n 1a sweet food baked from a mixture of flour, sugar, eggs, etc. 2a flat compact mass of something: a cake of soap ◇ SYNONYMS: block, bar, slab, lump, cube, loaf, mass 3 have one's cake and eat itto enjoy both of two incompatible alternatives 4 piece of cake(informal) something that is easy to do 5 sell like hot cakes(informal) to be sold very quickly: commercial novels sell like hot cakes ▸ vb caking, caked 6to form into a hardened mass or crust: her hair was caked with grease and dustcakewalk n (informal) a task that is easy to accomplishcalamine n a pink powder consisting chiefly of zinc oxide, used to make soothing skin lotions and ointmentscalamitous adj resulting in or from disaster: the country's calamitous economic declinecalamity n, pl -tiesa disaster or misfortunecalcify vb -fies, -fying, -fiedto harden by the depositing of calcium salts > calcification ncalcium n (chem) a soft silvery-white metallic element found in bones, teeth, limestone, and chalk. SYMBOL: Cacalculable adj able to be computed or estimatedcalculate vb -lating, -lated 1to solve or find out by a mathematical procedure or by reasoning 2to aim to have a particular effect: this ad campaign is calculated to offendcalculating adj selfishly scheming ◇ SYNONYMS: scheming, sharp, shrewd, cunning, sly, devious, manipulative, craftycalculation n 1the act or result of calculating ◇ SYNONYMS: computation, working out, reckoning, estimate, forecast, judgment, result, answer 2selfish scheming: there was an element of calculation in her insistence on arriving after dark ◇ SYNONYMS: planning, intention, deliberation, foresight, contrivance, forethought, premeditationcalculator n a small electronic device for doing mathematical calculationscalculus n 1the branch of mathematics dealing with infinitesimal changes to a variable number or quantity 2pl -li(pathol) same as stoneCaledonian adj Scottishcalendar n 1a chart showing a year divided up into months, weeks, and days 2a system for determining the beginning, length, and divisions of years: the Jewish calendar 3a schedule of events or appointments: concerts were an important part of the social calendar of the Venetian nobilitycalendula n a plant with orange-and-yellow rayed flowerscalf1 n, pl calvesa young cow, bull, elephant, whale, or sealcalf2 n, pl calvesthe back of the leg between the ankle and the kneecalibrate vb -brating, -bratedto mark the scale or check the accuracy of (a measuring instrument) > calibration ncalibre or (US) caliber ( kal-lib-ber) n 1a person's ability or worth: a poet of Wordsworth's calibre ◇ SYNONYMS: worth, quality, ability, talent, capacity, merit, distinction, stature 2the diameter of the bore of a gun or of a shell or bullet ◇ SYNONYMS: diameter, bore, gauge, measurecalico n a white or unbleached cotton fabriccaliph n (Islam) the title of the successors of Mohammed as rulers of the Islamic worldcall vb 1to name: a town called Eyemouth ◇ SYNONYMS: name, entitle, dub, designate, term, style, label, describe as 2to describe (someone or something) as being: they called him a Hitler 3to speak loudly so as to attract attention ◇ SYNONYMS: cry, shout, scream, yell, whoop 4to telephone: he left a message for Lynch to call him ◇ SYNONYMS: phone, telephone, ring (up) (informal, chiefly Brit), Skype (trademark), video call 5to summon: a doctor must be called immediately 6to pay someone a visit: the social worker called and she didn't answer the door 7to arrange: the meeting was called for the lunch hour 8 call someone's bluffSee bluff ▸ n 9a cry or shout ◇ SYNONYMS: cry, shout, scream, yell, whoop 10the cry made by a bird or animal 11a communication by telephone ◇ SYNONYMS: telephone call, bell (informal), phone call, buzz (informal), ring (informal), video call, Skype (trademark) 12a short visit: I paid a call on an old friend ◇ SYNONYMS: visit 13a summons or invitation: the police and fire brigade continued to respond to calls ◇ SYNONYMS: request, order, demand, appeal, notice, command, invitation, plea 14need, demand, or desire: a call for economic sanctions ◇ SYNONYMS: need, cause, reason, grounds, occasion, excuse, justification 15allure or fascination: the call of the open road ◇ SYNONYMS: attraction, pull (informal), appeal, lure, allure, magnetism 16 on callavailable when summoned: there's a doctor on call in town ▸ See also call for > caller ncall box n a soundproof enclosure for a public telephonecall centre n (Brit & Austral & NZ) an office where staff carry out an organization's telephone transactionscall for vb 1to require: appendicitis calls for removal of the appendix ◇ SYNONYMS call for something: require, need, involve, demand, occasion, entail, necessitate 2to come and fetchcalligraphy n beautiful handwriting > calligrapher n > calligraphic adjcalling n 1a strong urge to follow a particular profession or occupation, esp. a caring one 2a profession or occupation, esp. a caring one ◇ SYNONYMS: profession, trade, career, mission, vocation, life's workcalliper or (US) caliper n 1a metal splint for supporting the leg 2a measuring instrument consisting of two steel legs hinged togethercallisthenics or calisthenics n light exercises designed to promote general fitness > callisthenic or calisthenic adjcall off vb 1to cancel or abandon: the strike has now been called off 2to order (a dog or a person) to stop attacking someonecallous adj showing no concern for other people's feelings > callously adv > callousness ncalloused adj covered in callusescallow adj young and inexperienced: a callow youthcall up vb 1to summon for active military service 2to cause one to remember ▸ n call-up 3a general order to report for military servicecallus n, pl -lusesan area of hard or thickened skin on the hand or footcalm adj 1not showing or not feeling agitation or excitement ◇ SYNONYMS: cool, relaxed, composed, sedate, collected, dispassionate, unemotional, self-possessed, chilled (informal) 2not ruffled by the wind: a flat calm sea ◇ SYNONYMS: still, quiet, smooth, mild, serene, tranquil, balmy, windless 3(of weather) windless ◇ SYNONYMS: still, quiet, smooth, mild, serene, tranquil, balmy, windless ▸ n 4a peaceful state ◇ SYNONYMS: peacefulness, peace, serenity ▸ vb 5(often foll. by down) to make or become calm ◇ SYNONYMS: soothe, quiet, relax, appease, still, allay, assuage, quieten > calmly adv > calmness ncalorie n 1a unit of measure for the energy value of food 2Also: small caloriethe quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1°Ccalorific adj of calories or heatcalumny n, pl -niesa false or malicious statement; slandercalve vb calving, calvedto give birth to a calfcalypso n, pl -sosa West Indian song with improvised topical lyricscalyx ( kale-ix) n, pl calyxesor calyces( kal-iss-seez) the outer leaves that protect the developing bud of a flowercam n a part of an engine that converts a circular motion into a to-and-fro motioncamaraderie n familiarity and trust between friendscamber n a slight upward curve to the centre of a road surfacecambric n a fine white linen fabriccamcorder n a combined portable video camera and recordercame vb the past tense of comecamel n either of two humped mammals, the dromedary and Bactrian camel, that can survive long periods without food or water in desert regionscamellia (kam- meal-ya) n an ornamental shrub with glossy leaves and white, pink, or red flowersCamembert ( kam-mem-bare) n a soft creamy cheesecameo n, pl cameos 1a brooch or ring with a profile head carved in relief 2a small but important part in a film or play played by a well-known actorcamera n 1a piece of equipment used for taking photographs, video, or film 2 in camerain privatecameraman n, pl -mena person who operates a camera for television or cinemacamera phone n a mobile phone incorporating a digital cameracamiknickers pl n (Brit) a woman's undergarment consisting of knickers attached to a camisole topcamisole n a bodice-like garment with shoulder strapscamomile or chamomile ( kam-mo-mile) n a sweet-smelling plant used to make herbal teacamouflage ( kam-moo-flahzh) n 1the use of natural surroundings or artificial aids to conceal or disguise something ◇ SYNONYMS: protective colouring ▸ vb -flaging, -flaged 2to conceal by camouflage ◇ SYNONYMS: disguise, cover, screen, hide, mask, conceal, obscure, veilcamp1 n 1a place where people stay in tents ◇ SYNONYMS: camp site, tents, encampment, camping ground 2a collection of huts and other buildings used as temporary lodgings for military troops or for prisoners of war ◇ SYNONYMS: bivouac, cantonment (military) 3a group that supports a particular doctrine: the socialist camp ▸ vb 4to stay in a camp > camper n > camping ncamp2 (informal) adj 1effeminate; affected in mannerisms or dress ◇ SYNONYMS: effeminate 2consciously artificial, vulgar, or mannered ◇ SYNONYMS: affected, mannered, artificial, posturing, ostentatious ▸ vb 3 camp it upto behave in a camp mannercampaign n 1a series of coordinated activities designed to achieve a goal ◇ SYNONYMS: drive, appeal, movement, push (informal), offensive, crusade 2(military) a number of operations aimed at achieving a single objective ◇ SYNONYMS: operation, drive, attack, movement, push, offensive, expedition, crusade ▸ vb 3to take part in a campaign: he paid tribute to all those who'd campaigned for his release > campaigner ncampanology n the art of ringing bells > campanologist ncampanula n a plant with blue or white bell-shaped flowerscamphor n a sweet-smelling crystalline substance obtained from the wood of the camphor tree, which is used medicinally and in mothballscampion n a red, pink, or white European wild flowercampus n, pl -pusesthe grounds and buildings of a university or collegecamshaft n a part of an engine consisting of a rod to which cams are attachedcan1 vb, past tense could 1be able to: make sure he can breathe easily 2be allowed to: you can swim in the large poolcan2 n 1a metal container, usually sealed, for food or liquids ▸ vb canning, canned 2to put (something) into a canCanadian adj 1of Canada ▸ n 2a person from Canadacanal n 1an artificial waterway constructed for navigation or irrigation ◇ SYNONYMS: waterway, channel, passage, conduit, duct, watercourse 2a passage or duct in a person's body: the alimentary canalcanapé ( kan-nap-pay) n a small piece of bread or toast spread with a savoury toppingcanary n, pl -nariesa small yellow songbird often kept as a petcanasta n a card game like rummy, played with two packs of cardscancan n a lively high-kicking dance performed by a female groupcancel vb -celling, -celled(US) -celing, -celed 1to stop (something that has been arranged) from taking place ◇ SYNONYMS: call off, drop, forget about 2to mark (a cheque or stamp) with an official stamp to prevent further use 3 cancel outto make ineffective by having the opposite effect: economic vulnerability cancels out any possible political gain ◇ SYNONYMS cancel something out: counterbalance, offset, make up for, compensate for, neutralize, nullify, balance out > cancellation ncancer n 1a serious disease resulting from a malignant growth or tumour, caused by abnormal and uncontrolled cell division 2a malignant growth or tumour ◇ SYNONYMS: growth, tumour, malignancy 3an evil influence that spreads dangerously: their country would remain a cancer of instability ◇ SYNONYMS: evil, corruption, sickness, pestilence > cancerous adjcandela (kan- dee-la) n the SI unit of luminous intensity (the amount of light a source gives off in a given direction)candelabrum or candelabra n, pl -bra, -brumsor -brasa large branched holder for candles or overhead lightscandid adj honest and straightforward in speech or behaviour > candidly advcandidate n 1a person seeking a job or position ◇ SYNONYMS: contender, competitor, applicant, nominee, entrant, claimant, contestant, runner 2a person taking an examination 3a person or thing regarded as suitable or likely for a particular fate or position: someone who smokes, drinks, or eats too much is a candidate for heart disease > candidacy or candidature ncandied adj coated with or cooked in sugar: candied peelcandle n 1a stick or block of wax or tallow surrounding a wick, which is burned to produce light 2 burn the candle at both endsto exhaust oneself by doing too muchcandlestick or candleholder n a holder for a candlecandlewick n cotton with a tufted pattern, used to make bedspreads and dressing gownscandour or (US) candor n honesty and straightforwardness of speech or behaviourcandy n, pl -dies(chiefly US & Canad) a sweet or sweetscandyfloss n (Brit) a light fluffy mass of spun sugar, held on a stickcandy-striped adj having narrow coloured stripes on a white backgroundcane n 1the long flexible stems of the bamboo or any similar plant 2strips of such stems, woven to make wickerwork 3a bamboo stem tied to a garden plant to support it 4a flexible rod used to beat someone 5a slender walking stick ▸ vb caning, caned 6to beat with a canecane toad n a large toad used to control insects and other pests of sugar cane plantationscanine ( kay-nine) adj 1of or like a dog ▸ n 2a sharp-pointed tooth between the incisors and the molarscanister n a metal container for dry foodcanker n 1an ulceration or ulcerous disease 2something evil that spreads and corruptscannabis n a drug obtained from the dried leaves and flowers of the hemp plant ◇ SYNONYMS: marijuana, pot (slang), green (slang), dope (slang), grass (slang), hemp, dagga (S African)canned adj 1preserved in a can 2(informal) recorded in advance: canned carolscannelloni or canneloni pl n tubular pieces of pasta filled with meat or cheesecannery n, pl -neriesa place where foods are cannedcannibal n 1a person who eats human flesh 2an animal that eats the flesh of other animals of its kind > cannibalism ncannibalize or -ise vb -izing, -izedor -ising, -isedto use parts from (one machine or vehicle) to repair anothercannon n, pl -nonsor -non 1a large gun consisting of a metal tube mounted on a carriage, formerly used in battles ◇ SYNONYMS: gun, big gun, field gun, mortar 2an automatic aircraft gun 3(billiards) a shot in which the cue ball strikes two balls successively ▸ vb 4 cannon intoto collide withcannonade n continuous heavy gunfirecannonball n a heavy metal ball fired from a cannoncannot vb can notcanny adj -nier, -niestshrewd or cautious > cannily advcanoe n a light narrow open boat, propelled by one or more paddles > canoeist ncanoeing n the sport of rowing or racing in a canoecanon1 n a priest serving in a cathedralcanon2 n 1(Christianity) a Church decree regulating morals or religious practices 2a general rule or standard: the Marx-Engels canon ◇ SYNONYMS: rule, standard, principle, regulation, formula, criterion, dictate, statute 3a list of the works of an author that are accepted as authentic: the Yeats canon ◇ SYNONYMS: list, index, catalogue, roll 4a piece of music in which a melody in one part is taken up in one or more other parts successivelycanonical adj 1conforming with canon law 2included in a canon of writingscanonize or -ise vb -izing, -izedor -ising, -ised(RC Church) to declare (a dead person) to be a saint > canonization or -isation ncanoodle vb -dling, -dled(slang) to kiss and cuddlecanopied adj covered with a canopy: canopied nichescanopy n, pl -pies 1an ornamental awning above a bed or throne ◇ SYNONYMS: awning, covering, shade, sunshade 2a rooflike covering over an altar, niche, or door ◇ SYNONYMS: awning, covering, shade, sunshade 3any large or wide covering: the thick forest canopy 4the part of a parachute that opens out 5the transparent hood of an aircraft cockpitcant1 n 1insincere talk concerning religion or morals 2specialized vocabulary of a particular group, such as thieves or lawyers ▸ vb 3to use cant: canting hypocritescant2 n 1a tilted position ▸ vb 2to tilt or overturn: the engine was canted to one sidecan't vb can notcantaloupe or cantaloup n (Brit) a kind of melon with sweet-tasting orange fleshcantankerous adj quarrelsome or bad-temperedcantata (kan- tah-ta) n a musical setting of a text, consisting of arias, duets, and chorusescanteen n 1a restaurant attached to a workplace or school 2a box containing a set of cutlerycanter n 1a gait of horses that is faster than a trot but slower than a gallop ▸ vb 2(of a horse) to move at a cantercanticle n a short hymn with words from the Biblecantilever n a beam or girder fixed at one end onlycanto ( kan-toe) n, pl -tosa main division of a long poemcanton n a political division of a country, such as Switzerlandcantor n (Judaism) a man employed to lead synagogue servicescanvas n 1a heavy cloth of cotton, hemp, or jute, used to make tents and sails and for painting on in oils 2an oil painting done on canvas 3 under canvasin a tent: sleeping under canvascanvass vb 1to try to persuade (people) to vote for a particular candidate or party in an election 2to find out the opinions of (people) by conducting a survey ▸ n 3the activity of canvassing > canvasser n > canvassing ncanyon n a deep narrow steep-sided valleycanyoning n the sport of travelling down a river situated in a canyon by a variety of means including scrambling, swimming, and abseilingcap n 1a soft close-fitting covering for the head 2(sport) a cap given to someone selected for a national team 3a small flat lid: petrol cap 4a small amount of explosive enclosed in paper and used in a toy gun 5a contraceptive device placed over the mouth of the womb 6an upper financial limit 7 cap in handhumbly ▸ vb capping, capped 8to cover or top with something: a thick cover of snow capped the cars ◇ SYNONYMS: top, crown 9(sport) to select (a player) for a national team: Australia's most capped player 10to impose an upper level on (a tax): charge capping 11(informal) to outdo or excel: capping anecdote with anecdote ◇ SYNONYMS: beat, top, better, exceed, eclipse, surpass, transcend, outstripcapability n, pl -tiesthe ability or skill to do something ◇ SYNONYMS: ability, means, power, potential, capacity, qualification(s), competence, proficiencycapable adj 1having the ability or skill to do something: a side capable of winning the championship ◇ SYNONYMS: able, suited 2competent and efficient: capable high achievers ◇ SYNONYMS: accomplished, qualified, talented, gifted, efficient, competent, proficient > capably advcapacious adj having a large capacity or areacapacitance n (physics) 1the ability of a capacitor to store electrical charge 2a measure of thiscapacitor n (physics) a device for storing a charge of electricitycapacity n, pl -ties 1the ability to contain, absorb, or hold something ◇ SYNONYMS: size, room, range, space, volume, extent, dimensions, scope 2the maximum amount something can contain or absorb: filled to capacity 3the ability to do something: his capacity to elicit great loyalty ◇ SYNONYMS: ability, facility, gift, genius, capability, aptitude, aptness, competence or competency 4a position or function: acting in an official capacity ◇ SYNONYMS: function, position, role, post, office 5the maximum output of which an industry or factory is capable: the refinery had a capacity of three hundred thousand barrels a day 6(physics) same as capacitance ▸ adj 7of the maximum amount or number possible: a capacity crowdcaparisoned (kap- par-riss-sond) adj (esp. of a horse) magnificently decorated or dressedcape1 n a short sleeveless cloakcape2 n a large piece of land that juts out into the sea ◇ SYNONYMS: headland, point, head, peninsula, promontorycaper n 1a high-spirited escapade ▸ vb 2to skip about light-heartedlycapercaillie or capercailzie (kap-per- kale-yee) n a large black European woodland grousecapers pl n the pickled flower buds of a Mediterranean shrub, used in making saucescapillary (kap- pill-a-ree) n, pl -laries 1(anatomy) one of the very fine blood vessels linking the arteries and the veins ▸ adj 2(of a tube) having a fine bore 3(anatomy) of the capillariescapital1 n 1the chief city of a country, where the government meets 2the total wealth owned or used in business by an individual or group ◇ SYNONYMS: money, funds, investment(s), cash, finances, resources, assets, wealth 3wealth used to produce more wealth by investment ◇ SYNONYMS: money, funds, investment(s), cash, finances, resources, assets, wealth 4 make capital out ofto gain advantage from: to make political capital out of the hostage situation 5a capital letter ▸ adj 6(law) involving or punishable by death: a capital offence 7denoting the large letter used as the initial letter in a sentence, personal name, or place name 8(Brit & Austral & NZ old-fashioned) excellent or first-rate: a capital dinner ◇ SYNONYMS: first-rate, fine, excellent, superbcapital2 n the top part of a column or pillarcapitalism n an economic system based on the private ownership of industry ◇ SYNONYMS: private enterprise, free enterprise, private ownership, laissez faire or laisser fairecapitalist adj 1based on or supporting capitalism: capitalist countries ▸ n 2a supporter of capitalism 3a person who owns a business > capitalistic adjcapitalize or -ise vb -izing, -izedor -ising, -ised 1 capitalize onto take advantage of: to capitalize on the available opportunities 2to write or print (words) in capital letters 3to convert (debt or earnings) into capital stock > capitalization or -isation ncapitation n a tax of a fixed amount per personcapitulate vb -lating, -latedto surrender under agreed conditions > capitulation ncapon ( kay-pon) n a castrated cock fowl fattened for eatingcappuccino (kap-poo- cheen-oh) n, pl -noscoffee with steamed milk, usually sprinkled with powdered chocolatecaprice (kap- reess) n 1a sudden change of attitude or behaviour 2a tendency to have such changescapricious adj having a tendency to sudden unpredictable changes of attitude or behaviour > capriciously advcapsicum n a kind of pepper used as a vegetable or ground to produce a spicecapsize vb -sizing, -sized(of a boat) to overturn accidentallycapstan n a vertical rotating cylinder round which a ship's rope or cable is woundcapsule n 1a soluble gelatine case containing a dose of medicine ◇ SYNONYMS: pill, tablet, lozenge 2(botany) a plant's seed case that opens when ripe ◇ SYNONYMS: pod, case, shell, vessel, sheath, receptacle, seed case 3(anatomy) a membrane or sac surrounding an organ or part ▸ adj 4very concise: capsule coursescaptain n 1the person in charge of a ship, boat, or civil aircraft ◇ SYNONYMS: commander, skipper 2a middle-ranking naval officer 3a junior officer in the army 4the leader of a team or group ◇ SYNONYMS: leader, boss, master, skipper, head, chief ▸ vb 5to be captain of > captaincy ncaptcha n a test designed to determine whether a computer user is a person or a machinecaption n 1a title, brief explanation, or comment accompanying a picture or cartoon ▸ vb 2to provide with a captioncaptious adj tending to make trivial criticismscaptivate vb -vating, -vatedto attract and hold the attention of; enchant ◇ SYNONYMS: charm, attract, fascinate, entrance, enchant, enthral, beguile, allure > captivating adjcaptive n 1a person who is kept in confinement ◇ SYNONYMS: prisoner, hostage, convict, prisoner of war, detainee, internee ▸ adj 2kept in confinement ◇ SYNONYMS: confined, caged, imprisoned, locked up, enslaved, incarcerated, ensnared, subjugated 3(of an audience) unable to leavecaptivity n the state of being kept in confinement ◇ SYNONYMS: confinement, custody, detention, imprisonment, incarceration, internmentcaptor n a person who captures a person or animalcapture vb -turing, -tured 1to take by force ◇ SYNONYMS: catch, arrest, take, bag, secure, seize, collar (informal), apprehend 2to succeed in representing (something elusive) in words, pictures, or music: today's newspapers capture the mood of the nation 3(physics) (of an atomic nucleus) to acquire (an additional particle) ▸ n 4the act of capturing or the state of being captured ◇ SYNONYMS: arrest, catching, trapping, imprisonment, seizure, apprehension, taking, taking captivecar n 1a motorized road vehicle designed to carry a small number of people ◇ SYNONYMS: vehicle, motor, wheels (informal), auto (US), automobile, jalopy (informal), motor car, machine 2the passenger compartment of a cable car, airship, lift, or balloon 3(US & Canad) a railway carriage ◇ SYNONYMS: (railway) carriage, coach, cable car, dining car, sleeping car, buffet car, vancarafe (kar- raff) n a wide-mouthed bottle for water or winecaramel n 1a chewy sweet made from sugar and milk 2burnt sugar, used for colouring and flavouring foodcaramelize or -ise vb -izing, -izedor -ising, -isedto turn into caramelcarapace n the thick hard upper shell of tortoises and crustaceanscarat n 1a unit of weight of precious stones, equal to 0.20 grams 2a measure of the purity of gold in an alloy, expressed as the number of parts of gold in 24 parts of the alloycaravan n 1a large enclosed vehicle designed to be pulled by a car or horse and equipped to be lived in 2(in some Eastern countries) a company of traders or other travellers journeying togethercaraway n a Eurasian plant with seeds that are used as a spice in cookingcarb n (informal) short for carbohydrate carbide n (chem) a compound of carbon with a metalcarbine n a type of light riflecarbohydrate n any of a large group of energy-producing compounds, including sugars and starches, that contain carbon, hydrogen, and oxygencarbolic acid n a disinfectant derived from coal tarcarbon n 1a nonmetallic element occurring in three forms: charcoal, graphite, and diamond: present in all organic compounds. SYMBOL: C 2short for carbon paper , carbon copy carbonate n a salt or ester of carbonic acidcarbonated adj (of a drink) containing carbon dioxide; fizzycarbon copy n 1a duplicate obtained by using carbon paper 2(informal) a person or thing that is identical or very similar to anothercarbon dioxide n a colourless odourless incombustible gas formed during breathing, and used in fire extinguishers and in making fizzy drinkscarbon footprint n a measure of the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere through a single endeavour or through the activities of a person, company, etc. over a given periodcarbonic acid n a weak acid formed when carbon dioxide combines with watercarbonize or -ise vb -izing, -izedor -ising, -ised 1to turn into carbon as a result of partial burning 2to coat (a substance) with carbon > carbonization or -isation ncarbon-neutral adj not affecting the overall volume of carbon dioxide in the atmospherecarbon offset n a compensatory measure made by an individual or company for carbon emissions, such as tree plantingcarbon paper n a thin sheet of paper coated on one side with a dark waxy pigment, containing carbon, used to make a duplicate of something as it is typed or writtenCarborundum n (trademark) an abrasive material consisting of silicon carbidecarbuncle n a large painful swelling under the skin like a boilcarburettor or (US & Canad) carburetor n a device in an internal-combustion engine that mixes petrol with air and regulates the intake of the mixture into the enginecarcass or carcase n 1the dead body of an animal 2(informal) a person's body: ask that person to move his carcasscarcinogen n a substance that produces cancer > carcinogenic adjcarcinoma n, pl -masor -mataa malignant tumourcard n 1a piece of stiff paper or thin cardboard used for reference, identification, or sending greetings or messages: a business card; a Christmas card 2one of a set of small pieces of cardboard, marked with figures or symbols, used for playing games or for fortune-telling 3a small rectangle of stiff plastic used for identification or for making financial transactions: a library card; a charge card 4(old-fashioned, informal) a witty or eccentric personcardamom n a spice that is obtained from the seeds of a tropical plantcardboard n a thin stiff board made from paper pulpcardholder n a person who owns a credit or debit cardcardiac adj of or relating to the heartcardigan n a knitted jacketcardinal n 1any of the high-ranking clergymen of the Roman Catholic Church who elect the pope and act as his chief counsellors ▸ adj 2fundamentally important; principal ◇ SYNONYMS: principal, first, leading, chief, main, central, key, essentialcardinal number n a number denoting quantity but not order in a group, for example one, two, or threecardinal points pl n the four main points of the compass: north, south, east, and westcardiogram n an electrocardiogram ▸ See electrocardiographcardiograph n an electrocardiograph > cardiographer n > cardiography ncardiology n the branch of medicine dealing with the heart and its diseases > cardiologist ncardiovascular adj of or relating to the heart and the blood vesselscardsharp or cardsharper n a professional card player who cheatscare vb caring, cared 1to be worried or concerned: he does not care what people think about him ◇ SYNONYMS: be concerned, mind, bother, be interested, be bothered, give a damn, concern yourself 2to like (to do something): anybody care to go out? 3 care for Ato look after or provide for: it is still largely women who care for dependent family members ◇ SYNONYMS care for someone: look after, mind, tend, attend, nurse, minister to, watch over Bto like or be fond of: he did not care for his concentration to be disturbed; I don't suppose you could ever care for me seriously ◇ SYNONYMS care for something or someone: like, enjoy, take to, relish, be fond of, be keen on, be partial to 4 I couldn't care lessI am completely indifferent ▸ n 5careful or serious attention; caution: treat all raw meat with extreme care to avoid food poisoning ◇ SYNONYMS: caution, attention, pains, consideration, heed, prudence, vigilance, forethought 6protection or charge: the children are now in the care of a state orphanage ◇ SYNONYMS: custody, keeping, control, charge, management, protection, supervision, guardianship 7trouble or worry: his mind turned towards money cares ◇ SYNONYMS: worry, concern, pressure, trouble, responsibility, stress, anxiety, disquiet 8 care of(written on envelopes) at the address of 9 in or into care(Brit & NZ) (of a child) made the legal responsibility of a local authority or the state by order of a court 10 take careto be careful 11 take care ofto look after: women have to take greater care of themselves during pregnancycareen vb to tilt over to one sidecareer n 1the series of jobs in a profession or occupation that a person has through his or her life: a career in child psychology ◇ SYNONYMS: occupation, calling, employment, pursuit, vocation, livelihood, life's work 2the part of a person's life spent in a particular occupation or type of work: a school career punctuated with exams ▸ vb 3to rush in an uncontrolled way ◇ SYNONYMS: rush, race, speed, tear, dash, barrel (along) (informal), bolt, hurtle ▸ adj 4having chosen to dedicate his or her life to a particular occupation: a career soldiercareerist n a person who seeks to advance his or her career by any means possible > careerism ncarefree adj without worry or responsibilitycareful adj 1cautious in attitude or action ◇ SYNONYMS: cautious, scrupulous, circumspect, chary, thoughtful, discreet 2very exact and thorough ◇ SYNONYMS: thorough, full, particular, precise, intensive, in-depth, meticulous, conscientious > carefully adv > carefulness ncareless adj 1done or acting with insufficient attention ◇ SYNONYMS: slapdash, irresponsible, sloppy (informal), cavalier, offhand, neglectful, slipshod, lackadaisical 2unconcerned in attitude or action ◇ SYNONYMS: nonchalant, casual, offhand, artless, unstudied > carelessly adv > carelessness ncaress n 1a gentle affectionate touch or embrace ▸ vb 2to touch gently and affectionatelycaret ( kar-ret) n a symbol (⁁) indicating a place in written or printed matter where something is to be insertedcaretaker n 1a person employed to look after a place or thing ◇ SYNONYMS: warden, keeper, porter (Brit), superintendent (US), curator, custodian, watchman, janitor ▸ adj 2performing the duties of an office temporarily: a caretaker administrationcareworn adj showing signs of stress or worrycargo n, pl -goes(esp US) -gosgoods carried by a ship, aircraft, or other vehicle ◇ SYNONYMS: load, goods, contents, shipment, freight, merchandise, baggage, consignmentcargo pants or cargo trousers pl n loose trousers with a large external pocket on the side of each legcaribou n, pl -bouor -bousa large North American reindeercaricature n 1a drawing or description of a person which exaggerates characteristic features for comic effect ◇ SYNONYMS: parody, cartoon, distortion, satire, send-up (Brit informal), travesty, takeoff (informal), lampoon 2a description or explanation of something that is so exaggerated or over-simplified that it is difficult to take seriously: the classic caricature of the henpecked husband ◇ SYNONYMS: parody, cartoon, distortion, satire, send-up (Brit informal), travesty, takeoff (informal), lampoon ▸ vb -turing, -tured 3to make a caricature of ◇ SYNONYMS: parody, take off (informal), mock, distort, ridicule, mimic, send up (Brit informal), lampooncaries ( care-reez) n tooth decaycarillon (kar- rill-yon) n 1a set of bells hung in a tower and played either from a keyboard or mechanically 2a tune played on such bellscark vb cark it(Austral & NZ slang) to diecarmine adj vivid redcarnage n extensive slaughter of people ◇ SYNONYMS: slaughter, murder, massacre, holocaust, havoc, bloodshed, shambles, mass murdercarnal adj of a sexual or sensual nature: carnal knowledge > carnality ncarnation n a cultivated plant with clove-scented white, pink, or red flowerscarnival n 1a festive period with processions, music, and dancing in the street ◇ SYNONYMS: festival, fair, fête, celebration, gala, jubilee, jamboree, revelry 2a travelling funfaircarnivore ( car-niv-vore) n 1a meat-eating animal 2(informal) an aggressively ambitious person > carnivorous (car- niv-or-uss) adjcarob n the pod of a Mediterranean tree, used as a chocolate substitutecarol n 1a joyful religious song sung at Christmas ◇ SYNONYMS: song, hymn, Christmas song ▸ vb -olling, -olled(US) -oling, -oled 2to sing carols 3to sing joyfullycarotid (kar- rot-id) n 1either of the two arteries that supply blood to the head and neck ▸ adj 2of either of these arteriescarouse vb -rousing, -rousedto have a merry drinking party: carousing with friendscarousel (kar-roo- sell) n 1a revolving conveyor for luggage at an airport or for slides for a projector 2(US & Canad) a merry-go-roundcarp1 n, pl carpor carpsa large freshwater food fishcarp2 vb to complain or find fault ◇ SYNONYMS: find fault, complain, criticize, reproach, quibble, cavil, pick holes, nit-pick (informal) > carping adj, ncar park n an area or building reserved for parking carscarpel n the female reproductive organ of a flowering plantcarpenter n a person who makes or repairs wooden structures ◇ SYNONYMS: joiner, cabinet-maker, woodworkercarpentry n the skill or work of a carpentercarpet n 1a heavy fabric for covering floors 2a covering like a carpet: a carpet of leaves 3 on the carpet(informal) being or about to be reprimanded 4 sweep something under the carpetto conceal or keep silent about something that one does not want to be discovered ▸ vb -peting, -peted 5to cover with a carpet or a covering like a carpetcarpet snake n a large nonvenomous Australian snake with a carpet-like pattern on its backcarpus n, pl -pithe set of eight bones of the human wristcarriage n 1(Brit & Austral & NZ) one of the sections of a train for passengers 2the way a person holds and moves his or her head and body ◇ SYNONYMS: bearing, posture, gait, deportment, air 3a four-wheeled horse-drawn passenger vehicle ◇ SYNONYMS: vehicle, coach, trap, gig, cab, wagon, hackney, conveyance (old-fashioned) 4the moving part of a machine, such as a typewriter, that supports and shifts another part 5the charge made for conveying goodscarriageway n 1(Brit) the part of a road along which traffic passes in one direction: the westbound carriageway of the M4 2(NZ) the part of a road used by vehiclescarrier n 1a person, vehicle, or organization that carries something: armoured personnel carriers 2a person or animal that, without suffering from a disease, is capable of transmitting it to others 3short for aircraft carrier carrier pigeon n a homing pigeon used for carrying messagescarrion n dead and rotting fleshcarrot n 1a long tapering orange root vegetable 2something offered as an incentivecarroty adj (of hair) reddish-orangecarry vb -ries, -rying, -ried 1to take from one place to another ◇ SYNONYMS: convey, take, move, bring, bear, transfer, conduct, transport 2to have with one habitually, for example in one's pocket or handbag: to carry a donor card 3to transmit or be transmitted: to carry disease ◇ SYNONYMS: transmit, transfer, spread, pass on 4to have as a factor or result: the offence carries a maximum penalty of seven years in prison 5to be pregnant with: she is carrying her third child 6to hold (one's head or body) in a specified manner: she walked out, carrying her head high 7to secure the adoption of (a bill or motion): the resolution was carried by fewer than twenty votes 8(of a newspaper or television or radio station) to include in the contents: several papers carried front-page pictures of the Russian president 9(maths) to transfer (a number) from one column of figures to the next 10to travel a certain distance or reach a specified point: his faint voice carried no farther than the front few rows 11 carry the can(informal) to take all the blame for somethingcarry on vb 1to continue: we'll carry on exactly where we left off ◇ SYNONYMS carry on: continue, last, endure, persist, keep going, persevere, crack on (informal) 2to do, run, or take part in: the vast trade carried on in the city 3(informal) to cause a fuss: I don't want to carry on and make a big scene ◇ SYNONYMS carry on: make a fuss, misbehave, create (slang), raise Cain ▸ n carry-on 4(informal, chiefly Brit) a fuss ◇ SYNONYMS: fuss, disturbance, racket, commotioncarry out vb 1to follow (an order or instruction) ◇ SYNONYMS carry something out: perform, effect, achieve, realize, implement, fulfil, accomplish, execute 2to accomplish (a task): to carry out repairs ◇ SYNONYMS carry something out: perform, effect, achieve, realize, implement, fulfil, accomplish, executecart n 1an open horse-drawn vehicle, usually with two wheels, used to carry goods or passengers 2any small vehicle that is pulled or pushed by hand ▸ vb 3to carry, usually with some effort: men carted bricks and tiles and wooden boardscarte blanche n complete authority: she's got carte blanche to redecoratecartel n an association of competing firms formed in order to fix pricescarthorse n a large heavily built horse kept for pulling carts or for farm workcartilage ( kar-till-ij) n a strong flexible tissue forming part of the skeleton > cartilaginous adjcartography n the art of making maps or charts > cartographer n > cartographic adjcarton n 1a cardboard box or container ◇ SYNONYMS: box, case, pack, package, container 2a container of waxed paper in which drinks are soldcartoon n 1a humorous or satirical drawing in a newspaper or magazine ◇ SYNONYMS: drawing, parody, satire, caricature, comic strip, takeoff (informal), lampoon, sketch 2a film produced by photographing a series of gradually changing drawings, which give the illusion of movement when the series is projected rapidly ◇ SYNONYMS: animation, animated film, animated cartoon > cartoonist ncartridge n 1a metal casing containing an explosive charge and bullet for a gun 2the part of the pick-up of a record player that converts the movements of the stylus into electrical signals 3a sealed container of film or tape, or ink for a printer or pencartridge paper n a type of heavy rough drawing papercartwheel n 1a sideways somersault supported by the hands with legs outstretched 2the large spoked wheel of a cartcarve vb carving, carved 1to cut in order to form something: carving wood ◇ SYNONYMS: sculpt, cut, chip, whittle, chisel, hew (old-fashioned), fashion 2to form (something) by cutting: the statue which was carved by Michelangelo ◇ SYNONYMS: etch, engrave 3to slice (cooked meat) > carver ncarving n a figure or design produced by carving stone or woodcaryatid (kar-ree- at-id) n a supporting column in the shape of a female figure