Collins Dictionaries - Collins Junior Illustrated Dictionary

captain captains

NOUN 1 A captain is the person in charge of a ship or an aeroplane.

NOUN 2 A captain is the person who leads a team in sports like football.

caption captions NOUN

A caption is the words printed underneath a picture which explain what the picture is about.

capture captures, capturing, captured VERB

If you capture somebody, you take them prisoner.

car cars NOUN

A car is a road vehicle with wheels and an engine. It needs a driver and has room for passengers.

caravan caravans NOUN

A caravan is a vehicle pulled by a car in which people live or spend their holidays.

carbon NOUN

Carbon is a chemical found in coal and diamonds. All living things contain carbon.

carbon footprint carbon footprints NOUN

Your carbon footprint is the amount of pollution released into the atmosphere by the things you do.

card cards

NOUN 1 Card is strong, stiff paper.

NOUN 2 A greetings card usually has a picture on the front and is sent to people on special days such as birthdays.

NOUN 3 Playing cards are small pieces of card with numbers or pictures on them. They are used for card games.

cardboard NOUN

Cardboard is thick, stiff paper.

cardigan cardigans NOUN

A cardigan is a knitted jacket. You fasten it at the front with buttons.

care cares, caring, cared

VERB 1 If you care about something or someone, you think they are important.

VERB 2 If you care for a person or animal, you look after them.

NOUN 3 If you do something with care, you take trouble over it.

career careers NOUN

Someone’s career is the work they do, which they hope to do for a long time. John wants a career in teaching.

careful ADJECTIVE

If someone is careful, they try to do things safely and well.

careless ADJECTIVE

If you are careless, you do not pay attention to what you are doing.

caretaker caretakers NOUN

A caretaker is a person who looks after a large building such as a school.

cargo cargoes NOUN

Cargo is the goods carried on a ship or plane.

carnival carnivals NOUN

A carnival is a sort of party in the streets.

There is usually music and dancing, and people dress up and decorate cars and trucks.

carpenter carpenters NOUN

A carpenter is a person who works with wood, usually for furniture.

carpet carpets NOUN

A carpet is a thick covering for a floor, often made of wool.

carriage carriages

NOUN 1 A carriage is one of the vehicles that make up a passenger train.

NOUN 2 A carriage is also a vehicle with wheels, pulled by horses.

carrot carrots NOUN

A carrot is a long thin orange vegetable that grows under the ground.

See Vegetables on page 260

carry carries, carrying, carried VERB

When you carry something, you pick it up and take it with you.

cart carts NOUN

A cart is a heavy wooden vehicle pulled by horses or cattle on farms.

carton cartons NOUN

A carton is a strong cardboard or plastic box for holding food or drink.

cartoon cartoons

NOUN 1 A cartoon is a film where the characters are drawn instead of being real people.

NOUN 2 A cartoon is also a funny drawing in a magazine, newspaper or book.

cartwheel cartwheels NOUN

A cartwheel is a movement. You put your hands on the floor and move your legs round in a circle until you land on your feet again.

carve carves, carving, carved

VERB 1 If you carve an object, you cut it out of something like stone or wood.

VERB 2 If someone carves a piece of meat, they cut slices from it.

case cases NOUN

A case is a box for keeping or carrying things in.

cash NOUN

Cash is coins and paper money.

cast casts, casting, cast

NOUN 1 The cast of a play or film is all the people who act in it.

NOUN 2 A cast is an object made by pouring liquid plaster or metal into a container and leaving it to harden.

VERB 3 If something casts a shadow onto a place, it makes a shadow fall there.

VERB 4 If someone like a witch casts a spell on someone or something, they do magic that affects that person or thing.

castle castles NOUN

A castle is a large building with thick walls or ditches round it to protect it from attack.

cat cats NOUN

A cat is a small furry animal, often kept as a pet. There are also larger, wild cats, such as lions and tigers.

catalogue catalogues NOUN

A catalogue is a list of things for sale or for looking at.

catch catches, catching, caught

VERB 1 If you catch something, you take hold of it while it is moving.

VERB 2 If you catch a bus or train, you get on it to go somewhere.

VERB 3 If you catch something like measles, you get that illness.

catching ADJECTIVE

An illness that is catching can spread very quickly.

category categories NOUN

A category is a set of things with a particular feature or quality in common.

caterpillar caterpillars NOUN

A caterpillar is a very small animal like a worm with legs, that will change into a butterfly or moth.

cathedral cathedrals NOUN

A cathedral is a large, important church.

cattle NOUN

Bulls and cows are called cattle.

caught VERB

Caught is the past tense of catch.

cauliflower cauliflowers NOUN

A cauliflower is a round white vegetable with green leaves on the outside.

See Vegetables on page 260

cause causes, causing, caused VERB

To cause something means to make it happen.

cautious ADJECTIVE

Someone who is cautious acts carefully to avoid possible danger.

cave caves NOUN

A cave is a large hole in the side of a hill or cliff, or under the ground.

CD CDs NOUN

CD is an abbreviation of compact disc.

CD-ROM CD-ROMs NOUN

CD-ROM is an abbreviation of compact disc read-only memory. It is a disc which can be played on a computer to show sounds and pictures.

ceiling ceilings NOUN

The ceiling is the inside roof of a room.

celebrate celebrates, celebrating, celebrated VERB

If you celebrate something, you do something enjoyable like having a party, to show it is a special occasion.

celebrity celebrities NOUN

A celebrity is a famous person.

celery NOUN

Celery is a vegetable with long, pale green stalks.

See Vegetables on page 260

cell cells

NOUN 1 Animals and plants are made from tiny parts called cells.

NOUN 2 A cell is also a small room where a prisoner lives.

cellar cellars NOUN

A cellar is a room under a house where you can store things.

cement NOUN

Cement is a grey powder which is mixed with sand and water and used to make bricks stick together.

cemetery cemeteries NOUN

A cemetery is a place where dead people are buried.

centimetre centimetres NOUN

A centimetre (cm) is a measure of length. It is the same as 10 millimetres.

centipede centipedes NOUN

A centipede is a tiny animal like a worm, but with lots of legs.