Collins Dictionaries - Collins Junior Illustrated Dictionary

coat coats

NOUN 1 A coat is a piece of clothing with long sleeves, that you wear over other clothes when you go out.

NOUN 2 An animal’s coat is its fur.

NOUN 3 A layer of paint is called a coat.

cobweb cobwebs NOUN

A cobweb is a net made by a spider to trap insects.

cock cocks NOUN

A cock is any male bird.

cocoa NOUN

Cocoa is a brown powder made from the seeds of the cacao tree, and also a hot drink made from this powder.

coconut coconuts NOUN

A coconut is a large nut with white flesh, milky juice, and a hard hairy shell.

cocoon cocoons NOUN

A cocoon is a covering of silky threads that some young insects make for themselves before they grow into adults.

cod NOUN

A cod is a large sea fish which is caught for food.

code codes

NOUN 1 A code is a system of changing letters in a message for other letters or symbols, so that only people who know the code can read it.

NOUN 2 A code is also a group of letters and numbers that identify something. Do you know the telephone code for York?

NOUN 3 A code is also a set of rules.

coffee NOUN

Coffee is a coarse powder made by grinding roasted coffee beans, and also a hot drink made from this powder.

See Drinks on page 261

cog cogs NOUN

A cog is a wheel with teeth which turns another part of a machine.

coil coils NOUN

A coil is a series of loops into which something has been wound.

coin coins NOUN

A coin is a small piece of metal used as money.

cold colder, coldest; colds

ADJECTIVE 1 If the weather is cold, the temperature outside is low.

NOUN 2 A cold is a common illness. You sneeze and your nose feels blocked.

collage collages NOUN

A collage is a picture made by sticking pieces of paper or cloth onto a surface.

collapse collapses, collapsing, collapsed VERB

If someone or something collapses, they suddenly fall down.

collar collars

NOUN 1 The collar of a shirt or jacket is the part that fits round your neck.

NOUN 2 A collar is also a leather band round the neck of a dog or cat.

collect collects, collecting, collected

VERB 1 If you collect a number of things, you bring them together for a special reason. She collected sticks for firewood.

VERB 2 If you collect someone or something from a place, you call there and take them away. We had to collect her from school.

collection collections NOUN

A collection is a group of things brought together over a period of time. My dad’s got a huge stamp collection.

collective noun collective nouns NOUN

In grammar, a collective noun refers to a group of things. For example, a group of sheep is called a “flock”.

See Collective nouns on page 268

college colleges NOUN

A college is where people go to study after they have left school.

collide collides, colliding, collided VERB

If a moving object collides with something, it hits it.

collision NOUN

colon colons NOUN

The punctuation mark : is a colon. You can use it in several ways, for example in front of a list of things.

See Punctuation on page 270

colour colours NOUN

The colour of something is the way it looks in daylight. The colour of grass is green.

See Colours and shapes on page 266

colt colts NOUN

A colt is a young male horse.

column columns

NOUN 1 A column is a tall stone post which supports part of a building.

NOUN 2 A column is also a vertical strip of print in a newspaper or magazine.

NOUN 3 If numbers are arranged in vertical lists, these are called columns.

comb combs NOUN

A comb is a flat piece of plastic or metal with narrow teeth on one edge. You use it to tidy your hair.

combine combines, combining, combined VERB

If you combine things, you mix them together.

come comes, coming, came, come

VERB 1 To come to a place is to move there or arrive there.

VERB 2 If you come from a place, you were born there, or it is your home.

comedy comedies NOUN

A comedy is a play or film that makes people laugh.

comet comets NOUN

A comet is an object which travels around the sun, leaving a long bright trail behind it.

comfort comforts, comforting, comforted VERB

If you comfort someone, you make them feel less worried or unhappy.

comfortable ADJECTIVE

If something is comfortable, it is easy to wear or use.

comic comics NOUN

A comic is a magazine that tells stories in pictures.

comma commas NOUN

A comma is a punctuation mark (,) which is used to separate parts of a sentence or items on a list.

See Punctuation on page 270

command commands, commanding, commanded VERB

If you command someone to do something, you order them to do it.

commercial commercials NOUN

A commercial is an advertisement on television or radio.

common ADJECTIVE

If something is common, you often see it or it often happens.

common noun common nouns NOUN

Common nouns name things in general. For example, “boy”, “dog” and “computer” are all common nouns.

See Noun on page 268

common sense NOUN

If you have common sense, you usually act sensibly and do the right thing.

commotion NOUN

A commotion is a lot of noise, confusion and excitement.

communicate communicates, communicating, communicated VERB

If you communicate with someone, you give them information by talking or writing to them.

compact disc compact discs NOUN

A compact disc is a round flat silver-coloured object which can store information. It is called a CD for short.

company companies

NOUN 1 Company is being with others so you are not lonely.

NOUN 2 A company is a group of people who work together to make or sell things.

comparative comparatives NOUN

In grammar, the comparative is the form of an adjective which has “more” of that adjective. For example, “happier” is the comparative of “happy”.

See Adjective on page 269

compare compares, comparing, compared VERB

When you compare two or more things, you look at them to see in what ways they are the same or different.

compass compasses

NOUN 1 A compass is an instrument with a needle that always points to north.

NOUN 2 A pair of compasses is an instrument used for drawing circles.

compass point compass points NOUN

The main compass points are north, south, east and west.

competition competitions NOUN

A competition is an event to find out who is best at doing something.

complain complains, complaining, complained VERB

If you complain, you say that you are not happy about something.

complete

ADJECTIVE 1 If something is complete, it has been finished.

ADJECTIVE 2 If you talk about a complete thing, you mean all of it. I need a complete change of clothes.

complicated ADJECTIVE

Something complicated is made up of so many parts that it is difficult to understand or deal with.