Collins Dictionaries - Collins Primary Illustrated Dictionary

NOUN 1 a country that is controlled by another country

2 a group of people or animals living together

colossal

ADJECTIVE very large indeed

[from Greek kolossos meaning huge statue]

colour colours

NOUN the appearance something has as a result of reflecting light • Red, blue and yellow are the primary colours.

colour blind

ADJECTIVE Someone who is colour blind is not able to see the difference between certain colours.

colourful

ADJECTIVE 1 Something that is colourful has a lot of different colours or bright colours.

ANTONYMS: dull, colourless

2 A colourful story is very exciting and interesting.

ANTONYMS: dull, boring

colourless

ADJECTIVE 1 without colour

2 dull and uninteresting

colt colts

NOUN a young male horse

column columns

NOUN 1 a tall, solid, upright cylinder, especially one supporting part of a building

2 In a newspaper or magazine, a column is a vertical section of writing.

3 a group of people or vehicles moving in a long line

coma comas

NOUN a state of deep unconsciousness

comb combs, combing, combed

NOUN 1 a flat object with long, thin, pointed parts, which you use for tidying your hair

VERB 2 When you comb your hair, you tidy it with a comb.

combat combats, combating, combated

NOUN 1 fighting • In the Falklands War many soldiers had to take part in armed combat.

VERB 2 If someone combats something, they try to stop it happening. • We need new ways to combat crime.

combination combinations

NOUN 1 a mixture of things • Fatima won the competition through a combination of skill and determination.

2 a series of numbers or letters used to open a special lock

combine combines, combining, combined

VERB If you combine things, you mix them together. • Combine the butter and sugar, then add the eggs. • The book combines adventure and mystery.

combine harvester combine harvesters

NOUN a large machine used on farms to cut, sort and clean grain

combustion

NOUN the process of burning

come comes, coming, came

VERB 1 If you come to a place, you move or arrive there.

2 If something comes to a particular point, it reaches that point. • The water came up to her waist.

3 When a particular time comes, it happens. • Spring came early this year.

comedian comedians

NOUN an entertainer whose job is to make people laugh

comedy comedies

NOUN a play, film, or television programme that is intended to make people laugh

comet comets

NOUN an object that travels around the sun leaving a bright trail behind it

[from Greek kometes meaning long-haired]

comfort comforts, comforting, comforted

NOUN 1 the state of being pleasantly relaxed

2 a feeling of relief from worry or unhappiness • It’s a comfort to me to know that they are safe.

VERB 3 If you comfort someone, you make them less worried or unhappy.

comfortable

ADJECTIVE 1 If you are comfortable, you are at ease and relaxed.

2 Something that is comfortable makes you feel relaxed. • a comfortable chair

comfortably ADVERB

comic comics

NOUN 1 a magazine that contains stories told in pictures

ADJECTIVE 2 funny • a comic song

comma commas

NOUN the punctuation mark (,). It can show a short pause, or it can separate items in a list or words in speech marks from the rest of the sentence.

command commands, commanding, commanded

NOUN 1 an order to do something

VERB 2 If you command someone to do something, you order them to do it.

commemorate commemorates, commemorating, commemorated

VERB If you commemorate something, you do something special to show that you remember it. • On Remembrance Day we commemorate all the people who died in the two World Wars.

comment comments, commenting, commented

NOUN 1 a remark about something

VERB 2 If you comment on something, you make a remark about it.

commentary commentaries

NOUN a description of an event that is broadcast on radio or television while the event is happening • The commentary on the match was on the radio.

commentator commentators

NOUN someone who gives a radio or television commentary

commerce

NOUN the buying and selling of goods

commercial commercials

NOUN 1 an advertisement on television or radio

ADJECTIVE 2 Commercial activities involve producing large amounts of goods to sell and make money.

commit commits, committing, committed

VERB When someone commits a crime or sin, they do it. • The police know who committed the burglary.

committee committees

NOUN a group of people who make decisions on behalf of a larger group

common commoner, commonest; commons

ADJECTIVE 1 Something that is common exists in large numbers or happens often.

NOUN 2 an area of grassy land where everyone can go

ADJECTIVE 3 If something is common to two or more people, they all have it or use it. • We had a common interest in butterflies.

PHRASE 4 If two things or people have something in common, they both have it. • Sarah and I have a lot in common.

common noun common nouns

NOUN Common nouns name things in general. They begin with lower-case letters: girl, boy, animal, picture.

See noun

common sense

NOUN knowing how to behave sensibly in any situation

Commonwealth

NOUN The Commonwealth is a group of countries that used to be ruled by Britain.

commotion

NOUN a lot of noise and excitement

communal

ADJECTIVE shared by a group of people • The shop had communal changing rooms.

communicate communicates, communicating, communicated

VERB When people communicate, they exchange information, usually by talking or writing to each other.

communication communications

NOUN 1 the act of exchanging information, usually by talking, writing or, in the case of animals, making sounds • the communication of ideas

PLURAL NOUN 2 Communications are electrical or radio systems that allow people to broadcast or communicate information.

communion

NOUN 1 a Christian religious service in which people share holy bread and wine

2 the sharing of thoughts and feelings

community communities

NOUN all the people living in a particular area

commuter commuters

NOUN a person who has to travel a long way to work every day

compact

ADJECTIVE Something that is compact takes up very little space, or no more space than is necessary.

compact disc compact discs

NOUN a music or video recording in the form of a small plastic disc

companion companions

NOUN someone you travel or spend time with

company companies

NOUN 1 a business that sells goods or provides a service

2 If you have company, you have a friend or visitor with you.

PHRASE 3 If you keep someone company, you spend time with them.

comparative comparatives

ADJECTIVE 1 You use comparative to show that something is true only when compared with something else.

NOUN 2 In grammar, the comparative is the form of an adjective or adverb that shows an increase in size, quality or amount. It is usually formed by adding -er to a word, for example, bigger, faster, or by putting more before the word, for example, more difficult.

compare compares, comparing, compared

VERB When you compare things, you see in what ways they are different or similar. • We compared our hair to see whose was longest.

comparison comparisons

NOUN When you make a comparison, you consider two things together and decide in what ways they are different or similar.

compartment compartments

NOUN 1 a section of a railway carriage