Collins Dictionaries - Collins Primary Illustrated Dictionary

2 one of the separate sections of something such as a bag or a box

compass compasses

NOUN 1 an instrument with a magnetic needle that always points north. You use a compass to find your way.

PLURAL NOUN 2 Compasses are a hinged instrument for drawing circles.

compassion

NOUN pity and sympathy for someone who is suffering

compassionate ADJECTIVE

compass point compass points

NOUN one of the 32 marks on the dial of a compass that show direction • North, south, east and west are compass points.

compel compels, compelling, compelled

VERB 1 If you compel someone to do something, you force them to do it.

ADJECTIVE 2 A compelling story or event is extremely interesting.

3 A compelling argument or reason makes you believe that something is true.

compensate compensates, compensating, compensated

VERB 1 To compensate someone means to give them money to replace something that has been lost or damaged.

2 If one thing compensates for another, it cancels out the bad effects of it. • The trip to Disneyland compensated for her long illness.

compete competes, competing, competed

VERB 1 If you compete in a contest or game, you take part in it.

2 If you compete, you try to do better than others.

competent

ADJECTIVE Someone who is competent at something can do it satisfactorily. • He is a competent nurse.

competition competitions

NOUN an event in which people take part to find out who is the best at something

compile compiles, compiling, compiled

VERB When you compile information, you collect it and put it together.

complain complains, complaining, complained

VERB 1 If you complain, you say that you are not happy about something. • The neighbours complained about the noise.

2 If you complain of pain or illness, you say that you have it.

complaint NOUN

complement complements, complementing, complemented

VERB 1 If one thing complements another, the two things go well together. • Her piano music complements the poem.

NOUN 2 In grammar, a complement is a word or phrase that gives information about the subject or object of a sentence. For example, in the sentence Rover is a dog, is a dog is the complement.

Do not confuse complement with compliment.

complete completes, completing, completed

VERB 1 If you complete something, you finish it. • She has just completed her third short story.

ADJECTIVE 2 If something is complete, none of it is missing.

completely

ADVERB totally

SYNONYM: utterly

complex complexes

ADJECTIVE 1 Complex things have many different parts and are hard to understand.

NOUN 2 a group of buildings used for a particular purpose, such a sports complex

complexion complexions

NOUN the quality of the skin on your face

complicated

ADJECTIVE Something that is complicated is hard to understand.

complication complications

NOUN something that makes a situation more difficult to deal with

compliment compliments

NOUN If you pay someone a compliment, you tell them you admire or like something about them.

Do not confuse compliment with complement.

component components

NOUN The components of something are the parts it is made of.

compose composes, composing, composed

VERB 1 If you compose a piece of music, a letter, or a speech, you write it.

2 If something is composed of particular things or people, it is made up of them.

composer composers

NOUN someone who writes music

composition compositions

NOUN 1 a piece of music or writing

2 the things that something is made up of

compost

NOUN a mixture of rotted plants and manure that gardeners add to the soil to help plants grow

compound word compound words

NOUN a word with a single meaning, but made up of two or more words. For example, gingerbread, housework and teapot are all compound words.

comprehend comprehends, comprehending, comprehended

VERB If you comprehend something, you understand it.

comprehensive comprehensives

ADJECTIVE 1 Something that is comprehensive includes everything that you need to know.

NOUN 2 a school where children of all abilities are taught together

comprehensively ADVERB

compress compresses, compressing, compressed

VERB If you compress something, you squeeze it or shorten it. • She compressed her story into one page.

compromise compromises, compromising, compromised

NOUN 1 an agreement in which people accept less than they really wanted

VERB 2 When people compromise, they settle for less than they really wanted.

compulsory

ADJECTIVE If something is compulsory, you have to do it.

computer computers

NOUN an electronic machine that stores information and makes calculations

computerize computerizes, computerizing, computerized; also spelt computerise

VERB When a system or process is computerized, such as train timetables or bank accounts, the work is done by computers.

comrade comrades

NOUN a companion, especially in battle

con cons, conning, conned

VERB 1 If someone cons you, or you are conned, you are tricked into doing something. • He conned me into buying the tickets.

NOUN 2 a trick that makes you believe or do something that you would not normally believe or do

concave

ADJECTIVE A concave surface curves inwards, rather than being level or bulging outwards.

ANTONYM: convex

conceal conceals, concealing, concealed

VERB If you conceal something, you hide it.

conceited

ADJECTIVE Someone who is conceited is too proud of their appearance or abilities.

SYNONYMS: bigheaded, self-important

conceive conceives, conceiving, conceived

VERB 1 If you can’t conceive of something, you can’t imagine it or believe it. • He couldn’t conceive of anything more fun than surfing.

2 If you conceive something such as a plan, you think of it and work out how it could be done. • Alex conceived the idea while eating his lunch.

3 When a woman conceives, she becomes pregnant.

concentrate concentrates, concentrating, concentrated

VERB 1 If you concentrate on something, you give it all your attention. • I need to concentrate on my homework.

2 When something is concentrated in one place, it is all there rather than in several places. • The shops were concentrated in the town centre.

concentrated

ADJECTIVE A concentrated liquid has been made stronger by having water removed from it. • concentrated orange juice

concentration concentrations

NOUN 1 the ability to give your full attention to something you do or hear

2 A concentration of something is a large amount of it in one place.

concept concepts

NOUN an abstract or general idea

conception conceptions

NOUN the idea you have of something

concern concerns, concerning, concerned

NOUN 1 worry about something or someone

2 If something is your concern, it is your duty or responsibility.

VERB 3 If something concerns you or if you are concerned about it, it worries you.

concerned ADJECTIVE

concerning

PREPOSITION You use concerning to show what something is about. • an article concerning fox hunting