Collins Dictionaries - Collins Primary Illustrated Dictionary

concert concerts

NOUN a public performance by musicians

concession concessions

NOUN If you make a concession, you agree to let someone have or do something.

concise

ADJECTIVE giving all the necessary information using as few words as possible • a concise explanation

SYNONYMS: brief, short

concisely ADVERB

conclude concludes, concluding, concluded

VERB 1 If you conclude something, you examine the facts and decide what your opinion is. • We concluded that the letter was a fake.

2 When you conclude something, you finish it.

conclusion conclusions

NOUN 1 the end of something

2 a final decision about something • We wanted to go for a swim in the sea, but we came to the conclusion that it was too cold.

concrete

NOUN 1 a building material made by mixing cement, sand and water

ADJECTIVE 2 real and physical, rather than abstract • He had no concrete evidence.

concussion

NOUN damage to the brain caused by a blow or a fall, which causes confusion, sickness or unconsciousness

concussed ADJECTIVE

condemn condemns, condemning, condemned

VERB 1 If you condemn something, you say it is bad and unacceptable.

2 If someone is condemned to a punishment, they are given it. • The burglar was condemned to five years in prison.

condensation

NOUN a coating of tiny drops of liquid formed on a cold surface by steam or vapour

condense condenses, condensing, condensed

VERB 1 If you condense a piece of writing or a speech, you shorten it.

2 When a gas or vapour condenses, it changes into a liquid.

condition conditions

NOUN 1 the state someone or something is in • The antique clock was still in good condition.

2 something that must happen in order for something else to be possible • I can go swimming on Saturday on the condition that I do my homework first.

conduct conducts, conducting, conducted

Said “kon-duct” NOUN 1 behaviour

Said “kon-duct” VERB 2 When you conduct an activity, you carry it out.

3 When someone conducts an orchestra, a band or a choir, they direct it in a piece of music.

4 If something conducts heat or electricity, heat or electricity can pass along it. • Copper conducts electricity well.

conductor conductors

NOUN 1 someone who conducts an orchestra or choir

2 someone who moves round a bus or train selling and checking tickets

3 a substance that conducts heat or electricity

cone cones

NOUN 1 a regular three-dimensional shape with a circular base and a point at the top

2 the fruit of a fir or pine tree

conference conferences

NOUN a meeting at which formal discussions take place

confess confesses, confessing, confessed

VERB If you confess to something, you admit that you did it.

confession confessions

NOUN 1 If you make a confession, you admit that you have done something wrong.

SYNONYM: admission

2 the act of confessing something, especially as a religious act, where people confess their sins to a priest

confetti

NOUN small pieces of coloured paper thrown over the bride and groom at a wedding

[from Italian confetto meaning a sweet]

confide confides, confiding, confided

VERB If you confide in or to someone, you tell them a secret.

confidence

NOUN 1 If you have confidence in someone, you feel you can trust them.

2 Someone who has confidence is sure of their own abilities or qualities.

confident

ADJECTIVE 1 If you are confident about something, you are sure it will happen the way you want it to.

2 Someone who is confident is very sure of themselves and their own abilities.

confidently ADVERB

confidential

ADJECTIVE Confidential information is meant to be kept secret.

confine confines, confining, confined

VERB 1 If someone confines you to a place, you can’t leave it. • The doctor confined Debbie to bed for two weeks as she had pneumonia.

2 If you confine yourself to doing something, you do only that thing. • On their trip abroad, they confined themselves to drinking bottled water.

confirm confirms, confirming, confirmed

VERB 1 If you confirm something, you say or show that it is true. • The teacher confirmed that we had all passed our spelling test.

2 If you confirm an arrangement or appointment, you say it is definite. • Dad confirmed our holiday booking.

confiscate confiscates, confiscating, confiscated

VERB If someone confiscates something, they take it away from someone as a punishment.

[from Latin confiscare meaning to seize for the public treasury]

confiscation NOUN

conflict conflicts, conflicting, conflicted

NOUN 1 disagreement and argument

2 a war or battle

VERB 3 When two ideas or interests conflict, they are different and it seems impossible for them both to be true.

conform conforms, conforming, conformed

VERB 1 If you conform, you behave the way people expect you to.

2 If something conforms to a law or to someone’s wishes, it does what is required or wanted.

conformist NOUN OR ADJECTIVE

confront confronts, confronting, confronted

VERB 1 If you are confronted with a problem or task, you have to deal with it.

2 If you confront someone, you meet them face to face, especially when you are going to fight or argue with them.

confrontation confrontations

NOUN a serious dispute between two people or groups of people who come face to face

confuse confuses, confusing, confused

VERB 1 If you confuse two people or things, you mix them up and are not sure which is which.

2 If you confuse someone, you make them uncertain about what is happening or what to do.

confusion NOUN

congested

ADJECTIVE 1 When a road is congested, it is so full of traffic that normal movement is impossible.

2 If your nose is congested, it is blocked and you cannot breathe properly.

congestion NOUN

congratulate congratulates, congratulating, congratulated

VERB If you congratulate someone, you say that you’re pleased about something good that has happened to them, or praise them for something they have done. • He congratulated us on winning the competition.

congratulations NOUN

congregation congregations

NOUN the people attending a service in a church

congruent

ADJECTIVE In mathematics, things that are congruent are exactly the same size and shape, and would fit exactly on top of each other. • congruent triangles

conifer conifers

NOUN any type of evergreen tree that produces cones

coniferous ADJECTIVE

conjunction conjunctions

NOUN In grammar, a conjunction is a word that links two other words or two clauses, such as and, but, or, while and that. For example: “I love bacon and eggs.” “I’m happy, but my brother is not”.

conjurer conjurers

NOUN someone who entertains people by doing magic tricks

conker conkers

NOUN a brown nut from a horse chestnut tree

connect connects, connecting, connected

VERB 1 If you connect two things, you join them together.

2 If one thing or person is connected with another, there is a link between them.

connection connections

NOUN 1 the point where two things are joined together

2 If you make a connection at a station or airport, you continue your journey by catching another train, bus or plane. • Our train was late, so we missed our connection.

connective connectives

NOUN a word that connects phrases, clauses or words together