Collins Dictionaries - Collins Primary Illustrated Dictionary

2 a piece of cork pushed into the end of a bottle to close it

corkscrew corkscrews

NOUN a device for pulling corks out of bottles

corn

NOUN 1 crops such as wheat and barley

2 the seeds of these crops

corner corners, cornering, cornered

NOUN 1 the point where two sides or edges of something meet • The TV was in the corner of the room.

See vertex

VERB 2 If someone corners a person or animal, they get them into a place they can’t escape from. • The police cornered the thief.

cornet cornets

NOUN a small, brass instrument used in brass and military bands

coronation coronations

NOUN the ceremony at which a king or queen is crowned

coroner coroners

NOUN an official who investigates the deaths of people who have died in a violent or unusual way

corporal corporals

NOUN an officer of low rank in the army or air force

corporal punishment

NOUN punishing of people by beating them

corps

Said “kor” NOUN part of an army with special duties • the Medical Corps

corpse corpses

NOUN a dead body

correct corrects, correcting, corrected

ADJECTIVE 1 If something is correct, there are no mistakes in it.

VERB 2 If you correct something that is wrong, you make it right. • She corrected my maths homework.

correction NOUN

correspond corresponds, corresponding, corresponded

VERB 1 If one thing corresponds with another, it is similar to it or it matches it in some way.

2 If numbers or amounts correspond, they are the same.

3 When people correspond, they write to each other.

correspondence

NOUN 1 letters or the writing of letters

2 If there is a correspondence between two things, there is a similarity between them.

correspondent correspondents

NOUN a newspaper, radio or television reporter

corridor corridors

NOUN a passage in a building or train

[from Old Italian corridore meaning place for running]

corrode corrodes, corroding, corroded

VERB When something corrodes, it is eaten away. When iron and steel are corroded, rust is formed.

corrosion NOUN corrosive ADJECTIVE

corrugated

ADJECTIVE Corrugated metal or cardboard has parallel folds to make it stronger.

corrupt corrupts, corrupting, corrupted

ADJECTIVE 1 People who are corrupt act dishonestly or illegally in return for money or power.

SYNONYM: dishonest

VERB 2 If you corrupt someone, you make them dishonest.

3 If a bug in a computer spoils files, it corrupts them.

corruption NOUN

cosmetics

PLURAL NOUN lipstick, face powder and other make-up

cosmic

ADJECTIVE belonging to or relating to the whole universe

cosmos

NOUN the universe

cost costs, costing, cost

NOUN 1 the amount of money needed to buy, do or make something

VERB 2 You use cost to talk about the amount of money you have to pay for things. • You can’t have that – it costs too much.

costume costumes

NOUN 1 a set of clothes worn by an actor

2 the clothing worn in a particular place or during a particular period

cosy cosier, cosiest

ADJECTIVE warm and comfortable

cot cots

NOUN a small bed for a baby, with bars or panels round it to stop the baby falling out

cottage cottages

NOUN a small house, especially in the country

cotton

NOUN 1 cloth made from the soft fibres of the cotton plant • a cotton shirt

2 thread used for sewing • a needle and cotton

couch couches

NOUN a long, soft piece of furniture for sitting or lying on

cough coughs, coughing, coughed

VERB When you cough, you force air out of your throat with a sudden harsh noise.

could

VERB 1 the past tense of can

2 You use could to say that something might happen or might be true. • It could rain later.

3 You use could when you are asking for something politely. • Could you tell me the way to the station, please?

couldn’t

VERB a contraction of could not

council councils

NOUN a group of people elected to look after something, especially the affairs of a town, district or county

counsel counsels, counselling, counselled

NOUN 1 advice

VERB 2 If someone counsels people, they give them advice about their problems.

count counts, counting, counted

VERB 1 When you count, you say all the numbers in order up to a particular number.

2 If you count, or count up, all the things in a group, you add them up to see how many there are.

3 If you can count on someone or something, you can rely on them. • You can count on me to help.

PHRASE 4 If you keep count of something, you keep a record of how often it happens. • Who’s keeping count of the score?

5 If you lose count of something, you cannot remember how often it has happened.

counter counters

NOUN 1 a long, flat surface in a shop, over which goods are sold

2 a small, flat, round object used in board games

counterfeit counterfeits, counterfeiting, counterfeited

Said “kown-ter-fit” ADJECTIVE 1 Counterfeit things are not genuine, but have been made to look genuine in order to deceive people. • counterfeit money

VERB 2 If someone counterfeits something, they make an exact copy of it in order to trick people.

countless

ADJECTIVE too many to count

country countries

NOUN 1 one of the political areas the world is divided into

2 land away from towns and cities • It is peaceful living in the country.

countryside

NOUN land away from towns and cities

county counties

NOUN a region with its own local government • The county of Lincolnshire is in the east of England.

couple couples

NOUN 1 two people who are married or having a romantic relationship

2 A couple of things or people means two of them, or not very many.

couplet couplets

NOUN two lines of poetry together that usually rhyme

coupon coupons

NOUN 1 a piece of printed paper that entitles you to pay less than usual for something

2 a form you fill in to ask for information or to enter a competition

courage

NOUN the quality shown by people who do things that they know are dangerous or difficult • She showed great courage in her efforts to save them from the burning house.

courageous ADJECTIVE

courageously ADVERB

courgette courgettes

NOUN a vegetable that looks like a small green marrow

courier couriers

NOUN 1 someone employed by a travel company to look after people on holiday

2 someone employed to deliver letters and parcels quickly

course courses

NOUN 1 a series of lessons or lectures

2 a piece of land where races take place or golf is played

3 the route something such as a ship or a river takes • The captain changed course to avoid the storm.

4 one of the parts of a meal • The first course was soup.

PHRASE 5 If you say of course, you are showing that you are absolutely sure about something. • Of course she wouldn’t do a thing like that.

court courts

NOUN 1 a place where legal matters are decided by a judge and jury or a magistrate. The judge and jury or magistrate can also be referred to as the court. • He is due to appear in court next week. • The court awarded him ten thousand pounds in compensation.

2 a place where a game such as tennis or badminton is played

3 the place where a king or queen lives and works

courteous

ADJECTIVE Courteous behaviour is polite and considerate.

courteously ADVERB

courtyard courtyards

NOUN a flat area of ground surrounded by buildings or walls

cousin cousins

NOUN Your cousin is the child of your uncle or aunt.

cove coves