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c

1 centi- 2 (cricket) caught 3 cubic 4 the speed of light in free spaceC 1 (music) the first note of a major scale containing no sharps or flats (C major) 2 (chem) carbon 3 Celsius 4 centigrade 5 century: C20 6 coulomb 7 the Roman numeral for 100 8 a high-level computer programming languagec. (used preceding a date) about: c. 1800cab n 1 a taxi ◇ SYNONYMS: taxi, minicab, taxicab, hackney carriage 2 the enclosed driver's compartment of a lorry, bus, or traincabal (kab-bal) n 1 a small group of political plotters 2 a secret plot or conspiracycabaret (kab-a-ray) n 1 a floor show of dancing and singing at a nightclub or restaurant 2 a place providing such entertainmentcabbage n 1 a vegetable with a large head of green or reddish-purple leaves 2 (informal, offensive) a person who is unable to move or think, as a result of brain damagecabbage tree n (NZ) a palm-like tree with a bare trunk and spiky leavescabbie or cabby n, pl -bies (informal) a taxi drivercaber n (Scot) a heavy section of trimmed tree trunk tossed in competition at Highland gamescabin n 1 a room used as living quarters in a ship or boat ◇ SYNONYMS: room, berth, quarters, compartment 2 a small simple dwelling: a log cabin ◇ SYNONYMS: hut, shed, cottage, lodge, shack, chalet, shanty, whare (NZ) 3 the enclosed part of an aircraft in which the passengers or crew sitcabin cruiser n a motorboat with a cabincabinet n a piece of furniture containing shelves, cupboards, or drawers for storage or display: a filing cabinet; a cocktail cabinet ◇ SYNONYMS: cupboard, case, locker, dresser, closet (US), press, chiffonierCabinet n a committee of senior government ministers or advisers to a president ◇ SYNONYMS: council, committee, administration, ministry, assembly, boardcabinet-maker n a person who makes fine furniture > cabinet-making ncable n 1 a strong thick rope of twisted hemp or wire 2 a bundle of wires covered with plastic or rubber that conducts electricity 3 a telegram sent abroad by submarine cable or telephone line 4 Also called: cable stitch a knitted design which resembles a twisted rope 5 short for cable television ▸ vb -bling, -bled 6 to send (someone) a message by cablecable car n a vehicle that is pulled up a steep slope by a moving cablecable television n a television service in which the subscriber's television is connected to a central receiver by cablecaboodle n the whole caboodle (informal) the whole lotcabriolet (kab-ree-oh-lay) n a small two-wheeled horse-drawn carriage with a folding hoodcacao (kak-kah-oh) n a tropical American tree with seed pods (cacao beans) from which cocoa and chocolate are preparedcache (kash) n a hidden store of weapons, provisions, or treasurecachet (kash-shay) n prestige or distinction: a Mercedes carries a certain cachetcack-handed adj (informal) clumsy: I open cans in a very cack-handed waycackle vb -ling, -led 1 to laugh shrilly 2 (of a hen) to squawk with shrill broken notes ▸ n 3 the sound of cackling > cackling adjcacophony (kak-koff-on-ee) n harsh discordant sound: a cacophony of barking > cacophonous adjcactus n, pl -tuses or -ti a thick fleshy desert plant with spines but no leavescad n (old-fashioned, informal) a man who behaves dishonourably ◇ SYNONYMS: scoundrel (slang), rat (informal), bounder (Brit old-fashioned, slang), rotter (slang, chiefly Brit), heel, wrong 'un (slang) > caddish adjcadaver (kad-dav-ver) n (med) a corpsecadaverous adj pale, thin, and haggardcaddie n 1 a person who carries a golfer's clubs ▸ vb -dying, -died 2 to act as a caddiecaddis fly n an insect whose larva (the caddis worm) lives underwater in a protective case of silk, sand, and stonescaddy n, pl -dies (chiefly Brit) a small container for teacadence (kade-enss) n 1 the rise and fall in the pitch of the voice 2 the close of a musical phrasecadenza n a complex solo passage in a piece of musiccadet n a young person training for the armed forces or the policecadge vb cadging, cadged (informal) to get (something) from someone by taking advantage of his or her generosity > cadger ncadmium n (chem) a bluish-white metallic element found in zinc ores and used in electroplating and alloys. SYMBOL: Cdcadre (kah-der) n a small group of people selected and trained to form the core of a political organization or military unitcaecum or (US) cecum (seek-um) n, pl -ca (-ka) the pouch at the beginning of the large intestineCaesar (seez-ar) n 1 a Roman emperor 2 any emperor or dictator 3 short for Caesar saladCaesarean section n surgical incision into the womb in order to deliver a babyCaesar salad n a salad of lettuce, cheese, and croutons with a dressing of olive oil, garlic, and lemon juicecaesium or (US) cesium n (chem) a silvery-white metallic element used in photocells. SYMBOL: Cscafé n 1 a small or inexpensive restaurant that serves drinks and snacks or light meals ◇ SYNONYMS: snack bar, restaurant, cafeteria, coffee shop, brasserie, coffee bar, tearoom, lunchroom 2 (S African) a corner shopcafeteria n a self-service restaurantcaffeine n a stimulant found in tea, coffee, and cocoacaftan n same as kaftancage n 1 an enclosure made of bars or wires, for keeping birds or animals in ◇ SYNONYMS: enclosure, pen, coop, hutch, pound 2 the enclosed platform of a lift in a mine ▸ vb caging, caged 3 to confine in a cage > caged adjcagey adj cagier, cagiest (informal) reluctant to go into details; wary: he is cagey about what he paid for the business > cagily advcagoule (kag-gool) n (Brit) a lightweight hooded waterproof jacketcahoots pl n in cahoots (informal) conspiring together: the loan sharks were in cahoots with the home-improvement companiescairn n a mound of stones erected as a memorial or markercajole vb -joling, -joled to persuade by flattery; coax: he allowed himself to be cajoled into staying on > cajolery ncake n 1 a sweet food baked from a mixture of flour, sugar, eggs, etc. 2 a flat compact mass of something: a cake of soap ◇ SYNONYMS: block, bar, slab, lump, cube, loaf, mass 3 have one's cake and eat it to enjoy both of two incompatible alternatives 4 piece of cake (informal) something that is easy to do 5 sell like hot cakes (informal) to be sold very quickly: commercial novels sell like hot cakes ▸ vb caking, caked 6 to form into a hardened mass or crust: her hair was caked with grease and dustcakewalk n (informal) a task that is easy to accomplishcalamine n a pink powder consisting chiefly of zinc oxide, used to make soothing skin lotions and ointmentscalamitous adj resulting in or from disaster: the country's calamitous economic declinecalamity n, pl -ties a disaster or misfortunecalcify vb -fies, -fying, -fied to harden by the depositing of calcium salts > calcification ncalcium n (chem) a soft silvery-white metallic element found in bones, teeth, limestone, and chalk. SYMBOL: Cacalculable adj able to be computed or estimatedcalculate vb -lating, -lated 1 to solve or find out by a mathematical procedure or by reasoning 2 to aim to have a particular effect: this ad campaign is calculated to offendcalculating adj selfishly scheming ◇ SYNONYMS: scheming, sharp, shrewd, cunning, sly, devious, manipulative, craftycalculation n 1 the act or result of calculating ◇ SYNONYMS: computation, working out, reckoning, estimate, forecast, judgment, result, answer 2 selfish scheming: there was an element of calculation in her insistence on arriving after dark ◇ SYNONYMS: planning, intention, deliberation, foresight, contrivance, forethought, premeditationcalculator n a small electronic device for doing mathematical calculationscalculus n 1 the branch of mathematics dealing with infinitesimal changes to a variable number or quantity 2 pl -li (pathol) same as stoneCaledonian adj Scottishcalendar n 1 a chart showing a year divided up into months, weeks, and days 2 a system for determining the beginning, length, and divisions of years: the Jewish calendar 3 a schedule of events or appointments: concerts were an important part of the social calendar of the Venetian nobilitycalendula n a plant with orange-and-yellow rayed flowerscalf1 n, pl calves a young cow, bull, elephant, whale, or sealcalf2 n, pl calves the back of the leg between the ankle and the kneecalibrate vb -brating, -brated to mark the scale or check the accuracy of (a measuring instrument) > calibration ncalibre or (US) caliber (kal-lib-ber) n 1 a person's ability or worth: a poet of Wordsworth's calibre ◇ SYNONYMS: worth, quality, ability, talent, capacity, merit, distinction, stature 2 the diameter of the bore of a gun or of a shell or bullet ◇ SYNONYMS: diameter, bore, gauge, measurecalico n a white or unbleached cotton fabriccaliph n (Islam) the title of the successors of Mohammed as rulers of the Islamic worldcall vb 1 to name: a town called Eyemouth ◇ SYNONYMS: name, entitle, dub, designate, term, style, label, describe as 2 to describe (someone or something) as being: they called him a Hitler 3 to speak loudly so as to attract attention ◇ SYNONYMS: cry, shout, scream, yell, whoop 4 to telephone: he left a message for Lynch to call him ◇ SYNONYMS: phone, telephone, ring (up) (informal, chiefly Brit), Skype (trademark), video call 5 to summon: a doctor must be called immediately 6 to pay someone a visit: the social worker called and she didn't answer the door 7 to arrange: the meeting was called for the lunch hour 8 call someone's bluff See bluff ▸ n 9 a cry or shout ◇ SYNONYMS: cry, shout, scream, yell, whoop 10 the cry made by a bird or animal 11 a communication by telephone ◇ SYNONYMS: telephone call, bell (informal), phone call, buzz (informal), ring (informal), video call, Skype (trademark) 12 a short visit: I paid a call on an old friend ◇ SYNONYMS: visit 13 a summons or invitation: the police and fire brigade continued to respond to calls ◇ SYNONYMS: request, order, demand, appeal, notice, command, invitation, plea 14 need, demand, or desire: a call for economic sanctions ◇ SYNONYMS: need, cause, reason, grounds, occasion, excuse, justification 15 allure or fascination: the call of the open road ◇ SYNONYMS: attraction, pull (informal), appeal, lure, allure, magnetism 16 on call available when summoned: there's a doctor on call in town ▸ See also call for > caller ncall box n a soundproof enclosure for a public telephonecall centre n (Brit & Austral & NZ) an office where staff carry out an organization's telephone transactionscall for vb 1 to require: appendicitis calls for removal of the appendix ◇ SYNONYMS call for something: require, need, involve, demand, occasion, entail, necessitate 2 to come and fetchcalligraphy n beautiful handwriting > calligrapher n > calligraphic adjcalling n 1 a strong urge to follow a particular profession or occupation, esp. a caring one 2 a profession or occupation, esp. a caring one ◇ SYNONYMS: profession, trade, career, mission, vocation, life's workcalliper or (US) caliper n 1 a metal splint for supporting the leg 2 a measuring instrument consisting of two steel legs hinged togethercallisthenics or calisthenics n light exercises designed to promote general fitness > callisthenic or calisthenic adjcall off vb 1 to cancel or abandon: the strike has now been called off 2 to order (a dog or a person) to stop attacking someonecallous adj showing no concern for other people's feelings > callously adv > callousness ncalloused adj covered in callusescallow adj young and inexperienced: a callow youthcall up vb 1 to summon for active military service 2 to cause one to remember ▸ n call-up 3 a general order to report for military servicecallus n, pl -luses an area of hard or thickened skin on the hand or footcalm adj 1 not showing or not feeling agitation or excitement ◇ SYNONYMS: cool, relaxed, composed, sedate, collected, dispassionate, unemotional, self-possessed, chilled (informal) 2 not ruffled by the wind: a flat calm sea ◇ SYNONYMS: still, quiet, smooth, mild, serene, tranquil, balmy, windless 3 (of weather) windless ◇ SYNONYMS: still, quiet, smooth, mild, serene, tranquil, balmy, windless ▸ n 4 a peaceful state ◇ SYNONYMS: peacefulness, peace, serenity ▸ vb 5 (often foll. by down) to make or become calm ◇ SYNONYMS: soothe, quiet, relax, appease, still, allay, assuage, quieten > calmly adv > calmness ncalorie n 1 a unit of measure for the energy value of food 2 Also: small calorie the quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1°Ccalorific adj of calories or heatcalumny n, pl -nies a false or malicious statement; slandercalve vb calving, calved to give birth to a calfcalypso n, pl -sos a West Indian song with improvised topical lyricscalyx (kale-ix) n, pl calyxes or calyces (kal-iss-seez) the outer leaves that protect the developing bud of a flowercam n a part of an engine that converts a circular motion into a to-and-fro motioncamaraderie n familiarity and trust between friendscamber n a slight upward curve to the centre of a road surfacecambric n a fine white linen fabriccamcorder n a combined portable video camera and recordercame vb the past tense of comecamel n either of two humped mammals, the dromedary and Bactrian camel, that can survive long periods without food or water in desert regionscamellia (kam-meal-ya) n an ornamental shrub with glossy leaves and white, pink, or red flowersCamembert (kam-mem-bare) n a soft creamy cheesecameo n, pl cameos 1 a brooch or ring with a profile head carved in relief 2 a small but important part in a film or play played by a well-known actorcamera n 1 a piece of equipment used for taking photographs, video, or film 2 in camera in privatecameraman n, pl -men a person who operates a camera for television or cinemacamera phone n a mobile phone incorporating a digital cameracamiknickers pl n (Brit) a woman's undergarment consisting of knickers attached to a camisole topcamisole n a bodice-like garment with shoulder strapscamomile or chamomile (kam-mo-mile) n a sweet-smelling plant used to make herbal teacamouflage (kam-moo-flahzh) n 1 the use of natural surroundings or artificial aids to conceal or disguise something ◇ SYNONYMS: protective colouring ▸ vb -flaging, -flaged 2 to conceal by camouflage ◇ SYNONYMS: disguise, cover, screen, hide, mask, conceal, obscure, veilcamp1 n 1 a place where people stay in tents ◇ SYNONYMS: camp site, tents, encampment, camping ground 2 a collection of huts and other buildings used as temporary lodgings for military troops or for prisoners of war ◇ SYNONYMS: bivouac, cantonment (military) 3 a group that supports a particular doctrine: the socialist camp ▸ vb 4 to stay in a camp > camper n > camping ncamp2 (informal) adj 1 effeminate; affected in mannerisms or dress ◇ SYNONYMS: effeminate 2 consciously artificial, vulgar, or mannered ◇ SYNONYMS: affected, mannered, artificial, posturing, ostentatious ▸ vb 3 camp it up to behave in a camp mannercampaign n 1 a series of coordinated activities designed to achieve a goal ◇ SYNONYMS: drive, appeal, movement, push (informal), offensive, crusade 2 (military) a number of operations aimed at achieving a single objective ◇ SYNONYMS: operation, drive, attack, movement, push, offensive, expedition, crusade ▸ vb 3 to take part in a campaign: he paid tribute to all those who'd campaigned for his release > campaigner ncampanology n the art of ringing bells > campanologist ncampanula n a plant with blue or white bell-shaped flowerscamphor n a sweet-smelling crystalline substance obtained from the wood of the camphor tree, which is used medicinally and in mothballscampion n a red, pink, or white European wild flowercampus n, pl -puses the grounds and buildings of a university or collegecamshaft n a part of an engine consisting of a rod to which cams are attachedcan1 vb, past tense could 1 be able to: make sure he can breathe easily 2 be allowed to: you can swim in the large poolcan2 n 1 a metal container, usually sealed, for food or liquids ▸ vb canning, canned 2 to put (something) into a canCanadian adj 1 of Canada ▸ n 2 a person from Canadacanal n 1 an artificial waterway constructed for navigation or irrigation ◇ SYNONYMS: waterway, channel, passage, conduit, duct, watercourse 2 a passage or duct in a person's body: the alimentary canalcanapé (kan-nap-pay) n a small piece of bread or toast spread with a savoury toppingcanary n, pl -naries a small yellow songbird often kept as a petcanasta n a card game like rummy, played with two packs of cardscancan n a lively high-kicking dance performed by a female groupcancel vb -celling, -celled (US) -celing, -celed 1 to stop (something that has been arranged) from taking place ◇ SYNONYMS: call off, drop, forget about 2 to mark (a cheque or stamp) with an official stamp to prevent further use 3 cancel out to make ineffective by having the opposite effect: economic vulnerability cancels out any possible political gain ◇ SYNONYMS cancel something out: counterbalance, offset, make up for, compensate for, neutralize, nullify, balance out > cancellation ncancer n 1 a serious disease resulting from a malignant growth or tumour, caused by abnormal and uncontrolled cell division 2 a malignant growth or tumour ◇ SYNONYMS: growth, tumour, malignancy 3 an evil influence that spreads dangerously: their country would remain a cancer of instability ◇ SYNONYMS: evil, corruption, sickness, pestilence > cancerous adjcandela (kan-dee-la) n the SI unit of luminous intensity (the amount of light a source gives off in a given direction)candelabrum or candelabra n, pl -bra, -brums or -bras a large branched holder for candles or overhead lightscandid adj honest and straightforward in speech or behaviour > candidly advcandidate n 1 a person seeking a job or position ◇ SYNONYMS: contender, competitor, applicant, nominee, entrant, claimant, contestant, runner 2 a person taking an examination 3 a person or thing regarded as suitable or likely for a particular fate or position: someone who smokes, drinks, or eats too much is a candidate for heart disease > candidacy or candidature ncandied adj coated with or cooked in sugar: candied peelcandle n 1 a stick or block of wax or tallow surrounding a wick, which is burned to produce light 2 burn the candle at both ends to exhaust oneself by doing too muchcandlestick or candleholder n a holder for a candlecandlewick n cotton with a tufted pattern, used to make bedspreads and dressing gownscandour or (US) candor n honesty and straightforwardness of speech or behaviourcandy n, pl -dies (chiefly US & Canad) a sweet or sweetscandyfloss n (Brit) a light fluffy mass of spun sugar, held on a stickcandy-striped adj having narrow coloured stripes on a white backgroundcane n 1 the long flexible stems of the bamboo or any similar plant 2 strips of such stems, woven to make wickerwork 3 a bamboo stem tied to a garden plant to support it 4 a flexible rod used to beat someone 5 a slender walking stick ▸ vb caning, caned 6 to beat with a canecane toad n a large toad used to control insects and other pests of sugar cane plantationscanine (kay-nine) adj 1 of or like a dog ▸ n 2 a sharp-pointed tooth between the incisors and the molarscanister n a metal container for dry foodcanker n 1 an ulceration or ulcerous disease 2 something evil that spreads and corruptscannabis n a drug obtained from the dried leaves and flowers of the hemp plant ◇ SYNONYMS: marijuana, pot (slang), green (slang), dope (slang), grass (slang), hemp, dagga (S African)canned adj 1 preserved in a can 2 (informal) recorded in advance: canned carolscannelloni or canneloni pl n tubular pieces of pasta filled with meat or cheesecannery n, pl -neries a place where foods are cannedcannibal n 1 a person who eats human flesh 2 an animal that eats the flesh of other animals of its kind > cannibalism ncannibalize or -ise vb -izing, -ized or -ising, -ised to use parts from (one machine or vehicle) to repair anothercannon n, pl -nons or -non 1 a large gun consisting of a metal tube mounted on a carriage, formerly used in battles ◇ SYNONYMS: gun, big gun, field gun, mortar 2 an automatic aircraft gun 3 (billiards) a shot in which the cue ball strikes two balls successively ▸ vb 4 cannon into to collide withcannonade n continuous heavy gunfirecannonball n a heavy metal ball fired from a cannoncannot vb can notcanny adj -nier, -niest shrewd or cautious > cannily advcanoe n a light narrow open boat, propelled by one or more paddles > canoeist ncanoeing n the sport of rowing or racing in a canoecanon1 n a priest serving in a cathedralcanon2 n 1 (Christianity) a Church decree regulating morals or religious practices 2 a general rule or standard: the Marx-Engels canon ◇ SYNONYMS: rule, standard, principle, regulation, formula, criterion, dictate, statute 3 a list of the works of an author that are accepted as authentic: the Yeats canon ◇ SYNONYMS: list, index, catalogue, roll 4 a piece of music in which a melody in one part is taken up in one or more other parts successivelycanonical adj 1 conforming with canon law 2 included in a canon of writingscanonize or -ise vb -izing, -ized or -ising, -ised (RC Church) to declare (a dead person) to be a saint > canonization or -isation ncanoodle vb -dling, -dled (slang) to kiss and cuddlecanopied adj covered with a canopy: canopied nichescanopy n, pl -pies 1 an ornamental awning above a bed or throne ◇ SYNONYMS: awning, covering, shade, sunshade 2 a rooflike covering over an altar, niche, or door ◇ SYNONYMS: awning, covering, shade, sunshade 3 any large or wide covering: the thick forest canopy 4 the part of a parachute that opens out 5 the transparent hood of an aircraft cockpitcant1 n 1 insincere talk concerning religion or morals 2 specialized vocabulary of a particular group, such as thieves or lawyers ▸ vb 3 to use cant: canting hypocritescant2 n 1 a tilted position ▸ vb 2 to tilt or overturn: the engine was canted to one sidecan't vb can notcantaloupe or cantaloup n (Brit) a kind of melon with sweet-tasting orange fleshcantankerous adj quarrelsome or bad-temperedcantata (kan-tah-ta) n a musical setting of a text, consisting of arias, duets, and chorusescanteen n 1 a restaurant attached to a workplace or school 2 a box containing a set of cutlerycanter n 1 a gait of horses that is faster than a trot but slower than a gallop ▸ vb 2 (of a horse) to move at a cantercanticle n a short hymn with words from the Biblecantilever n a beam or girder fixed at one end onlycanto (kan-toe) n, pl -tos a main division of a long poemcanton n a political division of a country, such as Switzerlandcantor n (Judaism) a man employed to lead synagogue servicescanvas n 1 a heavy cloth of cotton, hemp, or jute, used to make tents and sails and for painting on in oils 2 an oil painting done on canvas 3 under canvas in a tent: sleeping under canvascanvass vb 1 to try to persuade (people) to vote for a particular candidate or party in an election 2 to find out the opinions of (people) by conducting a survey ▸ n 3 the activity of canvassing > canvasser n > canvassing ncanyon n a deep narrow steep-sided valleycanyoning n the sport of travelling down a river situated in a canyon by a variety of means including scrambling, swimming, and abseilingcap n 1 a soft close-fitting covering for the head 2 (sport) a cap given to someone selected for a national team 3 a small flat lid: petrol cap 4 a small amount of explosive enclosed in paper and used in a toy gun 5 a contraceptive device placed over the mouth of the womb 6 an upper financial limit 7 cap in hand humbly ▸ vb capping, capped 8 to cover or top with something: a thick cover of snow capped the cars ◇ SYNONYMS: top, crown 9 (sport) to select (a player) for a national team: Australia's most capped player 10 to impose an upper level on (a tax): charge capping 11 (informal) to outdo or excel: capping anecdote with anecdote ◇ SYNONYMS: beat, top, better, exceed, eclipse, surpass, transcend, outstripcapability n, pl -ties the ability or skill to do something ◇ SYNONYMS: ability, means, power, potential, capacity, qualification(s), competence, proficiencycapable adj 1 having the ability or skill to do something: a side capable of winning the championship ◇ SYNONYMS: able, suited 2 competent and efficient: capable high achievers ◇ SYNONYMS: accomplished, qualified, talented, gifted, efficient, competent, proficient > capably advcapacious adj having a large capacity or areacapacitance n (physics) 1 the ability of a capacitor to store electrical charge 2 a measure of thiscapacitor n (physics) a device for storing a charge of electricitycapacity n, pl -ties 1 the ability to contain, absorb, or hold something ◇ SYNONYMS: size, room, range, space, volume, extent, dimensions, scope 2 the maximum amount something can contain or absorb: filled to capacity 3 the ability to do something: his capacity to elicit great loyalty ◇ SYNONYMS: ability, facility, gift, genius, capability, aptitude, aptness, competence or competency 4 a position or function: acting in an official capacity ◇ SYNONYMS: function, position, role, post, office 5 the maximum output of which an industry or factory is capable: the refinery had a capacity of three hundred thousand barrels a day 6 (physics) same as capacitance ▸ adj 7 of the maximum amount or number possible: a capacity crowdcaparisoned (kap-par-riss-sond) adj (esp. of a horse) magnificently decorated or dressedcape1 n a short sleeveless cloakcape2 n a large piece of land that juts out into the sea ◇ SYNONYMS: headland, point, head, peninsula, promontorycaper n 1 a high-spirited escapade ▸ vb 2 to skip about light-heartedlycapercaillie or capercailzie (kap-per-kale-yee) n a large black European woodland grousecapers pl n the pickled flower buds of a Mediterranean shrub, used in making saucescapillary (kap-pill-a-ree) n, pl -laries 1 (anatomy) one of the very fine blood vessels linking the arteries and the veins ▸ adj 2 (of a tube) having a fine bore 3 (anatomy) of the capillariescapital1 n 1 the chief city of a country, where the government meets 2 the total wealth owned or used in business by an individual or group ◇ SYNONYMS: money, funds, investment(s), cash, finances, resources, assets, wealth 3 wealth used to produce more wealth by investment ◇ SYNONYMS: money, funds, investment(s), cash, finances, resources, assets, wealth 4 make capital out of to gain advantage from: to make political capital out of the hostage situation 5 a capital letter ▸ adj 6 (law) involving or punishable by death: a capital offence 7 denoting the large letter used as the initial letter in a sentence, personal name, or place name 8 (Brit & Austral & NZ old-fashioned) excellent or first-rate: a capital dinner ◇ SYNONYMS: first-rate, fine, excellent, superbcapital2 n the top part of a column or pillarcapitalism n an economic system based on the private ownership of industry ◇ SYNONYMS: private enterprise, free enterprise, private ownership, laissez faire or laisser fairecapitalist adj 1 based on or supporting capitalism: capitalist countries ▸ n 2 a supporter of capitalism 3 a person who owns a business > capitalistic adjcapitalize or -ise vb -izing, -ized or -ising, -ised 1 capitalize on to take advantage of: to capitalize on the available opportunities 2 to write or print (words) in capital letters 3 to convert (debt or earnings) into capital stock > capitalization or -isation ncapitation n a tax of a fixed amount per personcapitulate vb -lating, -lated to surrender under agreed conditions > capitulation ncapon (kay-pon) n a castrated cock fowl fattened for eatingcappuccino (kap-poo-cheen-oh) n, pl -nos coffee with steamed milk, usually sprinkled with powdered chocolatecaprice (kap-reess) n 1 a sudden change of attitude or behaviour 2 a tendency to have such changescapricious adj having a tendency to sudden unpredictable changes of attitude or behaviour > capriciously advcapsicum n a kind of pepper used as a vegetable or ground to produce a spicecapsize vb -sizing, -sized (of a boat) to overturn accidentallycapstan n a vertical rotating cylinder round which a ship's rope or cable is woundcapsule n 1 a soluble gelatine case containing a dose of medicine ◇ SYNONYMS: pill, tablet, lozenge 2 (botany) a plant's seed case that opens when ripe ◇ SYNONYMS: pod, case, shell, vessel, sheath, receptacle, seed case 3 (anatomy) a membrane or sac surrounding an organ or part ▸ adj 4 very concise: capsule coursescaptain n 1 the person in charge of a ship, boat, or civil aircraft ◇ SYNONYMS: commander, skipper 2 a middle-ranking naval officer 3 a junior officer in the army 4 the leader of a team or group ◇ SYNONYMS: leader, boss, master, skipper, head, chief ▸ vb 5 to be captain of > captaincy ncaptcha n a test designed to determine whether a computer user is a person or a machinecaption n 1 a title, brief explanation, or comment accompanying a picture or cartoon ▸ vb 2 to provide with a captioncaptious adj tending to make trivial criticismscaptivate vb -vating, -vated to attract and hold the attention of; enchant ◇ SYNONYMS: charm, attract, fascinate, entrance, enchant, enthral, beguile, allure > captivating adjcaptive n 1 a person who is kept in confinement ◇ SYNONYMS: prisoner, hostage, convict, prisoner of war, detainee, internee ▸ adj 2 kept in confinement ◇ SYNONYMS: confined, caged, imprisoned, locked up, enslaved, incarcerated, ensnared, subjugated 3 (of an audience) unable to leavecaptivity n the state of being kept in confinement ◇ SYNONYMS: confinement, custody, detention, imprisonment, incarceration, internmentcaptor n a person who captures a person or animalcapture vb -turing, -tured 1 to take by force ◇ SYNONYMS: catch, arrest, take, bag, secure, seize, collar (informal), apprehend 2 to succeed in representing (something elusive) in words, pictures, or music: today's newspapers capture the mood of the nation 3 (physics) (of an atomic nucleus) to acquire (an additional particle) ▸ n 4 the act of capturing or the state of being captured ◇ SYNONYMS: arrest, catching, trapping, imprisonment, seizure, apprehension, taking, taking captivecar n 1 a motorized road vehicle designed to carry a small number of people ◇ SYNONYMS: vehicle, motor, wheels (informal), auto (US), automobile, jalopy (informal), motor car, machine 2 the passenger compartment of a cable car, airship, lift, or balloon 3 (US & Canad) a railway carriage ◇ SYNONYMS: (railway) carriage, coach, cable car, dining car, sleeping car, buffet car, vancarafe (kar-raff) n a wide-mouthed bottle for water or winecaramel n 1 a chewy sweet made from sugar and milk 2 burnt sugar, used for colouring and flavouring foodcaramelize or -ise vb -izing, -ized or -ising, -ised to turn into caramelcarapace n the thick hard upper shell of tortoises and crustaceanscarat n 1 a unit of weight of precious stones, equal to 0.20 grams 2 a measure of the purity of gold in an alloy, expressed as the number of parts of gold in 24 parts of the alloycaravan n 1 a large enclosed vehicle designed to be pulled by a car or horse and equipped to be lived in 2 (in some Eastern countries) a company of traders or other travellers journeying togethercaraway n a Eurasian plant with seeds that are used as a spice in cookingcarb n (informal) short for carbohydratecarbide n (chem) a compound of carbon with a metalcarbine n a type of light riflecarbohydrate n any of a large group of energy-producing compounds, including sugars and starches, that contain carbon, hydrogen, and oxygencarbolic acid n a disinfectant derived from coal tarcarbon n 1 a nonmetallic element occurring in three forms: charcoal, graphite, and diamond: present in all organic compounds. SYMBOL: C 2 short for carbon paper, carbon copycarbonate n a salt or ester of carbonic acidcarbonated adj (of a drink) containing carbon dioxide; fizzycarbon copy n 1 a duplicate obtained by using carbon paper 2 (informal) a person or thing that is identical or very similar to anothercarbon dioxide n a colourless odourless incombustible gas formed during breathing, and used in fire extinguishers and in making fizzy drinkscarbon footprint n a measure of the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere through a single endeavour or through the activities of a person, company, etc. over a given periodcarbonic acid n a weak acid formed when carbon dioxide combines with watercarbonize or -ise vb -izing, -ized or -ising, -ised 1 to turn into carbon as a result of partial burning 2 to coat (a substance) with carbon > carbonization or -isation ncarbon-neutral adj not affecting the overall volume of carbon dioxide in the atmospherecarbon offset n a compensatory measure made by an individual or company for carbon emissions, such as tree plantingcarbon paper n a thin sheet of paper coated on one side with a dark waxy pigment, containing carbon, used to make a duplicate of something as it is typed or writtenCarborundum n (trademark) an abrasive material consisting of silicon carbidecarbuncle n a large painful swelling under the skin like a boilcarburettor or (US & Canad) carburetor n a device in an internal-combustion engine that mixes petrol with air and regulates the intake of the mixture into the enginecarcass or carcase n 1 the dead body of an animal 2 (informal) a person's body: ask that person to move his carcasscarcinogen n a substance that produces cancer > carcinogenic adjcarcinoma n, pl -mas or -mata a malignant tumourcard n 1 a piece of stiff paper or thin cardboard used for reference, identification, or sending greetings or messages: a business card; a Christmas card 2 one of a set of small pieces of cardboard, marked with figures or symbols, used for playing games or for fortune-telling 3 a small rectangle of stiff plastic used for identification or for making financial transactions: a library card; a charge card 4 (old-fashioned, informal) a witty or eccentric personcardamom n a spice that is obtained from the seeds of a tropical plantcardboard n a thin stiff board made from paper pulpcardholder n a person who owns a credit or debit cardcardiac adj of or relating to the heartcardigan n a knitted jacketcardinal n 1 any of the high-ranking clergymen of the Roman Catholic Church who elect the pope and act as his chief counsellors ▸ adj 2 fundamentally important; principal ◇ SYNONYMS: principal, first, leading, chief, main, central, key, essentialcardinal number n a number denoting quantity but not order in a group, for example one, two, or threecardinal points pl n the four main points of the compass: north, south, east, and westcardiogram n an electrocardiogram ▸ See electrocardiographcardiograph n an electrocardiograph > cardiographer n > cardiography ncardiology n the branch of medicine dealing with the heart and its diseases > cardiologist ncardiovascular adj of or relating to the heart and the blood vesselscardsharp or cardsharper n a professional card player who cheatscare vb caring, cared 1 to be worried or concerned: he does not care what people think about him ◇ SYNONYMS: be concerned, mind, bother, be interested, be bothered, give a damn, concern yourself 2 to like (to do something): anybody care to go out? 3 care for A to look after or provide for: it is still largely women who care for dependent family members ◇ SYNONYMS care for someone: look after, mind, tend, attend, nurse, minister to, watch over B to like or be fond of: he did not care for his concentration to be disturbed; I don't suppose you could ever care for me seriously ◇ SYNONYMS care for something or someone: like, enjoy, take to, relish, be fond of, be keen on, be partial to 4 I couldn't care less I am completely indifferent ▸ n 5 careful or serious attention; caution: treat all raw meat with extreme care to avoid food poisoning ◇ SYNONYMS: caution, attention, pains, consideration, heed, prudence, vigilance, forethought 6 protection or charge: the children are now in the care of a state orphanage ◇ SYNONYMS: custody, keeping, control, charge, management, protection, supervision, guardianship 7 trouble or worry: his mind turned towards money cares ◇ SYNONYMS: worry, concern, pressure, trouble, responsibility, stress, anxiety, disquiet 8 care of (written on envelopes) at the address of 9 in or into care (Brit & NZ) (of a child) made the legal responsibility of a local authority or the state by order of a court 10 take care to be careful 11 take care of to look after: women have to take greater care of themselves during pregnancycareen vb to tilt over to one sidecareer n 1 the series of jobs in a profession or occupation that a person has through his or her life: a career in child psychology ◇ SYNONYMS: occupation, calling, employment, pursuit, vocation, livelihood, life's work 2 the part of a person's life spent in a particular occupation or type of work: a school career punctuated with exams ▸ vb 3 to rush in an uncontrolled way ◇ SYNONYMS: rush, race, speed, tear, dash, barrel (along) (informal), bolt, hurtle ▸ adj 4 having chosen to dedicate his or her life to a particular occupation: a career soldiercareerist n a person who seeks to advance his or her career by any means possible > careerism ncarefree adj without worry or responsibilitycareful adj 1 cautious in attitude or action ◇ SYNONYMS: cautious, scrupulous, circumspect, chary, thoughtful, discreet 2 very exact and thorough ◇ SYNONYMS: thorough, full, particular, precise, intensive, in-depth, meticulous, conscientious > carefully adv > carefulness ncareless adj 1 done or acting with insufficient attention ◇ SYNONYMS: slapdash, irresponsible, sloppy (informal), cavalier, offhand, neglectful, slipshod, lackadaisical 2 unconcerned in attitude or action ◇ SYNONYMS: nonchalant, casual, offhand, artless, unstudied > carelessly adv > carelessness ncaress n 1 a gentle affectionate touch or embrace ▸ vb 2 to touch gently and affectionatelycaret (kar-ret) n a symbol (⁁) indicating a place in written or printed matter where something is to be insertedcaretaker n 1 a person employed to look after a place or thing ◇ SYNONYMS: warden, keeper, porter (Brit), superintendent (US), curator, custodian, watchman, janitor ▸ adj 2 performing the duties of an office temporarily: a caretaker administrationcareworn adj showing signs of stress or worrycargo n, pl -goes (esp US) -gos goods carried by a ship, aircraft, or other vehicle ◇ SYNONYMS: load, goods, contents, shipment, freight, merchandise, baggage, consignmentcargo pants or cargo trousers pl n loose trousers with a large external pocket on the side of each legcaribou n, pl -bou or -bous a large North American reindeercaricature n 1 a drawing or description of a person which exaggerates characteristic features for comic effect ◇ SYNONYMS: parody, cartoon, distortion, satire, send-up (Brit informal), travesty, takeoff (informal), lampoon 2 a description or explanation of something that is so exaggerated or over-simplified that it is difficult to take seriously: the classic caricature of the henpecked husband ◇ SYNONYMS: parody, cartoon, distortion, satire, send-up (Brit informal), travesty, takeoff (informal), lampoon ▸ vb -turing, -tured 3 to make a caricature of ◇ SYNONYMS: parody, take off (informal), mock, distort, ridicule, mimic, send up (Brit informal), lampooncaries (care-reez) n tooth decaycarillon (kar-rill-yon) n 1 a set of bells hung in a tower and played either from a keyboard or mechanically 2 a tune played on such bellscark vb cark it (Austral & NZ slang) to diecarmine adj vivid redcarnage n extensive slaughter of people ◇ SYNONYMS: slaughter, murder, massacre, holocaust, havoc, bloodshed, shambles, mass murdercarnal adj of a sexual or sensual nature: carnal knowledge > carnality ncarnation n a cultivated plant with clove-scented white, pink, or red flowerscarnival n 1 a festive period with processions, music, and dancing in the street ◇ SYNONYMS: festival, fair, fête, celebration, gala, jubilee, jamboree, revelry 2 a travelling funfaircarnivore (car-niv-vore) n 1 a meat-eating animal 2 (informal) an aggressively ambitious person > carnivorous (car-niv-or-uss) adjcarob n the pod of a Mediterranean tree, used as a chocolate substitutecarol n 1 a joyful religious song sung at Christmas ◇ SYNONYMS: song, hymn, Christmas song ▸ vb -olling, -olled (US) -oling, -oled 2 to sing carols 3 to sing joyfullycarotid (kar-rot-id) n 1 either of the two arteries that supply blood to the head and neck ▸ adj 2 of either of these arteriescarouse vb -rousing, -roused to have a merry drinking party: carousing with friendscarousel (kar-roo-sell) n 1 a revolving conveyor for luggage at an airport or for slides for a projector 2 (US & Canad) a merry-go-roundcarp1 n, pl carp or carps a large freshwater food fishcarp2 vb to complain or find fault ◇ SYNONYMS: find fault, complain, criticize, reproach, quibble, cavil, pick holes, nit-pick (informal) > carping adj, ncar park n an area or building reserved for parking carscarpel n the female reproductive organ of a flowering plantcarpenter n a person who makes or repairs wooden structures ◇ SYNONYMS: joiner, cabinet-maker, woodworkercarpentry n the skill or work of a carpentercarpet n 1 a heavy fabric for covering floors 2 a covering like a carpet: a carpet of leaves 3 on the carpet (informal) being or about to be reprimanded 4 sweep something under the carpet to conceal or keep silent about something that one does not want to be discovered ▸ vb -peting, -peted 5 to cover with a carpet or a covering like a carpetcarpet snake n a large nonvenomous Australian snake with a carpet-like pattern on its backcarpus n, pl -pi the set of eight bones of the human wristcarriage n 1 (Brit & Austral & NZ) one of the sections of a train for passengers 2 the way a person holds and moves his or her head and body ◇ SYNONYMS: bearing, posture, gait, deportment, air 3 a four-wheeled horse-drawn passenger vehicle ◇ SYNONYMS: vehicle, coach, trap, gig, cab, wagon, hackney, conveyance (old-fashioned) 4 the moving part of a machine, such as a typewriter, that supports and shifts another part 5 the charge made for conveying goodscarriageway n 1 (Brit) the part of a road along which traffic passes in one direction: the westbound carriageway of the M4 2 (NZ) the part of a road used by vehiclescarrier n 1 a person, vehicle, or organization that carries something: armoured personnel carriers 2 a person or animal that, without suffering from a disease, is capable of transmitting it to others 3 short for aircraft carriercarrier pigeon n a homing pigeon used for carrying messagescarrion n dead and rotting fleshcarrot n 1 a long tapering orange root vegetable 2 something offered as an incentivecarroty adj (of hair) reddish-orangecarry vb -ries, -rying, -ried 1 to take from one place to another ◇ SYNONYMS: convey, take, move, bring, bear, transfer, conduct, transport 2 to have with one habitually, for example in one's pocket or handbag: to carry a donor card 3 to transmit or be transmitted: to carry disease ◇ SYNONYMS: transmit, transfer, spread, pass on 4 to have as a factor or result: the offence carries a maximum penalty of seven years in prison 5 to be pregnant with: she is carrying her third child 6 to hold (one's head or body) in a specified manner: she walked out, carrying her head high 7 to secure the adoption of (a bill or motion): the resolution was carried by fewer than twenty votes 8 (of a newspaper or television or radio station) to include in the contents: several papers carried front-page pictures of the Russian president 9 (maths) to transfer (a number) from one column of figures to the next 10 to travel a certain distance or reach a specified point: his faint voice carried no farther than the front few rows 11 carry the can (informal) to take all the blame for somethingcarry on vb 1 to continue: we'll carry on exactly where we left off ◇ SYNONYMS carry on: continue, last, endure, persist, keep going, persevere, crack on (informal) 2 to do, run, or take part in: the vast trade carried on in the city 3 (informal) to cause a fuss: I don't want to carry on and make a big scene ◇ SYNONYMS carry on: make a fuss, misbehave, create (slang), raise Cain ▸ n carry-on 4 (informal, chiefly Brit) a fuss ◇ SYNONYMS: fuss, disturbance, racket, commotioncarry out vb 1 to follow (an order or instruction) ◇ SYNONYMS carry something out: perform, effect, achieve, realize, implement, fulfil, accomplish, execute 2 to accomplish (a task): to carry out repairs ◇ SYNONYMS carry something out: perform, effect, achieve, realize, implement, fulfil, accomplish, executecart n 1 an open horse-drawn vehicle, usually with two wheels, used to carry goods or passengers 2 any small vehicle that is pulled or pushed by hand ▸ vb 3 to carry, usually with some effort: men carted bricks and tiles and wooden boardscarte blanche n complete authority: she's got carte blanche to redecoratecartel n an association of competing firms formed in order to fix pricescarthorse n a large heavily built horse kept for pulling carts or for farm workcartilage (kar-till-ij) n a strong flexible tissue forming part of the skeleton > cartilaginous adjcartography n the art of making maps or charts > cartographer n > cartographic adjcarton n 1 a cardboard box or container ◇ SYNONYMS: box, case, pack, package, container 2 a container of waxed paper in which drinks are soldcartoon n 1 a humorous or satirical drawing in a newspaper or magazine ◇ SYNONYMS: drawing, parody, satire, caricature, comic strip, takeoff (informal), lampoon, sketch 2 a film produced by photographing a series of gradually changing drawings, which give the illusion of movement when the series is projected rapidly ◇ SYNONYMS: animation, animated film, animated cartoon > cartoonist ncartridge n 1 a metal casing containing an explosive charge and bullet for a gun 2 the part of the pick-up of a record player that converts the movements of the stylus into electrical signals 3 a sealed container of film or tape, or ink for a printer or pencartridge paper n a type of heavy rough drawing papercartwheel n 1 a sideways somersault supported by the hands with legs outstretched 2 the large spoked wheel of a cartcarve vb carving, carved 1 to cut in order to form something: carving wood ◇ SYNONYMS: sculpt, cut, chip, whittle, chisel, hew (old-fashioned), fashion 2 to form (something) by cutting: the statue which was carved by Michelangelo ◇ SYNONYMS: etch, engrave 3 to slice (cooked meat) > carver ncarving n a figure or design produced by carving stone or woodcaryatid (kar-ree-at-id) n a supporting column in the shape of a female figure