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Casanova n a promiscuous mancasbah n the citadel of a North African citycascade n

1 a waterfall or series of waterfalls over rocks ◇ SYNONYMS: waterfall, falls, torrent, flood, shower, fountain, avalanche, deluge 2 something flowing or falling like a waterfall: a cascade of luxuriant hair ▸ vb -cading, -caded 3 to flow or fall in a cascade: rays of sunshine cascaded down ◇ SYNONYMS: flow, fall, flood, pour, plunge, surge, spill, tumblecase1 n 1 a single instance or example of something: cases of teenage pregnancies ◇ SYNONYMS: instance, example, occasion, specimen, occurrence 2 a matter for discussion: the case before the Ethics Committee ◇ SYNONYMS: situation, event, circumstance(s), state, position, condition, context, contingency 3 a specific condition or state of affairs: a sudden-death play-off in the case of a draw ◇ SYNONYMS: situation, event, circumstance(s), state, position, condition, context, contingency 4 a set of arguments supporting an action or cause: I put my case before them 5 a person or problem dealt with by a doctor, social worker, or solicitor 6 A an action or lawsuit: a rape case ◇ SYNONYMS: lawsuit, trial, suit, proceedings, dispute, action B the evidence offered in court to support a claim: he will try to show that the case against his client is largely circumstantial 7 (grammar) a form of a noun, pronoun, or adjective showing its relation to other words in the sentence: the accusative case 8 (informal) an amusingly eccentric person 9 in any case no matter what 10 in case so as to allow for the possibility that: the President has ordered a medical team to stand by in case hostages are released 11 in case of in the event of: in case of a future conflictcase2 n 1 a container, such as a box or chest ◇ SYNONYMS: cabinet, box, chest, holder 2 a suitcase ◇ SYNONYMS: suitcase, bag, grip, holdall, portmanteau, valise 3 a protective outer covering ◇ SYNONYMS: covering, casing, shell, jacket, envelope, capsule, sheath, wrapper ▸ vb casing, cased 4 (slang) to inspect carefully (a place one plans to rob)case-hardened adj having been made callous by experience: a case-hardened senior policewomancasement n a window that is hinged on one sidecase-sensitive adj distinguishing between upper-case and lower-case letters: your password is case-sensitivecash n 1 money in the form of banknotes and coins ◇ SYNONYMS: money, funds, notes, currency, silver, brass (N English dialect), dough (slang), coinage 2 (informal) money: strapped for cash ◇ SYNONYMS: money, funds, notes, currency, silver, brass (N English dialect), dough (slang), coinage ▸ adj 3 of, for, or paid in cash: cash hand-outs ▸ vb 4 to obtain or pay banknotes or coins for (a cheque or postal order) ▸ See also cash in on > cashless adjcashew n an edible kidney-shaped nutcashier1 n a person responsible for handling cash in a bank, shop, or other businesscashier2 vb to dismiss with dishonour from the armed forcescash in on vb (informal) to gain profit or advantage from: trying to cash in on the disputecashmere n a very fine soft wool obtained from goatscash register n a till that has a mechanism for displaying and adding the prices of the goods soldcasing n a protective case or coveringcasino n, pl -nos a public building or room where gambling games are playedcask n 1 a strong barrel used to hold alcoholic drink 2 (Austral) a cubic carton containing wine, with a tap for dispensingcasket n 1 a small box for valuables 2 (US) a coffincassava n a starch obtained from the root of a tropical American plant, used to make tapiocacasserole n 1 a covered dish in which food is cooked slowly, usually in an oven, and served 2 a dish cooked and served in this way: beef casserole ▸ vb -roling, -roled 3 to cook in a casserolecassette n a plastic case containing a reel of film or magnetic tapecassock n an ankle-length garment, usually black, worn by some Christian priestscassowary n, pl -waries a large flightless bird of Australia and New Guineacast n 1 the actors in a play collectively ◇ SYNONYMS: actors, company, players, characters, troupe, dramatis personae 2 A an object made of material that has been shaped, while molten, by a mould B the mould used to shape such an object 3 (surgery) a rigid casing made of plaster of Paris for immobilizing broken bones while they heal 4 a sort, kind, or style: people of an academic cast of mind ◇ SYNONYMS: type, sort, kind, style, stamp 5 a slight squint in the eye ▸ vb casting, cast 6 to select (an actor) to play a part in a play or film ◇ SYNONYMS: choose, name, pick, select, appoint, assign, allot 7 to give or deposit (a vote) 8 to express (doubts or aspersions) 9 to cause to appear: a shadow cast by the grandstand; the gloom cast by the recession ◇ SYNONYMS: give out, spread, deposit, shed, distribute, scatter, emit, radiate 10 A to shape (molten material) by pouring it into a mould ◇ SYNONYMS: mould, set, found, form, model, shape B to make (an object) by such a process ◇ SYNONYMS: mould, set, found, form, model, shape 11 to throw (a fishing line) into the water 12 to throw with force: cast into a bonfire ◇ SYNONYMS: throw, launch, pitch, toss, thrust, hurl, fling, sling 13 to direct (a glance): he cast his eye over the horse-chestnut trees ◇ SYNONYMS: bestow, give, level, direct 14 to roll or throw (a dice) ◇ SYNONYMS: throw, launch, pitch, toss, thrust, hurl, fling, sling 15 cast aside to abandon or reject: cast aside by her lover 16 cast a spell A to perform magic B to have an irresistible influencecastanets pl n a musical instrument, used by Spanish dancers, consisting of curved pieces of hollow wood, held between the fingers and thumb and clicked togethercastaway n a person who has been shipwreckedcaste n 1 any of the four major hereditary classes into which Hindu society is divided ◇ SYNONYMS: class, order, rank, status, stratum, social order 2 social rank ◇ SYNONYMS: class, order, rank, status, stratum, social ordercastellated adj having turrets and battlements, like a castlecaster sugar n finely ground white sugarcastigate vb -gating, -gated to find fault with or reprimand (a person) harshly > castigation ncasting vote n the deciding vote used by the chairperson of a meeting when an equal number of votes are cast on each sidecastle n 1 a large fortified building or set of buildings, often built as a residence for a ruler or nobleman in medieval Europe ◇ SYNONYMS: fortress, keep, palace, tower, chateau, stronghold, citadel 2 same as rookcast-off adj 1 discarded because no longer wanted or needed: cast-off clothing ▸ n 2 a person or thing that has been discarded because no longer wanted or needed ▸ vb cast off 3 to discard (something no longer wanted or needed) 4 to untie a ship from a dock 5 to knot and remove (a row of stitches, esp. the final row) from the needle in knittingcastor n a small swivelling wheel fixed to a piece of furniture to enable it to be moved easily in any directioncastor oil n an oil obtained from the seeds of an Indian plant, used as a lubricant and purgativecastrate vb -trating, -trated 1 to remove the testicles of 2 to deprive of vigour or masculinity > castration ncasual adj 1 being or seeming careless or nonchalant: she was casual about security ◇ SYNONYMS: careless, relaxed, unconcerned, blasé, offhand, nonchalant, lackadaisical 2 occasional or irregular: casual workers 3 shallow or superficial: casual relationships 4 for informal wear: a casual jacket ◇ SYNONYMS: informal, leisure, sporty, non-dressy 5 happening by chance or without planning: a casual comment ◇ SYNONYMS: chance, unexpected, random, accidental, incidental ▸ n 6 an occasional worker > casually advcasualty n, pl -ties 1 a person who is killed or injured in an accident or war ◇ SYNONYMS: fatality, death, loss, wounded 2 the hospital department where victims of accidents are given emergency treatment 3 a person or thing that has suffered as the result of a particular event or circumstance: 583 job losses with significant casualties among public-sector employees ◇ SYNONYMS: victim, sufferercasuarina (kass-yew-a-reen-a) n an Australian tree with jointed green branchescasuistry n reasoning that is misleading or oversubtle > casuist ncat n 1 a small domesticated mammal with thick soft fur and whiskers ◇ SYNONYMS: feline, pussy (informal), moggy (slang), puss (informal), ballarat (Austral informal), tabby 2 a wild animal related to the cat, such as the lynx, lion, or tiger. RELATED ADJECTIVE: feline 3 let the cat out of the bag to disclose a secret 4 raining cats and dogs raining very heavily 5 set the cat among the pigeons to stir up trouble > catlike adjcataclysm (kat-a-kliz-zum) n 1 a violent upheaval of a social, political, or military nature: the cataclysm of the Second World War 2 a disaster such as an earthquake or a flood > cataclysmic adjcatacombs (kat-a-koomz) pl n an underground burial place consisting of tunnels with side recesses for tombscatafalque (kat-a-falk) n a raised platform on which a body lies in state before or during a funeralcatalepsy n a trancelike state in which the body is rigid > cataleptic adjcatalogue or (US) catalog n 1 a book containing details of items for sale ◇ SYNONYMS: list, record, schedule, index, register, directory, inventory, gazetteer 2 a list of all the books of a library ◇ SYNONYMS: list, record, schedule, index, register, directory, inventory, gazetteer 3 a list of events, qualities, or things considered as a group: a catalogue of killings ▸ vb -loguing, -logued or -loging, -loged 4 to enter (an item) in a catalogue ◇ SYNONYMS: list, file, index, register, classify, inventory, tabulate, alphabetize 5 to list a series of (events, qualities, or things): the report catalogues two decades of human-rights violations > cataloguer ncatalyse or (US) -lyze vb -lysing, -lysed or -lyzing, -lyzed to influence (a chemical reaction) by catalysiscatalysis n acceleration of a chemical reaction by the action of a catalyst > catalytic adjcatalyst n 1 a substance that speeds up a chemical reaction without itself undergoing any permanent chemical change 2 a person or thing that causes an important change to take place: a catalyst for peacecatamaran n a boat with twin parallel hullscatapult n 1 a Y-shaped device with a loop of elastic fastened to the ends of the prongs, used by children for firing stones 2 a device used to launch aircraft from a warship ▸ vb 3 to shoot forwards or upwards violently: traffic catapulted forward with a roar 4 to cause (someone) suddenly to be in a particular situation: catapulted to stardomcataract n 1 (pathol) A a condition in which the lens of the eye becomes partially or totally opaque B the opaque area 2 a large waterfallcatarrh (kat-tar) n excessive mucus in the nose and throat, often experienced during or following a cold > catarrhal adjcatastrophe (kat-ass-trof-fee) n a great and sudden disaster or misfortune ◇ SYNONYMS: disaster, tragedy, calamity, cataclysm, trouble, adversity, fiasco > catastrophic adjcatcall n a shrill whistle or cry of disapproval or derisioncatch vb catching, caught 1 to seize and hold ◇ SYNONYMS: seize, get, grab, snatch 2 to capture (a person or a fish or animal) ◇ SYNONYMS: capture, arrest, trap, seize, snare, apprehend, ensnare, entrap 3 to surprise in an act: two boys were caught stealing ◇ SYNONYMS: discover, surprise, find out, expose, detect, catch in the act, take unawares 4 to reach (a bus, train, or plane) in time to board it 5 to see or hear: you'll have to be quick if you want to catch her DJ-ing 6 to be infected with (an illness) ◇ SYNONYMS: contract, get, develop, suffer from, incur, succumb to, go down with 7 to entangle or become entangled 8 to attract (someone's attention, imagination, or interest) 9 to comprehend or make out: you have to work hard to catch his tone and meaning 10 to reproduce (a quality) accurately in a work of art 11 (of a fire) to start burning 12 (cricket) to dismiss (a batsman) by catching a ball struck by him or her before it touches the ground 13 catch at A to attempt to grasp B to take advantage of (an opportunity) 14 catch it (informal) to be punished ▸ n 15 a device such as a hook, for fastening a door, window, or box ◇ SYNONYMS: fastener, clip, bolt, latch, clasp 16 the total number of fish caught 17 (informal) a concealed or unforeseen drawback ◇ SYNONYMS: drawback, trick, trap, disadvantage, hitch, snag, stumbling block, fly in the ointment 18 an emotional break in the voice 19 (informal) a person considered worth having as a husband or wife 20 (cricket) the act of catching a ball struck by a batsman before it touches the ground, resulting in him or her being out ▸ See also catch on, catch out, catch upcatchcry n, pl -cries (Austral) a well-known, frequently used phrase, esp one associated with a particular groupcatching adj infectious ◇ SYNONYMS: infectious, contagious, transferable, communicable, transmittablecatchment area n 1 the area of land draining into a river, basin, or reservoir 2 the area served by a particular school or hospitalcatch on vb (informal) 1 to become popular or fashionable ◇ SYNONYMS catch on: become popular, take off, become trendy, come into fashion 2 to understand: I was slow to catch on to what she was trying to tell me ◇ SYNONYMS catch on: understand, see, find out, grasp, see through, comprehend, twig (Brit informal), get the picturecatch out vb (informal, chiefly Brit) to trap (someone) in an error or a liecatch phrase n a well-known phrase or slogan associated with a particular entertainer or other celebritycatch up vb 1 be caught up in to be unwillingly or accidentally involved in: hundreds of civilians have been caught up in the clashes 2 catch up on or with to bring (something) up to date: he had a lot of paperwork to catch up on 3 catch up with to reach or pass (someone or something): she ran to catch up with him ▸ n catch-up 4 a meeting held in order to bring someone up to date with developments 5 a facility for watching a television programme after it has been broadcast 6 play catch-up (informal) to attempt to match a standard set by another person or organizationcatchword n a well-known and frequently used phrase or slogancatchy adj catchier, catchiest (of a tune) pleasant and easily rememberedcatechism (kat-tik-kiz-zum) n instruction on the doctrine of a Christian Church by a series of questions and answerscategorical or categoric adj absolutely clear and certain: he was categorical in his denial > categorically advcategorize or -rise vb -rizing, -rized or -rising, -rised to put in a category > categorization or -risation ncategory n, pl -ries a class or group of things or people with some quality or qualities in common ◇ SYNONYMS: class, grouping, heading, sort, department, type, division, sectioncater vb 1 to provide what is needed or wanted: operating theatres that can cater for open-heart surgery 2 to provide food or services: chef is pleased to cater for vegetarians and veganscaterer n a person whose job is to provide food for social events such as parties and weddingscaterpillar n 1 the wormlike larva of a butterfly or moth 2 (trademark) Also: caterpillar track an endless track, driven by cogged wheels, used to propel a heavy vehicle such as a bulldozercaterwaul vb 1 to make a yowling noise like a cat ▸ n 2 such a noisecatfish n, pl -fish or -fishes a freshwater fish with whisker-like barbels around the mouthcatgut n a strong cord made from dried animals' intestines, used to string musical instruments and sports racketscatharsis (kath-thar-siss) n 1 the relief of strong suppressed emotions, for example through drama or psychoanalysis 2 evacuation of the bowels, esp. with the use of a laxativecathartic adj 1 causing catharsis ▸ n 2 a drug that causes catharsiscathedral n the principal church of a dioceseCatherine wheel n a firework that rotates, producing sparks and coloured flamecatheter (kath-it-er) n a slender flexible tube inserted into a body cavity to drain fluidcathode n (electronics) the negative electrode in an electrolytic cell or in an electronic valve or tubecathode rays pl n a stream of electrons emitted from the surface of a cathode in a valvecatholic adj (of tastes or interests) covering a wide rangeCatholic (Christianity) adj 1 of the Roman Catholic Church ▸ n 2 a member of the Roman Catholic Church > Catholicism ncation (kat-eye-on) n a positively charged ioncatkin n a drooping flower spike found on trees such as the birch, hazel, and willowcatnap n 1 a short sleep or doze ▸ vb -napping, -napped 2 to sleep or doze for a short time or intermittentlyCatseyes pl n (trademark, Brit & Austral & NZ) glass reflectors set into the road at intervals to indicate traffic lanes by reflecting light from vehicles' headlightscat's paw n a person used by someone else to do unpleasant things for him or hercattle pl n domesticated cows and bulls. RELATED ADJECTIVE: bovine ◇ SYNONYMS: cows, stock, beasts, livestock, bovinescatty adj -tier, -tiest (informal) spiteful: her remarks were amusing and only slightly catty > cattiness ncatwalk n 1 a narrow pathway over the stage of a theatre or along a bridge 2 a narrow platform where models display clothes in a fashion showCaucasian or Caucasoid adj 1 of the predominantly light-skinned supposed racial group of humankind ▸ n 2 a member of this groupcaucus n, pl -cuses 1 a local committee or faction of a political party 2 a political meeting to decide future plans 3 (NZ) a formal meeting of all MPs of one partycaught vb the past of catchcauldron or caldron n a large pot used for boilingcauliflower n a vegetable with a large head of white flower buds surrounded by green leavescaulk vb to fill in (cracks) with paste or some other materialcausal adj of or being a cause: a causal connection > causally advcausation or causality n 1 the production of an effect by a cause 2 the relationship of cause and effectcause n 1 something that produces a particular effect ◇ SYNONYMS: origin, source, spring, agent, maker, producer, root, beginning 2 grounds for action; justification: there is cause for concern ◇ SYNONYMS: reason, call, need, grounds, basis, incentive, motive, motivation 3 an aim or principle which an individual or group is interested in and supports: the Socialist cause ◇ SYNONYMS: aim, movement, principle, ideal, enterprise ▸ vb causing, caused 4 to be the cause of ◇ SYNONYMS: produce, create, lead to, result in, generate, induce, bring about, give rise to > causeless adjcause célèbre (kawz sill-leb-ra) n, pl causes célèbres (kawz sill-leb-raz) a controversial legal case, issue, or personcauseway n a raised path or road across water or marshlandcaustic adj 1 capable of burning or corroding by chemical action: caustic soda 2 bitter and sarcastic: caustic critics ▸ n 3 (chem) a caustic substance > caustically advcauterize or -ise vb -izing, -ized or -ising, -ised to burn (a wound) with heat or a caustic agent to prevent infection > cauterization or -isation ncaution n 1 care or prudence, esp. in the face of danger ◇ SYNONYMS: care, discretion, heed, prudence, vigilance, alertness, forethought, circumspection 2 warning: a word of caution 3 (law, chiefly Brit) a formal warning given to a person suspected of an offence ◇ SYNONYMS: reprimand, warning, injunction, admonition ▸ vb 4 to warn or advise: he cautioned against an abrupt turnaround ◇ SYNONYMS: warn, urge, advise, alert, tip off, forewarn > cautionary adjcautious adj showing or having caution ◇ SYNONYMS: careful, guarded, wary, tentative, prudent, judicious, circumspect, cagey (informal) > cautiously advcavalcade n a procession of people on horseback or in carscavalier adj 1 showing haughty disregard; offhand ▸ n 2 (old-fashioned) a gallant or courtly gentlemanCavalier n a supporter of Charles I during the English Civil Warcavalry n the part of an army originally mounted on horseback, but now often using fast armoured vehicles ◇ SYNONYMS: horsemen, horse, mounted troops > cavalryman ncave n a hollow in the side of a hill or cliff, or underground ◇ SYNONYMS: hollow, cavern, grotto, den, cavitycaveat (kav-vee-at) n 1 (law) a formal notice requesting the court not to take a certain action without warning the person lodging the caveat 2 a cautioncave in vb 1 to collapse inwards 2 (informal) to yield completely under pressure: the government caved in to the revolutionaries' demands ▸ n cave-in 3 the sudden collapse of a roof or piece of groundcaveman n, pl -men 1 a prehistoric cave dweller 2 (informal) a man who is primitive or brutal in behaviourcavern n a large cavecavernous adj like a cavern in vastness, depth, or hollowness: the cavernous buildingcaviar or caviare n the salted roe of the sturgeon, regarded as a delicacy and usually served as an appetizercavil vb -illing, -illed (US) -iling, -iled 1 to raise annoying petty objections ▸ n 2 a petty objectioncaving n the sport of climbing in and exploring caves > caver ncavity n, pl -ties 1 a hollow space ◇ SYNONYMS: hollow, hole, gap, pit, dent, crater 2 (dentistry) a decayed area on a toothcavort vb to skip about; capercaw n 1 the cry of a crow, rook, or raven ▸ vb 2 to make this crycayenne pepper or cayenne n a very hot red spice made from the dried seeds of capsicumscayman or caiman n, pl -mans a tropical American reptile similar to an alligatorCB 1 Citizens' Band 2 Commander of the Order of the BathCBE Commander of the Order of the British Empire (a Brit. title)CBI Confederation of British Industrycc or c.c. 1 carbon copy 2 (in South Africa) closed corporation 3 cubic centimetreCD compact discCD-ROM compact disc read-only memory: a compact disc used with a computer system as a read-only optical discCE (used, esp. by non-Christians, in numbering years AD) Common Eracease vb ceasing, ceased 1 to bring or come to an end ◇ SYNONYMS: stop, end, finish, come to an end ▸ n 2 without cease without stoppingceasefire n a temporary period of truceceaseless adj without stopping > ceaselessly advcedar n 1 a coniferous tree with needle-like evergreen leaves and barrel-shaped cones 2 the sweet-smelling wood of this treecede vb ceding, ceded to transfer or surrender (territory or legal rights)cedilla n a character (¸) placed underneath a c, esp. in French or Portuguese, indicating that it is to be pronounced (s), not (k)ceilidh (kay-lee) n an informal social gathering in Scotland or Ireland with folk music and country dancingceiling n 1 the inner upper surface of a room 2 an upper limit set on something such as a payment or salary 3 the upper altitude to which an aircraft can climbcelandine n a wild plant with yellow flowerscelebrant n a person who performs or takes part in a religious ceremonycelebrate vb -brating, -brated 1 to hold festivities: let's celebrate! ◇ SYNONYMS: rejoice, party, enjoy yourself, carouse, live it up (informal), make merry, put the flags out, kill the fatted calf 2 to hold festivities to mark (a happy event, birthday, or anniversary) 3 to perform (a solemn or religious ceremony) ◇ SYNONYMS: perform, observe, preside over, officiate at, solemnize 4 to praise publicly: the novel is justly celebrated as a masterpiece > celebration n > celebratory adjcelebrated adj well known: the celebrated musician ◇ SYNONYMS: renowned, popular, famous, distinguished, well-known, prominent, acclaimed, notablecelebrity n, pl -ties 1 a famous person ◇ SYNONYMS: personality, star, superstar, big name, dignitary, luminary, big shot (informal), V.I.P. 2 the state of being famous ◇ SYNONYMS: fame, reputation, distinction, prestige, prominence, stardom, renown, reputeceleriac (sill-ler-ree-ak) n a variety of celery with a large turnip-like rootcelerity (sill-ler-rit-tee) n (formal) swiftnesscelery n a vegetable with long green crisp edible stalkscelestial adj 1 heavenly or divine: celestial music 2 of or relating to the sky or space: celestial objects such as pulsars and quasarscelibate adj 1 unmarried or abstaining from sex, esp. because of a religious vow of chastity ▸ n 2 a celibate person > celibacy ncell n 1 (biol) the smallest unit of an organism that is able to function independently 2 a small simple room in a prison, convent, or monastery ◇ SYNONYMS: room, chamber, lock-up, compartment, cavity, cubicle, dungeon, stall 3 any small compartment, such as a cell of a honeycomb 4 a small group operating as the core of a larger organization: Communist cells ◇ SYNONYMS: unit, group, section, core, nucleus, caucus, coterie 5 a device that produces electrical energy by chemical action 6 (US & Canad) a cellular phonecellar n 1 an underground room, usually used for storage 2 a place where wine is stored 3 a stock of bottled winescello (chell-oh) n, pl -los a large low-pitched musical instrument of the violin family, held between the knees and played with a bow > cellist nCellophane n (trademark) a thin transparent material made from cellulose that is used as a protective wrapping, esp. for foodcellular adj 1 of, consisting of, or resembling a cell or cells: cellular changes 2 woven with an open texture: cellular blankets 3 designed for or using cellular radio: cellular phonescellulite n fat deposits under the skin alleged to resist dietingcelluloid n 1 a kind of plastic made from cellulose nitrate and camphor, used to make toys and, formerly, photographic film 2 the cinema or films generally: a Shakespeare play committed to celluloidcellulose n the main constituent of plant cell walls, used in making paper, rayon, and plasticsCelsius adj denoting a measurement on the Celsius scaleCelt (kelt) n 1 a person from Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Cornwall, or Brittany 2 a member of a people who inhabited Britain, Gaul, and Spain in pre-Roman timesCeltic (kel-tik, sel-tik) n 1 a group of languages that includes Gaelic, Welsh, and Breton ▸ adj 2 of the Celts or the Celtic languagescement n 1 A a fine grey powder made of limestone and clay, mixed with water and sand to make mortar or concrete ◇ SYNONYMS: mortar, plaster, paste B mortar or concrete ◇ SYNONYMS: mortar, plaster, paste 2 something that unites, binds, or joins things or people: bone cement; the cement of fear and hatred of the Left ◇ SYNONYMS: sealant, glue, gum, adhesive 3 (dentistry) a material used for filling teeth ▸ vb 4 to join, bind, or cover with cement ◇ SYNONYMS: stick, join, bond, attach, seal, glue, plaster, weld 5 to make (a relationship) stronger: this would cement a firm alliance between the army and rebelscemetery n, pl -teries a place where dead people are buried: a military cemetery ◇ SYNONYMS: graveyard, churchyard, burial ground, necropolis, God's acrecenotaph n a monument honouring soldiers who died in a warcenser n a container for burning incensecensor n 1 a person authorized to examine films, letters, or publications, in order to ban or cut anything considered obscene or objectionable ▸ vb 2 to ban or cut portions of (a film, letter, or publication) ◇ SYNONYMS: expurgate, cut, blue-pencil, bowdlerizecensorious adj harshly criticalcensorship n the practice or policy of censoring films, letters, or publicationscensure n 1 severe disapproval ◇ SYNONYMS: disapproval, criticism, blame, condemnation, rebuke, reprimand, reproach, stick (slang) ▸ vb -suring, -sured 2 to criticize (someone or something) severely ◇ SYNONYMS: criticize, blame, condemn, denounce, rebuke, reprimand, reproach, scold, damncensus n, pl -suses an official periodic count of a population including such information as sex, age, and occupationcent n a monetary unit worth one hundredth of the main unit of currency in many countriescentaur n (Greek myth) a creature with the head, arms, and torso of a man, and the lower body and legs of a horsecentenarian n a person who is at least 100 years oldcentenary (sen-teen-a-ree) n, pl -naries (chiefly Brit) a 100th anniversary or the celebration of one. US equivalent: centennialcenter n, vb (US) same as centrecenti- prefix 1 denoting one hundredth: centimetre 2 denoting one hundred: centipedecentigrade adj same as Celsiuscentigram or centigramme n one hundredth of a gramcentilitre or (US) centiliter n a measure of volume equivalent to one hundredth of a litrecentimetre or (US) centimeter n a unit of length equal to one hundredth of a metrecentipede n a small wormlike creature with many legscentral adj 1 of, at, or forming the centre of something: eastern and central parts of the country ◇ SYNONYMS: inner, middle, mid, interior 2 main or principal: a central issue ◇ SYNONYMS: main, central, chief, key, essential, primary, principal, fundamental, focal > centrally adv > centrality ncentral heating n a system for heating a building by means of radiators or air vents connected to a central source of heat > centrally heated adjcentralism n the principle of bringing a country or an organization under central control > centralist adjcentralize or -ise vb -izing, -ized or -ising, -ised to bring (a country or an organization) under central control > centralization or -isation ncentral reservation n (Brit & NZ) the strip that separates the two sides of a motorway or dual carriagewaycentre or (US) center n 1 the middle point or part of something ◇ SYNONYMS: middle, heart, focus, core, nucleus, hub, pivot, kernel 2 a place where a specified activity takes place: a shopping centre 3 a person or thing that is a focus of interest: the centre of a long-running dispute 4 a place of activity or influence: the parliament building was the centre of resistance 5 a political party or group that favours moderation 6 (sport) a player who plays in the middle of the field rather than on a wing ▸ vb -tring, -tred (US) -tering, -tered 7 to put in the centre of something 8 centre on to have as a centre or main theme: the summit is expected to centre on expanding the role of the UN ◇ SYNONYMS centre on something or someone: focus, concentrate, cluster, revolve, convergecentrifugal (sent-riff-few-gl) adj 1 moving or tending to move away from a centre 2 of or operated by centrifugal force: centrifugal extractorscentrifuge n a machine that separates substances by the action of centrifugal forcecentripetal (sent-rip-it-al) adj moving or tending to move towards a centrecentrist n a person who holds moderate political viewscenturion n (in ancient Rome) the officer in command of a centurycentury n, pl -ries 1 a period of 100 years 2 a score of 100 runs in cricket 3 (in ancient Rome) a unit of foot soldiers, originally consisting of 100 menCEO chief executive officercephalopod (seff-a-loh-pod) n a sea mollusc with a head and tentacles, such as the octopusceramic n 1 a hard brittle material made by heating clay to a very high temperature 2 an object made of this material ▸ adj 3 made of ceramic: ceramic tilescereal n 1 any grass that produces an edible grain, such as oat, wheat, or rice 2 the grain produced by such a plant 3 a breakfast food made from this grain, usually eaten mixed with milkcerebral (serr-rib-ral) adj 1 of the brain: a cerebral haemorrhage 2 involving intelligence rather than emotions or instinct: the cerebral joys of the literary worldcerebrum (serr-rib-rum) n, pl -brums or -bra (-bra) the main part of the human brain, associated with thought, emotion, and personalityceremonial adj 1 of ceremony or ritual ◇ SYNONYMS: formal, public, official, ritual, stately, solemn, liturgical, courtly ▸ n 2 a system of formal rites; ritual ◇ SYNONYMS: ritual, ceremony, rite, formality, solemnity > ceremonially advceremonious adj excessively polite or formal > ceremoniously advceremony n, pl -nies 1 a formal act or ritual performed for a special occasion: a wedding ceremony ◇ SYNONYMS: ritual, service, rite, observance, commemoration, solemnities 2 formally polite behaviour ◇ SYNONYMS: formality, ceremonial, propriety, decorum 3 stand on ceremony to insist on or act with excessive formalitycerise (ser-reess) adj cherry-redcertain adj 1 positive and confident about something: he was certain they would agree ◇ SYNONYMS: sure, convinced, positive, confident, satisfied, assured 2 definitely known: it is by no means certain the tomb still exists ◇ SYNONYMS: known, true, positive, conclusive, unequivocal, undeniable, irrefutable, unquestionable, nailed-on (slang) 3 sure or bound: the cuts are certain to go ahead ◇ SYNONYMS: bound, sure, fated, destined 4 some but not much: a certain amount 5 particular: certain aspects 6 named but not known: a running commentary by a certain Mr Fox 7 for certain without doubtcertainly adv without doubt: he will certainly be back ◇ SYNONYMS: definitely, surely, truly, undoubtedly, without doubt, undeniably, indisputably, assuredlycertainty n 1 the condition of being certain ◇ SYNONYMS: confidence, trust, faith, conviction, assurance, sureness, positiveness 2 pl -ties something established as inevitable ◇ SYNONYMS: inevitabilitycertifiable adj considered to be legally insanecertificate n an official document stating the details of something such as birth, death, or completion of an academic course ◇ SYNONYMS: document, licence, warrant, voucher, diploma, testimonial, authorization, credential(s)certify vb -fies, -fying, -fied 1 to confirm or attest to ◇ SYNONYMS: confirm, declare, guarantee, assure, testify, verify, validate, attest 2 to guarantee (that certain required standards have been met) ◇ SYNONYMS: confirm, declare, guarantee, assure, testify, verify, validate, attest 3 to declare legally insane > certification ncertitude n (formal) confidence or certaintycervix n, pl cervixes or cervices 1 the lower part of the womb that extends into the vagina 2 (anatomy) the neck > cervical adjcesium n (US) same as caesiumcessation n an ending or pause: a cessation of hostilitiescesspool or cesspit n a covered tank or pit for collecting and storing sewage or waste watercetacean (sit-tay-shun) n a sea creature such as a whale or dolphin, which belongs to a family of fish-shaped mammals and breathes through a blowholecf compareCFC chlorofluorocarbonCGI computer-generated image(s)