C Flashcards
candid
candid [ˈkæn.dɪd] approving adjective honest and telling the truth, especially about something difficult or painful • The two presidents have had candid talks about the current crisis. • To be candid with you, I think you’re making a dreadful mistake.
cereal
cereal [ˈsɪə.ri.əl] [ˈsɪr.i-] noun countable or uncountable [cereals] 1. < > a plant which is grown to produce grain • cereal crops Thesaurus+: ↑Cereals ↑Types of plant 2. < > a food that is made from grain and eaten with milk, especially in the morning Thesaurus+: ↑Cereals
chalk
chalk [tʃɔːk] [tʃɑːk] noun countable or uncountable [chalks] a type of soft white rock, or (a stick of) this rock or a similar substance used for writing or drawing Thesaurus+: ↑Types of rock ↑Precious and semi-precious stones ↑Writing implements Idiom: like chalk and cheese Derived: chalkiness ▪ chalky verb intransitive or transitive to write something with a piece of chalk Thesaurus+: ↑Writing and typing PhrasalVerb: chalk something up
chap
chap [tʃæp] (also chappie , also chappy) UK informal old-fashioned noun countable or [chaps] a man • He’s a friendly sort of a chap. Thesaurus+: ↑Kinds of men ↑Men and women Seealso: chappie ▪ chappy ▪ II. chap. noun countable written abbreviation for chapter • Chap. 21 Thesaurus+: ↑Books and parts of books ▪ III. chap [tʃæp] verb intransitive or transitive [-pp-] • The cold wind had chapped her lips. Thesaurus+: ↑Cutting and stabbing ↑Rough, irregular and uneven Mainentry: chapped derived
chapel
chapel [ˈtʃæp. ə l] noun countable [chapels] 1. < > a room within a larger building, which is used for Christian worship • The college/hospital/prison has its own chapel. • the Chapel of St Paul Thesaurus+: ↑Religious buildings and places 2. < > mainly UK a building which is used for Christian worship by Christians who do not belong to the Church of England or the Roman Catholic Church Thesaurus+: ↑Religious buildings and places • The chapel became a sanctuary for the refugees. • They meet in an old house, whose basement has been converted into a chapel. • We always went to chapel on Sundays. • They built a small chapel from the local rock.
cater
cater [ˈkeɪ.tə r ] [-t ̬ɚ] verb intransitive or transitive [caters catering catered] to provide, and sometimes serve, food • I’m catering for twelve on Sunday, all the family are coming. • Which firm will be catering at the wedding reception? • US Who catered your party? Thesaurus+: ↑Providing and serving meals PhrasalVerbs: cater for somebody ▪ cater to somebody Derived: caterer ▪ catering
cape
cape [keɪp] noun countable [capes] LAND 1. a very large piece of land sticking out into the sea • the Cape of Good Hope Thesaurus+: ↑Promontories and peninsulas COAT 2. a type of loose coat without sleeves, which is fastened at the neck and hangs from the shoulders
cherish
cherish [ˈtʃer.ɪʃ] verb transitive [cherishes cherishing cherished] 1. to love, protect and care for someone or something that is important to you • Although I cherish my children, I do allow them their independence. • Her most cherished possession is a 1926 letter from F. Scott Fitzgerald. • Freedom of speech is a cherished (= carefully protected) right in this country. Thesaurus+: ↑Loving and in love ↑Defending and protecting ↑Backing, supporting and defending ↑Preserving and saving 2. to keep hopes, memories or ideas in your mind because they are important to you and bring you pleasure • I cherish the memories of the time we spent together. Thesaurus+: ↑Remembering, reminding and reminders
chimney
himney chim|ney noun (pl. chimneys) 1) a vertical channel or pipe which conducts smoke and combustion gases up from a fire or furnace and typically through the roof of a building ■ a chimney stack 2) a glass tube protecting the flame of a lamp 3) a very steep narrow cleft by which a rock face may be climbed • Origin: Middle English (denoting a fireplace or furnace): from Old French cheminee ‘chimney, fireplace’, from late Latin caminata, perhaps from camera caminata ‘room with a fireplace’, from Latin caminus ‘forge, furnace’, from Greek kaminos ‘oven’
choke
[tʃo͟ʊk] chokes, choking, choked 1) V-ERG When you choke or when something chokes you, you cannot breathe properly or get enough air into your lungs. The coffee was almost too hot to swallow and made him choke for a moment… [V on ] A small child could choke on the doll’s hair… [V ] Dense smoke swirled and billowed, its rank fumes choking her… [V to ] The girl choked to death after breathing in smoke. 2) To choke someone means to squeeze their neck until they are dead. [V ] The men pushed him into the entrance of a nearby building where they choked him with his tie. Syn: strangle 3) usu If a place is choked with things or people, it is full of them and they prevent movement in it. [be with ] The village’s roads are choked with traffic… [be by ] His pond has been choked by the fast-growing weed. 4) usu , usu the N Thechoke in a car, truck, or other vehicle is a device that reduces the amount of air going into the engine and makes it easier to start.
chop
chop [tʃɒp] [tʃɑːp] verb transitive [-pp-] [chopping chopped chops] 1. < > to cut something into pieces with an axe , knife or other sharp instrument • He was chopping wood in the yard. • Add some fresh parsley, finely chopped. • Chop (up) the onions and carrots roughly. • informal Laura had her hair chopped (= cut) yesterday. Thesaurus+: ↑Cutting and stabbing 2. If something is chopped in finance or business, it is stopped or reduced • Because of lack of funding many long-term research projects are being chopped. Thesaurus+: ↑Causing something to end ↑Coming to an end
chuckle
chuckle [tʃʌ̱k(ə)l] chuckles, chuckling, chuckled When you chuckle, you laugh quietly. The banker chuckled and said, `Of course not.’… [V at/over ] He chuckled at her forthrightness. [Also V with ] Chuckle is also a noun. He gave a little chuckle.
churn
churn 1. noun 1) a machine for making butter by shaking milk or cream 2) a large metal container for milk 3) short for churn rate 2. verb [with obj.] 1) shake (milk or cream) in a machine in order to produce butter the cream is ripened before it is churned ■ produce (butter) by churning milk or cream 2) (with reference to liquid) move or cause to move about vigorously [no obj.] the seas churned her stomach was churning at the thought of the ordeal [with obj.] in high winds most of the loch is churned up ■ break up the surface of (an area of ground) the earth had been churned up where vehicles had passed through 3) (of a broker) encourage frequent turnover of (investments) in order to generate commission •
claim
claim [kleɪm] verb [claims claiming claimed] SAY 1. < > transitive to say that something is true or is a fact, although you cannot prove it and other people might not believe it • + (that) The company claims (that) it is not responsible for the pollution in the river. • + to infinitive He claims to have met the President, but I don’t believe him. • All parties have claimed success in yesterday’s elections. • An unknown terrorist group has claimed responsibility for this morning’s bomb attack. Thesaurus+: ↑Assertions and asserting 2. transitive If an organization or group claims a particular number of members, that number of people are believed to belong to it. Thesaurus+: ↑Having and owning - general words • Some people still claim that there is no firm evidence linking smoking with lung cancer. • They claim to be the biggest company in the world, which is true if you include their subsidiaries. • The study claims that British advertising stereotypes women. • It is claimed that the officers tortured a man to death in 1983 in a city police station. • Dean tricked the old lady into giving him eight hundred pounds, claiming that he would invest it for her.
clash
clash [klæʃ] verb [clashes clashing clashed] FIGHT 1. intransitive usually + adverb or preposition to fight or argue • Students clashed with police after demonstrations at five universities. • The government and the opposition parties have clashed over the cuts in defence spending. Thesaurus+: ↑Arguing and disagreeing 2. intransitive If two opinions, statements or qualities clash, they are very different from each other • This latest statement from the White House clashes with important aspects of US foreign policy.
clasp
clasp [klɑːsp] [klæsp] verb transitive [clasps clasping clasped] to hold someone or something firmly in your hands or arms • He was clasping the vase tightly, terrified of dropping it. • Lie on your back, clasp your knees and pull them down towards your chest. • She clasped her son in her arms. Thesaurus+: ↑Having in your hands noun 1. only singular a tight hold with your hand or arms • She held the child’s hand in a firm clasp as they crossed the road. Thesaurus+: ↑Having in your hands 2. countable a small metal device which is used to fasten a belt, bag or a piece of jewellery
clause
clause [klɔ͟ːz] clauses 1) oft N A clause is a section of a legal document. He has a clause in his contract which entitles him to a percentage of the profits. …a compromise document sprinkled with escape clauses. …a complaint alleging a breach of clause 4 of the code. 2) In grammar, a clause is a group of words containing a verb. Sentences contain one or more clauses. There are finite clauses and non-finite clauses. → See also main clause , relative clause , subordinate clause
claw
claw [klɔː] [klɑː] noun countable [claws] 1. one of the sharp curved nails at the end of each of the toes of some animals and birds • Our cat likes to sharpen her claws on the legs of the dining table. Thesaurus+: ↑The legs and feet of non-human animals 2. one of the two pointed parts, used for holding things, at the end of the legs of some insects and sea creatures • Keep your fingers away from the crab’s claws when you pick it up. Thesaurus+: ↑Miscellaneous animal body parts Idiom: get your claws into somebody
clay
clay [kleɪ] noun uncountable thick, heavy soil that is soft when wet, and hard when dry or baked, used for making bricks and containers
clench
clench [klen t ʃ] verb transitive [clenches clenching clenched] to close or hold something very tightly, often in a determined or angry way • The old man clenched his fist and waved it angrily at us. • With a knife clenched in/between his teeth, he climbed up the tree to cut some coconuts. • “Get out of here, “ she said through clenched teeth.
clinch
clinch [klɪn t ʃ] verb informal [clinches clinching clinched] WIN 1. transitive to finally get or win something • I hear he finally clinched the deal to buy the land he wanted. Thesaurus+: ↑Decisions and deciding ↑Getting, receiving and accepting ↑Capturing or taking possession of things DECIDE 2. clinch it to make someone decide what to do after a lot of thought or discussion • When they said the job would involve travelling to Paris, that clinched it (for her) (= that made her certain that she wanted the job) . Thesaurus+: ↑Decisions and deciding noun countable the position two people are in when they are holding each other tightly in their arms, when fighting or showing love
cling
cling [klɪŋ] (cling to/on to/on) hold on tightly to she clung to Joe’s arm we sat on the sofa clinging on to one another she clung on to life for 16 days ■ adhere or stick firmly or closely to; be hard to part or remove from the smell of smoke clung to their clothes the fabric clung to her smooth skin ■ remain very close to the fish cling to the line of the weed ■ remain persistently or stubbornly faithful to she clung resolutely to her convictions ■ be overly dependent on (someone) emotionally you are clinging to him for security
closure
closure [ˈkləʊ.ʒə r ] [ˈkloʊ.ʒɚ] noun [closures] 1. < > countable when a business, organization, etc. stops operating • factory/branch closures • The unions fought hard against the government’s programme of pit closures. Thesaurus+: ↑Starting, succeeding and failing in business 2. uncountable the feeling or act of bringing an unpleasant situation, time or experience to an end, so that you are able to start new activities • a sense of closure • to achieve/reach closure Thesaurus+: ↑Complete and whole ↑Very and extreme • The city suffered another blow last month with the closure of the local car factory. • The newspaper article touched a raw nerve - people still resent the closure of the local school. • We, the undersigned, strongly object to the closure of St. Mary’s Hospital: Jack James (Dr), Philippa Curry (Dr), Hugh Edwards. • The closure of the company’s German subsidiary caused a sharp wobble in its profits. • The closure of the factory brought poverty to the town.
clumsy
clumsy [ˈklʌm.zi] adjective [clumsier clumsiest] 1. < > awkward in movement or manner • The first mobile phones were heavy and clumsy to use, but nowadays they are much easier to handle. • My attempts to apologize were very clumsy (= not said well) . Thesaurus+: ↑Inability and awkwardness 2. < > describes someone who often has accidents because they do not behave in a careful, controlled way • That’s the third glass you’ve smashed this week - you’re so clumsy! Thesaurus+: ↑Inability and awkwardness • Her movements were rather clumsy. • You clumsy oaf! You’ve broken it! • She was clumsy and uncoordinated as a girl. • She made a clumsy curtsey and backed out of the room.
compel
compel [kəmˈpel] [-ll-] verb transitive [compelling compelled compels] 1. to force someone to do something • + to infinitive As a school boy he was compelled to wear shorts even in winter. • formal The new circumstances compelled a change in policy. See also compulsion Thesaurus+: ↑Causing somebody to act ↑Urging and persuading 2. formal to produce a strong feeling or reaction, sometimes unwillingly • Over the years her work has compelled universal admiration and trust.
complain
complain [kəmˈpleɪn] verb intransitive [complains complaining complained] 1. < > to say that something is wrong or not satisfactory • Lots of people have complained about the noise. • You’re always complaining! • + that He complained that his boss was useless and he had too much work. Thesaurus+: ↑Complaining 2. < > to tell someone formally that something is wrong • If the service was so bad why didn’t you complain to the manager? Thesaurus+: ↑Complaining
comply
comply [kəmˈplaɪ] formal verb intransitive [complies complying complied] < > to act according to an order, set of rules or request • He’s been ordered to have the dog destroyed because it’s dangerous, but he refuses to comply. • There are serious penalties for failure to comply with the regulations. Thesaurus+: ↑Obeying and breaking the law ↑Obedient and compliant ↑Disobedient ↑Bad and wrong behaviour • The court issued a contempt citation against city council members who refused to comply with a court order. • He was happy to comply without any further urging from me. • He was jailed for refusing to comply with the court order. • The builders have not complied with the architect’s instructions. • She had very set views about the funeral, and everyone was happy to comply with her wishes.
comprise
comprise [kəmˈpraɪz] formal verb transitive L only + noun not continuous [comprises comprising comprised] < > to have as parts or members, or to be those parts or members • The course comprises a class book, a practice book and an audio tape. • The class is comprised mainly of Italian and French students. • Italian students comprise 60% of the class. Thesaurus+: ↑Comprising and consisting of ↑Including and containing • The accommodation comprises six bedrooms and three living rooms. • His supporters are comprised mainly of evangelical Christians. • Our staff comprises many nationalities.
compulsory
compulsory [kəmˈpʌl.s ə r.i] [-sɚ-] adjective < > If something is compulsory, you must do it because of a rule or law • Swimming was compulsory at my school. • Wearing seat belts in cars is compulsory by law. Thesaurus+: ↑Court cases, orders and decisions ↑Duty, obligation and responsibility • English is compulsory for all students, but art and music are optional. • They proposed making secondary education compulsory up to the age of 18. • He has just finished a stint of compulsory military service. • Attendance at lectures is compulsory. • These books are compulsory reading for students of architecture.
conceal
conceal [kənˈsiːl] verb transitive [conceals concealing concealed] < > to prevent something from being seen or known about; to hide something • The listening device was concealed in a pen. • I tried to conceal my surprise when she told me her age. • It was said that the police concealed vital evidence. • Is there something you’re concealing from me? Thesaurus+: ↑Hiding and disguising • To conceal his identity, the man’s voice has been dubbed over. • Her brave smile concealed a deep hurt. • Her saintly manner concealed a devious mind. • He had a microphone concealed in his pocket. • The sewage tank was concealed behind a line of bushes.
concede
concede [kənˈsiːd] verb [concedes conceding conceded] 1. < > transitive to admit, often unwillingly, that something is true • + (that) The Government has conceded (that) the new tax policy has been a disaster. • + speech “Well okay, perhaps I was a little hard on her, “ he conceded. See also concession Thesaurus+: ↑Admitting and confessing 2. transitive to allow someone to have something, even though you do not want to • The president is not expected to concede these reforms. • He is not willing to concede any of his power/authority. • Britain conceded (= allowed) independence to India in 1947. Thesaurus+: ↑Accepting and agreeing reluctantly ↑Accepting and agreeing ↑Approving and approval 3. intransitive or transitive to admit that you have lost in a competition • He kept on arguing and wouldn’t concede defeat. • She conceded even before all the votes had been counted. Thesaurus+: ↑Admitting and confessing ↑Losing and being defeated ↑Scoring, winning and losing in sport 4. concede a goal/point to fail to stop an opposing team or person from winning a point or game • The team conceded two goals (to the other side) in the first five minutes of the game. Thesaurus+: ↑Scoring, winning and losing in sport ↑Winning and defeating ↑Losing and being defeated • She conceded defeat well before all the votes had been counted. • Hysen handled the ball and conceded the penalty that gave Manchester United the lead. • Clinton conceded, “We bit off more than we could chew in our original health care reform proposals.” • He conceded that he had been a little harsh. • Reluctantly she conceded that their idea was better.
conceited
conceited [kənˈsiː.tɪd] [-t ̬ɪd] disapproving adjective too proud of yourself and your actions and abilities • Without wishing to sound conceited, I am the best salesperson in the company.
conceivable
conceivable [kənˈsiː.və.bl ̩] adjective possible to imagine or to believe • Books on every conceivable subject lined one wall. • It’s just conceivable (= possible although difficult to imagine) (that) the hospital made a mistake. Thesaurus+: ↑Imagining and conceiving Derived: conceivably
conceive
conceive [kənˈsiːv] verb [conceives conceiving conceived] IMAGINE 1. intransitive or transitive to imagine something • I think my uncle still conceives of me as a four-year-old. • He couldn’t conceive of a time when he would have no job. • + question word I can’t conceive (= It is too shocking to imagine) how anyone could behave so cruelly. • + that I find it hard to conceive (= It is too shocking to imagine) that people are still treated so badly. Thesaurus+: ↑Imagining and conceiving INVENT 2. transitive to invent a plan or an idea • He conceived the plot for this film while he was still a student. • The exhibition was conceived by the museum’s director. See also concept Thesaurus+: ↑Imagining and conceiving BECOME PREGNANT 3. intransitive or transitive to become pregnant, or to cause a baby to begin to form • Do you know exactly when you conceived? • The baby was conceived in March, so will be born in December. See also conception Thesaurus+: ↑Pregnancy ↑Birth
concise
concise [kənˈsaɪs] adjective short and clear, expressing what needs to be said without unnecessary words • Make your answers clear and concise.
concrete
concrete [ˈkɒŋ.kriːt] [ˈkɑːn-] noun uncountable < > a very hard building material made by mixing together cement , sand, small stones and water • reinforced concrete • a concrete floor/path • a grey concrete building Thesaurus+: ↑Building materials • The bomb shelter has concrete walls that are three metres thick. • The foundation of the house is built from rubble overlaid with concrete. • A row of reinforced concrete pillars supports the bridge. • Weeds were pushing up through the cracks in the concrete. • Don’t walk on the concrete until it has set.
