Cc

C , c /siː / (C's, c's )


1 N‑VAR C is the third letter of the English alphabet.


2 N‑VAR In music, C is the first note in the scale of C major.


3 N‑VAR If you get a C as a mark for a piece of work or in an exam, your work is average.


4 c. is written in front of a date or number to indicate that it is approximate. c. is an abbreviation for 'circa'. □ …the museum's re-creation of a New York dining-room (c. 1825–35).


5 C or c is used as an abbreviation for words beginning with c, such as 'copyright' or 'Celsius'. □ Heat the oven to 180°C.


6 → see also C-in-C , c/o

cab /kæ b/ (cabs )


1 N‑COUNT A cab is a taxi.


2 N‑COUNT The cab of a truck or train is the front part in which the driver sits. □ A Luton van has additional load space over the driver's cab.

ca|bal /kəbæ l/ (cabals ) N‑COUNT If you refer to a group of politicians or other people as a cabal , you are criticizing them because they meet and decide things secretly. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ [+ of ] He had been chosen by a cabal of fellow senators. □ …a secret government cabal.

caba|ret /kæ bəre I , [AM ] -re I / (cabarets )


1 N‑UNCOUNT [oft N n] Cabaret is live entertainment consisting of dancing, singing, or comedy acts that are performed in the evening in restaurants or nightclubs. □ Helen made a successful career in cabaret.


2 N‑COUNT A cabaret is a show that is performed in a restaurant or nightclub, and that consists of dancing, singing, or comedy acts. □ Peter and I also did a cabaret at the Corn Exchange.

cab|bage /kæ b I dʒ/ (cabbages ) N‑VAR A cabbage is a round vegetable with white, green, or purple leaves that is usually eaten cooked.

cab|bie /kæ bi/ (cabbies ) also cabby N‑COUNT A cabbie is a person who drives a taxi. [INFORMAL ]

ca|ber /ke I bə r / (cabers ) N‑COUNT A caber is a long, heavy, wooden pole. It is thrown into the air as a test of strength in the traditional Scottish sport called 'tossing the caber'.

cab|in /kæ b I n/ (cabins )


1 N‑COUNT A cabin is a small room in a ship or boat. □ He showed her to a small cabin.


2 N‑COUNT A cabin is one of the areas inside a plane. □ He sat quietly in the First Class cabin, looking tired.


3 N‑COUNT A cabin is a small wooden house, especially one in an area of forests or mountains. □ …a log cabin.

ca b|in crew (cabin crews ) N‑COUNT [with sing or pl verb] The cabin crew on an aircraft are the people whose job is to look after the passengers.

ca b|in cruis|er (cabin cruisers ) N‑COUNT A cabin cruiser is a motor boat which has a cabin for people to live or sleep in.

cabi|net ◆◆◇ /kæ b I n I t/ (cabinets )


1 N‑COUNT [usu n N ] A cabinet is a cupboard used for storing things such as medicine or alcoholic drinks or for displaying decorative things in. □ He looked at the display cabinet with its gleaming sets of glasses.


2 → see also filing cabinet


3 N‑COUNT [oft N n] The Cabinet is a group of the most senior ministers in a government, who meet regularly to discuss policies. □ The announcement came after a three-hour Cabinet meeting. □ …a former Cabinet Minister. COLLOCATIONS cabinet NOUN


1


noun + cabinet : bathroom, bedside, kitchen; display, drinks, medicine, trophy


adjective + cabinet : glass, glass-fronted, wooden


3


adjective + Cabinet : shadow


verb + Cabinet : announce, appoint, form, name; reshuffle

ca bi|net mak|er (cabinet makers ) also cabinetmaker N‑COUNT A cabinet maker is a person who makes high-quality wooden furniture.

ca|ble ◆◇◇ /ke I b ə l/ (cables , cabling , cabled )


1 N‑VAR A cable is a thick wire, or a group of wires inside a rubber or plastic covering, which is used to carry electricity or electronic signals. □ …overhead power cables. □ …strings of coloured lights with weatherproof cable.


2 N‑VAR A cable is a kind of very strong, thick rope, made of wires twisted together. □ …the heavy anchor cable. □ Steel cable will be used to replace worn ropes.


3 N‑UNCOUNT [oft N n] Cable is used to refer to television systems in which the signals are sent along underground wires rather than by radio waves. □ They ran commercials on cable systems across the country. □ The channel is only available on cable.


4 N‑COUNT A cable is the same as a telegram . □ She sent a cable to her mother.


5 VERB [usu passive] If a country, a city, or someone's home is cabled , cables and other equipment are put in place so that the people there can receive cable television. □ [be V -ed] In France, 27 major cities are soon to be cabled. □ [V -ed] In the U.K., 254,000 homes are cabled.


6 → see also cabling

ca |ble car (cable cars ) N‑COUNT A cable car is a vehicle for taking people up mountains or steep hills. It is pulled by a moving cable.

ca |ble te le|vi|sion N‑UNCOUNT Cable television is a television system in which signals are sent along wires rather than by radio waves.

ca|bling /ke I bl I ŋ/


1 N‑UNCOUNT Cabling is used to refer to electrical or electronic cables, or to the process of putting them in a place. □ …modern offices equipped with computer cabling.


2 → see also cable

cache /kæ ʃ/ (caches )


1 N‑COUNT A cache is a quantity of things such as weapons that have been hidden. □ A huge arms cache was discovered by police. □ [+ of ] …a cache of weapons and explosives.


2 N‑COUNT A cache or cache memory is an area of computer memory that is used for temporary storage of data and can be accessed more quickly than the main memory. [COMPUTING ] □ The least accessed data in cache memory is replaced by newly accessed data.

ca|chet /kæ ʃe I , [AM ] kæʃe I / N‑SING If someone or something has a certain cachet , they have a quality which makes people admire them or approve of them. [WRITTEN , APPROVAL ] □ A Mercedes carries a certain cachet.

cack-handed /kæ k hæ nd I d/ ADJ If you describe someone as cack-handed , you mean that they handle things in an awkward or clumsy way. [BRIT , INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ …the cack-handed way they handled the incident.

cack|le /kæ k ə l/ (cackles , cackling , cackled ) VERB If someone cackles , they laugh in a loud unpleasant way, often at something bad that happens to someone else. □ [V ] The old lady cackled, pleased to have produced so dramatic a reaction. [Also V with quote, V at n] ● N‑COUNT Cackle is also a noun. □ He let out a brief cackle.

ca|copho|nous /kəkɒ fənəs/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you describe a mixture of sounds as cacophonous , you mean that they are loud and unpleasant. □ …the cacophonous beat of pop music.

ca|copho|ny /kəkɒ fəni/ (cacophonies ) N‑COUNT [usu sing] You can describe a loud, unpleasant mixture of sounds as a cacophony . □ [+ of ] All around was bubbling a cacophony of voices.

cac|tus /kæ ktəs/ (cactuses or cacti /kæ kta I /) N‑COUNT A cactus is a thick fleshy plant that grows in many hot, dry parts of the world. Cacti have no leaves and many of them are covered in prickles.

cad /kæ d/ (cads ) N‑COUNT If you say that a man is a cad , you mean that he treats other people, especially women, badly or unfairly. [OLD-FASHIONED ] □ He's a scoundrel! A cad!

CAD /kæ d/ N‑UNCOUNT CAD refers to the use of computer software in the design of things such as cars, buildings, and machines. CAD is an abbreviation for 'computer aided design'. [COMPUTING ] □ …CAD software.

ca|dav|er /kədæ və r / (cadavers ) N‑COUNT A cadaver is a dead body. [FORMAL ]

ca|dav|er|ous /kədæ vərəs/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you describe someone as cadaverous , you mean they are extremely thin and pale. [WRITTEN ] □ …a tall man with a long, cadaverous face.

cad|die /kæ di/ (caddies , caddying , caddied ) also caddy


1 N‑COUNT In golf, a caddie is a person who carries golf clubs and other equipment for a player.


2 VERB If you caddie for a golfer, you act as their caddie. □ [V + for ] Lil caddied for her son. [Also V ]

ca|dence /ke I d ə ns/ (cadences )


1 N‑COUNT The cadence of someone's voice is the way their voice gets higher and lower as they speak. [FORMAL ] □ He recognized the Polish cadences in her voice.


2 N‑COUNT A cadence is the phrase that ends a section of music or a complete piece of music.

ca|den|za /kəde nzə/ (cadenzas ) N‑COUNT In classical music, a cadenza is a long and difficult solo passage in a piece for soloist and orchestra.

ca|det /kəde t/ (cadets ) N‑COUNT A cadet is a young man or woman who is being trained in the armed services or the police. □ …army cadets. □ …the Cadet Corps.

cadge /kæ dʒ/ (cadges , cadging , cadged ) VERB If someone cadges food, money, or help from you, they ask you for it and succeed in getting it. [mainly BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ [V n] Can I cadge a cigarette? □ [V n + from/off ] He could cadge a ride from somebody.

cad|mium /kæ dmiəm/ N‑UNCOUNT Cadmium is a soft bluish-white metal that is used in the production of nuclear energy.

ca|dre /kɑː də r , [AM ] -dre I / (cadres ) N‑COUNT A cadre is a small group of people who have been specially chosen, trained, and organized for a particular purpose. □ [+ of ] …an elite cadre of international managers.

Cae|sar|ean /s I zeə riən/ (Caesareans ) N‑COUNT [oft by N ] A Caesarean or a Caesarean section is an operation in which a baby is lifted out of a woman's womb through an opening cut in her abdomen. □ My youngest daughter was born by Caesarean.

Caesar sal|ad /siː zə r sæ ləd/ (Caesar salads ) also caesar salad N‑VAR Caesar salad is a type of salad containing lettuce, eggs, cheese, and small pieces of fried bread, served with a dressing of oil, vinegar, and herbs.

café /kæ fe I , [AM ] kæfe I / (cafés ) also cafe


1 N‑COUNT A café is a place where you can buy drinks, simple meals, and snacks, but, in Britain, not usually alcoholic drinks.


2 N‑COUNT [n N ] A street café or a pavement café is a café which has tables and chairs on the pavement outside it where people can eat and drink. □ …an Italian street café. □ …sidewalk cafés and boutiques.

ca fé bar (café bars ) N‑COUNT A café bar is a café where you can also buy alcoholic drinks.

caf|eteria /kæ f I t I ə riə/ (cafeterias ) N‑COUNT A cafeteria is a restaurant where you choose your food from a counter and take it to your table after paying for it. Cafeterias are usually found in public buildings such as hospitals and stores.

caf|eti|ère /kæfətjeə r / (cafetières ) N‑COUNT A cafetière is a type of coffee pot that has a disc with small holes in it attached to the lid. You push the lid down to separate the liquid from the ground coffee when it is ready to drink.

caff /kæ f/ (caffs ) N‑COUNT A caff is a café which serves simple British food such as fried eggs, bacon, and sausages. [BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ …a transport caff.

caf|feine /kæ fiːn, [AM ] kæfiː n/ N‑UNCOUNT Caffeine is a chemical substance found in coffee, tea, and cocoa, which affects your brain and body and makes you more active.

caf|tan /kæ ftæn/ (caftans ) also kaftan N‑COUNT A caftan is a long loose garment with long sleeves. Caftans are worn by men in Arab countries, and by women in America and Europe.

cage /ke I dʒ/ (cages )


1 N‑COUNT A cage is a structure of wire or metal bars in which birds or animals are kept. □ I hate to see birds in cages.


2 → see also rib cage


3 PHRASE If someone rattles your cage , they do something which is intended to make you feel nervous. □ If he's trying to rattle your cage, it's working.

caged /ke I dʒd/ ADJ A caged bird or animal is inside a cage. □ Mark was still pacing like a caged animal.

ca ge fi ght|ing N‑UNCOUNT Cage fighting is a type of organized violent fighting that takes place in an enclosed space. □ He climbs into the ring and glides to the centre with the kind of confidence that comes from being European kick-boxing and cage fighting champion.

cag|ey /ke I dʒi/ ADJ If you say that someone is being cagey about something, you mean that you think they are deliberately not giving you much information or expressing an opinion about it. □ [+ about ] He is cagey about what he was paid for the business.

ca|hoots /kəhuː ts/ PHRASE If you say that one person is in cahoots with another, you do not trust the first person because you think that they are planning something secretly with the other. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ [+ with ] In his view they were all in cahoots with the police.

cairn /keə r n/ (cairns ) N‑COUNT A cairn is a pile of stones which marks a boundary, a route across rough ground, or the top of a mountain. A cairn is sometimes also built in memory of someone.

ca|jole /kədʒoʊ l/ (cajoles , cajoling , cajoled ) VERB If you cajole someone into doing something, you get them to do it after persuading them for some time. □ [V n + into ] It was he who had cajoled Garland into doing the film. □ [V n to-inf] He cajoled Mr Dobson to stand for mayor. [Also V n, V ]

Ca|jun /ke I dʒən/ (Cajuns )


1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Cajun means belonging or relating to a group of people who live mainly in Louisiana in the United States, and are descended from French people. Cajun is also used to refer to the language and culture of these people. □ They played some Cajun music. □ …Cajun food.


2 N‑COUNT A Cajun is a person of Cajun origin.


3 N‑UNCOUNT Cajun is a dialect of French spoken by Cajun people. □ …the first book ever written in Cajun.

cake ◆◇◇ /ke I k/ (cakes )


1 N‑VAR A cake is a sweet food made by baking a mixture of flour, eggs, sugar, and fat in an oven. Cakes may be large and cut into slices or small and intended for one person only. □ …a piece of cake. □ Would you like some chocolate cake? □ …little cakes with white icing.


2 N‑COUNT Food that is formed into flat round shapes before it is cooked can be referred to as cakes . □ …fish cakes. □ …home-made potato cakes.


3 N‑COUNT A cake of soap is a small block of it. □ [+ of ] …a small cake of lime-scented soap.


4 PHRASE If you think that someone wants the benefits of doing two things when it is only reasonable to expect the benefits of doing one, you can say that they want to have their cake and eat it . [DISAPPROVAL ] □ To many it sounds like he wants to have his cake and eat it.


5 PHRASE If you think something is very easy to do, you can say it is a piece of cake . People often say this to stop someone feeling worried about doing something they have to do. [INFORMAL ] □ Just another surveillance job, old chap. Piece of cake to somebody like you.


6 PHRASE If someone has done something very stupid, rude, or selfish, you can say that they take the cake or that what they have done takes the cake , to emphasize your surprise at their behaviour. [AM , EMPHASIS ] in BRIT, use take the biscuit 7 the icing on the cake → see icing

caked /ke I kt/ ADJ If something is caked with mud, blood, or dirt, it is covered with a thick dry layer of it. □ [+ with/in ] Her shoes were caked with mud. ● COMB [usu ADJ n] Caked is also a combining form. □ …herds of mud-caked cattle and sheep.

ca ke mix (cake mixes ) N‑VAR Cake mix is a powder that you mix with eggs and water or milk to make a cake. You bake the mixture in the oven.

ca ke pan (cake pans ) N‑COUNT A cake pan is a metal container that you bake a cake in. [AM ] in BRIT, usually use cake tin

ca ke tin (cake tins ) N‑COUNT A cake tin is a metal container that you bake a cake in. [BRIT ] in AM, usually use cake pan

cake|walk /ke I kwɔːk/ N‑SING If you say that something is a cakewalk , you mean that it is very easy to do or achieve. □ Fittipaldi's victory was a cakewalk.

cal /kæ l/ (cals ) N‑COUNT [usu pl, num N ] Cals are units of measurement for the energy value of food. Cal is an abbreviation for 'calorie'. □ …325 cals per serving.

cal|a|mar|i /kæ ləmɑ ːr I / N‑UNCOUNT Calamari is squid that has been prepared for eating, usually by cutting it into rings, dipping it in a mixture of flour, milk, and eggs, and frying it.

cala|mine /kæ ləma I n/ N‑UNCOUNT [oft N n] Calamine is a liquid that you can put on your skin when it is sore or itchy. □ …calamine lotion.

ca|lami|tous /kəlæ m I təs/ ADJ If you describe an event or situation as calamitous , you mean it is very unfortunate or serious. [FORMAL ] □ …the calamitous state of the country.

ca|lam|ity /kəlæ m I ti/ (calamities ) N‑VAR A calamity is an event that causes a great deal of damage, destruction, or personal distress. [FORMAL ] □ He described drugs as the greatest calamity of the age. □ It could only end in calamity.

cal|ci|fied /kæ ls I fa I d/ ADJ Body tissue that is calcified has become hard because of the presence of substances called calcium salts. □ …calcified tissue.

cal|cium /kæ lsiəm/ N‑UNCOUNT Calcium is a soft white element which is found in bones and teeth, and also in limestone, chalk, and marble.

cal|cu|lable /kæ lkjʊləb ə l/ ADJ Calculable amounts or consequences can be calculated.

cal|cu|late /kæ lkjʊle I t/ (calculates , calculating , calculated )


1 VERB If you calculate a number or amount, you discover it from information that you already have, by using arithmetic, mathematics, or a special machine. □ [V n] From this you can calculate the total mass in the Galaxy. □ [V that] We calculate that the average size farm in Lancaster County is 65 acres. [Also V wh]


2 VERB If you calculate the effects of something, especially a possible course of action, you think about them in order to form an opinion or decide what to do. □ [V n] I believe I am capable of calculating the political consequences accurately. □ [V that] He is calculating that the property market will be back on its feet within two years. WORD HISTORY calculate


Calculate comes from the Latin word calculare meaning 'count using small stones', from calculus , meaning 'stone'. The Romans used small stones to count with.

cal|cu|lat|ed /kæ lkjʊle I t I d/


1 ADJ If something is calculated to have a particular effect, it is specially done or arranged in order to have that effect. □ Their movements were calculated to terrify landowners into abandoning their holdings.


2 ADJ If you say that something is not calculated to have a particular effect, you mean that it is unlikely to have that effect. □ Such a statement was hardly calculated to deter future immigrants.


3 ADJ [usu ADJ n] You can describe a clever or dishonest action as calculated when it is very carefully planned or arranged. □ Irene's cleaning the floor had been a calculated attempt to cover up her crime.


4 ADJ [ADJ n] If you take a calculated risk, you do something which you think might be successful, although you have fully considered the possible bad consequences of your action.

cal|cu|lat|ing /kæ lkjʊle I t I ŋ/ ADJ If you describe someone as calculating , you disapprove of the fact that they deliberately plan to get what they want, often by hurting or harming other people. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ Northbridge is a cool, calculating and clever criminal who could strike again.

cal|cu|la|tion /kæ lkjʊle I ʃ ə n/ (calculations )


1 N‑VAR A calculation is something that you think about and work out mathematically. Calculation is the process of working something out mathematically. □ Leonard made a rapid calculation: he'd never make it in time. □ [+ of ] …the calculation of their assets.


2 N‑VAR A calculation is something that you think carefully about and arrive at a conclusion on after having considered all the relevant factors. □ For the President, the calculations are equally difficult. If the peacekeeping operation goes wrong, he risks appearing weak.

cal|cu|la|tor /kæ lkjʊle I tə r / (calculators ) N‑COUNT A calculator is a small electronic device that you use for making mathematical calculations. □ …a pocket calculator.

cal|cu|lus /kæ lkjʊləs/ N‑UNCOUNT Calculus is a branch of advanced mathematics which deals with variable quantities.

cal|en|dar /kæ l I ndə r / (calendars )


1 N‑COUNT A calendar is a chart or device which displays the date and the day of the week, and often the whole of a particular year divided up into months, weeks, and days. □ There was a calendar on the wall above, with large squares around the dates.


2 N‑COUNT A calendar is a particular system for dividing time into periods such as years, months, and weeks, often starting from a particular point in history. □ The Christian calendar was originally based on the Julian calendar of the Romans.


3 N‑COUNT [usu sing, usu with poss] You can use calendar to refer to a series or list of events and activities which take place on particular dates, and which are important for a particular organization, community, or person. □ It is one of the British sporting calendar's most prestigious events.

ca l|en|dar mo nth (calendar months )


1 N‑COUNT A calendar month is one of the twelve months of the year. □ Winners will be selected at the end of each calendar month.


2 N‑COUNT A calendar month is the period from a particular date in one month to the same date in the next month, for example from April 4th to May 4th.

ca l|en|dar yea r (calendar years ) N‑COUNT A calendar year is a period of twelve months from January 1 to December 31. Calendar year is often used in business to compare with the financial year .

calf /kɑː f, [AM ] kæ f/ (calves /kɑː vz, [AM ] kæ vz/)


1 N‑COUNT A calf is a young cow.


2 N‑COUNT Some other young animals, including elephants and whales, are called calves .


3 N‑COUNT Your calf is the thick part at the back of your leg, between your ankle and your knee. □ …a calf injury.

ca lf-length ADJ [ADJ n] Calf-length skirts, dresses, and coats come to halfway between your knees and ankles. □ …a black, calf-length coat.

calf|skin /kɑː fsk I n, [AM ] kæ f-/ N‑UNCOUNT [oft N n] Calfskin shoes and clothing are made from the skin of a calf. □ …calfskin boots.

cali|ber /kæ l I bə r / → see calibre

cali|brate /kæ l I bre I t/ (calibrates , calibrating , calibrated )


1 VERB If you calibrate an instrument or tool, you mark or adjust it so that you can use it to measure something accurately. [TECHNICAL ] □ [V n] …instructions on how to calibrate a thermometer.


2 VERB If you calibrate something, you measure it accurately. [WRITTEN ] □ [V n] …a way of calibrating the shift of opinion within the Labour Party. ● cali|bra|tion (calibrations ) N‑VAR □ [+ of ] …the precise calibration of the achievement level of those observed.

cali|bre /kæ l I bə r / (calibres ) in AM, use caliber 1 N‑UNCOUNT [usu adj N ] The calibre of a person is the quality or standard of their ability or intelligence, especially when this is high. □ [+ of ] I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts.


2 N‑UNCOUNT The calibre of something is its quality, especially when it is good. □ [+ of ] The calibre of teaching was very high.


3 N‑COUNT [adj N ] The calibre of a gun is the width of the inside of its barrel. [TECHNICAL ] □ …a .22 calibre rifle.

cali|co /kæ l I koʊ/ (calicoes ) N‑VAR Calico is plain white fabric made from cotton.

cali|per /kæ l I pə r / (calipers ) also calliper


1 N‑COUNT [usu pl, oft a pair of N ] Calipers are an instrument consisting of two long, thin pieces of metal joined together at one end, and are used to measure the size of things.


2 N‑COUNT [usu pl] Calipers are devices consisting of metal rods held together by straps, which are used to support a person's legs when they cannot walk properly.

ca|liph /ke I l I f/ (caliphs ) also calif N‑COUNT ; N‑TITLE A caliph was a Muslim ruler. □ …the caliph of Baghdad.

cal|is|then|ics /kæ l I sθe n I ks/ also callisthenics N‑PLURAL Calisthenics are simple exercises that you can do to keep fit and healthy.

call ◆◆◆ /kɔː l/ (calls , calling , called )


1 VERB If you call someone or something by a particular name or title, you give them that name or title. □ [V n n] 'Doctor…'—'Will you please call me Sarah?' □ [V n + by ] Everybody called each other by their surnames. ● called ADJ [v-link ADJ ] □ There are two men called Buckley at the Home Office. □ …a device called an optical amplifier.


2 VERB If you call someone or something a particular thing, you suggest they are that thing or describe them as that thing. □ [V n n] The speech was interrupted by members of the Conservative Party, who called him a traitor. □ [V n adj] She calls me lazy and selfish. □ [V it adj to-inf] He called it particularly cynical to begin releasing the hostages on Christmas Day. □ [V pron-refl n] Anyone can call themselves a psychotherapist.


3 VERB If you call something, you say it in a loud voice, because you are trying to attract someone's attention. □ [V n] He could hear the others downstairs in different parts of the house calling his name. □ [V with quote] 'Boys!' she called again. ● PHRASAL VERB Call out means the same as call . □ [V P n] The butcher's son called out a greeting. □ [V P with quote] The train stopped and a porter called out, 'Middlesbrough!' [Also V n P ]


4 VERB If you call someone, you telephone them. □ [V n] Would you call me as soon as you find out? □ [V n] A friend of mine gave me this number to call. □ [V ] 'May I speak with Mr Coyne, please?'—'May I ask who's calling?'


5 VERB If you call someone such as a doctor or the police, you ask them to come to you, usually by phoning them. □ [V n] He screamed for someone to call an ambulance. □ [be V -ed to-inf] One night he was called to see a woman with tuberculosis.


6 VERB If you call someone, you ask them to come to you by shouting to them. □ [V n] She called her young son: 'Here, Stephen, come and look at this!' □ [V n prep] He called me over the Tannoy.


7 N‑COUNT When you make a telephone call , you telephone someone. □ [+ to ] I made a phone call to the United States to talk to a friend. □ [+ from ] I've had hundreds of calls from other victims.


8 VERB If someone in authority calls something such as a meeting, rehearsal, or election, they arrange for it to take place at a particular time. □ [V n] The Committee decided to call a meeting of the All India Congress. □ [V n] The 79-year-old Swiss called a press conference in Zurich to announce his objections to the decision.


9 VERB [usu passive] If someone is called before a court or committee, they are ordered to appear there, usually to give evidence. □ [be V -ed to-inf] The child waited two hours before she was called to give evidence. □ [be V -ed prep] I was called as an expert witness. [Also be V -ed]


10 VERB If you call somewhere, you make a short visit there. □ [V prep/adv] A market researcher called at the house where he was living. □ [V ] Andrew now came almost weekly to call. ● N‑COUNT Call is also a noun. □ [+ on ] He decided to pay a call on Tommy Cummings.


11 VERB When a train, bus, or ship calls somewhere, it stops there for a short time to allow people to get on or off. □ [V prep/adv] The steamer calls at several ports along the way.


12 VERB To call a game or sporting event means to cancel it, for example because of rain or bad light. [AM ] □ [V n] We called the next game.


13 N‑COUNT [N to-inf] If there is a call for something, someone demands that it should happen. □ [+ for ] There have been calls for a new kind of security arrangement. □ Almost all workers heeded a call to stay at home during the strike.


14 N‑UNCOUNT If there is little or no call for something, very few people want it to be done or provided. □ [+ for ] 'Have you got just plain chocolate?'—'No, I'm afraid there's not much call for that.'


15 N‑SING [with poss] The call of something such as a place is the way it attracts or interests you strongly.


16 N‑COUNT The call of a particular bird or animal is the characteristic sound that it makes. □ …a wide range of animal noises and bird calls.


17 → see also calling , so-called


18 PHRASE If you say that there is no call for someone to behave in a particular way, you are criticizing their behaviour, usually because you think it is rude. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ There was no call for him to single you out from all the others.


19 PHRASE If someone is on call , they are ready to go to work at any time if they are needed, especially if there is an emergency. □ In theory I'm on call day and night. □ …a doctor on call.


20 PHRASE If you call in sick , you telephone the place where you work to tell them you will not be coming to work because you are ill. □ 'Shouldn't you be at work today?'—'I called in sick.'


21 to call someone's bluff → see bluff


22 to call it a day → see day


23 to call a halt → see halt


24 to call something to mind → see mind ➊


25 call of nature → see nature


26 to call something your own → see own


27 to call something into question → see question


28 to call it quits → see quit


29 to call a spade a spade → see spade


30 to call the tune → see tune


31 too close to call → see close ➋


▸ call back PHRASAL VERB If you call someone back , you telephone them again or in return for a telephone call that they have made to you. □ [V n P ] If we're not around she'll take a message and we'll call you back. [Also V P n (not pron)]


▸ call for


1 PHRASAL VERB If you call for someone, you go to the building where they are, so that you can both go somewhere. □ [V P n] I shall be calling for you at seven o'clock.


2 PHRASAL VERB If you call for something, you demand that it should happen. □ [V P n] They angrily called for Robinson's resignation.


3 PHRASAL VERB If something calls for a particular action or quality, it needs it or makes it necessary. □ [V P n] It's a situation that calls for a blend of delicacy and force.


▸ call in


1 PHRASAL VERB If you call someone in , you ask them to come and help you or do something for you. □ [V P n] Call in an architect or surveyor to oversee the work. [Also V n P ]


2 PHRASAL VERB If you call in somewhere, you make a short visit there. □ [V P ] He just calls in occasionally. □ [V P + on ] I got into the habit of calling in on Gloria on my way home.


▸ call off PHRASAL VERB If you call off an event that has been planned, you cancel it. □ [V P n] He has called off the trip. □ [V n P ] The union threatened a strike but called it off at the last minute.


▸ call on or call upon


1 PHRASAL VERB If you call on someone to do something or call upon them to do it, you say publicly that you want them to do it. □ [V P n to-inf] One of Kenya's leading churchmen has called on the government to resign.


2 PHRASAL VERB If you call on someone or call upon someone, you pay them a short visit. □ [V P n] Sofia was intending to call on Miss Kitts.


▸ call out


1 PHRASAL VERB If you call someone out , you order or request that they come to help, especially in an emergency. □ [V P n] Colombia has called out the army and imposed emergency measures. □ [V n P ] I called the doctor out. □ [be V -ed P + to ] The fire brigade should always be called out to a house fire.


2 → see also call 3


▸ call up


1 PHRASAL VERB If you call someone up , you telephone them. [mainly AM ] □ [V n P ] When I'm in Pittsburgh, I call him up. □ [V P n] He called up the museum. □ [V P ] Sometimes I'd even call up at 4 a.m.


2 PHRASAL VERB If someone is called up , they are ordered to join the army, navy, or air force. □ [be V -ed P ] Youngsters coming up to university were being called up. □ [V P n] The United States has called up some 150,000 military reservists. [Also V n P ]


3 PHRASAL VERB If someone is called up , they are chosen to play in a sports team. □ [be V -ed P ] He is likely to be called up for Thursday's match against Italy.


4 → see also call-up


▸ call upon → see call on USAGE call


Don’t use ‘as’ with call . Don’t say, for example, ‘ We decided to call our daughter as Hannah ’ or ‘ They called him as a traitor ’. Say 'They called him a traitor'. □ He called the report unfair.

call|back /kɔː lbæk/ (callbacks ) N‑COUNT A callback is an occasion when you are asked to return for a second interview for a job, or a second audition for a part in a show. □ Needless to say, the audition went badly, and I never got a callback.

ca ll box (call boxes ) also call-box


1 N‑COUNT A call box is the same as a telephone box . [BRIT , OLD-FASHIONED ]


2 N‑COUNT A call box is a telephone in a box or case, often on a pole, that is at the side of a road and that you can use in emergencies. [mainly AM ]

ca ll cen|tre (call centres ) in AM, use call center N‑COUNT A call centre is an office where people work answering or making telephone calls for a particular company.

call|er /kɔː lə r / (callers )


1 N‑COUNT A caller is a person who is making a telephone call. □ An anonymous caller told police what had happened.


2 N‑COUNT A caller is a person who comes to see you for a short visit. □ She ushered her callers into a cluttered living-room.

ca ll girl (call girls ) N‑COUNT A call girl is a prostitute who makes appointments by telephone.

cal|lig|ra|pher /kəl I grəfə r / (calligraphers ) N‑COUNT A calligrapher is a person skilled in the art of calligraphy. □ She is a skilled calligrapher.

cal|lig|ra|phy /kəl I grəfi/ N‑UNCOUNT Calligraphy is the art of producing beautiful handwriting using a brush or a special pen.

ca ll-in (call-ins ) N‑COUNT A call-in is a programme on radio or television in which people telephone with questions or opinions and their calls are broadcast. [AM ] □ …a call-in show on Los Angeles radio station KABC. in BRIT, use phone-in

call|ing /kɔː l I ŋ/ (callings ) N‑COUNT [usu sing] A calling is a profession or career which someone is strongly attracted to, especially one which involves helping other people. □ He was a consultant physician, a serious man dedicated to his calling.

ca ll|ing card (calling cards ) N‑COUNT A calling card is a small card with personal information about you on it, such as your name and address, which you can give to people when you go to visit them. [mainly AM ]

cal|li|per /kæ l I pə r / → see caliper

cal|lis|then|ics /kæ l I sθe n I ks/ → see calisthenics

cal|lous /kæ ləs/ ADJ A callous person or action is very cruel and shows no concern for other people or their feelings. □ …his callous disregard for human life. ● cal|lous|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ of ] …the callousness of Raymond's murder. ● cal|lous|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ She callously put her daughter's life in peril.

cal|loused /kæ ləst/ also callused ADJ A foot or hand that is calloused is covered in calluses. □ …blunt, calloused fingers.

cal|low /kæ loʊ/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] A callow young person has very little experience or knowledge of the way they should behave as an adult. □ …a callow youth.

ca ll sign (call signs ) N‑COUNT A call sign is the letters and numbers which identify a person, vehicle, or organization that is broadcasting on the radio or sending messages by radio.

ca ll-up (call-ups )


1 ADJ [ADJ n] If a person gets their call-up papers, they receive an official order to join the armed forces.


2 N‑COUNT A call-up is an occasion on which people are ordered to report for service in the armed forces. □ [+ of ] The call-up of National Guard and reserve units begun in late August.

cal|lus /kæ ləs/ (calluses ) N‑COUNT A callus is an unwanted area of thick skin, usually on the palms of your hands or the soles of your feet, which has been caused by something rubbing against it.

call wai t|ing N‑UNCOUNT [oft N n] Call waiting is a telephone service that sends you a signal if another call arrives while you are already on the phone.

calm ◆◇◇ /kɑː m/ (calmer , calmest , calms , calming , calmed )


1 ADJ A calm person does not show or feel any worry, anger, or excitement. □ She is usually a calm and diplomatic woman. □ Try to keep calm and just tell me what happened. □ She sighed, then continued in a soft, calm voice. ● N‑UNCOUNT [oft a N ] Calm is also a noun. □ He felt a sudden sense of calm, of contentment. ● calm|ly ADV [usu ADV with v, oft ADV adj] □ Alan looked at him and said calmly, 'I don't believe you.'


2 VERB If you calm someone, you do something to make them feel less angry, worried, or excited. □ [V pron-refl] She was breathing quickly and tried to calm herself. □ [V n] Some people say smoking calms your nerves. ● calm|ing ADJ □ …a fresh, cool fragrance which produces a very calming effect on the mind.


3 N‑UNCOUNT Calm is used to refer to a quiet, still, or peaceful atmosphere in a place. □ [+ of ] …the rural calm of Grand Rapids, Michigan.


4 ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] If someone says that a place is calm , they mean that it is free from fighting or public disorder, when trouble has recently occurred there or had been expected. [JOURNALISM ] □ The city of Sarajevo appears relatively calm today. ● N‑UNCOUNT [oft a N ] Calm is also a noun. □ Community and church leaders have appealed for calm and no retaliation.


5 VERB To calm a situation means to reduce the amount of trouble, violence, or panic there is. □ [V n] Mr Beazer tried to calm the protests.


6 ADJ If the sea or a lake is calm , the water is not moving very much and there are no big waves. □ …as we slid into the calm waters of Cowes Harbour.


7 ADJ Calm weather is pleasant weather with little or no wind. □ Tuesday was a fine, clear and calm day.


8 N‑COUNT In sailing, a flat calm or a dead calm is a condition of the sea or the weather in which there is very little wind or movement of the water. [TECHNICAL ]


9 VERB When the sea calms , it becomes still because the wind stops blowing strongly. When the wind calms , it stops blowing strongly. □ [V ] Dawn came, the sea calmed but the cold was as bitter as ever.


10 PHRASE You can use the calm before the storm to refer to a quiet period in which there is little or no activity, before a period in which there is a lot of trouble or intense activity.


▸ calm down


1 PHRASAL VERB If you calm down , or if someone calms you down , you become less angry, upset, or excited. □ [V P ] Calm down for a minute and listen to me. □ [V n P ] He needs to calm himself down and find a balance. [Also V P n]


2 PHRASAL VERB If things calm down , or someone or something calms things down , the amount of activity, trouble, or panic is reduced. □ [V P ] We will go back to normal when things calm down. □ [V n P ] Neil Howorth, director of the academy, tried to calm things down. COLLOCATIONS calm NOUN 3


adjective + calm : eerie, preternatural, uneasy; relative; unruffled, Zen-like


verb + calm : maintain, restore

calm|ly /kɑː mli/


1 ADV [ADV with v] You can use calmly to emphasize that someone is behaving in a very controlled or ordinary way in a frightening or unusual situation. [WRITTEN , EMPHASIS ] □ The gunmen calmly walked away and escaped in a waiting car.


2 → see also calm

Cal|or gas /kæ lə r gæs/ N‑UNCOUNT Calor gas is gas in liquid form which is sold in special containers so that people can use it in places which are not connected to the gas supply, such as tents or caravans. [TRADEMARK ]

ca|lor|ic /kəlɔː r I k/ ADJ [ADJ n] Caloric means relating to calories. □ …a daily caloric intake of from 400 to 1200 calories.

calo|rie /kæ ləri/ (calories )


1 N‑COUNT Calories are units used to measure the energy value of food. People who are on diets try to eat food that does not contain many calories. □ A cafe latte does have quite a lot of calories. □ …calorie controlled diets.


2 → see also -calorie

-calorie /-kæ ləri/ COMB [usu ADJ n] -calorie is used after adjectives such as low or high to indicate that food contains a small or a large number of calories. □ …low-calorie margarine. □ …reduced-calorie mayonnaise.

calo|rif|ic /kæ lər I f I k/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] The calorific value of something, or its calorific content, is the number of calories it contains. [TECHNICAL ] □ …food with a high calorific value.

cal|um|ny /kæ ləmni/ (calumnies ) N‑VAR Calumny or a calumny is an untrue statement made about someone in order to reduce other people's respect and admiration for them. [FORMAL ] □ He was the victim of calumny.

calve /kɑː v, [AM ] kæ v/ (calves , calving , calved )


1 VERB When a cow calves , it gives birth to a calf. □ [V ] When his cows calve each year he keeps one or two calves for his family.


2 VERB Some other female animals, including elephants and whales, are said to calve when they give birth to their young. □ [V ] The whales migrate some 6,000 miles to breed and calve in the warm lagoons.


3 Calves is the plural of calf .

Cal|vin|ist /kæ lv I n I st/ (Calvinists )


1 ADJ [ADJ n] Calvinist means belonging or relating to a strict Protestant church started by John Calvin. □ …the Calvinist work ethic.


2 N‑COUNT A Calvinist is a member of the Calvinist church.

ca|lyp|so /kəl I psoʊ/ (calypsos ) N‑COUNT A calypso is a song about a current subject, sung in a style which originally comes from the West Indies.

ca|ma|ra|derie /kæ mərɑː dəri, [AM ] kɑː m-/ N‑UNCOUNT Camaraderie is a feeling of trust and friendship among a group of people who have usually known each other for a long time or gone through some kind of experience together. □ [+ of ] …the loyalty and camaraderie of the wartime Army.

cam|ber /kæ mbə r / (cambers ) N‑COUNT A camber is a gradual downward slope from the centre of a road to each side of it.

cam|cord|er /kæ mkɔː r də r / (camcorders ) N‑COUNT A camcorder is a portable video camera which records both pictures and sound.

came /ke I m/ Came is the past tense of come .

cam|el /kæ m ə l/ (camels )


1 N‑COUNT A camel is a large animal that lives in deserts and is used for carrying goods and people. Camels have long necks and one or two lumps on their backs called humps.


2 the straw that broke the camel's back → see straw

ca mel-hair The spellings camel hair , and in American English camel's hair , are also used. ADJ [ADJ n] A camel-hair coat is made of a kind of soft, thick woollen cloth, usually creamy-brown in colour.

ca|mel|lia /kəmiː liə/ (camellias ) N‑COUNT A camellia is a large bush that has shiny leaves and large white, pink, or red flowers similar to a rose.

Cam|em|bert /kæ mɒmbeə r / (Camemberts ) N‑VAR Camembert is a type of cheese that comes from Northern France. It is soft and creamy with a white skin.

cameo /kæ mioʊ/ (cameos )


1 N‑COUNT A cameo is a short description or piece of acting which expresses cleverly and neatly the nature of a situation, event, or person's character. □ He played a cameo role, that of a young cancer patient in hospital.


2 N‑COUNT A cameo is a piece of jewellery, usually oval in shape, consisting of a raised stone figure or design fixed on to a flat stone of another colour. □ …a cameo brooch.

cam|era ◆◆◇ /kæ mrə/ (cameras )


1 N‑COUNT A camera is a piece of equipment that is used for taking photographs, making films, or producing television pictures. Many cameras are now included as part of other digital devices such as phones and tablets. □ Her gran lent her a camera for a school trip to Venice and Egypt. □ …a video camera. □ They were caught speeding by hidden cameras.


2 PHRASE If someone or something is on camera , they are being filmed. □ Just about anything could happen and we'll be there to catch it on camera when it does.


3 PHRASE If you do something or if something happens off camera , you do it or it happens when not being filmed. □ They were anything but friendly off-camera, refusing even to take the same lift. □ …off-camera interviews.


4 PHRASE If a trial is held in camera , the public and the press are not allowed to attend. [FORMAL ] □ This morning's appeal was held in camera.

camera|man /kæ mrəmæn/ (cameramen ) N‑COUNT A cameraman is a person who operates a camera for television or film making.

ca m|era phone (camera phones ) N‑COUNT A camera phone is a mobile phone that can also take photographs.

ca mera-shy ADJ Someone who is camera-shy is nervous and uncomfortable about being filmed or about having their photograph taken.

camera|work /kæ mrəwɜː r k/ N‑UNCOUNT The camerawork in a film is the way it has been filmed, especially if the style is interesting or unusual in some way. □ The director employs sensuous, atmospheric camerawork and deft dramatic touches.

cami|sole /kæ m I soʊl/ (camisoles ) N‑COUNT A camisole is a short piece of clothing that women wear on the top half of their bodies underneath a shirt or blouse, for example. □ …silk camisoles.

camo|mile /kæ məma I l/ also chamomile N‑UNCOUNT Camomile is a scented plant with flowers like small daisies. The flowers can be used to make herbal tea.

camou|flage /kæ məflɑːʒ/ (camouflages , camouflaging , camouflaged )


1 N‑UNCOUNT [oft N n] Camouflage consists of things such as leaves, branches, or brown and green paint, which are used to make it difficult for an enemy to see military forces and equipment. □ They were dressed in camouflage and carried automatic rifles. □ …a camouflage jacket.


2 VERB [usu passive] If military buildings or vehicles are camouflaged , things such as leaves, branches, or brown and green paint are used to make it difficult for an enemy to see them. □ [be V -ed] You won't see them from the air. They'd be very well camouflaged.


3 VERB If you camouflage something such as a feeling or a situation, you hide it or make it appear to be something different. □ [V n] I think that there has been an attempt to camouflage what really happened. ● N‑UNCOUNT [oft a N ] Camouflage is also a noun. □ [+ for ] The constant partygoing of her later years was a desperate camouflage for her grief.


4 N‑UNCOUNT [oft a N ] Camouflage is the way in which some animals are coloured and shaped so that they cannot easily be seen in their natural surroundings.

camp ◆◆◇ /kæ mp/ (camps , camping , camped )


1 N‑COUNT [oft n N ] A camp is a collection of huts and other buildings that is provided for a particular group of people, such as refugees, prisoners, or soldiers, as a place to live or stay. □ …a refugee camp. □ 2,500 foreign prisoners-of-war, including Americans, had been held in camps near Tambov.


2 N‑VAR A camp is an outdoor area with buildings, tents, or caravans where people stay on holiday.


3 N‑VAR A camp is a collection of tents or caravans where people are living or staying, usually temporarily while they are travelling. □ …gypsy camps. □ We'll make camp on that hill ahead.


4 VERB If you camp somewhere, you stay or live there for a short time in a tent or caravan, or in the open air. □ [V ] We camped near the beach. ● PHRASAL VERB Camp out means the same as camp . □ [V P ] For six months they camped out in a caravan in a meadow at the back of the house. ● camp|ing N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ in ] They went camping in the wilds. □ …a camping trip.


5 N‑COUNT You can refer to a group of people who all support a particular person, policy, or idea as a particular camp . □ While the 'yes' camp remains in the lead, the jump in numbers of undecideds will cause alarm.


6 ADJ If you describe someone's behaviour, performance, or style of dress as camp , you mean that it is exaggerated and amusing, often in a way that is thought to be typical of some male homosexuals. [INFORMAL ] □ James Barron turns in a delightfully camp performance. ● N‑UNCOUNT Camp is also a noun. □ The video was seven minutes of high camp and melodrama.


7 → see also aide-de-camp , camped , concentration camp , holiday camp , labour camp , prison camp , training camp


8 PHRASE If a performer camps it up , they deliberately perform in an exaggerated and often amusing way. [INFORMAL ]


▸ camp out


1 PHRASAL VERB If you say that people camp out somewhere in the open air, you are emphasizing that they stay there for a long time, because they are waiting for something to happen. [EMPHASIS ] □ [V P ] …reporters who had camped out in anticipation of her arrival.


2 → see camp 4 COLLOCATIONS camp NOUN


1


noun + camp : detention, internment, labour, prison, refugee


2


noun + camp : holiday, summer


3


verb + camp : make, pitch, set up

cam|paign ◆◆◆ /kæ mpe I n/ (campaigns , campaigning , campaigned )


1 N‑COUNT A campaign is a planned set of activities that people carry out over a period of time in order to achieve something such as social or political change. □ During his election campaign he promised to put the economy back on its feet. □ [+ against ] …the campaign against public smoking. [Also + to-inf ]


2 VERB If someone campaigns for something, they carry out a planned set of activities over a period of time in order to achieve their aim. □ [V + for ] We are campaigning for law reform. □ [V to-inf] They have been campaigning to improve the legal status of women. [Also V ] [Also V against ]


3 N‑COUNT [oft n N ] In a war, a campaign is a series of planned movements carried out by armed forces. □ The allies are intensifying their air campaign.


4 → see also advertising campaign COLLOCATIONS campaign NOUN 1


noun + campaign : ad, awareness, marketing, poster; election, leadership, re-election, referendum; hate, smear


verb + campaign : conduct, launch, mount, run; back, support


adjective + campaign : effective, successful; presidential VERB 2


campaign + adverb : relentlessly, tirelessly, vigorously, vociferously SYNONYMS campaign NOUN 1


drive: The ANC is about to launch a nationwide recruitment drive.


appeal: …an appeal to save a library containing priceless manuscripts.


push: They urged negotiators to make a final push to arrive at an agreement.


offensive: …a diplomatic offensive.


crusade: He made it his crusade to teach children to love books. VERB 2


crusade: …an adopted boy whose cause is taken up by a crusading lawyer.


press: Police might now press for changes in the law.


push: Germany is pushing for direct flights to be established.

cam|paign|er /kæ mpe I nə r / (campaigners ) N‑COUNT A campaigner is a person who campaigns for social or political change. □ …anti-hunting campaigners. [Also + for/against ]

ca mp bed (camp beds ) N‑COUNT A camp bed is a small bed that you can fold up. [BRIT ] in AM, use cot

camped /kæ mpt/ ADJ [v-link ADJ ] If people are camped or camped out somewhere in the open air, they are living, staying, or waiting there, often in tents. □ Most of the refugees are camped high in the mountains.

camp|er /kæ mpə r / (campers )


1 N‑COUNT A camper is someone who is camping somewhere.


2 N‑COUNT A camper is the same as a camper van .

ca mp|er van (camper vans ) N‑COUNT A camper van is a van which is equipped with beds and cooking equipment so that you can live, cook, and sleep in it.

camp|fire /kæ mpfa I ə r / (campfires ) also camp fire N‑COUNT A campfire is a fire that you light out of doors when you are camping.

ca mp fo l|low|er (camp followers ) also camp-follower


1 N‑COUNT If you describe someone as a camp follower , you mean that they do not officially belong to a particular group or movement but support it for their own advantage. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ …the Tory leader's friends and camp followers.


2 N‑COUNT Camp followers are people who travel with an army or other group, especially members of soldiers' families, or people who supply goods and services to the army.

camp|ground /kæ mpgraʊnd/ (campgrounds ) N‑COUNT A campground is the same as a campsite . [mainly AM ]

cam|phor /kæ mfə r / N‑UNCOUNT Camphor is a strong-smelling white substance used in various medicines, in mothballs, and in making plastics.

ca mp|ing site (camping sites ) N‑COUNT A camping site is the same as a campsite .

camp|site /kæ mpsa I t/ (campsites ) N‑COUNT A campsite is a place where people who are on holiday can stay in tents.

cam|pus /kæ mpəs/ (campuses ) N‑COUNT A campus is an area of land that contains the main buildings of a university or college. □ Private automobiles are not allowed on campus.

campy /kæ mpi/ ADJ Campy means the same as camp . □ …a campy spy spoof.

cam|shaft /kæ mʃɑːft, -ʃæft/ (camshafts ) N‑COUNT A camshaft is a rod in an engine and works to change circular motion into motion up and down or from side to side.


can


➊ MODAL USES


➋ CONTAINER


➊ can ◆◆◆ /kən, STRONG kæn/ Can is a modal verb. It is used with the base form of a verb. The form cannot is used in negative statements. The usual spoken form of cannot is can't , pronounced /kɑː nt, [AM ] kæ nt/. 1 MODAL You use can when you are mentioning a quality or fact about something which people may make use of if they want to. □ Chicken is also the most versatile of meats. It can be roasted whole or in pieces. □ A central reservation number can direct you to accommodations that best suit your needs. □ A selected list of some of those stocking a comprehensive range can be found in Chapter 8.


2 MODAL You use can to indicate that someone has the ability or opportunity to do something. □ Don't worry yourself about me, I can take care of myself. □ I can't give you details because I don't actually have any details. □ See if you can find Karlov and tell him we are ready for dinner. □ 'You're needed here, Livy'—'But what can I do?'. □ Customers can choose from sixty hit titles before buying.


3 MODAL You use cannot to indicate that someone is not able to do something because circumstances make it impossible for them to do it. □ We cannot buy food, clothes and pay for rent and utilities on $20 a week. □ She cannot sleep and the pain is often so bad she wants to scream.


4 MODAL You use can to indicate that something is true sometimes or is true in some circumstances. □ …long-term therapy that can last five years or more. □ Exercising alone can be boring. □ Coral can be yellow, blue, or green.


5 MODAL You use cannot and can't to state that you are certain that something is not the case or will not happen. □ From her knowledge of Douglas's habits, she feels sure that the attacker can't have been Douglas. □ Things can't be that bad. □ You can't be serious, Mrs Lorimer?


6 MODAL You use can to indicate that someone is allowed to do something. You use cannot or can't to indicate that someone is not allowed to do something. □ You must buy the credit life insurance before you can buy the disability insurance. □ Here, can I really have your jeans when you grow out of them? □ We can't answer any questions, I'm afraid.


7 MODAL You use cannot or can't when you think it is very important that something should not happen or that someone should not do something. [EMPHASIS ] □ It is an intolerable situation and it can't be allowed to go on. □ The committee can't demand from her more than it demands from its own members.


8 MODAL You use can , usually in questions, in order to make suggestions or to offer to do something. □ This old lady was struggling out of the train and I said, 'Oh, can I help you?'. □ Hello John. What can we do for you? □ You can always try the beer you know–it's usually all right in this bar.


9 MODAL You use can in questions in order to make polite requests. You use can't in questions in order to request strongly that someone does something. [POLITENESS ] □ Can I have a look at that? □ Can you please help? □ Can you fill in some of the details of your career? □ Why can't you leave me alone?


10 MODAL You use can as a polite way of interrupting someone or of introducing what you are going to say next. [FORMAL , SPOKEN ] □ Can I interrupt you just for a minute? □ But if I can interrupt, Joe, I don't think anybody here is personally blaming you.


11 MODAL You use can with verbs such as 'imagine', 'think', and 'believe' in order to emphasize how you feel about a particular situation. [INFORMAL or SPOKEN , EMPHASIS ] □ You can imagine he was terribly upset. □ You can't think how glad I was to see them all go.


12 MODAL You use can in questions with 'how' to indicate that you feel strongly about something. [SPOKEN , EMPHASIS ] □ How can you complain about higher taxes? □ How can you say such a thing? □ How can you expect me to believe your promises?

➋ can /kæ n/ (cans , canning , canned )


1 N‑COUNT A can is a metal container in which something such as food, drink, or paint is put. The container is usually sealed to keep the contents fresh. □ …empty beer cans. □ [+ of ] …cans of paint and brushes.


2 VERB [usu passive] When food or drink is canned , it is put into a metal container and sealed so that it will remain fresh. □ [be V -ed] …fruits and vegetables that will be canned, skinned, diced or otherwise processed. □ [V -ed] It was always roast lamb and canned peas for Sunday lunch.


3 N‑SING The can is the toilet. [AM , INFORMAL ]


4 VERB If you are canned , you are dismissed from your job. [AM , INFORMAL ] □ [be V -ed] The extremists prevailed, and the security minister was canned.


5 → see also canned

Ca|na|dian /kəne I diən/ (Canadians )


1 ADJ Canadian means belonging or relating to Canada, or to its people or culture.


2 N‑COUNT A Canadian is a Canadian citizen, or a person of Canadian origin.

ca|nal /kənæ l/ (canals )


1 N‑COUNT A canal is a long, narrow stretch of water that has been made for boats to travel along or to bring water to a particular area. □ …the Grand Union Canal. □ …Venetian canals and bridges.


2 N‑COUNT A canal is a narrow tube inside your body for carrying food, air, or other substances. □ …delaying the food's progress through the alimentary canal.

ca|na l boat (canal boats ) N‑COUNT A canal boat is a long, narrow boat used for travelling on canals.

cana|pé /kæ nəpe I / (canapés ) N‑COUNT [usu pl] Canapés are small pieces of biscuit or toast with food such as meat, cheese, or pâté on top. They are often served with drinks at parties.

ca|nard /kæ nɑː r d, [AM ] kənɑː rd/ (canards ) N‑COUNT A canard is an idea or a piece of information that is false, especially one that is spread deliberately in order to harm someone or their work. □ The charge that Harding was a political stooge may be a canard.

ca|nary /kəneə ri/ (canaries ) N‑COUNT Canaries are small yellow birds which sing beautifully and are often kept as pets.

ca|na ry ye l|low COLOUR Something that is canary yellow is a light yellow in colour. □ …a canary yellow dress.

ca n-can N‑SING The can-can is a dance in which women kick their legs in the air to fast music. □ …can-can dancers from the Moulin Rouge.

can|cel ◆◇◇ /kæ ns ə l/ (cancels , cancelling , cancelled ) in AM, use canceling , canceled 1 VERB If you cancel something that has been arranged, you stop it from happening. If you cancel an order for goods or services, you tell the person or organization supplying them that you no longer wish to receive them. □ [V n] She cancelled her visit to Japan. □ [be V -ed] Many trains have been cancelled and a limited service is operating on other lines. □ [V ] There is normally no refund should a client choose to cancel. ● can|cel|la|tion /kæ nsəle I ʃ ə n/ (cancellations ) N‑VAR □ [+ of ] The cancellation of the Royal Film Performance is indeed a real shame. □ [+ on ] …passengers who suffer delays and cancellations on planes, trains, ferries and buses.


2 VERB If someone in authority cancels a document, an insurance policy, or a debt, they officially declare that it is no longer valid or no longer legally exists. □ [V n] He intends to try to leave the country, in spite of a government order cancelling his passport. □ [be V -ed + by] She learned her insurance had been canceled by Pacific Mutual Insurance Company. ● can|cel|la|tion N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ of ] …a march by groups calling for cancellation of Third World debt.


3 VERB To cancel a stamp or a cheque means to mark it to show that it has already been used and cannot be used again. □ [V n] The new device can also cancel the check after the transaction is complete. □ [V -ed] …cancelled stamps.


▸ cancel out PHRASAL VERB If one thing cancels out another thing, the two things have opposite effects, so that when they are combined no real effect is produced. □ [V n P ] He wonders if the different influences might not cancel each other out. □ [be V -ed P + by] The goal was cancelled out just before half-time by Craig McLurg. [Also V P n] SYNONYMS cancel VERB 1


call off: He has called off the trip.


scrap: It had been thought that passport controls would be scrapped.


abandon: The authorities have abandoned any attempt to distribute food.


abort: The decision was made to abort the mission.

can|cer ◆◆◇ /kæ nsə r / (cancers ) N‑VAR [oft n N ] Cancer is a serious disease in which cells in a person's body increase rapidly in an uncontrolled way, producing abnormal growths. □ Her mother died of breast cancer. □ Ninety per cent of lung cancers are caused by smoking.

Can|cer (Cancers )


1 N‑UNCOUNT Cancer is one of the twelve signs of the zodiac. Its symbol is a crab. People who are born approximately between the 21st of June and the 22nd of July come under this sign.


2 N‑COUNT A Cancer is a person whose sign of the zodiac is Cancer.

can|cer|ous /kæ nsərəs/ ADJ Cancerous cells or growths are cells or growths that are the result of cancer. □ …production of cancerous cells. □ Nine out of ten lumps are not cancerous.

can|de|la|bra /kæ ndəlɑː brə/ (candelabras ) N‑COUNT A candelabra is an ornamental holder for two or more candles.

can|de|la|brum /kæ ndəlɑː brəm/ (candelabra ) N‑COUNT A candelabrum is the same as a candelabra .

can|did /kæ nd I d/


1 ADJ When you are candid about something or with someone, you speak honestly. □ [+ with ] I haven't been completely candid with him. □ …a candid interview.


2 ADJ [ADJ n] A candid photograph of someone is one that was taken when the person did not know they were being photographed.

can|di|da|cy /kæ nd I dəsi/ (candidacies ) N‑VAR [oft with poss] Someone's candidacy is their position of being a candidate in an election. □ [+ for ] Today he is formally announcing his candidacy for President.

can|di|date ◆◆◇ /kæ nd I de I t/ (candidates )


1 N‑COUNT A candidate is someone who is being considered for a position, for example someone who is running in an election or applying for a job. □ The Democratic candidate is still leading in the polls. □ We all spoke to them and John emerged as the best candidate.


2 N‑COUNT A candidate is someone who is taking an examination. [BRIT ]


3 N‑COUNT A candidate is someone who is studying for a degree at a college. [AM ]


4 N‑COUNT A candidate is a person or thing that is regarded as being suitable for a particular purpose or as being likely to do or be a particular thing. □ [+ for ] Those who are overweight or indulge in high-salt diets are candidates for hypertension. COLLOCATIONS candidate NOUN 1


noun + candidate : leadership


adjective + candidate : external, internal; favoured, preferred; likely, obvious, potential, prospective, suitable; mayoral, parliamentary, presidential; vice-presidential


verb + candidate : field, put up, select, stand as; interview SYNONYMS candidate NOUN 1


contender: She will be a strong contender for a place in Britain's gymnastics squad.


competitor: Blocker, one of the oldest competitors, won the individual silver medal.


contestant: The five remaining contestants enter the quarter finals.


rival: The world champion finished two seconds ahead of his nearest rival.

can|di|da|ture /kæ nd I dətʃə r / (candidatures ) N‑VAR [usu poss N ] Candidature means the same as candidacy . [BRIT , FORMAL ]

can|died /kæ ndid/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] Food such as candied fruit has been covered with sugar or has been cooked in sugar syrup. □ …candied orange peel.

can|dle /kæ nd ə l/ (candles )


1 N‑COUNT A candle is a stick of hard wax with a piece of string called a wick through the middle. You light the wick in order to give a steady flame that provides light. □ The bedroom was lit by a single candle.


2 PHRASE If you burn the candle at both ends , you try to do too many things in too short a period of time so that you have to stay up very late at night and get up very early in the morning to get them done.

candle|light /kæ nd ə lla I t/ N‑UNCOUNT Candlelight is the light that a candle produces. □ They dined by candlelight.

candle|lit /kæ nd ə ll I t/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] A candlelit room or table is lit by the light of candles. □ …a candlelit dinner for two.

candle|stick /kæ nd ə lst I k/ (candlesticks ) N‑COUNT A candlestick is a narrow object with a hole at the top which holds a candle.

ca n-do ADJ [ADJ n] If you say that someone has a can-do attitude, you approve of them because they are confident and willing to deal with problems or new tasks, rather than complaining or giving up. [INFORMAL , APPROVAL ] □ He is known for his optimistic can-do attitude.

can|dour /kæ ndə r / in AM, use candor N‑UNCOUNT Candour is the quality of speaking honestly and openly about things. □ …a brash, forceful man, noted both for his candour and his quick temper.

can|dy /kæ ndi/ (candies ) N‑VAR Candy is sweet foods such as toffees or chocolate. [AM ] □ …a piece of candy. □ …a large box of candies. in BRIT, usually use sweets

ca n|dy bar (candy bars ) N‑COUNT A candy bar is a long, thin, sweet food, usually covered in chocolate. [AM ]

candy|floss /kæ ndiflɒs, [AM ] -flɔːs/ also candy-floss


1 N‑UNCOUNT Candyfloss is a large pink or white mass of sugar threads that is eaten from a stick. It is sold at fairs or other outdoor events. [BRIT ] in AM, use cotton candy 2 N‑UNCOUNT [oft N n] If you think something such as a CD or film has no real value, you can say that it is candyfloss . [BRIT , DISAPPROVAL ] □ She took to writing candyfloss romances.

cane /ke I n/ (canes )


1 N‑VAR [oft N n] Cane is used to refer to the long, hollow, hard stems of plants such as bamboo. Strips of cane are often used to make furniture, and some types of cane can be crushed and processed to make sugar. □ …cane furniture. □ …cane sugar. □ Bamboo produces an annual crop of cane. □ Dig out and burn infected canes.


2 N‑COUNT A cane is a long thin stick with a curved or round top which you can use to support yourself when you are walking, or which in the past was fashionable to carry with you.


3 N‑COUNT A cane is a long, thin, flexible stick which in the past was used to hit people, especially children at school, as a punishment. □ Until the 1980s, some criminals were still flogged with a rattan cane as a punishment. ● N‑SING The cane is used to refer to the punishment of being hit with a cane.


4 → see also sugar cane

ca|nine /ke I na I n/ ADJ [ADJ n] Canine means relating to dogs. □ …research into canine diseases.

can|is|ter /kæ n I stə r / (canisters )


1 N‑COUNT [usu n N ] A canister is a strong metal container. It is used to hold gases or chemical substances. □ Riot police hurled tear gas canisters and smoke bombs into the crowd. □ [+ of ] …canisters of commercial fuel.


2 N‑COUNT A canister is a metal, plastic, or china container with a lid. It is used for storing food such as sugar and flour.


3 N‑COUNT A canister is a flat round container. It is usually made of metal and is used to store photographic film.

can|ker /kæ ŋkə r / (cankers )


1 N‑COUNT A canker is something evil that spreads and affects things or people. [FORMAL ] □ [+ of ] …the canker of jealousy.


2 N‑VAR Canker is a disease which affects the wood of shrubs and trees, making the outer layer come away to expose the inside of the stem. □ In gardens, cankers are most prominent on apple and pear trees.

can|na|bis /kæ nəb I s/ N‑UNCOUNT Cannabis is the hemp plant when it is used as a drug.

canned /kæ nd/


1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Canned music, laughter, or applause on a television or radio programme has been recorded beforehand and is added to the programme to make it sound as if there is a live audience.


2 → see also can ➋

can|nel|lo|ni /kæ nəloʊ ni/ N‑UNCOUNT Cannelloni is large tube-shaped pieces of pasta that contain a filling of meat, cheese, or vegetables.

can|nery /kæ nəri/ (canneries ) N‑COUNT A cannery is a factory where food is canned.

can|ni|bal /kæ n I b ə l/ (cannibals ) N‑COUNT Cannibals are people who eat the flesh of other human beings. □ …a tropical island inhabited by cannibals.

can|ni|bal|ism /kæ n I bəl I zəm/ N‑UNCOUNT If a group of people practise cannibalism , they eat the flesh of other people.

can|ni|bal|is|tic /kæ n I bəl I st I k/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] Cannibalistic people and practices are connected with cannibalism. □ …lurid cannibalistic feasts.

can|ni|bal|ize /kæ n I bəla I z/ (cannibalizes , cannibalizing , cannibalized ) in BRIT, also use cannibalise 1 VERB If you cannibalize something, you take it to pieces and use it to make something else. □ [V n] They cannibalized damaged planes for the parts.


2 VERB If one of a company's products cannibalizes the company's sales, people buy it instead of any of the company's other products. [BUSINESS ] □ [V n] A website need not cannibalise existing sales.

can|non /kæ nən/ (cannons )


1 N‑COUNT A cannon is a large gun, usually on wheels, which used to be used in battles.


2 N‑COUNT A cannon is a heavy automatic gun, especially one that is fired from an aircraft.


3 PHRASE If someone is a loose cannon , they do whatever they want and nobody can predict what they are going to do. □ Max is a loose cannon politically.


4 → see also water cannon

can|non|ade /kæ nəne I d/ (cannonades ) N‑COUNT A cannonade is an intense continuous attack of gunfire. □ …the distant thunder of a cannonade.

cannon|ball /kæ nənbɔːl/ (cannonballs ) also cannon ball N‑COUNT A cannonball is a heavy metal ball that is fired from a cannon.

ca n|non fod|der also cannon-fodder N‑UNCOUNT If someone in authority regards people they are in charge of as cannon fodder , they do not care if these people are harmed or lost in the course of their work. □ The conscripts were treated as cannon fodder.

can|not ◆◇◇ /kæ nɒt, kənɒ t/ Cannot is the negative form of can .

can|ny /kæ ni/ (cannier , canniest ) ADJ [usu ADJ n] A canny person is clever and able to think quickly. You can also describe a person's behaviour as canny . □ He was far too canny to risk giving himself away.

ca|noe /kənuː / (canoes ) N‑COUNT A canoe is a small, narrow boat that you move through the water using a stick with a wide end called a paddle.

ca|noe|ing /kənuː I ŋ/ N‑UNCOUNT Canoeing is the sport of using and racing a canoe. □ They went canoeing in the wilds of Canada.

ca|noe|ist /kənuː I st/ (canoeists ) N‑COUNT A canoeist is someone who is skilled at racing and performing tests of skill in a canoe.

can|on /kæ nən/ (canons )


1 N‑COUNT A canon is a member of the clergy who is on the staff of a cathedral.


2 N‑COUNT A canon of texts is a list of them that is accepted as genuine or important. [FORMAL ] □ [+ of ] He had to read a canon of accepted literary texts. □ …the Irish literary canon.

ca|noni|cal /kənɒ n I k ə l/ ADJ [ADJ n] If something has canonical status, it is accepted as having all the qualities that a thing of its kind should have. □ …Ballard's status as a canonical writer.

can|on|ize /kæ nəna I z/ (canonizes , canonizing , canonized ) in BRIT, also use canonise VERB [usu passive] If a dead person is canonized , it is officially announced by the Catholic Church that he or she is a saint. □ [be V -ed] Joan of Arc was finally canonized by Pope Benedict XV in 1920.

ca n|on la w N‑UNCOUNT Canon law is the law of the Christian Church. It has authority only for that church and its members. □ The Church's canon law forbids remarriage of divorced persons.

ca|noo|dle /kənuː d ə l/ (canoodles , canoodling , canoodled ) VERB If two people are canoodling , they are kissing and holding each other a lot. [mainly OLD-FASHIONED ] □ [V + with ] He was seen canoodling with his new girlfriend. [Also V ]

ca n open|er (can openers ) N‑COUNT A can opener is the same as a tin opener .

cano|pied /kæ nəpid/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] A canopied building or piece of furniture is covered with a roof or a piece of material supported by poles. □ …a canopied Elizabethan bed.

cano|py /kæ nəpi/ (canopies )


1 N‑COUNT A canopy is a decorated cover, often made of cloth, which is placed above something such as a bed or a seat.


2 N‑COUNT [usu sing] A canopy is a layer of something that spreads out and covers an area, for example the branches and leaves that spread out at the top of trees in a forest. □ The trees formed such a dense canopy that all beneath was a deep carpet of pine-needles.

cant /kæ nt/ N‑UNCOUNT If you refer to moral or religious statements as cant , you are criticizing them because you think the person making them does not really believe what they are saying. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ …politicians holding forth with their usual hypocritical cant.

can't /kɑː nt, [AM ] kæ nt/ Can't is the usual spoken form of 'cannot'.

can|ta|loupe /kæ ntəluːp, [AM ] -loʊp/ (cantaloupes ) also cantaloup N‑COUNT A cantaloupe is a type of melon .

can|tan|ker|ous /kæntæ ŋkərəs/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] Someone who is cantankerous is always finding things to argue or complain about. [WRITTEN ] □ …a cantankerous old man.

can|ta|ta /kæntɑː tə/ (cantatas ) N‑COUNT A cantata is a fairly short musical work for singers and instruments.

can|teen /kæntiː n/ (canteens )


1 N‑COUNT A canteen is a place in a factory, shop, or college where meals are served to the people who work or study there. □ …a school canteen. □ …canteen food.


2 N‑COUNT A canteen is a small plastic bottle for carrying water and other drinks. Canteens are used by soldiers. □ [+ of ] …a full canteen of water.


3 N‑COUNT A canteen of cutlery is a set of knives, forks, and spoons in a specially designed box.

can|ter /kæ ntə r / (canters , cantering , cantered ) VERB When a horse canters , it moves at a speed that is slower than a gallop but faster than a trot. □ [V + into , V prep/adv] The competitors cantered into the arena to conclude the closing ceremony. [Also V ] ● N‑COUNT [usu sing] Canter is also a noun. □ Carnac set off at a canter.

can|ti|lever /kæ nt I liːvə r / (cantilevers ) N‑COUNT A cantilever is a long piece of metal or wood used in a structure such as a bridge. One end is fastened to something and the other end is used to support part of the structure. □ …the old steel cantilever bridge.

can|ti|levered /kæ nt I liːvə r d/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] A cantilevered structure is constructed using cantilevers. □ …a cantilevered balcony.

can|ton /kæ ntɒn/ (cantons ) N‑COUNT A canton is a political or administrative region in some countries, for example Switzerland. □ …the Swiss canton of Berne.

Can|ton|ese /kæ ntəniː z/ (Cantonese )


1 ADJ Cantonese means belonging or relating to the Chinese provinces of Canton (Guangdong in Mandarin).


2 N‑COUNT [usu pl] The Cantonese are the people who come from the Chinese provinces of Canton (Guangdong in Mandarin).


3 N‑UNCOUNT Cantonese is the language spoken in the Chinese provinces of Guango, Kwansai, and Hong Kong, as well as in other parts of the world.

can|ton|ment /kæntuː nmənt, [AM ] -toʊ n-/ (cantonments ) N‑COUNT A cantonment is a group of buildings or a camp where soldiers live.

can|vas /kæ nvəs/ (canvases )


1 N‑UNCOUNT Canvas is a strong, heavy cloth that is used for making things such as tents, sails, and bags. □ …a canvas bag.


2 N‑VAR A canvas is a piece of canvas or similar material on which an oil painting can be done.


3 N‑COUNT A canvas is a painting that has been done on canvas. □ [+ by ] The show includes canvases by masters like Carpaccio, Canaletto and Guardi.

can|vass /kæ nvəs/ (canvasses , canvassing , canvassed )


1 VERB If you canvass for a particular person or political party, you go around an area trying to persuade people to vote for that person or party. □ [V + for ] I'm canvassing for the Conservative Party. ● can|vass|er (canvassers ) N‑COUNT □ …a Conservative canvasser.


2 VERB If you canvass public opinion, you find out how people feel about a particular subject. □ [V n] Members of Parliament are spending the weekend canvassing opinion in their constituencies.

can|yon /kæ njən/ (canyons ) N‑COUNT A canyon is a long, narrow valley with very steep sides. □ …the Grand Canyon.

cap ◆◇◇ /kæ p/ (caps , capping , capped )


1 N‑COUNT A cap is a soft, flat hat with a curved part at the front which is called a peak. Caps are usually worn by men and boys. □ …a dark-blue baseball cap.


2 N‑COUNT A cap is a special hat which is worn as part of a uniform. □ …a frontier guard in olive-grey uniform and a peaked cap.


3 VERB [usu passive] If a sports player is capped , they are chosen to represent their country in a team game such as football, rugby, or cricket. [BRIT ] □ [be V -ed] Rees, 32, has been capped for England 23 times. □ [V -ed] …England's most capped rugby union player.


4 N‑COUNT If a sports player represents their country in a team game such as football, rugby, or cricket, you can say that they have been awarded a cap . [BRIT ] □ [+ for ] He will win his first cap for Wales in Sunday's Test match against Australia.


5 VERB If the government caps an organization, council, or budget, it limits the amount of money that the organization or council is allowed to spend, or limits the size of the budget. □ [V n] The Secretary of State for Environment has the power to cap councils which spend excessively.


6 N‑COUNT The cap of a bottle is its lid. □ [+ of ] She unscrewed the cap of her water bottle and gave him a drink.


7 N‑COUNT A cap is a circular rubber device that a woman places inside her vagina to prevent herself from becoming pregnant. [BRIT ]


8 VERB If someone says that a good or bad event caps a series of events, they mean it is the final event in the series, and the other events were also good or bad. [JOURNALISM ] □ [V n] The win capped a fine tournament for the Irish team.


9 VERB [usu passive] If someone's teeth are capped , covers are fixed over them so that they look better. □ [be V -ed] He suddenly smiled, revealing teeth that had recently been capped. □ [have n V -ed] I had my teeth capped.


10 → see also ice cap

ca|pa|bil|ity /ke I pəb I l I ti/ (capabilities )


1 N‑VAR [oft adj N , N to-inf] If you have the capability or the capabilities to do something, you have the ability or the qualities that are necessary to do it. □ People experience differences in physical and mental capability depending on the time of day. □ The standards set four years ago will be far below the athletes' capabilities now.


2 N‑VAR [usu adj N , N to-inf] A country's military capability is its ability to fight in a war. □ Their military capability has been reduced.

ca|pable ◆◇◇ /ke I pəb ə l/


1 ADJ If a person or thing is capable of doing something, they have the ability to do it. □ [+ of ] He appeared hardly capable of conducting a coherent conversation. □ [+ of ] The kitchen is capable of catering for several hundred people.


2 ADJ Someone who is capable has the skill or qualities necessary to do a particular thing well, or is able to do most things well. □ She's a very capable speaker. □ Sam was a highly capable manager. ● ca|pably /ke I pəbli/ ADV [ADV with v] □ Happily it was all dealt with very capably by the police and security people. SYNONYMS capable ADJ 2


accomplished: She is an accomplished painter.


competent: He was a loyal, distinguished and very competent civil servant.


skilful: He is widely regarded as Hungary's most skilful politician.


adept: He is an adept guitar player.


proficient: A great number of Egyptians are proficient in foreign languages.


able: …one of the brightest and ablest members of the government.

ca|pa|cious /kəpe I ʃəs/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] Something that is capacious has a lot of space to put things in. [FORMAL ] □ …her capacious handbag.

ca|paci|tor /kəpæ s I tə r / (capacitors ) N‑COUNT A capacitor is a device for accumulating electric charge.

ca|pac|ity ◆◇◇ /kəpæ s I ti/ (capacities )


1 N‑VAR [oft with poss, N to-inf] Your capacity for something is your ability to do it, or the amount of it that you are able to do. □ [+ for ] Our capacity for giving care, love and attention is limited. □ Her mental capacity and temperament are as remarkable as his. □ …people's creative capacities.


2 N‑UNCOUNT The capacity of something such as a factory, industry, or region is the quantity of things that it can produce or deliver with the equipment or resources that are available. □ Bread factories are working at full capacity. □ The region is valued for its coal and vast electricity-generating capacity.


3 N‑COUNT The capacity of a piece of equipment is its size or power, often measured in particular units. □ [+ of ] …an aircraft with a bomb-carrying capacity of 454 kg.


4 N‑VAR The capacity of a container is its volume, or the amount of liquid it can hold, measured in units such as litres or gallons. □ [+ of ] …the fuel tanks, which had a capacity of 140 litres. □ Grease 6 ramekin dishes of 150 ml (5–6 fl oz) capacity.


5 N‑SING [oft to N ] The capacity of a building, place, or vehicle is the number of people or things that it can hold. If a place is filled to capacity , it is as full as it can possibly be. □ [+ of ] Each stadium had a seating capacity of about 50,000. □ Toronto hospital maternity wards were filled to capacity.


6 ADJ [ADJ n] A capacity crowd or audience completely fills a theatre, sports stadium, or other place. □ A capacity crowd of 76,000 people was at Wembley football stadium for the event.


7 N‑COUNT [in N ] If you do something in a particular capacity , you do it as part of a particular job or duty, or because you are representing a particular organization or person. [WRITTEN ] □ [+ as ] She visited the Philippines in her capacity as a Special Representative of Unicef. □ This article is written in a personal capacity. COLLOCATIONS capacity NOUN


1


adjective + capacity : creative, earning, intellectual, mental; diminished, limited


verb + capacity : boost, develop


2


adjective + capacity : full, maximum, spare; productive


verb + capacity : boost, expand, increase; reduce


3


noun + capacity : engine, fuel


4


noun + capacity : lung, storage SYNONYMS capacity NOUN 1


ability: He has the ability to bring out the best in others.


facility: He and Marcia shared a facility for languages.


aptitude: Some students have more aptitude for academic work than others.


capability: People experience differences in mental capability depending on the time of day.

cape /ke I p/ (capes )


1 N‑COUNT A cape is a large piece of land that sticks out into the sea from the coast. □ In 1978, Naomi James became the first woman to sail solo around the world via Cape Horn.


2 N‑COUNT A cape is a short cloak. □ …a woollen cape.

ca|per /ke I pə r / (capers , capering , capered )


1 N‑COUNT [usu pl] Capers are the small green buds of caper plants. They are usually sold preserved in vinegar.


2 VERB If you caper about , you run and jump around because you are happy or excited. □ [V adv/prep] They were capering about, shouting and laughing.

ca|pil|lary /kəp I ləri, [AM ] kæ pəleri/ (capillaries ) N‑COUNT Capillaries are tiny blood vessels in your body.

capi|tal ◆◆◆ /kæ p I t ə l/ (capitals )


1 N‑UNCOUNT Capital is a large sum of money which you use to start a business, or which you invest in order to make more money. [BUSINESS ] □ Companies are having difficulty in raising capital. □ A large amount of capital is invested in all these branches.


2 N‑UNCOUNT [usu N n] You can use capital to refer to buildings or machinery which are necessary to produce goods or to make companies more efficient, but which do not make money directly. [BUSINESS ] □ …capital equipment that could have served to increase production. □ …capital investment.


3 N‑UNCOUNT Capital is the part of an amount of money borrowed or invested which does not include interest. [BUSINESS ] □ With a conventional repayment mortgage, the repayments consist of both capital and interest.


4 N‑COUNT The capital of a country is the city or town where its government or parliament meets. □ [+ of ] …Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal.


5 N‑COUNT If a place is the capital of a particular industry or activity, it is the place that is most famous for it, because it happens in that place more than anywhere else. □ [+ of ] Colmar has long been considered the capital of the wine trade. □ [+ of ] …New York, the fashion capital of the world.


6 N‑COUNT Capitals or capital letters are written or printed letters in the form which is used at the beginning of sentences or names. 'T', 'B', and 'F' are capitals. □ The name and address are written in capitals.


7 ADJ [ADJ n] A capital offence is one that is so serious that the person who commits it can be punished by death. □ Espionage is a capital offence in this country. □ …Americans wrongly convicted of capital crimes.


8 → see also working capital


9 PHRASE If you say that someone is making capital out of a situation, you disapprove of the way they are gaining an advantage for themselves through other people's efforts or bad luck. [FORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ He rebuked the President for trying to make political capital out of the hostage situation.

ca pi|tal ac|cou nt (capital accounts )


1 N‑COUNT A country's capital account is the part of its balance of payments that is concerned with the movement of capital.


2 N‑COUNT A capital account is a financial statement showing the capital value of a company on a particular date. [BUSINESS ]

ca pi|tal gai ns N‑PLURAL Capital gains are the profits that you make when you buy something and then sell it again at a higher price. [BUSINESS ] □ He called for the reform of capital gains tax.

ca pi|tal goods N‑PLURAL Capital goods are used to make other products. Compare consumer goods . [BUSINESS ]

ca pi|tal i n|flow (capital inflows ) N‑VAR In economics, capital inflow is the amount of capital coming into a country, for example in the form of foreign investment. [BUSINESS ] □ [+ into ] …a large drop in the capital inflow into America.

ca pital-inte nsive ADJ Capital-intensive industries and businesses need the investment of large sums of money. Compare labour-intensive . [BUSINESS ]

capi|tal|ise /kæ p I təla I z/ → see capitalize

capi|tal|ism /kæ p I təl I zəm/ N‑UNCOUNT Capitalism is an economic and political system in which property, business, and industry are owned by private individuals and not by the state. □ …the return of capitalism to Hungary.

capi|tal|ist /kæ p I təl I st/ (capitalists )


1 ADJ A capitalist country or system supports or is based on the principles of capitalism. □ I'm a strong believer in the capitalist system. □ …capitalist economic theory.


2 N‑COUNT A capitalist is someone who believes in and supports the principles of capitalism. □ …relations between capitalists and workers.


3 N‑COUNT A capitalist is someone who owns a business which they run in order to make a profit for themselves. □ In general, industrialization relied heavily on private capitalists, who built the new factories and offices.

capi|tal|ist|ic /kæ p I təl I st I k/ ADJ [ADJ n] Capitalistic means supporting or based on the principles of capitalism. □ …the forces of capitalistic greed. □ …capitalistic economic growth.

capi|tal|ize /kæ p I təla I z/ (capitalizes , capitalizing , capitalized ) in BRIT, also use capitalise 1 VERB If you capitalize on a situation, you use it to gain some advantage for yourself. □ [V + on/upon ] The rebels seem to be trying to capitalize on the public's discontent with the government.


2 VERB In business, if you capitalize something that belongs to you, you sell it in order to make money. [BUSINESS ] □ [V n] Our intention is to capitalize the company by any means we can. □ [be V -ed + at ] The company will be capitalized at £2 million. ● capi|tali|za|tion /kæ p I təla I ze I ʃ ə n/ N‑UNCOUNT □ …a massive capitalization programme.

ca pi|tal le t|ter (capital letters ) N‑COUNT Capital letters are the same as capitals .

ca pi|tal pu n|ish|ment N‑UNCOUNT Capital punishment is punishment which involves the legal killing of a person who has committed a serious crime such as murder. □ Most democracies have abolished capital punishment.

ca|pitu|late /kəp I tʃʊle I t/ (capitulates , capitulating , capitulated ) VERB If you capitulate , you stop resisting and do what someone else wants you to do. □ [V ] The club eventually capitulated and now grants equal rights to women. □ [V + to ] In less than two hours Cohen capitulated to virtually every demand.

ca|pon /ke I pən/ (capons ) N‑COUNT A capon is a male chicken that has had its sex organs removed and has been specially fattened up to be eaten.

cap|puc|ci|no /kæ pətʃiː noʊ/ (cappuccinos ) N‑UNCOUNT Cappuccino is coffee which is made using milk and has froth and sometimes powdered chocolate on top. ● N‑COUNT A cappuccino is a cup of cappuccino.

ca|price /kæpriː s/ (caprices ) N‑VAR A caprice is an unexpected action or decision which has no strong reason or purpose. [FORMAL ] □ I lived in terror of her sudden caprices and moods.

ca|pri|cious /kæpr I ʃəs/ ADJ Someone who is capricious often changes their mind unexpectedly. □ The Union accused him of being capricious and undemocratic.

Cap|ri|corn /kæ pr I kɔː r n/ (Capricorns )


1 N‑UNCOUNT Capricorn is one of the twelve signs of the zodiac. Its symbol is a goat. People who are born approximately between the 22nd of December and the 19th of January come under this sign.


2 N‑COUNT A Capricorn is a person whose sign of the zodiac is Capricorn.

cap|si|cum /kæ ps I kəm/ (capsicums ) N‑VAR Capsicums are peppers .

cap|size /kæpsa I z, [AM ] kæ psa I z/ (capsizes , capsizing , capsized ) VERB If you capsize a boat or if it capsizes , it turns upside down in the water. □ [V ] The sea got very rough and the boat capsized. □ [V n] I didn't count on his capsizing the raft.

cap|stan /kæ pstən/ (capstans ) N‑COUNT A capstan is a machine consisting of a drum that turns round and pulls in a heavy rope or something attached to a rope, for example an anchor.

cap|sule /kæ psjuːl, [AM ] kæ ps ə l/ (capsules )


1 N‑COUNT A capsule is a very small tube containing powdered or liquid medicine, which you swallow. □ …cod liver oil capsules.


2 N‑COUNT A capsule is a small container with a drug or other substance inside it, which is used for medical or scientific purposes. □ They first implanted capsules into the animals' brains.


3 N‑COUNT A space capsule is the part of a spacecraft in which people travel, and which often separates from the main rocket. □ A Russian space capsule is currently orbiting the Earth.

Capt. N‑TITLE Capt. is a written abbreviation for captain . □ Capt. Hunt asked which engine was on fire.

cap|tain ◆◆◇ /kæ pt I n/ (captains , captaining , captained )


1 N‑TITLE ; N‑COUNT In the army, navy, and some other armed forces, a captain is an officer of middle rank. □ …Captain Mark Phillips. □ …a captain in the British army. □ Are all your weapons in place, Captain?


2 N‑COUNT [n N ] The captain of a sports team is the player in charge of it. □ The former Australia cricket captain offers a unique insight into his nation's sporting psyche.


3 N‑COUNT The captain of a ship is the sailor in charge of it. □ [+ of ] …the captain of the aircraft carrier Saratoga.


4 N‑COUNT ; N‑TITLE The captain of an aeroplane is the pilot in charge of it.


5 N‑COUNT ; N‑TITLE In the United States and some other countries, a captain is a police officer or firefighter of fairly senior rank.


6 VERB If you captain a team or a ship, you are the captain of it. □ [V n] Two months later, he captained Pakistan to victory in the World Cup.

cap|tain|cy /kæ pt I nsi/ N‑UNCOUNT The captaincy of a team is the position of being captain. □ [+ of ] His captaincy of the team was ended by mild eye trouble.

ca p|tain of i n|dus|try (captains of industry ) N‑COUNT You can refer to the owners or senior managers of industrial companies as captains of industry .

cap|tcha /kæ ptʃə/ (captchas ) N‑VAR Captcha is a system for checking that a human and not a machine is using a computer. Captcha is an abbreviation for 'completely automated public Turing test to tell computers and humans apart'. □ We use captcha to screen for spam.

cap|tion ◆◆◇ /kæ pʃ ə n/ (captions ) N‑COUNT A caption is the words printed underneath a picture or cartoon which explain what it is about. □ On the back of the photo is written the simple caption, 'Mrs. Monroe'.

cap|ti|vate /kæ pt I ve I t/ (captivates , captivating , captivated ) VERB If you are captivated by someone or something, you find them fascinating and attractive. □ [be V -ed + by ] I was captivated by her brilliant mind. □ [V n] For 40 years she has captivated the world with her radiant looks.

cap|ti|vat|ing /kæ pt I ve I t I ŋ/ ADJ Someone or something that is captivating fascinates or attracts you. □ …her captivating smile and alluring looks.

cap|tive /kæ pt I v/ (captives )


1 ADJ A captive person or animal is being kept imprisoned or enclosed. [LITERARY ] □ Her heart had begun to pound inside her chest like a captive animal. ● N‑COUNT A captive is someone who is captive. □ He described the difficulties of surviving for four months as a captive.


2 ADJ [ADJ n] A captive audience is a group of people who are not free to leave a certain place and so have to watch or listen. A captive market is a group of people who cannot choose whether or where to buy things. □ We all performed dances before a captive audience of parents and patrons. □ Airlines consider business travellers a captive market.


3 PHRASE If you take someone captive or hold someone captive , you take or keep them as a prisoner. □ Richard was finally released one year after he'd been taken captive.

ca p|tive bree d|ing N‑UNCOUNT Captive breeding is the breeding of wild animals in places such as zoos, especially animals which have become rare in the wild.

cap|tiv|ity /kæpt I v I ti/ N‑UNCOUNT [oft in/of N ] Captivity is the state of being kept imprisoned or enclosed. □ The great majority of barn owls are reared in captivity. □ He was released today after more than two months of captivity.

cap|tor /kæ ptə r / (captors ) N‑COUNT [usu poss N ] You can refer to the person who has captured a person or animal as their captor . □ They did not know what their captors would do.

cap|ture ◆◇◇ /kæ ptʃə r / (captures , capturing , captured )


1 VERB If you capture someone or something, you catch them, especially in a war. □ [V n] The guerrillas shot down one aeroplane and captured the pilot. □ [V n + from ] The United States captured Puerto Rico from the Spaniards in 1898. □ [V -ed] …the murders of fifteen thousand captured Polish soldiers. ● N‑UNCOUNT [oft with poss] Capture is also a noun. □ [+ of ] …the final battles which led to the army's capture of the town. □ [+ by ] The shooting happened while the man was trying to evade capture by the security forces.


2 VERB [no cont] If something or someone captures a particular quality, feeling, or atmosphere, they represent or express it successfully. □ [be V -ed + by ] The mood was captured by a cartoon in the New York Post.


3 VERB If something captures your attention or imagination, you begin to be interested or excited by it. If someone or something captures your heart, you begin to love them or like them very much. □ [V n] …the great names of the Tory party who usually capture the historian's attention. □ [V n] …one man's undying love for the woman who captured his heart.


4 VERB If an event is captured in a photograph or on film, it is photographed or filmed. □ [be V -ed + on/in ] The incident was captured on video. □ [be V -ed] The images were captured by TV crews filming outside the base. □ [V n] …photographers who captured the traumatic scene. [Also V n + on/in ]


5 VERB If you capture something that you are trying to obtain in competition with other people, you succeed in obtaining it. □ [V n] The company aims to capture more sales at a time of significant challenges in the supermarket sector. SYNONYMS capture VERB 1


catch: Police say they are confident of catching the gunman.


arrest: The police say seven people were arrested for minor offences.


seize: Men carrying sub-machine guns seized the five soldiers and drove them away.


apprehend: Police have not apprehended her killer.

car ◆◆◆ /kɑː r / (cars )


1 N‑COUNT [oft by N ] A car is a motor vehicle with room for a small number of passengers. □ He had left his tickets in his car. □ They arrived by car.


2 N‑COUNT A car is one of the separate sections of a train. [AM ] in BRIT, usually use carriage 3 N‑COUNT Railway carriages are called cars when they are used for a particular purpose. [BRIT ] □ He made his way into the dining car for breakfast.


4 → see also cable car

ca|rafe /kəræ f/ (carafes ) N‑COUNT A carafe is a glass container in which you serve water or wine. □ [+ of ] He ordered a carafe of water.

ca r alarm (car alarms ) N‑COUNT A car alarm is a device in a car which makes a loud noise if anyone tries to break into the vehicle. □ He returned to find his car alarm going off.

cara|mel /kæ rəmel/ (caramels )


1 N‑VAR A caramel is a chewy sweet food made from sugar, butter, and milk.


2 N‑UNCOUNT Caramel is burnt sugar used for colouring and flavouring food.

cara|mel|ize /kæ rəməla I z/ (caramelizes , caramelizing , caramelized ) in BRIT, also use caramelise 1 VERB If sugar caramelizes , it turns to caramel as a result of being heated. □ [V ] Cook until the sugar starts to caramelize.


2 VERB If you caramelize something such as fruit, you cook it with sugar so that it is coated with caramel. □ [V n] Start by caramelizing some onions. □ [V -ed] …caramelised apples.

cara|pace /kæ rəpe I s/ (carapaces )


1 N‑COUNT A carapace is the protective shell on the back of some animals such as tortoises or crabs. [FORMAL ]


2 N‑COUNT You can refer to an attitude that someone has in order to protect themselves as their carapace . [LITERARY ] □ The arrogance became his protective carapace.

car|at /kæ rət/ (carats )


1 N‑COUNT A carat is a unit for measuring the weight of diamonds and other precious stones. It is equal to 0.2 grams. □ The gemstone is 28.6 millimetres high and weighs 139.43 carats. □ …a huge eight-carat diamond.


2 COMB Carat is used after a number to indicate how pure gold is. The purest gold is 24-carat gold. □ …a 14-carat gold fountain pen.

cara|van /kæ rəvæn/ (caravans )


1 N‑COUNT A caravan is a vehicle without an engine that can be pulled by a car or van. It contains beds and cooking equipment so that people can live or spend their holidays in it. [mainly BRIT ] in AM, usually use trailer 2 N‑COUNT A caravan is a group of people and animals or vehicles who travel together.

cara|van|ning /kæ rəvæn I ŋ/ N‑UNCOUNT Caravanning is the activity of having a holiday in a caravan. [BRIT ] □ He was on a caravanning holiday.

ca ra|van site (caravan sites ) N‑COUNT A caravan site is an area of land where people can stay in a caravan on holiday, or where people live in caravans. [BRIT ] in AM, use trailer park

cara|way /kæ rəwe I / N‑UNCOUNT [oft N n] Caraway is a plant with strong-tasting seeds that are used in cooking. Caraway seeds are often used to flavour bread and cakes.

carb /kɑː r b/ (carbs ) N‑COUNT [usu pl] Carbs are foods such as potatoes, pasta, and bread, that contain a lot of carbohydrate. □ Eat a wide variety of carbs, fruit, and vegetables.

car|bine /kɑː r ba I n, [AM ] -biː n/ (carbines ) N‑COUNT A carbine is a light automatic rifle.

car|bo|hy|drate /kɑː r boʊha I dre I t/ (carbohydrates ) N‑VAR [usu pl] Carbohydrates are substances, found in certain kinds of food, that provide you with energy. Foods such as sugar and bread that contain these substances can also be referred to as carbohydrates . □ …carbohydrates such as bread, pasta or chips.

car|bol|ic acid /kɑː r bɒ l I k æ s I d/ N‑UNCOUNT Carbolic acid or carbolic is a liquid that is used as a disinfectant and antiseptic. □ Carbolic acid is usually used for cleaning. □ She smelled strongly of carbolic soap.

ca r bomb (car bombs ) N‑COUNT A car bomb is a bomb which is inside a car, van, or truck.

car|bon ◆◇◇ /kɑː r bən/ N‑UNCOUNT Carbon is a chemical element that diamonds and coal are made up of.

car|bon|ate /kɑː r bəne I t/ (carbonates ) N‑VAR [oft N n] Carbonate is used in the names of some substances that are formed from carbonic acid, which is a compound of carbon dioxide and water. □ …1,500 milligrams of calcium carbonate. □ [+ of ] …carbonate of ammonia solution.

car|bon|at|ed /kɑː r bəne I t I d/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] Carbonated drinks are drinks that contain small bubbles of carbon dioxide. □ …colas and other carbonated soft drinks.

ca r|bon copy (carbon copies )


1 N‑COUNT If you say that one person or thing is a carbon copy of another, you mean that they look or behave exactly like them. □ [+ of ] She's a carbon copy of her mother.


2 N‑COUNT A carbon copy is a copy of a piece of writing that is made using carbon paper.

ca r|bon cre d|it (carbon credits ) N‑COUNT [usu pl] Carbon credits are an allowance that certain companies have, permitting them to burn a certain amount of fossil fuels. □ The company helps to develop green projects which are awarded carbon credits.

ca r|bon da|ting N‑UNCOUNT Carbon dating is a system of calculating the age of a very old object by measuring the amount of radioactive carbon it contains.

ca r|bon di|o x|ide N‑UNCOUNT Carbon dioxide is a gas. It is produced by animals and people breathing out, and by chemical reactions.

ca r|bon fo ot|print N‑COUNT [oft poss N ] Your carbon footprint is a measure of the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere by your activities over a particular period. □ We all need to look for ways to reduce our carbon footprint.

ca r|bon mon|o x|ide N‑UNCOUNT Carbon monoxide is a poisonous gas that is produced especially by the engines of vehicles.

ca r|bon ne u|tral ADJ A carbon neutral lifestyle, company, or activity does not cause an increase in the overall amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. □ More organizations are becoming carbon neutral.

ca r|bon tax (carbon taxes ) N‑COUNT A carbon tax is a tax on the burning of fuels such as coal, gas, and oil. Its aim is to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere.

ca r|bon tra d|ing N‑UNCOUNT Carbon trading is the practice of buying and selling the right to produce carbon dioxide emissions, so that people, countries or companies who use a lot of fuel and electricity can buy rights from those that do not use so much.

ca r boo t sale (car boot sales ) N‑COUNT A car boot sale is a sale where people sell things they own and do not want from a little stall or from the back of their car. [BRIT ] in AM, use garage sale

car|bun|cle /kɑː r bʌŋk ə l/ (carbuncles ) N‑COUNT A carbuncle is a large swelling under the skin.

car|bu|ret|tor /kɑː r bəre tə r , [AM ] -re I tə r / (carburettors ) in AM, use carburetor N‑COUNT A carburettor is the part of an engine, usually in a car, in which air and petrol are mixed together to form a vapour which can be burned.

car|cass /kɑː r kəs/ (carcasses ) in BRIT, also use carcase N‑COUNT A carcass is the body of a dead animal. □ [+ of ] A cluster of vultures crouched on the carcass of a dead buffalo.

car|cino|gen /kɑː r s I nədʒ ə n, kɑː r s I nədʒen/ (carcinogens ) N‑COUNT A carcinogen is a substance which can cause cancer. [MEDICAL ]

car|cino|gen|ic /kɑː r s I nədʒe n I k/ ADJ A substance that is carcinogenic is likely to cause cancer. [MEDICAL ]

car|ci|no|ma /kɑː r s I noʊ mə/ (carcinomas )


1 N‑UNCOUNT Carcinoma is a type of cancer. [MEDICAL ]


2 N‑COUNT Carcinomas are malignant tumours. [MEDICAL ]

card ◆◆◇ /kɑː r d/ (cards )


1 N‑COUNT A card is a piece of stiff paper or thin cardboard on which something is written or printed. □ Check the numbers below against the numbers on your card.


2 N‑COUNT [usu n N ] A card is a piece of cardboard or plastic, or a small document, which shows information about you and which you carry with you, for example to prove your identity. □ They check my bag and press card. □ …her membership card. □ The authorities have begun to issue ration cards.


3 N‑COUNT A card is a rectangular piece of plastic, issued by a bank, company, or shop, which you can use to buy things or obtain money. □ He paid the whole bill with an American Express card. □ Holiday-makers should beware of using plastic cards in foreign cash dispensers.


4 N‑COUNT A card is a folded piece of stiff paper with a picture and sometimes a message printed on it, which you send to someone on a special occasion. □ She sends me a card on my birthday. □ …millions of get-well cards.


5 N‑COUNT A card is the same as a postcard . □ Send your details on a card to the following address.


6 N‑COUNT [oft poss N ] A card is a piece of thin cardboard carried by someone such as a business person in order to give to other people. A card shows the name, address, telephone number, and other details of the person who carries it. [BUSINESS ] □ Here's my card. You may need me.


7 N‑COUNT [usu pl] Cards are thin pieces of cardboard with numbers or pictures printed on them which are used to play various games. □ …a pack of cards.


8 N‑UNCOUNT If you are playing cards , you are playing a game using cards. □ A group of officers was sitting round a table in the sun playing cards.


9 N‑COUNT You can use card to refer to something that gives you an advantage in a particular situation. If you play a particular card , you use that advantage. □ It was his strongest card in their relationship–that she wanted him more than he wanted her. □ This permitted Western manufacturers to play their strong cards: capital and technology.


10 N‑UNCOUNT Card is strong, stiff paper or thin cardboard. □ She put the pieces of card in her pocket.


11 → see also bank card , business card , calling card , cash card , cheque card , Christmas card , credit card , debit card , gold card , identity card , index card , payment card , place card , playing card , report card , smart card , wild card


12 PHRASE If you say that something is on the cards in British English, or in the cards in American English, you mean that it is very likely to happen. □ Last summer she began telling friends that a New Year marriage was on the cards.


13 PHRASE If you say that someone will achieve success if they play their cards right , you mean that they will achieve success if they act skilfully and use the advantages that they have. □ You're looking for fun and romance and, if you play your cards right, you may just get it.


14 PHRASE If you put or lay your cards on the table , you deal with a situation by speaking openly about your feelings, ideas, or plans. □ Put your cards on the table and be very clear about your complaints.

car|da|mom /kɑː r dəməm/ (cardamoms ) also cardamon N‑VAR Cardamom is a spice. It comes from the seeds of a plant grown in Asia.

card|board /kɑː r dbɔː r d/ N‑UNCOUNT [oft N n] Cardboard is thick, stiff paper that is used, for example, to make boxes and models. □ …a cardboard box. □ …a life-size cardboard cut-out of a police officer.

ca rd-carrying


1 ADJ [ADJ n] A card-carrying member of a particular group or political party is an official member of that group or party, rather than someone who supports it. □ I've been a card-carrying member of the Labour party for five years.


2 ADJ [ADJ n] If you describe someone as, for example, a card-carrying feminist, you are emphasizing the fact that they believe strongly in and try to carry out the ideas of feminism. [EMPHASIS ]

ca rd game (card games ) N‑COUNT A card game is a game that is played using a set of playing cards.

card|holder /kɑː r dhoʊldə r / (cardholders ) N‑COUNT A cardholder is someone who has a bank card or credit card. □ The average cardholder today carries three to four bank cards.

car|di|ac /kɑː r diæk/ ADJ [ADJ n] Cardiac means relating to the heart. [MEDICAL ] □ The king was suffering from cardiac weakness.

ca r|di|ac ar|re st (cardiac arrests ) N‑VAR A cardiac arrest is a heart attack. [MEDICAL ]

cardie /kɑː r di/ (cardies ) N‑COUNT A cardie is the same as a cardigan . [BRIT , INFORMAL ]

car|di|gan /kɑː r d I gən/ (cardigans ) N‑COUNT A cardigan is a knitted woollen sweater that you can fasten at the front with buttons or a zip.

car|di|nal /kɑː r dn ə l/ (cardinals )


1 N‑COUNT ; N‑TITLE A cardinal is a high-ranking priest in the Catholic Church. □ In 1448, Nicholas was appointed a cardinal. □ They were encouraged by a promise from Cardinal Winning.


2 ADJ [ADJ n] A cardinal rule or quality is the one that is considered to be the most important. [FORMAL ] □ As a salesman, your cardinal rule is to do everything you can to satisfy a customer.


3 N‑COUNT A cardinal is a common North American bird. The male has bright red feathers.

ca r|di|nal nu m|ber (cardinal numbers ) N‑COUNT A cardinal number is a number such as 1, 3, or 10 that tells you how many things there are in a group but not what order they are in. Compare ordinal number .

ca r|di|nal poi nt (cardinal points ) N‑COUNT The cardinal points are the four main points of the compass, north, south, east, and west.

ca r|di|nal si n (cardinal sins ) N‑COUNT If you describe an action as a cardinal sin , you are indicating that some people strongly disapprove of it. □ I committed the physician's cardinal sin: I got involved with my patients.

ca rd in|dex (card indexes ) N‑COUNT A card index is a number of cards with information written on them which are arranged in a particular order, usually alphabetical, so that you can find the information you want easily.

car|di|olo|gist /kɑː r diɒ lədʒ I st/ (cardiologists ) N‑COUNT A cardiologist is a doctor who specializes in the heart and its diseases.

car|di|ol|ogy /kɑː r diɒ lədʒi/ N‑UNCOUNT Cardiology is the study of the heart and its diseases.

car|dio|vas|cu|lar /kɑː r dioʊvæ skjʊlə r / ADJ [ADJ n] Cardiovascular means relating to the heart and blood vessels. [MEDICAL ] □ Smoking places you at serious risk of cardiovascular and respiratory disease.

ca rd ta|ble (card tables ) also card-table N‑COUNT A card table is a small light table which can be folded up and which is sometimes used for playing games of cards on.

care ◆◆◆ /keə r / (cares , caring , cared )


1 VERB [no cont] If you care about something, you feel that it is important and are concerned about it. □ [V + about ] …a company that cares about the environment. □ [V wh] …young men who did not care whether they lived or died. □ [V ] Does anybody know we're here, does anybody care?


2 VERB [no cont] If you care for someone, you feel a lot of affection for them. [APPROVAL ] □ [V + for/about ] He wanted me to know that he still cared for me. □ [V + for/about ] …people who are your friends, who care about you. [Also V ] ● car|ing N‑UNCOUNT □ …the 'feminine' traits of caring and compassion.


3 VERB If you care for someone or something, you look after them and keep them in a good state or condition. □ [V + for ] They hired a nurse to care for her. □ [V -ed + for ] …these distinctive cars, lovingly cared for by private owners. □ [V -ed] …well-cared-for homes. ● N‑UNCOUNT Care is also a noun. □ [+ of ] Most of the staff specialise in the care of children. □ …sensitive teeth which need special care. □ She denied the murder of four children who were in her care.


4 N‑UNCOUNT [oft in N ] Children who are in care are looked after by the state because their parents are dead or unable to look after them properly. [BRIT ] □ …a home for children in care. □ She was taken into care as a baby.


5 VERB [no cont] If you say that you do not care for something or someone, you mean that you do not like them. [OLD-FASHIONED ] □ [V + for ] She had met both sons and did not care for either.


6 VERB [no cont] If you say that someone does something when they care to do it, you mean that they do it, although they should do it more willingly or more often. □ [V to-inf] The woman tells anyone who cares to listen that she's going through hell. □ [V to-inf] Experts reveal only as much as they care to.


7 VERB [no cont] You can ask someone if they would care for something or if they would care to do something as a polite way of asking if they would like to have or do something. [POLITENESS ] □ [V + for ] Would you care for some orange juice? □ [V to-inf] He said he was off to the beach and would we care to join him.


8 N‑UNCOUNT [oft with N ] If you do something with care , you give careful attention to it because you do not want to make any mistakes or cause any damage. □ Condoms are an effective method of birth control if used with care. □ We'd taken enormous care in choosing the location.


9 N‑COUNT Your cares are your worries, anxieties, or fears. □ Lean back in a hot bath and forget all the cares of the day. □ Johnson seemed without a care in the world.


10 → see also aftercare , caring , day care , intensive care


11 PHRASE You can use for all I care to emphasize that it does not matter at all to you what someone does. [EMPHASIS ] □ You can go right now for all I care.


12 PHRASE If you say that you couldn't care less about someone or something, you are emphasizing that you are not interested in them or worried about them. In American English, you can also say that you could care less , with the same meaning. [EMPHASIS ] □ [+ about ] I couldn't care less about the bloody woman. □ I used to be proud working for them; now I could care less. I'm just out here for the money.


13 PHRASE If someone sends you a letter or parcel care of a particular person or place, they send it to that person or place, and it is then passed on to you. In American English, you can also say in care of . □ Please write to me care of the publishers.


14 PHRASE If you take care of someone or something, you look after them and prevent them from being harmed or damaged. □ There was no one else to take care of their children. □ You have to learn to take care of your possessions.


15 CONVENTION You can say ' Take care ' when saying goodbye to someone. [FORMULAE ]


16 PHRASE If you take care to do something, you make sure that you do it. □ Foley followed Albert through the gate, taking care to close the latch.


17 PHRASE To take care of a problem, task, or situation means to deal with it. □ They leave it to the system to try and take care of the problem. □ 'Do you need clean sheets?'—'No. Mrs. May took care of that.'


18 PHRASE You can say ' Who cares? ' to emphasize that something does not matter to you at all. [EMPHASIS ] □ [+ about ] Who cares about some stupid vacation? □ 'But we might ruin the stove.'—'Who cares?'

ca|reen /kəriː n/ (careens , careening , careened ) VERB To careen somewhere means to rush forward in an uncontrollable way. [mainly AM ] □ [V prep/adv] He stood to one side as they careened past him.

ca|reer ◆◆◇ /kər I ə r / (careers , careering , careered )


1 N‑COUNT A career is the job or profession that someone does for a long period of their life. □ [+ as ] She is now concentrating on a career as a fashion designer. □ [+ in ] …a career in journalism. □ …a political career.


2 N‑COUNT Your career is the part of your life that you spend working. □ During his career, he wrote more than fifty plays. □ [+ as ] She began her career as a teacher.


3 ADJ [ADJ n] Careers advice or guidance in British English, or career advice or guidance in American English, consists of information about different jobs and help with deciding what kind of job you want to do. □ Get hold of the company list from your careers advisory service.


4 VERB [oft cont] If a person or vehicle careers somewhere, they move fast and in an uncontrolled way. □ [V prep/adv] His car careered into a river. □ [V prep/adv] He went careering off down the track. COLLOCATIONS career NOUN 1


noun + career : acting, coaching, modelling


adjective + career : distinguished, glittering, illustrious, successful; academic, managerial, musical, political, professional; international


verb + career : forge, pursue; begin, embark on, launch, start; abandon, give up SYNONYMS career NOUN 1


occupation: I was looking for an occupation which would be an adventure.


employment: She was unable to find employment.


vocation: It could well be that he has a real vocation.


livelihood: …fishermen who depend on the seas for their livelihood.


profession: Harper was a teacher by profession.

ca|ree r break (career breaks ) N‑COUNT If someone takes a career break , they stop working in their particular profession for a period of time, with the intention of returning to it later. [BUSINESS ] □ Many women still take career breaks to bring up children.

ca|reer|ist /kər I ə r I st/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] Careerist people are ambitious and think that their career is more important than anything else. □ …careerist politicians.

ca|ree r wom|an (career women ) N‑COUNT A career woman is a woman with a career who is interested in working and progressing in her job, rather than staying at home looking after the house and children.

care|free /keə r friː/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] A carefree person or period of time doesn't have or involve any problems, worries, or responsibilities. □ Chantal remembered carefree past summers at the beach.

care|ful ◆◆◇ /keə r fʊl/


1 ADJ [usu v-link ADJ , ADJ to-inf] If you are careful , you give serious attention to what you are doing, in order to avoid harm, damage, or mistakes. If you are careful to do something, you make sure that you do it. □ [+ on ] Careful on those stairs! □ We had to be very careful not to be seen. □ Pupils will need careful guidance on their choice of options. ● care|ful|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ Have a nice time, dear, and drive carefully. □ He had chosen his words carefully in declaring that the murderers were madmen.


2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Careful work, thought, or examination is thorough and shows a concern for details. □ He has decided to prosecute her after careful consideration of all the relevant facts. □ What we now know about the disease was learned by careful study of diseased organs. ● care|ful|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ He explained very carefully what he was doing.


3 ADJ If you tell someone to be careful about doing something, you think that what they intend to do is probably wrong, and that they should think seriously before they do it. □ [+ about/of ] I think you should be careful about talking of the rebels as heroes. ● care|ful|ly ADV [ADV after v] □ He should think carefully about actions like this which play into the hands of his opponents.


4 ADJ If you are careful with something such as money or resources, you use or spend only what is necessary. □ [+ with ] It would force industries to be more careful with natural resources.

care|giv|er /keə r g I və r / (caregivers ) also care giver N‑COUNT A caregiver is someone who is responsible for looking after another person, for example, a person who has a disability, or is ill or very young. [mainly AM ] □ It is nearly always women who are the primary care givers.

ca re home (care homes ) N‑COUNT A care home is a large house or institution where people with particular problems or special needs are looked after. □ [+ for ] …a residential care home for the elderly.

care|less /keə r ləs/


1 ADJ If you are careless , you do not pay enough attention to what you are doing, and so you make mistakes, or cause harm or damage. □ [+ of ] I'm sorry. How careless of me. □ [+ with ] Some mothers were a bit careless with money. □ Mr Clarke had pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving. ● care|less|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ She was fined £100 for driving carelessly. ● care|less|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ The defence conceded stupid goals through sheer carelessness.


2 ADJ If you say that someone is careless of something such as their health or appearance, you mean that they do not seem to be concerned about it, or do nothing to keep it in a good condition. □ [+ of ] He had shown himself careless of personal safety. □ That shows a fairly careless attitude to clothes, doesn't it? [Also + about ]

care|less|ly /keə r ləsli/


1 ADV [ADV with v] If someone does something carelessly , they do it without much thought or effort. [WRITTEN ] □ He carelessly left the garage door unlocked. □ 'Oh,' he said carelessly. 'I'm in no hurry to get back.'


2 → see also careless

car|er /keə rə r / (carers ) N‑COUNT A carer is someone who is responsible for looking after another person, for example, a person who has a disability, or is ill or very young. [BRIT ] □ [+ of ] Women are more likely than men to be carers of elderly dependent relatives. in AM, use caregiver , caretaker

ca|ress /kəre s/ (caresses , caressing , caressed ) VERB If you caress someone, you stroke them gently and affectionately. [WRITTEN ] □ [V n] He was gently caressing her golden hair. ● N‑COUNT Caress is also a noun. □ Margaret took me to one side, holding my arm in a gentle caress.

care|taker /keə r te I kə r / (caretakers )


1 N‑COUNT A caretaker is a person whose job it is to look after a large building such as a school or a block of flats or apartments, and deal with small repairs to it. [BRIT ] in AM, use janitor 2 N‑COUNT A caretaker is a person whose job it is to take care of a house or property when the owner is not there.


3 ADJ [ADJ n] A caretaker government or leader is in charge temporarily until a new government or leader is appointed. □ The military intends to hand over power to a caretaker government.


4 N‑COUNT A caretaker is someone who is responsible for looking after another person, for example, a person who has a disability, or is ill or very young. [mainly AM ] in BRIT, use carer

ca re work|er (care workers )


1 N‑COUNT A care worker is someone whose job involves helping people who have particular problems or special needs, for example in a care home.


2 → see also health care worker

care|worn /keə r wɔː r n/ ADJ A person who looks careworn looks worried, tired, and unhappy. □ Her face was careworn with anxiety.

car|go /kɑː r goʊ/ (cargoes ) N‑VAR The cargo of a ship or plane is the goods that it is carrying. □ [+ of ] The boat calls at the main port to load its regular cargo of bananas. □ …cargo planes.

Car|ib|bean /kæ rəbiː ən, [AM ] kər I biən/ (Caribbeans )


1 N‑PROPER The Caribbean is the sea which is between the West Indies, Central America, and the north coast of South America.


2 ADJ Caribbean means belonging or relating to the Caribbean Sea and its islands, or to its people.


3 N‑COUNT A Caribbean is a person from a Caribbean island.


4 → see also Afro-Caribbean

cari|bou /kæ r I buː/ (caribou ) N‑COUNT A caribou is a large north American deer.

cari|ca|ture /kæ r I kətʃʊə r , [AM ] -tʃər/ (caricatures , caricaturing , caricatured )


1 N‑COUNT A caricature of someone is a drawing or description of them that exaggerates their appearance or behaviour in a humorous or critical way. □ [+ of ] The poster showed a caricature of him with a devil's horns and tail.


2 VERB If you caricature someone, you draw or describe them in an exaggerated way in order to be humorous or critical. □ [be V -ed] Her political career has been caricatured in headlines. □ [be V -ed + as ] He was caricatured as a turnip. [Also V n as n]


3 N‑COUNT If you describe something as a caricature of an event or situation, you mean that it is a very exaggerated account of it. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ [+ of ] Are such views really a caricature of the truth?

cari|ca|tur|ist /kæ r I kətʃʊər I st/ (caricaturists ) N‑COUNT A caricaturist is a person who shows other people in an exaggerated way in order to be humorous or critical, especially in drawings or cartoons.

car|ies /keə riz/ N‑UNCOUNT Caries is decay in teeth. [TECHNICAL ] □ …dental caries.

car|ing ◆◇◇ /keə r I ŋ/


1 ADJ If someone is caring , they are affectionate, helpful, and sympathetic. □ He is a lovely boy, very gentle and caring. □ …a loving, caring husband.


2 ADJ [ADJ n] The caring professions are those such as nursing and social work that are involved with looking after people who are ill or who need help in coping with their lives. [BRIT ] □ The course is also suitable for those in the caring professions. □ …the caring services.


3 → see also care SYNONYMS caring ADJ 1


compassionate: My father was a deeply compassionate man.


kind: She is warmhearted and kind to everyone and everything.


warm: She was a warm and loving mother.


sympathetic: It may be that he sees you only as a sympathetic friend.

ca r-jacker (car-jackers ) N‑COUNT A car-jacker is someone who attacks and steals from people who are driving their own cars.

car|jack|ing /kɑː r dʒæk I ŋ/ (carjackings ) N‑VAR A carjacking is an attack on a person who is driving their own car during which things may be stolen or they may be harmed physically.

car|load /kɑː r loʊd/ (carloads ) N‑COUNT A carload of people or things is as many people or things as a car can carry. □ [+ of ] Wherever he goes, a carload of soldiers goes with him.

car|mine /kɑː r ma I n, -m I n/ COLOUR Carmine is a deep bright-red colour. [LITERARY ] □ …a tulip with carmine petals.

car|nage /kɑː r n I dʒ/ N‑UNCOUNT Carnage is the violent killing of large numbers of people, especially in a war. [LITERARY ] □ …a planned attempt to wreak carnage in a very busy town centre.

car|nal /kɑː r n ə l/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] Carnal feelings and desires are sexual and physical, without any spiritual element. [FORMAL ] □ Their ruling passion is that of carnal love.

car|na|tion /kɑː r ne I ʃ ə n/ (carnations ) N‑COUNT A carnation is a plant with white, pink, or red flowers.

car|ni|val /kɑː r n I v ə l/ (carnivals )


1 N‑COUNT A carnival is a public festival during which people play music and sometimes dance in the streets.


2 N‑COUNT A carnival is a travelling show which is held in a park or field and at which there are machines to ride on, entertainments, and games. [AM ] in BRIT, use funfair

car|ni|vore /kɑː r n I vɔː r / (carnivores )


1 N‑COUNT A carnivore is an animal that eats meat. [TECHNICAL ]


2 N‑COUNT If you describe someone as a carnivore , you are saying, especially in a humorous way, that they eat meat. □ This is a vegetarian dish that carnivores love.

car|nivo|rous /kɑː r n I vərəs/


1 ADJ Carnivorous animals eat meat. [TECHNICAL ] □ Snakes are carnivorous.


2 ADJ Carnivorous can be used, especially humorously, to describe someone who eats meat.

car|ob /kæ rəb/ (carobs )


1 N‑VAR A carob or carob tree is a Mediterranean tree that stays green all year round. It has dark-brown fruit that tastes similar to chocolate.


2 N‑UNCOUNT [oft N n] The dark-brown fruit of the carob tree can be referred to as carob . It is often made into powder and used instead of chocolate. □ If you do yearn for chocolate, try a carob bar instead.

car|ol /kæ rəl/ (carols ) N‑COUNT Carols are Christian religious songs that are sung at Christmas. □ …carol singers at the door.

ca|rot|id ar|tery /kərɒ t I d ɑː r təri/ (carotid arteries ) N‑COUNT A carotid artery is one of the two arteries in the neck that supply the head with blood. [MEDICAL ]

ca|rouse /kəraʊ z/ (carouses , carousing , caroused ) VERB If you say that people are carousing , you mean that they are behaving very noisily and drinking a lot of alcohol as they enjoy themselves. □ [V + with ] He's now more likely to be seen tending his garden than carousing with the stars.

carou|sel /kæ rəse l/ (carousels )


1 N‑COUNT At an airport, a carousel is a moving surface from which passengers can collect their luggage.


2 N‑COUNT A carousel is a large circular machine with seats, often in the shape of animals or cars. People can sit on it and go round and round for fun.

carp /kɑː r p/ (carps , carping , carped ) carp can also be used as the plural form for meaning 1 . 1 N‑VAR A carp is a kind of fish that lives in lakes and rivers.


2 VERB If you say that someone is carping , you mean that they keep criticizing or complaining about someone or something, especially in a way you think is unnecessary or annoying. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ [V + at ] He cannot understand why she's constantly carping at him. [Also V about ] ● carp|ing N‑UNCOUNT □ She was in no mood to put up with Blanche's carping.

ca r park (car parks ) also carpark N‑COUNT A car park is an area or building where people can leave their cars. [BRIT ] in AM, use parking lot

car|pen|ter /kɑː r p I ntə r / (carpenters ) N‑COUNT A carpenter is a person whose job is making and repairing wooden things.

car|pen|try /kɑː r p I ntri/ N‑UNCOUNT Carpentry is the activity of making and repairing wooden things.

car|pet /kɑː r p I t/ (carpets , carpeting , carpeted )


1 N‑VAR A carpet is a thick covering of soft material which is laid over a floor or a staircase. □ They put down wooden boards, and laid new carpets on top. □ …the stain on our living-room carpet.


2 VERB [usu passive] If a floor or a room is carpeted , a carpet is laid on the floor. □ [be V -ed] The room had been carpeted and the windows glazed with coloured glass. □ [be V -ed] The main gaming room was thickly carpeted. [Also + with ]


3 N‑COUNT [usu sing] A carpet of something such as leaves or plants is a layer of them which covers the ground. [LITERARY ] □ [+ of ] The carpet of leaves in my yard became more and more noticeable.


4 VERB [usu passive] If the ground is carpeted with something such as leaves or plants, it is completely covered by them. [LITERARY ] □ [be V -ed + with ] The ground was thickly carpeted with pine needles.


5 → see also carpeting , red carpet


6 to sweep something under the carpet → see sweep

carpet|bag|ger /kɑː r p I tbægə r / (carpetbaggers ) N‑COUNT If you call someone a carpetbagger , you disapprove of them because they are trying to become a politician in an area which is not their home, simply because they think they are more likely to succeed there. [AM , DISAPPROVAL ]

ca r|pet bomb|ing N‑UNCOUNT Carpet bombing is heavy bombing from aircraft, with the intention of hitting as many places as possible in a particular area.

car|pet|ing /kɑː r p I t I ŋ/


1 N‑UNCOUNT You use carpeting to refer to a carpet, or to the type of material that is used to make carpets. □ …a bedroom with wall-to-wall carpeting. □ Carpeting is a reasonably cheap floor-covering.


2 → see also carpet

ca r|pet slip|per (carpet slippers ) N‑COUNT Carpet slippers are soft, comfortable slippers.

car pool /kɑː r puːl/ (car pools , car pooling , car pooled ) also carpool , car-pool


1 N‑COUNT [oft N n] A car pool is an arrangement where a group of people take turns driving each other to work, or driving each other's children to school. In American English, car pool is sometimes used to refer simply to people travelling together in a car. □ …the carpool lanes in LA.


2 VERB If a group of people car pool , they take turns driving each other to work, or driving each other's children to school. [mainly AM or AUSTRALIAN ] □ [V ] The government says fewer Americans are carpooling to work.


3 N‑COUNT A car pool is a number of cars that are owned by a company or organization for the use of its employees or members. [BUSINESS ]

ca r port (car ports ) also carport N‑COUNT A car port is a shelter for cars which is attached to a house and consists of a flat roof supported on pillars.

car|riage /kæ r I dʒ/ (carriages )


1 N‑COUNT [oft by N ] A carriage is an old-fashioned vehicle, usually for a small number of passengers, which is pulled by horses. □ The President-elect followed in an open carriage drawn by six beautiful gray horses.


2 N‑COUNT A carriage is one of the separate, long sections of a train that carries passengers. [BRIT ] in AM, usually use car 3 N‑COUNT A carriage is the same as a baby carriage . [AM ]


4 N‑UNCOUNT Carriage is the cost or action of transporting or delivering goods. [BRIT , FORMAL ] □ It costs £10.86 for one litre including carriage. in AM, usually use delivery charge 5 N‑UNCOUNT [usu with poss] Your carriage is the way you hold your body and head when you are walking, standing, or sitting. [LITERARY ] □ Her legs were long and fine, her hips slender, her carriage erect.

carriage|way /kæ r I dʒwe I / (carriageways ) N‑COUNT A carriageway is one side of a road on which traffic travelling in opposite directions is separated by a barrier. [BRIT ]

car|ri|er ◆◇◇ /kæ riə r / (carriers )


1 N‑COUNT A carrier is a vehicle that is used for carrying people, especially soldiers, or things. □ There were armoured personnel carriers and tanks on the streets.


2 → see also aircraft carrier


3 N‑COUNT A carrier is a passenger airline. □ Aer Lingus, Ireland's national carrier, will report its full-year results tomorrow.


4 N‑COUNT [usu n N ] A carrier is a person or an animal that is infected with a disease and so can make other people or animals ill. □ …screening of Ebola carriers. □ [+ of ] …carriers of disease such as mosquitoes and worms.

ca r|ri|er bag (carrier bags ) N‑COUNT A carrier bag is a bag made of plastic or paper which has handles and which you carry shopping in. [BRIT ] in AM, usually use shopping bag

car|ri|on /kæ riən/ N‑UNCOUNT Carrion is the decaying flesh of dead animals.

car|rot /kæ rət/ (carrots )


1 N‑VAR Carrots are long, thin, orange-coloured vegetables. They grow under the ground, and have green shoots above the ground.


2 N‑COUNT Something that is offered to people in order to persuade them to do something can be referred to as a carrot . Something that is meant to persuade people not to do something can be referred to in the same sentence as a 'stick'. □ [+ of ] They will be set targets, with a carrot of extra cash and pay if they achieve them. □ Why the new emphasis on sticks instead of diplomatic carrots?


3 → see also carrot and stick

ca r|rot and sti ck also carrot-and-stick ADJ [ADJ n] If an organization has a carrot and stick approach or policy, they offer people things in order to persuade them to do something and punish them if they refuse to do it. □ The government is proclaiming a carrot-and-stick approach to the problem.

car|ry ◆◆◆ /kæ ri/ (carries , carrying , carried )


1 VERB If you carry something, you take it with you, holding it so that it does not touch the ground. □ [V n] He was carrying a briefcase. □ [V n prep/adv] He carried the plate through to the dining room. □ [V n prep/adv] If your job involves a lot of paperwork, you're going to need something to carry it all in.


2 VERB If you carry something, you have it with you wherever you go. □ [V n] You have to carry a bleeper so that they can call you in at any time.


3 VERB If something carries a person or thing somewhere, it takes them there. □ [V n adv/prep] Flowers are designed to attract insects which then carry the pollen from plant to plant. □ [V n] The ship could carry seventy passengers.


4 VERB If a person or animal is carrying a disease, they are infected with it and can pass it on to other people or animals. □ [V n] Frogs eat pests which destroy crops and carry diseases.


5 VERB [no passive, no cont] If an action or situation has a particular quality or consequence, you can say that it carries it. □ [V n] Check that any medication you're taking carries no risk for your developing baby.


6 VERB If a quality or advantage carries someone into a particular position or through a difficult situation, it helps them to achieve that position or deal with that situation. □ [V n prep/adv] He had the ruthless streak necessary to carry him into the Cabinet.


7 VERB If you carry an idea or a method to a particular extent, you use or develop it to that extent. □ [V n prep/adv] It's not such a new idea, but I carried it to extremes. □ [V n prep/adv] We could carry that one step further by taking the same genes and putting them into another crop.


8 VERB If a newspaper or poster carries a picture or a piece of writing, it contains it or displays it. □ [V n] Several papers carry the photograph of Mr Anderson.


9 VERB [usu passive] In a debate, if a proposal or motion is carried , a majority of people vote in favour of it. □ [be V -ed] A motion backing its economic policy was carried by 322 votes to 296.


10 VERB [no cont] If a crime carries a particular punishment, a person who is found guilty of that crime will receive that punishment. □ [V n] It was a crime of espionage and carried the death penalty.


11 VERB If a sound carries , it can be heard a long way away. □ [V adv] Even in this stillness Leaphorn doubted if the sound would carry far. [Also V ]


12 VERB [no passive] If a candidate or party carries a state or area, they win the election in that state or area. [AM ] □ [V n] At that time George W. Bush carried the state with 56 percent of the vote. in BRIT, usually use take 13 VERB If you carry yourself in a particular way, you walk and move in that way. □ [V pron-refl prep/adv] They carried themselves with great pride and dignity.


14 VERB [usu cont] If a woman is carrying a child, she is pregnant. [OLD-FASHIONED ]


15 PHRASE If you get carried away or are carried away , you are so eager or excited about something that you do something hasty or foolish. □ I got completely carried away and almost cried.


16 to carry conviction → see conviction


17 to carry the day → see day


18 to carry weight → see weight


▸ carry off


1 PHRASAL VERB If you carry something off , you do it successfully. □ [V n P ] He's got the experience and the authority to carry it off. [Also V P n]


2 PHRASAL VERB If you carry off a prize or a trophy, you win it. □ [V P n] It carried off the Evening Standard drama award for best play. [Also V n P ]


▸ carry on


1 PHRASAL VERB If you carry on doing something, you continue to do it. □ [V P v-ing] The assistant carried on talking. □ [V P + with ] Her bravery has given him the will to carry on with his life and his work. □ [V P n] His eldest son Joseph carried on his father's traditions. □ [V P ] 'Do you mind if I just start with the few formal questions please?'—'Carry on.'


2 PHRASAL VERB If you carry on an activity, you do it or take part in it for a period of time. □ [V P n] The consulate will carry on a political dialogue with Indonesia.


3 PHRASAL VERB If you say that someone is carrying on , you are irritated with them because they are talking very excitedly and saying a lot of unnecessary things. [INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ [V P ] She was yelling and screaming and carrying on. □ [V P + about ] He was carrying on about some stupid television series.


▸ carry out PHRASAL VERB If you carry out a threat, task, or instruction, you do it or act according to it. □ [be V -ed P + by] Police say they believe the attacks were carried out by nationalists. □ [V n P ] Commitments have been made with very little intention of carrying them out.


▸ carry over PHRASAL VERB If something carries over or is carried over from one situation to another, it continues to exist or apply in the new situation. □ [V P + into/to ] Priestley's rational outlook in science carried over to religion. □ [be V -ed P + into/to ] Springs and wells were decorated, a custom which was carried over into Christian times in Europe.


▸ carry through PHRASAL VERB If you carry something through , you do it or complete it, often in spite of difficulties. □ [V P n] We don't have the confidence that the U.N. will carry through a sustained program. □ [V n P ] The state announced a clear-cut policy and set out to carry it through.

carry|all /kæ riɔːl/ (carryalls ) N‑COUNT A carryall is a large bag made of nylon, canvas, or leather, which you use to carry your clothes and other possessions, for example when you are travelling. [mainly AM ] in BRIT, usually use holdall

carry|cot /kæ rikɒt/ (carrycots ) N‑COUNT A carrycot is a small bed for babies which has handles so it can be carried. [BRIT ]

ca rry-on ADJ Carry-on baggage or luggage is the bags that you take inside an aeroplane with you. □ Passengers who have only carry-on luggage may go directly to the departure gate.

cart /kɑː r t/ (carts , carting , carted )


1 N‑COUNT A cart is an old-fashioned wooden vehicle that is used for transporting goods or people. Some carts are pulled by animals. □ …a country where horse-drawn carts far outnumber cars.


2 VERB If you cart things or people somewhere, you carry them or transport them there, often with difficulty. [INFORMAL ] □ [V n with adv] One of their father's relatives carted off the entire contents of the house. [Also V n prep]


3 N‑COUNT A cart is a small vehicle with a motor. [AM ] □ He drove up in a golf cart to watch them.


4 N‑COUNT A cart or a shopping cart is a large metal basket on wheels which is provided by shops such as supermarkets for customers to use while they are in the shop. [AM ] in BRIT, use trolley

carte blanche /kɑː r t blɒ nʃ/ N‑UNCOUNT [oft N to-inf] If someone gives you carte blanche , they give you the authority to do whatever you think is right. □ [+ to-inf] They gave him carte blanche to make decisions.

car|tel /kɑː r te l/ (cartels ) N‑COUNT A cartel is an association of similar companies or businesses that have grouped together in order to prevent competition and to control prices. [BUSINESS ] □ …a drug cartel.

cart|horse /kɑː r thɔː r s/ (carthorses ) also cart-horse N‑COUNT A carthorse is a large, powerful horse that is used to pull carts or farm machinery. □ Where we use tractors, obviously they used cart-horses in those days.

car|ti|lage /kɑː r t I l I dʒ/ (cartilages ) N‑VAR Cartilage is a strong, flexible substance in your body, especially around your joints and in your nose. □ …a serious knee cartilage injury.

car|tog|ra|pher /kɑː r tɒ grəfə r / (cartographers ) N‑COUNT A cartographer is a person whose job is drawing maps.

car|tog|ra|phy /kɑː r tɒ grəfi/ N‑UNCOUNT Cartography is the art or activity of drawing maps and geographical charts.

car|ton /kɑː r t ə n/ (cartons )


1 N‑COUNT A carton is a plastic or cardboard container in which food or drink is sold. □ [+ of ] …a two-pint carton of milk.


2 N‑COUNT A carton is a large, strong cardboard box in which goods are stored and transported. [AM ]

car|toon /kɑː r tuː n/ (cartoons )


1 N‑COUNT A cartoon is a humorous drawing or series of drawings in a newspaper or magazine. □ …a cartoon strip in the Daily Mirror.


2 → see also strip cartoon


3 N‑COUNT A cartoon is a film in which all the characters and scenes are drawn rather than being real people or objects. □ …the Saturday morning cartoons.

car|toon|ist /kɑː r tuː n I st/ (cartoonists ) N‑COUNT A cartoonist is a person whose job is to draw cartoons for newspapers and magazines.

car|too n strip (cartoon strips ) N‑COUNT A cartoon strip is a series of drawings that tells a story. [mainly BRIT ]

car|tridge /kɑː r tr I dʒ/ (cartridges )


1 N‑COUNT A cartridge is a metal or cardboard tube containing a bullet and an explosive substance. Cartridges are used in guns.


2 N‑COUNT A cartridge is part of a machine or device that can be easily removed and replaced when it is worn out or empty.

cart|wheel /kɑː r t h wiːl/ (cartwheels ) N‑COUNT If you do a cartwheel , you do a fast, circular movement with your body. You fall sideways, put your hands on the ground, swing your legs over, and return to a standing position.

carve /kɑː r v/ (carves , carving , carved )


1 VERB If you carve an object, you make it by cutting it out of a substance such as wood or stone. If you carve something such as wood or stone into an object, you make the object by cutting it out. □ [V n] One of the prisoners has carved a beautiful wooden chess set. □ [V n prep] He carves his figures from white pine. □ [V ] I picked up a piece of wood and started carving. □ [V -ed] …carved stone figures.


2 → see also carving


3 VERB If you carve writing or a design on an object, you cut it into the surface of the object. □ [V n + in/on ] He carved his name on his desk. □ [V -ed] The ornately carved doors were made in the seventeenth century.


4 VERB If you carve a piece of cooked meat, you cut slices from it so that you can eat it. □ [V n] Andrew began to carve the chicken. □ [V n + into ] Carve the meat into slices.


▸ carve up PHRASAL VERB If you say that someone carves something up , you disapprove of the way they have divided it into small parts. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ [V P n] He has set about carving up the company which Hammer created from almost nothing. □ [V n P ] They have begun carving the country up like a pie.

carv|er /kɑː r və r / (carvers ) N‑COUNT [oft n N ] A carver is a person who carves wood or stone, as a job or as a hobby. □ The ivory industry employed about a thousand carvers.

carv|ing /kɑː r v I ŋ/ (carvings )


1 N‑COUNT [oft n N ] A carving is an object or a design that has been cut out of a material such as stone or wood. □ [+ of ] …a wood carving of a human hand.


2 N‑UNCOUNT [usu n N ] Carving is the art of carving objects, or of carving designs or writing on objects.

ca rv|ing knife (carving knives ) N‑COUNT A carving knife is a long sharp knife that is used to cut cooked meat.

cas|cade /kæske I d/ (cascades , cascading , cascaded )


1 N‑COUNT If you refer to a cascade of something, you mean that there is a large amount of it. [LITERARY ] □ [+ of ] The women have lustrous cascades of black hair.


2 VERB If water cascades somewhere, it pours or flows downwards very fast and in large quantities. □ [V adv/prep] She hung on as the freezing, rushing water cascaded past her. [Also V ]


case


➊ INSTANCES AND OTHER ABSTRACT MEANINGS


➋ CONTAINERS


➌ GRAMMAR TERM


➊ case ◆◆◆ /ke I s/ (cases )


1 N‑COUNT [oft in N ] A particular case is a particular situation or incident, especially one that you are using as an individual example or instance of something. □ [+ of ] Surgical training takes at least nine years, or 11 in the case of obstetrics. □ One of the effects of dyslexia, in my case at least, is that you pay tremendous attention to detail. □ [+ of ] The Honduran press published reports of eighteen cases of alleged baby snatching.


2 N‑COUNT A case is a person or their particular problem that a doctor, social worker, or other professional is dealing with. □ [+ of ] …the case of a 57-year-old man who had suffered a stroke. □ [+ of ] Some cases of arthritis respond to a gluten-free diet. □ Child protection workers were meeting to discuss her case.


3 N‑COUNT [adj N ] If you say that someone is a sad case or a hopeless case , you mean that they are in a sad situation or a hopeless situation. □ I knew I was going to make it–that I wasn't a hopeless case.


4 → see also basket case , nutcase


5 N‑COUNT A case is a crime or mystery that the police are investigating. □ Mr. Hitchens said you have solved some very unusual cases.


6 N‑COUNT [usu sing] The case for or against a plan or idea consists of the facts and reasons used to support it or oppose it. □ [+ for ] He sat there while I made the case for his dismissal. □ [+ against ] Both these facts strengthen the case against hanging. □ She argued her case.


7 N‑COUNT In law, a case is a trial or other legal inquiry. □ It can be difficult for public figures to win a libel case. □ The case was brought by his family, who say their reputation has been damaged.


8 → see also test case


9 PHRASE You say in any case when you are adding something which is more important than what you have just said, but which supports or corrects it. [EMPHASIS ] □ Alf said that there was nothing he could do, and in any case, it was a private matter.


10 PHRASE You say in any case after talking about things that you are not sure about, to emphasize that your next statement is the most important thing or the thing that you are sure about. [EMPHASIS ] □ Either he escaped, or he came to grief. In any case, he was never seen again.


11 PHRASE If you do something in case or just in case a particular thing happens, you do it because that thing might happen. □ In case anyone was following me, I made an elaborate detour.


12 PHRASE If you do something or have something in case of a particular thing, you do it or have it because that thing might happen or be true. □ Many shops along the route have been boarded up in case of trouble.


13 PHRASE You use in case in expressions like 'in case you didn't know' or 'in case you've forgotten' when you are telling someone in a rather irritated way something that you think is either obvious or none of their business. [FEELINGS ] □ She's nervous about something, in case you didn't notice.


14 PHRASE You say in that case or in which case to indicate that what you are going to say is true if the possible situation that has just been mentioned actually exists. □ Members are concerned that a merger might mean higher costs, in which case they would oppose it.


15 PHRASE You can say that you are doing something just in case to refer vaguely to the possibility that a thing might happen or be true, without saying exactly what it is. □ I guess we've already talked about this but I'll ask you again just in case.


16 PHRASE You say as the case may be or whatever the case may be to indicate that the statement you are making applies equally to the two or more alternatives that you have mentioned. □ They know how everything works–or doesn't work, as the case may be.


17 PHRASE If you say that a task or situation is a case of a particular thing, you mean that it consists of that thing or can be described as that thing. □ It's not a case of whether anyone would notice or not.


18 PHRASE If you say that something is a case in point , you mean that it is a good example of something you have just mentioned. □ In many cases religious persecution is the cause of people fleeing their country. A case in point is colonial India.


19 PHRASE If you say that something is the case , you mean that it is true or correct. □ You'll probably notice her having difficulty swallowing. If this is the case, give her plenty of liquids. □ Consumers had hoped the higher prices would mean more goods in stores. But that was not the case.


20 PHRASE If you say that someone is on the case , you mean that they are aware of a particular problem and are trying to resolve it. □ Management is on the case now, and it looks as if things will return to normal soon.

➋ case /ke I s/ (cases )


1 N‑COUNT [oft n N ] A case is a container that is specially designed to hold or protect something. □ [+ for ] …a black case for his spectacles.

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