English Dictionary — Definitions & Meanings

cab

noun

A taxi.

cabal

noun

A small group secretly plotting together, especially in politics.

caballero

noun

A Spanish or Latin American gentleman or horseman.

cabana

noun

A small shelter or hut, especially at a beach or pool.

cabaret

noun

Live entertainment performed in a restaurant or club, typically featuring music, song, and dance.

cabbage

noun

A leafy vegetable grown as a round, tightly packed head, eaten cooked or raw.

cabbie

noun

Informal term for a taxi driver.

Cabe

name

A surname, a reduced form of McCabe.

cabernet

noun

Short for Cabernet Sauvignon, a variety of red wine grape and the full-bodied red wine made from it.

cabeza

noun

In Mexican and Tex-Mex cooking, meat from the head of a cow, especially the cheek, often slow-cooked for tacos.

cabin

noun

A small, simply built house, especially one made of logs in a rural or wooded area.

cabinet

noun

A piece of furniture with doors or drawers used for storage or display.

cable

noun

A thick, strong rope or bundle of wires used to pull, support, or carry electricity or signals.

cabled

adj

Fitted with, or made using, cables.

caboodle

noun

(informal) An entire group or collection of things, usually in the phrase "the whole kit and caboodle."

caboose

noun

The last car on a freight train, once used as sleeping and cooking quarters for the crew.

Cabot

name

A French surname, notably borne by explorer John Cabot, and a town in Vermont.

Cabrera

name

A Spanish surname, and the name of towns in Colombia and the Dominican Republic.

Cabron

noun

(vulgar, slang, from Spanish) An insulting term for a man; roughly "bastard" or "jerk."

Cabs

name

A nickname for Cabaret Voltaire, an English music group formed in Sheffield in 1973.

Caca

noun

(informal, often childish) Feces; poop.

cache

noun

A hidden store of items kept for future use.

cackle

noun

A harsh, broken sound like a hen's cry, or a laugh that sounds similar.

cackling

noun

The act or sound of cackling; a series of harsh, broken cries or laughs.

cacophony

noun

A harsh mixture of loud, clashing sounds.

cactus

noun

A spiny, fleshy-stemmed plant, usually leafless, adapted to hot, dry desert climates.

cad

noun

(dated) A man who behaves dishonorably, especially toward women.

cadaver

noun

A dead human body, especially one used for medical study or dissection.

caddie

noun

A person hired to carry a golfer's clubs and offer advice during a round.

caddy

noun

A small box or container used to hold and organize items, such as tea, cutlery, or cleaning supplies.

Cade

noun

(chiefly British, of livestock) An orphaned young animal raised by hand.

cadence

noun

A rhythmic flow or beat, especially in speech, music, or movement.

cadet

noun

A student training to become a military or police officer.

Cadillac

name

A brand of luxury automobile, a marque of General Motors since 1909.

Cadiz

name

A historic port city in Andalusia, Spain, also the name of several places in the Philippines and the United States.

Cadmus

name

A Phoenician prince in Greek mythology, credited with founding Thebes and introducing the alphabet to Greece.

cadre

noun

A small, tightly organized group of trained people who form the core of a larger organization or movement.

Cady

name

A surname, and a town in Wisconsin named after early settler Jacob Cady.

Caesar

name

An ancient Roman family name, most famously borne by Julius Caesar, and later used as a title for Roman and other emperors.

Caesarean

noun

Short for "Caesarean section," a surgical delivery of a baby through an incision in the mother's abdomen.

caf

noun

A café; an informal spot for coffee and a light meal.

cafeteria

noun

A self-service restaurant or dining hall where people select food at a counter and carry it to a table.

Caffee

name

A surname.

caffeine

noun

A natural stimulant found in coffee, tea, and cacao that increases alertness and reduces tiredness.

Cafferty

name

An Irish surname, a reduced form of McCafferty.

Caffrey

name

An Irish surname, a reduced form of McCaffrey.

cag

noun

A small barrel or keg.

cage

noun

A structure of bars or mesh used to enclose and contain an animal or person.

caged

adj

Kept confined inside a cage.

cagey

adj

Careful and guarded about what you say or reveal; reluctant to share information.

Cagney

name

An Irish surname, notably borne by actor James Cagney.

Cahill

name

An Irish surname.

Cai

name

A Chinese surname.

Caiaphas

name

A Jewish high priest in the first century CE, described in the New Testament as involved in the trial of Jesus.

caiman

noun

A crocodile-like reptile found in Central and South America, related to alligators.

Cain

name

In the Bible, the son of Adam and Eve who killed his brother Abel; also used as a male given name and surname.

Caine

name

A surname, notably borne by actor Michael Caine.

cairn

noun

A pile of stones stacked up as a marker, memorial, or landmark.

Cairns

name

A Scottish or Irish surname, and a city in Queensland, Australia named after Governor William Cairns.

Cairo

name

The capital and largest city of Egypt.

Cait

name

A short form of the female given names Caitlin or Caitlyn.

Caitlin

name

A feminine given name of Irish origin, equivalent to Catherine.

Caitlyn

name

A feminine given name, a modern spelling variant of Caitlin.

Cajun

noun

A member of the French-speaking community in Louisiana descended from Acadian settlers.

cake

noun

A sweet baked dessert made from flour, sugar, eggs, and other ingredients.

caked

adj

Covered with a thick, hardened layer of something.

cakewalk

noun

Something that is very easy to do, requiring little effort.

cal

noun

Slaked lime (calcium hydroxide), used in building and farming.

Calabria

name

A region forming the "toe" of Italy's boot-shaped peninsula.

Calais

name

A port city in northern France, on the English Channel, close to England.

calamari

noun

Squid served as food, often cut into rings and fried.

calamity

noun

A serious event that causes great damage, suffering, or loss.

calcium

noun

A soft, silvery-white chemical element (symbol Ca) essential for healthy bones and teeth.

calculate

verb

To work out a number, amount, or answer using mathematics.

calculated

adj

Worked out precisely through calculation.

calculating

adj

Coldly scheming and focused on personal advantage.

calculation

noun

The process of working out a number or amount using mathematics.

calculator

noun

A device, often electronic, used to perform mathematical calculations.

calculus

noun

A branch of mathematics dealing with rates of change and the accumulation of quantities.

Calcutta

noun

A betting pool in which participants bid to "own" a competitor or team in an event, then split the winnings if their pick does well.

Calder

name

A surname, and the name of several rivers in England and Scotland.

Calderon

name

A Spanish surname, an anglicized form of Calderón.

Calderone

name

An Italian surname.

Caldwell

name

An English habitational surname, and the name of several towns in the United States, meaning "cold spring."

cale

noun

Any of several marine fish in the family Odacidae, found mainly off Australia and New Zealand.

Caleb

name

A male given name of Hebrew origin, borne in the Bible by an Israelite who accompanied Joshua into Canaan.

Caledonia

name

The Latin and poetic name for Scotland, also used for various places in Canada and the United States.

calendar

noun

A system for dividing time into days, months, and years.

calf

noun

A young cow, bull, or the young of certain other large animals such as elephants or whales.

Calgary

name

The largest city in Alberta, Canada, named after a village on the Isle of Mull in Scotland.

Cali

name

An informal nickname for California, also a major city in western Colombia.

caliber

noun

The internal diameter of a gun barrel, or the diameter of a bullet.

calibrate

verb

To adjust an instrument or measurement so it matches a known, accurate standard.

calibrated

adj

Adjusted precisely to a known standard; carefully measured or tuned.

calibration

noun

The process of adjusting an instrument or measurement to match a known standard.

calico

noun

A plain, inexpensive cotton fabric, often printed with a simple pattern.

Caliente

name

A place name meaning "hot" in Spanish, borne by towns in California and Nevada.

California

name

The most populous U.S. state, on the Pacific coast, whose capital is Sacramento.

Californian

adj

Coming from, belonging to, or typical of the U.S. state of California.

Caligula

name

The nickname of Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, the third Roman emperor, who reigned from 37 to 41 CE.

caliph

noun

A Muslim ruler regarded as a political and religious successor to the Prophet Muhammad.

caliphate

noun

A state or territory ruled by a caliph, or the system of government under a caliph.

Calista

name

A feminine given name derived from Latin, meaning "most beautiful."

calisthenics

noun

Exercises that use the body's own weight for resistance, such as push-ups, squats, and sit-ups.

call

verb

To contact someone by phone, or to cry out or shout to get attention.

calla

noun

A plant with a distinctive trumpet-shaped white or colored bloom, commonly called a calla lily.

Callaghan

name

An Irish surname and male given name.

Callahan

name

An Irish surname and male given name.

Callaway

name

A surname, notably associated with the golf equipment brand.

callback

noun

A return phone call, especially one made to confirm or follow up.

called

adj

Named or referred to in a particular way.

Callen

name

An Irish surname and male given name, a variant of Callan.

caller

noun

A person who is making or has made a phone call.

Callie

name

A feminine given name, a 19th-century diminutive of Caroline.

calligraphy

noun

The art of decorative, stylized handwriting; also, writing produced in this style.

calling

noun

A strong inner urge to pursue a particular career or way of life.

calliope

noun

A musical instrument made of steam whistles played from a keyboard, traditionally heard at fairgrounds and on riverboats.

Callisto

name

A nymph of Artemis in Greek mythology, also the name of one of Jupiter's largest moons.

callous

adj

Showing no concern for the feelings or suffering of others.

Calloway

name

A surname, a variant of Callaway, notably borne by musician Cab Calloway.

Callum

name

A male given name and surname of Scottish Gaelic origin.

Cally

name

A feminine given name, a variant of Callie.

calm

adj

Free from anxiety, agitation, or strong emotion; peaceful.

calmed

adj

Made peaceful or settled after being upset or agitated.

calmer

adj

More calm; comparative form of "calm."

calming

adjective

Having a soothing effect; reducing stress or agitation.

calmly

adverb

In a relaxed, controlled way, without panic or anger.

calmness

noun

The quality of being calm; a settled, untroubled state.

Calogero

name

An Italian surname.

calorie

noun

A unit of food energy (technically a kilocalorie) used on nutrition labels to measure how much energy a food provides.

Calum

name

A male given name of Scottish Gaelic origin, meaning "dove."

Calvary

noun

The hill just outside Jerusalem where, according to Christian tradition, Jesus was crucified.

Calvert

name

An English surname, originally an occupational name for a calf-herder.

Calvin

name

A male given name, notably borne by the French Protestant reformer John Calvin.

calypso

noun

A style of upbeat, rhythmic music that originated in Trinidad and spread through the Caribbean.

calzone

noun

A baked, folded-over pizza turnover filled with cheese, tomato sauce, and other toppings.

cam

noun

A rotating or sliding mechanical part shaped to convert its motion into movement of a connected rod or lever.

camaraderie

noun

A feeling of trust and friendship among people who share an experience, such as teammates or colleagues.

Cambodia

name

A country in Southeast Asia whose capital is Phnom Penh.

Cambodian

adjective

Relating to Cambodia, its people, or the Khmer language.

camcorder

noun

A portable device that combines a video camera and a recorder to capture moving images and sound.

Camden

name

An English surname and place name, borne by Camden Town in London and several cities in the United States.

came

verb

Past tense of "come" — used to describe something arriving or happening in the past.

camel

noun

A large, humped mammal adapted to desert life, used for transport and as a beast of burden.

camellia

noun

A flowering shrub or small tree native to Asia, including the species that produces tea leaves.

Camelot

name

The legendary castle and court of King Arthur.

camembert

noun

A soft, creamy French cheese made from cow's milk, with a bloomy white rind.

cameo

noun

A brief appearance by a well-known performer in a film, show, or song, often playing a minor role or themselves.

camera

noun

A device used to take photographs or record video.

cameraman

noun

A person who operates a film or television camera as their job.