English dictionary — definitions & meanings

coquette

noun

A woman who flirts or plays with people's affections.

coquettish

adj

Of, being, or characteristic of a young, flirtatious girl.

cor

intj

An informal British exclamation of surprise.

Cora

noun

A member of the Cora, an Indigenous people of west-central Mexico.

coral

noun

A hard, often colourful structure built by tiny marine animals, or the animals themselves, that forms reefs in warm seas.

Coraline

name

A feminine given name, popularized by the fantasy novel and film Coraline, likely a variant of Caroline.

coralline

adj

Of, relating to or pertaining to or resembling red algae of the family Corallinaceae.

corbel

noun

A structural member jutting out of a wall to carry a superincumbent weight.

Corbett

name

An English surname, derived from a Norman nickname meaning "little crow."

Corbin

name

A masculine given name and surname of French origin, meaning "little crow" or "raven."

Corby

name

An English surname and place name, derived from Old Norse meaning "settlement of Kori."

Corbyn

name

A masculine given name and surname, a variant of Corbin, also notably a British politician's surname.

Corcoran

name

An Irish surname, an Anglicized form of a Gaelic name meaning "purple" or "ruddy complexion."

cord

noun

A length of thin rope, string, or flexible cable.

corded

adj

Fitted with a cord.

Cordelia

name

A feminine given name of uncertain origin, famously borne by King Lear's youngest daughter in Shakespeare's play.

Cordell

name

An English surname and masculine given name, derived from Old French meaning "ropemaker."

Cordero

name

A Spanish surname, derived from a word meaning "lamb."

cordial

adj

Warm and friendly, though often in a polite or formal way.

cordiality

noun

The quality of being cordial.

cordially

adv

In a warm, friendly, and sincere manner.

cording

noun

Decorative cord, often wrapped in colored fabric or foil

cordless

adj

Operating without a power cord, typically running on a battery instead.

cordon

noun

A line of people, vehicles, or barriers set up to prevent access to or from an area.

Cordova

name

A surname and place name, an Anglicized spelling of Córdoba, a city in Spain.

cords

noun

Corduroy trousers (informal, plural).

corduroy

noun

A heavy, ribbed cotton fabric with fine raised, parallel lines running down it.

cordy

adj

Made of cord, or resembling cord in texture or shape.

core

noun

The central or most essential part of something.

corea

name

Archaic spelling of Korea.

coregency

noun

A monarchical position (such as king, queen, emperor or empress) held by two persons when normally held by only one.

corequisite

noun

A course that must be or can be taken concurrently with a given course.

Corey

name

A given name, used for both men and women, derived from an old Irish or Norse surname.

Corfu

name

A Greek island in the Ionian Sea, known for its beaches and Venetian architecture.

Cori

name

A feminine given name, a short form of Cora or Corinne.

coriander

noun

An herb whose fresh leaves are used to add flavour in many cuisines (also called cilantro).

corina

name

A female given name from Ancient Greek, variant of Corinna.

Corinna

name

A feminine given name of Greek origin, meaning "maiden."

Corinne

name

A female given name derived from the Ancient Greek word for "maiden" or "girl."

Corinth

name

An ancient and modern port city in Greece, historically famous for its wealth and trade.

corinthian

adj

Of or relating to Corinth.

Corinthians

name

Either of two New Testament epistles addressed to the early Christian community in Corinth, traditionally attributed to Paul.

cork

noun

The light, spongy bark of the cork oak, used to make bottle stoppers, flooring, and insulation.

corked

adj

Of a container, especially a bottle, closed with a cork.

corkscrew

noun

A tool with a metal spiral used for pulling corks out of bottles.

corky

adj

Describing wine that has been spoiled by a faulty cork, giving it a musty taste.

corm

noun

A short, vertical, swollen, underground stem of a plant (usually one of the monocots) that serves as a storage organ to enable the plant to survive winter or other adverse conditions such as drought.

Corman

name

A surname, most notably associated with filmmaker Roger Corman.

cormorant

noun

Any of various medium-large black seabirds of the family Phalacrocoracidae which dive into water for fish and other aquatic animals, found throughout the world except for islands in the centre of the Pacific Ocean; specifically, the great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo).

corn

noun

A tall cereal plant grown for its large yellow kernels, called maize outside North America.

cornball

noun

A ball of popped corn stuck together with soft candy from molasses or sugar.

cornbread

noun

A dense bread made mainly from cornmeal, popular in Southern American cooking.

corncob

noun

The central cylindrical core of an ear of corn (maize) on which the kernels are attached in rows.

cornea

noun

The clear, curved outer layer covering the front of the eye, over the iris and pupil.

corned

adj

Preserved in salt or brine, especially of meat.

Cornelia

name

A feminine given name of Latin origin, the feminine form of Cornelius, meaning "horn."

Cornelius

name

A masculine given name of Latin origin, derived from an old Roman family name possibly meaning "horn."

Cornell

name

A surname and masculine given name, also the name of an American Ivy League university founded by Ezra Cornell.

corner

noun

The point where two lines, edges, or walls meet.

cornered

adj

Trapped in a difficult situation with no way out.

cornering

noun

The act or skill of a vehicle turning around a bend or curve.

cornerstone

noun

A stone set at the base corner of a building, sometimes laid ceremonially with an inscription.

cornet

noun

A brass instrument similar to, but slightly smaller and mellower than, a trumpet.

cornetist

noun

Someone who plays the cornet.

cornfed

adj

Raised or fattened on a diet of corn, said especially of livestock.

cornfield

noun

A field where corn (maize or another cereal crop) is grown.

cornflakes

noun

A breakfast cereal made of toasted, flattened flakes of maize.

cornflakey

adj

Resembling, characteristic of, or involving corn flakes.

cornhole

noun

A small room connected to a threshing floor.

cornhusk

noun

The husk of an ear of corn (maize).

cornhusker

noun

A native or resident of the American state of Nebraska.

cornhusking

noun

The removal of the husk from corn (maize).

cornigerous

adj

Horned, having a horn or horns.

Corning

name

An English surname and place name, also a city in New York known for its glassmaking industry.

Cornish

adj

Relating to Cornwall, a county in southwest England, or its people or culture.

cornmeal

noun

Dried corn (maize) milled (ground) to a meal, especially a coarse one.

cornrow

noun

One of a set of rows of tightly braided hair close to the scalp, forming a hairstyle, of African origin.

cornstalk

noun

The tough, fibrous stalk of a corn (maize) plant, often ground for silage after harvest.

cornucopia

noun

A curved, horn-shaped container overflowing with fruit, flowers, and grain, symbolizing abundance.

Cornwall

name

A county and peninsula forming the southwestern tip of England.

corny

adj

Overly sentimental, old-fashioned, or unoriginal, especially in humor or storytelling.

corolla

noun

The petals of a flower considered together, especially when distinct in color from the outer sepals.

corollary

noun

A gift beyond what is actually due; an addition or superfluity.

corona

noun

The glowing outer atmosphere of the sun, visible as a bright ring during a total solar eclipse.

Coronado

name

A Spanish surname and place name, meaning "crowned," associated with explorer Francisco Vázquez de Coronado.

coronal

adj

Relating to a crown or coronation.

coronary

adj

Relating to the arteries or veins that supply blood to the heart.

coronate

verb

To crown (a sovereign or champion).

coronation

noun

The ceremony in which a monarch is formally crowned and given the other symbols of royal authority.

coroner

noun

An official who investigates and rules on the cause of unexplained or violent deaths.

coronet

noun

A small crown, such as is worn by a noble.

coronial

adj

Of, by or pertaining to a coroner.

coroniform

adj

Having the form of a crown or coronet.

Corp

name

A surname of uncertain origin, occasionally used as a short form or abbreviation-derived name.

corporal

adj

Relating to the physical body rather than the mind or spirit.

corporate

adj

Relating to a large company or business organization as a whole.

corporately

adv

Acting as a corporate body.

corporation

noun

A company or organization recognized by law as a single legal entity, separate from its owners.

corporeal

adj

Material; tangible; physical.

corporeally

adv

In a corporeal manner; bodily; physically.

corporeity

noun

The quality or fact of having a physical or material body.

corposant

noun

An electrical discharge accompanied by a corona of ionization in the surrounding atmosphere

corps

noun

A large military unit made up of two or more divisions.

corpse

noun

A dead body, usually of a person.

corpsman

noun

An enlisted medic, especially in the US Navy, trained to give emergency medical care.

corpulent

adj

Large in body; fat; overweight.

corpus

noun

A large collection of written or spoken material, especially one used for language study.

corpuscle

noun

A minute particle; an atom; a molecule.

Corrado

name

A masculine given name of Italian and German origin, meaning "bold counsel," related to Conrad.

corral

noun

A fenced enclosure for keeping livestock, especially horses or cattle.

corran

name

A hamlet on Loch Hourn, western Highland council area, Scotland (OS grid ref NG8509).

corrasion

noun

The diminution of wealth, etc., such as through unanticipated expenditure.

correct

adj

Free from mistakes; accurate or true.

correctedness

noun

The quality of having been corrected.

correcting

noun

The process of fixing errors or mistakes.

correction

noun

The act of fixing a mistake, or the fix itself.

correctional

adj

Relating to the imprisonment or rehabilitation of convicted offenders.

correctitude

noun

The quality of being correct

corrective

adj

Meant to fix a problem or put something right.

correctly

adv

In an accurate or proper way; without error.

correctness

noun

The quality of being accurate or free from error.

correlation

noun

A relationship in which two or more things tend to change together.

correlative

adj

Mutually related; corresponding.

correspond

verb

To match or be equivalent to something else.

correspondence

noun

Letters or messages exchanged between people.

correspondent

noun

A journalist who reports from a particular place, often abroad, for a news outlet.

corresponding

adj

Matching or equivalent in some way.

correspondingly

adv

In a corresponding manner; conformably.

corridor

noun

A long narrow passage inside a building, with rooms opening off it.

corrie

noun

A steep, bowl-shaped hollow carved into a mountainside by a glacier.

Corrigan

name

An Irish surname, an Anglicized form of a Gaelic name meaning "spear."

corrigible

adj

Able to be corrected or set right.

corrin

noun

A molecular species that contains four reduced pyrrole rings joined in a macrocycle by three -CH= groups and one direct bond; central to the cobalt-containing vitamin cobalamin.

Corrine

name

A feminine given name, a variant spelling of Corinne, of Greek origin meaning "maiden."

corrival

noun

A fellow rival; a competitor; a rival.

corroborate

verb

To support or confirm a claim with additional evidence.

corroborated

adj

Confirmed or backed up by additional evidence.

corroborating

adj

Providing supporting evidence for a claim.

corroboration

noun

Additional evidence or support that confirms something.

corrode

verb

To eat away bit by bit; to wear away or diminish by gradually separating or destroying small particles of, as by action of a strong acid or a caustic alkali.

corroded

adj

Worn away or damaged by a gradual chemical process, such as rust.

corrosion

noun

The gradual wearing away of a material, especially metal, through chemical reaction such as rusting.

corrosive

adj

Capable of gradually destroying material through chemical action.

corrosiveness

noun

The quality or property of corroding or being corrosive, of eating away or disintegrating; acrimony.

corrosivity

noun

Corrosiveness, especially when related to water.

corrupt

adj

Willing to act dishonestly, especially by taking bribes, in exchange for personal gain.

corrupted

adj

Made dishonest, damaged, or unusable.

corruption

noun

Dishonest or illegal behavior, especially by people in power, such as bribery.

corruptness

noun

The state of being corrupt.

corruptocracy

noun

A state ruled by a corrupt government.