English Dictionary — Definitions & Meanings

Cara

name

A female given name.

carabinieri

noun

The Italian national police force, which also has military duties.

Caracas

name

The capital city of Venezuela.

caramba

intj

An exclamation of surprise, frustration, or dismay — similar to "wow" or "darn."

caramel

noun

A chewy candy or sauce made by heating sugar until it turns golden-brown.

carat

noun

A unit of mass used to weigh gemstones, equal to exactly 200 milligrams.

Caravaggio

name

Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1571-1610), an Italian painter famous for his dramatic use of light and shadow.

caravan

noun

A group of people, often with vehicles or pack animals, travelling together, especially across a desert.

carbide

noun

A chemical compound made of carbon combined with a metal or other element.

carbine

noun

A rifle with a shorter barrel than usual, making it lighter and easier to handle.

carbon

noun

A chemical element (symbol C) found in all living things and in materials like coal, diamond, and graphite.

carbonara

noun

An Italian pasta dish made with egg, cured pork, cheese, and pepper.

carbonate

noun

A salt formed from carbonic acid, such as calcium carbonate.

carburetor

noun

A device in an engine that mixes fuel with air before it is burned.

carcass

noun

The dead body of an animal.

card

noun

A small, flat piece of stiff paper or plastic, used for games, messages, payments, or identification.

cardamom

noun

A spice made from the seed pods of a plant native to India, with a strong, sweet-spicy flavor.

cardboard

noun

A stiff, heavy paper material used to make boxes and packaging.

cardiac

adj

Relating to the heart.

Cardiff

name

The capital and largest city of Wales.

cardigan

noun

A knitted sweater that opens down the front and fastens with buttons or a zipper.

cardinal

adj

Of central or fundamental importance.

Cardinals

name

Plural of cardinal; also the name of several sports teams, including the St. Louis Cardinals and Arizona Cardinals.

cardio

noun

Exercise that raises the heart rate, such as running or cycling.

cardiologist

noun

A doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating heart conditions.

cardiology

noun

The branch of medicine dealing with the heart and its diseases.

cardiomyopathy

noun

A disease of the heart muscle that weakens its ability to pump blood.

cardiovascular

adjective

Relating to the heart and blood vessels together.

cards

noun

Games played with a deck of playing cards.

care

noun

Serious attention or effort put into avoiding mistakes or harm.

career

noun

The series of jobs a person has over the course of their working life, especially in one field.

carefree

adjective

Free from worries or responsibilities; relaxed and untroubled.

careful

adjective

Paying close attention to avoid mistakes, danger, or harm.

carefully

adverb

In a way that pays close attention to avoid mistakes or harm.

caregiver

noun

A person who looks after someone who is ill, elderly, or unable to care for themselves.

careless

adjective

Not paying enough attention, so that mistakes or accidents happen.

carelessly

adverb

Without proper attention or caution.

carelessness

noun

A lack of proper attention or caution.

carer

noun

Someone who regularly looks after a person who is ill, elderly, or disabled, often unpaid.

caress

noun

A gentle, affectionate touch.

caressing

adjective

Gentle and affectionate, like a soft touch.

caretaker

noun

A person employed to look after a building or property.

Carey

name

An English and Irish surname, and a unisex given name, often derived from Welsh place names or from the Irish surname Ó Ciardha.

Cargill

name

A surname of Scottish Gaelic origin, also the name of a village in Perthshire, Scotland.

cargo

noun

Goods carried by a ship, plane, or truck.

Caribbean

adjective

Relating to the Caribbean Sea and the islands and coasts around it.

caribou

noun

A large North American deer related to the reindeer, known for its long migrations.

caricature

noun

A drawing or description that exaggerates someone's features for comic or critical effect.

Carina

name

A constellation in the southern sky, home to the bright star Canopus.

caring

adjective

Kind, warm, and attentive to others' needs and feelings.

Carissa

name

A female given name.

carjacking

noun

The crime of forcibly stealing a car, often while the driver is still inside.

carl

noun

An old-fashioned word for a rough or ill-mannered man; a churl.

Carla

name

A female given name, borrowed from Italian or German.

Carlene

name

A female given name formed in the 20th century from "Carl" plus the ending "-lene," as in Marlene and Charlene.

Carleton

name

A surname and male given name, an alternative spelling of Carlton.

Carli

name

A female given name, a spelling variant of Carly.

Carlin

name

A surname, and the name of a small city in Nevada named after William Carlin.

Carlisle

name

A city in Cumbria, northwest England, and a surname derived from it.

carlito

noun

The Philippine tarsier, a tiny nocturnal primate, whose scientific genus name is Carlito.

Carlo

name

A male given name from Italian, equivalent to Charles.

Carlos

name

A male given name from Spanish or Portuguese, equivalent to Charles.

Carlson

name

A surname of Scandinavian origin meaning "son of Carl."

Carlton

name

A surname and place name found throughout England, and a suburb of Melbourne, Australia.

Carly

name

A female given name, a feminine form of Carl that became popular in the late 20th century.

Carlyle

name

An English and Scottish surname, also used as a unisex given name; also the name of several small towns in the US, Canada, and Australia.

Carmel

name

A feminine given name of Hebrew origin, from Mount Carmel; also a mountain range in Israel and a coastal city in California (Carmel-by-the-Sea).

Carmen

name

A feminine given name of Spanish origin, also used as a masculine given name in Italian, made famous by Bizet's opera Carmen.

Carmichael

name

A Scottish surname derived from a place name in South Lanarkshire, Scotland.

carmine

noun

A deep purplish-red pigment or dye, traditionally made from crushed cochineal insects.

Carmody

name

An Irish surname, an anglicized form of Ó Cearmada.

carnage

noun

Widespread death and destruction, especially from violence or disaster.

carnal

adjective

Relating to physical or sexual desires and pleasures rather than the mind or spirit.

carnation

noun

A garden plant with fragrant, often frilly-edged flowers, popular as a cut flower.

Carne

name

An English surname, of Cornish origin from a word for "cairn," and also a French surname.

Carnegie

name

A Scottish surname, most famously borne by industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie; also several towns in the US named after him.

Carney

noun

A rare disorder marked by unusual skin pigmentation, an increased risk of tumors, and hormone-gland overactivity.

carnival

noun

A festive public celebration, often with parades, music, costumes, and dancing, traditionally held before Lent.

carnivore

noun

An animal whose diet consists mainly or entirely of meat.

carnivorous

adjective

Feeding mainly or entirely on the flesh of other animals.

carny

noun

A person who works at a traveling carnival or fair, often running rides or game stalls.

Caro

name

A diminutive of the feminine given name Caroline; also a city in Michigan.

carol

noun

A traditional song of joy, especially one sung at Christmas.

Carole

name

A feminine given name of French origin, a variant of Carol.

Carolina

name

A feminine given name of Latin origin, a form of Caroline; also short for North Carolina or South Carolina in the United States.

Caroline

adjective

Relating to the reigns of a king named Charles, especially Charles I or II of England.

caroling

noun

The activity of singing carols, especially going from house to house at Christmas.

Caroll

name

A surname, a variant spelling of Carroll.

Carolyn

name

A feminine given name, a variant of Caroline used in English since the 19th century.

caron

noun

A small v-shaped mark placed over a letter to change its pronunciation, as in the Czech "č"; also called a háček.

carotid

noun

Either of the two main arteries in the neck that carry blood up to the head and brain.

carousel

noun

A revolving amusement-park ride with seats, often shaped like horses, that riders sit on as it turns; a merry-go-round.

carp

noun

A large freshwater fish often found in ponds, lakes, and slow rivers, and sometimes farmed for food.

carpaccio

noun

A dish of very thinly sliced raw meat or fish, typically served cold as an appetizer.

carpal

noun

Any of the small bones that make up the wrist.

carpenter

noun

A person skilled in cutting, shaping, and joining wood to build or repair structures and furniture.

Carpentier

name

A French surname meaning "carpenter."

carpentry

noun

The skill or trade of working with wood to build or repair structures and objects.

carpet

noun

A thick woven fabric covering used on floors.

carpeting

noun

Carpet material in general, especially when discussing buying, laying, or removing it.

carpool

noun

An arrangement in which several people share a car for regular trips, such as commuting, to save money or reduce traffic.

carr

noun

A patch of marshy or waterlogged ground, sometimes wooded with willows or other water-tolerant trees.

Carrera

name

A Spanish surname.

Carrie

name

A feminine given name, originally a diminutive of Caroline, now also used as a formal given name.

Carrier

noun

A person, vehicle, or company that transports goods, passengers, or messages.

Carrillo

name

A Spanish surname.

Carrington

name

An English surname and place name, from villages in Greater Manchester and Lincolnshire, England.

carrion

noun

The decaying flesh of a dead animal.

Carroll

noun

An early-ripening variety of apple.

carrot

noun

A long, tapering orange root vegetable eaten raw or cooked.

carrots

noun

(informal, often as a nickname) A person with red hair.

Carruthers

name

A Scottish surname.

carry

verb

To hold something and move it from one place to another.

carrying

noun

The act of transporting something from place to place.

carsick

adj

Feeling nauseated or dizzy from the motion of riding in a car.

Carson

name

A Scottish surname, also used as a given name; also several places in the US including Carson City, Nevada, named for frontiersman Kit Carson.

Carstairs

name

A Scottish surname and village in South Lanarkshire, Scotland.

cart

noun

A small wheeled vehicle used for carrying goods, pushed or pulled by a person, animal, or motor.

Carta

name

An Italian and Spanish surname, an occupational name for a notary or document-writer.

Cartagena

name

A port city in Murcia, Spain, and also a major coastal city in Colombia.

carte

noun

A menu, especially in the phrase "à la carte," meaning dishes ordered and priced individually.

cartel

noun

A group of businesses or organisations that secretly cooperate to control prices or limit competition.

Carter

noun

A person who drives or operates a horse-drawn cart, especially to deliver goods.

Carthage

name

An ancient city and empire in North Africa, in modern Tunisia, and the rival of ancient Rome.

Carthaginian

adj

Relating to the ancient city of Carthage or its empire.

Cartier

name

A French surname, notably borne by Canadian politician George-Étienne Cartier and the luxury jewelry house.

cartilage

noun

A tough, flexible connective tissue found in joints, the ear, nose, and other parts of the body.

carting

noun

The transporting of goods using a cart or similar vehicle.

Cartman

noun

A person who transports goods or passengers by horse and cart.

carton

noun

A lightweight box made of cardboard or waxed paper, used to package goods.

cartoon

noun

A humorous or satirical drawing, often with a caption.

cartoonist

noun

A person who draws cartoons for a living.

cartouche

noun

An oval frame in Egyptian hieroglyphics enclosing a royal or divine name.

cartridge

noun

A case containing a bullet and its propellant, ready to be loaded into a firearm.

cartwheel

noun

A gymnastic move in which a person rotates sideways with arms and legs outstretched, briefly balancing on their hands.

cartwright

noun

A craftsman who builds or repairs carts.

Caruso

name

An Italian surname, most famously borne by the opera tenor Enrico Caruso.

carve

verb

To cut something, especially to shape it artistically or to slice cooked meat.

carved

adj

Shaped or decorated by cutting.

carver

noun

A person who carves, especially as an artistic craft.

carving

noun

An object made by cutting or shaping wood, stone, or another material.

Cary

name

A surname and given name, a less common spelling of Carey; also several towns in the US, including Cary, North Carolina.

casa

noun

House or home (used informally in English, borrowed from Spanish).

Casablanca

name

The largest city in Morocco, and the title of the classic 1942 film set there.

Casanova

noun

A man known for seducing many women; a charming, promiscuous lover.

casbah

noun

The old fortified quarter of a North African or Middle Eastern city, or the citadel at its heart.

cascade

noun

A waterfall, or a series of small waterfalls tumbling down in stages.

cascading

noun

The action of flowing or tumbling downward in stages, one part after another.

case

noun

A particular situation, instance, or set of facts.

cased

adj

Fitted with, or covered by, a protective case or shell.