English Dictionary — Definitions & Meanings

Cedric

name

A masculine given name invented by Sir Walter Scott for his novel Ivanhoe, likely based on the Saxon king Cerdic.

cee

noun

The name of the letter C.

ceiling

noun

The interior surface that forms the top of a room.

celeb

noun

An informal short form of "celebrity" — a well-known, famous person.

celebrate

verb

To mark a special event or achievement with enjoyment, often through some kind of gathering or ritual.

celebrated

adj

Famous or widely admired.

celebrating

verb

The '-ing' form of celebrate: marking a special occasion with enjoyment or ceremony.

celebration

noun

A gathering or event held to enjoy and mark a happy occasion.

celebratory

adj

Marking or having the feel of a celebration.

celebrity

noun

A famous person, especially one known through entertainment or media.

celery

noun

A pale green vegetable with long crunchy stalks, eaten raw or cooked.

Celeste

name

A feminine given name of French and Latin origin meaning "heavenly"; also a small city in Texas.

Celestia

name

A feminine given name of Latin origin, related to the word "celestial."

celestial

adj

Relating to the sky or outer space — the sun, moon, planets, and stars.

celestine

noun

A pale blue-white mineral (strontium sulfate) that forms in orthorhombic crystals, mined mainly as a source of strontium.

Celia

name

A feminine given name of Latin origin, introduced into English by Shakespeare in As You Like It.

celibacy

noun

The state of not marrying, often for religious reasons.

celibate

adj

Not married, or abstaining from sexual activity.

Celina

name

A feminine given name of Latin origin, a variant of Celine; also several towns in the US, including Celina, Ohio.

Celine

name

A feminine given name of French and Latin origin, also the name of the singer Celine Dion.

cell

noun

The smallest basic unit of a living organism, capable of growing and reproducing itself.

cellar

noun

An underground room, often used for storage.

cellblock

noun

A section of a prison containing a row or group of cells.

cellist

noun

A person who plays the cello.

cellmate

noun

A person who shares a prison cell with someone.

cello

noun

A large, deep-toned stringed instrument played upright with a bow, held between the knees.

cellophane

noun

A thin, transparent plastic film, often used for wrapping.

cellphone

noun

A portable telephone that connects to a wireless network; a mobile phone.

cellular

adj

Relating to, made up of, or resembling biological cells.

cellulite

noun

A dimpled appearance of the skin caused by fat pushing against connective tissue underneath, often on the thighs or hips.

celluloid

noun

An early type of flexible plastic once used to make photographic and movie film.

Celsius

adj

Relating to the temperature scale where water freezes at 0 degrees and boils at 100 degrees.

Celtic

adj

Relating to the Celts, an ancient group of peoples across Western and Central Europe, or their languages and culture.

Celtics

name

The name of several sports teams, most famously the Boston Celtics basketball team.

cem

noun

An informal shortening of "cemetery."

cement

noun

A grey powder made from limestone and clay that hardens into a solid mass when mixed with water; the main binding ingredient in concrete.

cemented

adj

Made firm, solid, or permanent.

cemetery

noun

A place where the dead are buried; a graveyard.

censor

noun

An official who reviews books, films, or other media and removes content considered objectionable or dangerous.

censored

adj

Having had objectionable material removed or blocked.

censorship

noun

The suppression or control of speech, writing, or other media by an authority.

censure

noun

Strong, formal criticism or disapproval.

census

noun

An official count of a population, usually carried out at regular intervals.

centaur

noun

A creature from Greek mythology with the upper body of a man and the lower body of a horse.

centennial

adj

Relating to a hundredth anniversary.

center

noun

The point exactly in the middle of something, equally distant from all its edges or sides.

centered

adj

Positioned in the middle of something.

centerfold

noun

The large foldout page in the middle of a magazine, often used for a big photo.

centigrade

adj

Divided into 100 equal degrees or units.

centimeter

noun

A unit of length equal to one hundredth of a meter.

centipede

noun

A small, many-legged arthropod with a long, segmented body and one pair of legs per segment.

central

adj

Located at or near the middle of something.

centralized

adj

Brought together and controlled from a single main point or authority.

centre

noun

UK, Canadian, Australian, and Irish spelling of center — the middle point of something, or a building used for a specific purpose.

centred

adj

UK spelling of centered — placed in the middle, or calm and emotionally balanced.

centrifugal

adj

Moving or tending to move away from the center.

centrifuge

noun

A machine that spins samples at high speed to separate substances of different densities.

centurion

noun

An officer in the ancient Roman army who commanded a unit of about 100 soldiers.

century

noun

A period of one hundred years.

CEO

noun

Chief Executive Officer: the person with overall responsibility for running a company.

ceramic

adj

Made from clay or a similar material hardened by intense heat.

ceramics

noun

The craft or study of making objects from fired clay.

Cerberus

name

The three-headed dog of Greek mythology that guards the entrance to the underworld.

cereal

noun

A grass grown and harvested for its edible grain, such as wheat, rice, or oats.

cerebellum

noun

A part of the brain at the back of the skull that controls balance, posture, and coordinated movement.

cerebral

adj

Relating to the brain.

ceremonial

adj

Relating to or used in a formal ceremony.

ceremony

noun

A formal event held to mark or celebrate something important.

Ceres

name

The Roman goddess of agriculture, and also the name of the largest object in the asteroid belt, classified as a dwarf planet.

CERN

name

The European Organization for Nuclear Research, a major particle physics laboratory near Geneva, Switzerland.

cert

noun

An informal short form of "certificate".

certain

adj

Completely confident that something is true.

certainly

adv

Without any doubt; definitely.

certainty

noun

The state of being completely sure about something.

certifiable

adj

Able to be officially confirmed or verified.

certificate

noun

An official document confirming a fact, qualification, or achievement.

certification

noun

The act of officially confirming that something meets a required standard.

certified

adj

Officially recognized as meeting a required standard.

certify

verb

To officially confirm that something is true or meets a standard.

Cervantes

name

A Spanish surname, most famously borne by Miguel de Cervantes, author of Don Quixote.

cervical

adj

Relating to the neck.

cervix

noun

The narrow lower part of the uterus that connects to the vagina.

Cesar

name

A masculine given name of Spanish origin, a variant of Caesar.

Cesare

name

A masculine given name of Italian origin, the Italian form of Caesar, notably borne by Cesare Borgia.

cessation

noun

The stopping of something, whether temporary or permanent.

Cessna

noun

A small propeller airplane made by the Cessna company, common in flight training and private aviation.

cesspool

noun

An underground pit that collects and holds sewage or wastewater.

ceviche

noun

A dish of raw fish or seafood "cooked" by marinating it in citrus juice or another acidic liquid, popular across Latin America.

Ceylon

noun

Tea grown in Sri Lanka (formerly called Ceylon), known for its bright color and brisk flavor.

CGI

noun

Computer-generated imagery: visuals or special effects created digitally rather than filmed practically.

cha

noun

Informal British word for tea.

Chablis

noun

A dry white wine made from Chardonnay grapes in the Chablis region of France.

chacha

noun

A strong, clear Georgian spirit distilled from grape pomace, similar to grappa.

Chaco

name

A province in northern Argentina, and part of the larger Gran Chaco lowland region of South America.

Chad

noun

Slang for a conventionally attractive, confident man, often used somewhat mockingly to describe a stereotypical alpha male.

Chadwick

noun

A surname, originally referring to someone from a place called Chadwick.

Chae

name

A Korean surname.

chaff

noun

The dry, papery husks separated from grain during threshing.

chafing

noun

Soreness or irritation on the skin caused by repeated rubbing.

Chagas

name

A Portuguese surname, notably borne by physician Carlos Chagas, for whom Chagas disease is named.

chai

noun

Spiced tea, especially the sweet, milky black tea flavored with spices like cardamom, cinnamon, and ginger.

Chaim

noun

A Hebrew male given name meaning "life."

chain

noun

A series of connected metal links, used for pulling, securing, or decoration.

chained

adj

Bound, fastened, or restrained with a chain.

chainsaw

noun

A portable power saw with a rotating chain of cutting teeth, used mainly for cutting through trees and thick wood.

chair

noun

A piece of furniture for one person to sit on, typically with a back and four legs.

chairman

noun

The person who leads a board, committee, or meeting.

chairperson

noun

A gender-neutral term for the person who leads a meeting, committee, or organization.

chairwoman

noun

A woman who leads a board, committee, or meeting.

chaise

noun

A light, open horse-drawn carriage, typically for one or two people.

chakra

noun

In yoga and Ayurvedic tradition, one of several energy centers believed to exist along the body.

Chale

name

A village on the Isle of Wight, England.

chalet

noun

A wooden house or cabin, typically with a steeply sloped roof and wide eaves, in an Alpine style.

chalice

noun

A large ceremonial drinking cup, especially one used in religious rites such as Communion.

chalk

noun

A soft white rock made of limestone, or a stick of similar material used for writing or drawing.

chalkboard

noun

A dark board, often slate or coated in enamel, used for writing on with chalk.

chalky

adj

Made of or containing chalk, or resembling chalk in texture, color, or taste.

challenge

noun

A task or situation that tests someone's abilities in a demanding but often rewarding way.

challenged

adj

Lacking a particular physical or mental ability; used, sometimes with an adverb, as a euphemistic or (in some cases) joking way to describe a limitation.

challenger

noun

A person who challenges someone else, especially by competing against a title-holder or champion.

challenging

adj

Difficult in a way that requires effort or skill, often engagingly so.

Chalmers

name

A Scottish surname, also used as a given name; also a town in Indiana.

cham

verb

(dialectal) To chew.

chamber

noun

A room, especially a formal or private one, such as in a palace, court, or legislative building.

chamberlain

noun

A senior official who manages the household or domestic affairs of a monarch or noble.

chambermaid

noun

A woman employed to clean and tidy bedrooms, especially in a hotel.

chameleon

noun

A lizard famous for changing the color of its skin to match its surroundings or mood.

chamois

noun

A soft, absorbent piece of leather (traditionally from a goat-antelope of the same name) used for cleaning or polishing surfaces.

champ

noun

Informal word for a champion — the winner of a contest or competition.

Champa

name

A historical collection of Cham kingdoms that existed in what is now central and southern Vietnam.

Champagne

noun

A sparkling white wine traditionally made in the Champagne region of France using a specific fermentation method.

champion

noun

The winner of a competition, especially the current title-holder.

championship

noun

A competition held to decide who is the best, or the final round of such a competition.

chan

noun

A single discussion channel on IRC or a similar chat network.

chance

noun

An opportunity to do something.

chancellery

noun

The office, staff, or building associated with a chancellor.

Chancellor

noun

A senior government official, especially the head of government in countries like Germany or Austria, or a finance minister in the UK.

chancery

noun

A court of equity, or more generally, a government office that handles official records and legal documents.

Chand

name

A surname of Hindi origin, meaning "moon."

Chanda

name

A surname of Hindi origin, and formerly the name of the Indian city now called Chandrapur.

chandelier

noun

A decorative light fixture with multiple branches, hung from a ceiling.

Chandi

name

A fierce form of the Hindu goddess Durga.

Chandigarh

name

A city and union territory in northern India, serving as the capital of both Punjab and Haryana states.

chandler

noun

A person who makes or sells candles.

Chandni

name

A feminine given name of Sanskrit origin, used in India, meaning "moonlight."

Chandra

name

A unisex given name of Sanskrit origin, meaning "moon."

chandu

noun

Opium that has been prepared specifically for smoking.

Chanel

name

The French luxury fashion house founded by Coco Chanel, known for haute couture, perfume, and iconic handbags.

Chaney

name

A surname of Anglo-Norman origin, notably borne by actor Lon Chaney.

chang

noun

A traditional harp-like stringed instrument played in Central and Southwest Asia.