English Dictionary — Definitions & Meanings

castrated

adj

Having had the testicles (or ovaries) surgically removed.

castration

noun

The surgical removal of the testicles.

castrato

noun

A man who has been castrated, especially one who had this done before puberty so his voice stayed high.

Castro

name

A Spanish surname, and also the name of a historic neighborhood in San Francisco known for its LGBT community.

casual

adj

Relaxed and informal, especially in style, manner, or dress.

casually

adv

In a relaxed, informal, or offhand manner.

casualness

noun

The quality of being casual or relaxed.

casualty

noun

An unlucky event that occurs unexpectedly, such as an accident or disaster.

casus

noun

(philosophy) An imagined possible situation used as the basis for an argument.

cat

noun

A small, domesticated, furry mammal commonly kept as a pet, known for hunting mice and independent behaviour.

catabolic

adj

Relating to catabolism, the breakdown of substances in the body.

cataclysm

noun

A sudden, violent event causing widespread destruction or upheaval.

cataclysmal

adj

Loud or damaging enough to resemble a cataclysm.

cataclysmic

adj

Causing or resembling a cataclysm; extremely destructive or disastrous.

catacomb

noun

An underground network of tunnels and rooms with spaces for graves, once used as a burial place, such as those beneath Paris or ancient Rome.

catacosmesis

noun

(rhetoric) A device in which items in a list are put in a fitting order.

Catalan

noun

A native or inhabitant of Catalonia, in north-east Spain.

catalepsy

noun

A medical condition in which the body suddenly becomes rigid, holds one posture and loses contact with its surroundings.

Catalina

noun

A twin-engined amphibious aircraft widely used during the Second World War.

catalog

noun

A US standard spelling of catalogue.

catalogue

noun

An organised list of items, such as books, products, or artworks, often arranged alphabetically or by category.

catalogued

adj

Recorded or listed within a catalogue.

Catalonia

name

An autonomous region in north-eastern Spain, with Barcelona as its capital.

catalysis

noun

The speeding up of a chemical reaction caused by adding a catalyst.

catalyst

noun

In chemistry, a substance that speeds up a reaction without being used up itself.

catamaran

noun

A boat or ship with two parallel hulls.

catamenia

noun

(medical) A woman's monthly menstrual bleeding.

catamenial

adj

Relating to a woman's monthly period.

catamount

noun

A wild cat, especially the cougar or puma.

Catania

name

A port city on the east coast of Sicily, Italy.

catapeltic

adj

Relating to a catapult.

cataphract

noun

A cataphract is a suit of defensive armour covering a soldier's whole body and often the soldier's horse as well, typically made of linked mail or scale armour used by certain eastern armies.

cataplasm

noun

A poultice or plaster applied to the skin as a medical treatment.

catapult

noun

A device for hurling or launching objects, historically used as a weapon.

cataract

noun

A large waterfall, especially one that plunges over a steep drop.

cataracts

noun

Plural of cataract; multiple waterfalls, or (medically) clouded lenses affecting both eyes.

catarrh

noun

Excess mucus produced by an inflamed membrane in the nose or throat, or the discharge itself.

catastrophe

noun

A sudden, large-scale disaster with severe consequences.

catastrophic

adj

Extremely harmful or disastrous, often on a scale from which recovery is difficult.

catatonic

adj

In a state of near-total unresponsiveness and stillness, as from shock or a psychiatric condition.

catback

noun

All the parts of a vehicle's exhaust system that gases pass through after leaving the catalytic converter.

catcall

noun

A shout or whistle made to show disapproval, especially by a crowd; a jeer.

catch

verb

To capture or seize something moving, such as a ball or a fleeing person.

catcher

noun

A person or thing that catches something.

catchfly

noun

Any of several plants with sticky leaves that trap flies, especially the silenes and campions.

catching

adj

Able to spread from person to person; contagious.

catchment

noun

A structure or area of land that collects and holds water, or the water gathered this way.

catchpenny

noun

A cheap item made to lure people into buying something else.

catchphrase

noun

A memorable phrase repeated often enough to become associated with a particular person, show, or trend.

catchword

noun

(printing) A word printed at the bottom of a page that matches the first word of the next page, once used to help binders and readers.

catchy

adj

Easy to remember and instantly appealing, especially describing music or slogans.

cate

noun

A delicacy or fine item of food (now archaic or literary).

catechesis

noun

(religion) Spoken religious teaching given to people preparing for church membership.

catechetical

adj

Relating to catechesis, or religious instruction given by question and answer.

catechism

noun

A book that summarises the basic teachings of a religion, typically in question-and-answer form.

catechist

noun

A person who teaches the beliefs of a Christian church, usually to prepare people for confirmation.

catechistic

adj

Relating to a catechism.

catechize

verb

To teach someone about religion by speaking to them, often using a set pattern of questions and answers, as when preparing a person for confirmation.

catechumen

noun

Someone being taught the basics of Christian belief before being baptised or confirmed.

categorial

adj

Complete and allowing no exceptions.

categorical

adj

Complete and with no exceptions.

categorically

adv

In absolute terms, without exception or qualification.

categorise

verb

A non-Oxford British English standard spelling of categorize.

categorization

noun

A set of things organised into categories.

categorize

verb

To sort or classify something into groups based on shared characteristics.

categorized

adj

Placed into a group or type together with similar things.

category

noun

A group or class into which things are sorted based on shared features.

cater

verb

To provide food and drink, typically for an event, as a professional service.

catered

adj

Having food and drink professionally provided.

caterer

noun

A person or company that supplies and serves food, typically for events.

catering

noun

The business or act of providing food and drink, especially for events.

caterpillar

noun

The wormlike larval stage of a butterfly or moth.

caters

verb

Third-person singular of cater: provides food, or meets the needs of a group.

cates

noun

(archaic) Food, especially fine or special dishes; delicacies.

catfight

noun

A physical fight between cats.

catfish

noun

A whiskered, scaleless freshwater fish of the order Siluriformes.

Cath

name

A diminutive of the feminine given name Catherine.

catharsis

noun

A powerful release of pent-up emotion, often triggered by a dramatic experience like a film, book, or performance.

cathartic

adj

Producing an intense emotional release, especially after built-up tension or distress.

cathay

name

China, in particular medieval northern China as reached overland by the Silk Road route to Xi'an or Beijing, not recognised at the time as linked to southern China, accessed instead by sea via Guangzhou.

cathayan

adj

Relating to Cathay.

Cathcart

name

A Scottish surname and the name of a suburb of Glasgow, Scotland.

cathedral

noun

The main church of a diocese, home to a bishop's official seat.

Catherine

name

A feminine given name of Ancient Greek origin, one of the most enduring names in the English-speaking world.

catheter

noun

A thin flexible tube inserted into the body to drain fluid, deliver medicine, or open a passage.

cathleen

name

A female first name of Irish, a less common spelling of Kathleen origin.

cathode

noun

The electrode in a cell or similar device through which positive current flows out, meaning electrons flow in; depending on the device, it may be positive or negative compared with the other electrode, the anode.

Catholic

noun

A member of the Roman Catholic Church or another Catholic denomination.

Catholicism

noun

The beliefs, practices, and traditions of the Roman Catholic Church.

catholicity

noun

The state of being wide-ranging, universal or open to everyone.

catholicly

adv

In a way connected with the Catholic Church or its beliefs.

cathouse

noun

A slang term for a brothel.

Cathy

name

A diminutive of the feminine given name Catherine, also used as a formal given name.

catie

name

A diminutive of the female given names Catherine or Caitlin.

cation

noun

A positively charged ion, one that is drawn to the cathode during electrolysis.

catkin

noun

A dangling, spike-shaped cluster of small flowers without petals, found on trees such as willow and poplar.

catlike

adj

Like a cat in appearance or behaviour.

catly

adj

Relating to cats, or catlike.

catmint

noun

Another name for catnip, the plant Nepeta cataria and related plants in its genus.

catnap

noun

A short, light sleep, often taken during the day.

catnip

noun

A minty plant (Nepeta cataria) whose scent triggers playful, euphoric behavior in cats.

Cato

name

A masculine given name and surname of Latin origin, most famously borne by the Roman statesmen Cato the Elder and Cato the Younger.

catrina

noun

An elegantly dressed skeleton figure; used as a symbol of the Day of the Dead, or Día de los Muertos, celebration.

catriona

name

A female first name of Scottish Gaelic, a Scottish form of Catherine origin.

CATS

noun

Plural of "cat": small domesticated animals kept as pets, or wild members of the cat family.

catsit

verb

To look after someone else's cat while they are away.

catsitter

noun

A person who looks after a cat while its owner is away.

Catskills

name

A mountain range in southeastern New York State, part of the Appalachians.

catstail

noun

Timothy grass, scientific name Phleum pratense.

cattiness

noun

The quality of being spiteful or unkind in a sly way.

cattle

noun

Domesticated cows and bulls raised for milk, meat, or labor.

cattleman

noun

A person who raises or manages cattle for a living.

catty

adj

Deliberately spiteful or snide in a subtle, needling way.

cattywampus

adj

Another word for catawampus, meaning crooked or not straight.

catwalk

noun

A narrow raised platform that models walk along during a fashion show.

catwoman

noun

A woman dressed in a cat-themed costume, most famously the comic-book character.

caty

name

An uncommon spelling of Katie, itself a diminutive form of Catherine and its related names.

caucasia

name

The "mesopontic" geographic region of land which lies between the Black and Caspian Seas, consisting of both the North Caucasus Region and Transcaucasia, and traversed by the Caucasus Mountains; the northern boundary of this region is roughly on a line extending from the Don to the Volga River deltas, and the southern boundary generally coincident with the lower course of the Aras River.

Caucasian

adj

Relating to people classified by an older racial system as white or of European descent.

caucasoid

adj

Belonging to an old racial grouping of peoples from Europe, North Africa and parts of Asia, and their descendants elsewhere.

caucasology

noun

The academic study of the history, languages and politics of the Caucasus region.

Caucasus

name

A mountain range and surrounding region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, spanning Russia, Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan.

caucus

noun

A meeting of members of a political party to choose candidates or decide on policy.

caudate

adj

Narrowing at the tip into a long, tail-like point.

caudex

noun

A swollen part of a woody plant's stem, branch or root, usually used to store water.

caught

verb

Past tense and past participle of catch — to have taken hold of something, or to have been discovered or trapped.

cauldron

noun

A large round pot used for boiling liquids over a fire.

cauldwell

name

The name of a ward on Bedford borough council, in Bedfordshire, England.

Caulfield

name

An English surname, also the name of a suburb of Melbourne, Australia, known for its racecourse.

cauliflower

noun

A vegetable related to cabbage, grown for its dense white head of edible flower buds.

caulk

noun

A flexible waterproof filler squeezed into joints and gaps — around baths, sinks, window frames and skirting boards — to seal them against water and draughts.

causality

noun

The capacity of a cause to bring about its effect.

causation

noun

The act of making something happen.

cause

noun

The thing that makes something happen; the origin of an effect.

causeless

adj

Happening for no clear reason; unexplained or by chance.

causerie

noun

A relaxed chat, or a short informal piece of writing, often about a serious subject.

causeway

noun

A raised road or path crossing water, marsh, or other low ground.

caustic

adj

Capable of burning or chemically eating away living tissue or other material.

Causton

name

An English surname.

cauterise

verb

A non-Oxford British English standard spelling of cauterize.

cauterize

verb

To seal a wound by burning it with heat or a chemical agent, usually to stop bleeding or prevent infection.

caution

noun

Careful attention to avoid danger or mistakes.

cautionary

adj

Serving as a warning.

cautioned

adj

Having been formally warned, especially by police.

cautious

adj

Careful to avoid risk, mistakes, or danger.

cautiously

adv

In a careful, risk-avoiding manner.

cautiousness

noun

The quality of being careful and wary.

Cava

noun

A Spanish sparkling white wine made using the same traditional method as champagne.

cavalcade

noun

A line of riders, vehicles or ships moving together in procession.

cavalier

adj

Careless or dismissive about something that actually matters; offhand to the point of recklessness.