English Dictionary — Definitions & Meanings

ceramic

adj

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

ceramicist

noun

Someone who makes items such as pots out of clay.

ceramics

noun

The craft or study of making objects from fired clay.

ceramist

noun

A craftsperson who makes pottery and other clay objects.

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.

cerebrate

verb

To think hard, especially in order to work something out or reach a decision.

cerebration

noun

The process of thinking something through; mental reflection.

cerebrum

noun

The largest, foremost part of the brain, split into left and right hemispheres, which handles complex sensory processing, voluntary movement and higher mental functions such as thought and memory.

ceremonial

adj

Relating to or used in a formal ceremony.

ceremonious

adj

Done in the proper formal way, following the usual customs or rules for an occasion.

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.

cerise

noun

A strong, bright red with a pink tinge.

cerium

noun

A soft, silvery-white metallic chemical element with the symbol Ce and atomic number 58.

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.

cerulean

noun

A shade of blue with a hint of green in it.

cerulescent

adj

Pale blue in colour.

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.

cesarean

adj

An alternative letter-case form of Cesarean.

cesca

name

A diminutive of the female given name Francesca.

cessation

noun

The stopping of something, whether temporary or permanent.

cession

noun

Something that has been given up or handed over to someone else.

Cessna

noun

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

cesspit

noun

An underground pit for collecting sewage and dirty waste water.

cesspool

noun

An underground pit that collects and holds sewage or wastewater.

cestode

noun

A flat worm that lives as a parasite inside another animal; a tapeworm.

cetacean

adj

Relating to whales, dolphins, and other animals in that biological group.

cete

noun

A group of badgers, or the underground burrow where they live together.

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.

cf.

abbreviation

Compare: used in writing to point the reader towards another source, passage or example that is worth setting alongside the point just made.

CFS

noun

Chronic fatigue syndrome: a long-term illness whose central feature is severe exhaustion that is not relieved by rest and worsens after physical or mental exertion, usually accompanied by unrefreshing sleep, pain and difficulty concentrating.

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.

chacma

noun

A type of baboon found in southern Africa.

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.

chafe

noun

Warmth produced by rubbing against something.

chaff

noun

The dry, papery husks separated from grain during threshing.

chaffer

verb

To argue over a price, or to trade goods by exchange.

chaffinch

noun

A small songbird of the finch family, found across Europe and eastwards to Iran.

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.

chagrin

noun

A feeling of embarrassment or disappointment when a plan fails or something is not valued.

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.

chaincode

noun

A computer program that runs on the Hyperledger blockchain system.

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.

chainwork

noun

Ways of linking pieces of metal or other material together like a chain, or items made this way.

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.

chairside

adj

Taking place beside the dentist's chair while a patient is being treated.

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.

chalant

adj

Careful and attentive, rather than casual or indifferent.

chalcedony

noun

A fine-grained form of quartz that is almost transparent or has a milky sheen and breaks with a smooth, curved fracture.

chaldean

adj

Relating to Chaldea, or to ancient Babylonia more generally.

chaldee

noun

Another word for 'Chaldean'.

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.

chalkiness

noun

The quality of being chalky.

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.

challengeable

adj

Able to be questioned or argued against.

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.

chalon

noun

A postage stamp printed with an image based on a picture of Queen Victoria by the artist Alfred Edward Chalon.

cham

verb

(dialectal) To chew.

chamaeleon

noun

An archaic spelling of chameleon.

chamber

noun

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

chamberer

noun

A senior female servant who looks after a royal or noble person's private rooms.

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.

chambermate

noun

Someone you share a bedroom with.

chameleon

noun

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

chamfer

noun

A sloped edge cut onto a corner to make it look neater and less sharp.

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.

champaign

noun

Open countryside, or a stretch of such countryside.

champerty

noun

Putting money into someone else's legal case even though you have no personal stake in its outcome.

champion

noun

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

championing

noun

Strong, active support for a cause or person.

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.

chanceable

adj

Happening without being planned.

chancel

noun

The part of a church near the altar, often fenced off, where the priests and choir sit.

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.

chancy

adj

Not safe or certain, and possibly risky.

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.

chandlery

noun

The skill or business of making 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.

change

verb

To become different, or to make something different.

change for the better

noun

An alteration that leaves a situation, person or thing improved rather than worse.

changeable

adj

Likely to change often or unpredictably.

changed

adj

Different from before; having undergone a transformation.

changeful

adj

Likely to change often.

changeling

noun

In folklore, a fairy or troll child secretly swapped for a human baby.

changeover

noun

A change from one system or state to a different one.

changer

noun

A person or thing that changes or transforms something.

changes

noun

A short way of saying 'chord changes'.

changing

noun

The process of becoming different, or of swapping one thing for another.

channel

noun

A stretch of water connecting two larger bodies of water, or the deeper navigable path through a body of water.

channeled

adj

Cut or shaped with grooves or channels.

channelize

verb

To create a channel, usually by making a river deeper or changing its path.

channelling

noun

A groove or channel cut into a surface.

channels

noun

The proper, official routes for communication or approval within an organization.