WORDCRAFT DICTIONARY, C
Note:
clickable items link to Wordcraft Archives, which may have further notes
caboodle a crowd or
collection
cabotage 1. navigation in coastal waters 2. a country's
exclusive right to operate air traffic within its territory
cacademics (coinage; not recognized as a word) members of
academia focused on minutia or bafflegab
cachinnate to laugh loudly and immoderately (noun: cachinnation)
cack excrement
cackhanded
cacocallia the state of being ugly but sexy
cacoepy incorrect pronunciation (The
antonym is orthoepy correct pronunciation of words)
cacography 1. bad
handwriting (opposite of orthography) 2. bad spelling (opposite of calligraphy) [Greek kakos bad + graphos
writing]
caconym an erroneous name; a misnomer
cacophonous having a harsh, unpleasant sound; discordant
cadge to beg or sponge
off of <cadge a free cup of coffee>
cadre a nucleus of trained personnel
around which a larger organization can be built. Typically used for a military
or political group
caduceus (pl. caducei) a herald's wand,
often with serpents twined around it (used as a symbol of the medical
profession)
caesar cipher a cipher in which each letter is
replaced by the one a fixed number of positions farther in the alphabet. (For
example, one where A, B, C, D, etc. are respectively changed to J, K, L, M,
etc.)
caesarism government by imperial
authority, recognizing no other law as a check upon the rulers will; political
absolutism; dictatorship
caesious pale blue with a hint of gray. Note:
the dictionaries conflict on this word: definitions give a kind of blue (with
gray or green), a kind of gray (with blue or green), and a kind of green (with
gray or blue)
cahoots collusion;
questionable collaboration
caitiff despicably cowardly (noun:
such a person; a wretch)
cake-hole British slang: a person's mouth ("shut your
cake-hole" = "shut up")
calaboose a jail
calamus the lowest part of shaft of a feather, bare of any 'side
branches', also known as the quill
calcycle a small cup-shaped structure (as a taste bud)
caldera a crater formed by
volcanic explosion or by collapse of a volcanic cone.
calenture (in old writings): a distemper peculiar
to sailors in hot climates, wherein they imagine the sea to be green fields,
and will throw themselves into it
Caliban eponym: a man of degraded bestial nature
calipash; calipee the fatty gelatinous substances attached to
the shell of a turtle. The calipee is attached to the bottom shell and the
calipash is attached to the top. A culinary delicacy.
callboy one who calls actors when it is time for them to go
on stage
calliope eponym: a musical instrument of steam whistles
calliopean eponym: piercingly loud:
a calliopean voice
callipygous or callipygian having shapely buttocks
callow [in an adult role but] lacking
full adult experience or sophistication [Wordcrafter note: the bracket words
are not in the dictionary definition. I believe the dictionaries err in this;
some readers disagree with me.]
calque a loan translation; a term
borrowed from another language with a translation of its parts (e.g.,
caltrop a simple but
effective weapon against cavalry horses or pneumatic-tires cars. small and shaped like a child's jacks toy
but with four points instead of six so that, however tossed, one sharp point
will be straight up.
calumniate to make
maliciously false statements about (noun: calumny
malicious falsehood made to injure another's reputation)
camarilla a group of
confidential, often scheming advisers; a cabal
camp bed Brit.
a cot
campanology the art of ringing bells; campanologist
canary trap a certain method,
when an office has a leak, to find out who is the leaker (coined by Tom Clancy)
canine like a dog
canities whiteness of the hair
canny
shrewd. (The dictionary gives a second meaning: "cautious; esp.
'cautious in spending money,'" which is unfamiliar to me.)
canon a clergyman living
with others in a clergy-house, living per church rules
canoodle to
kiss and cuddle amorously (also, to win over by cajoling or flattering;
wheedle)
canopic toponym: relating to an ancient Egyptian
jar, etc. used to hold the viscera of an embalmed body
canopy
originally, a screen against gnats or mosquitoes. (see also overstory) from
Greek konops = "mosquito,
gnat" and konopeion = "couch with mosquito curtains".
cantalope (etymology) toponym: after the Pope's summer
residence in Cantalupo
canthus each of the corners where the top and bottom eyelids meet
cantle a
segment cut off or out of something; a part, piece or fragment. (also, the
back part of a saddle)
cantonment temporary living
quarters specially built for soldiers
cap-a-pie at all points [literally, 'head to foot]
caparison
richly ornamented clothing; finery. verb: to outfit in such trappings or
clothing
capercaillie a wood grouse of northern
capitation a tax levied on the basis of a fixed amount per person; also,
a payment or fee of a fixed amount per person [Note: can be either a charge
to a person, or a payment made to or for him.]
capitulary an ecclesiastical or civil ordinance, esp.
those of Charlemagne
cappuccino etymology: coffee with milk; white coffee, esp.
as served in espresso coffee-bars, topped with white foam
caprine like a goat
capriole a playful leap or jump; a caper
captcha a
computer-generated test to distinguish human users from automated programs
("bots')
[Acronym for Completely Automated Public Turing Test
to Tell Computers and Humans Apart]
captiousΉ,² 1.
fault-finding; quarrelsome eagerness to object 2. calculated to entrap
through subtle argument
caracole; caracol a half turn to right or left performed by a horse and
rider (verb: to perform same)
carapace the thick shell that covers the
back of the turtle, the crab, and other animals. also, metaphorically:
something likened to a shell that serves to protect or isolate from external
influence.
cardigan eponym: a knitted sweater or jacket that
opens with buttons, etc. all the way down the front [a "Mr. Rogers" sweater]
carked it Australian slang: died
(e.g. the car carked it half way to the beach)
caron the inverted caret above consonant, as in č ň ; also called a hαček
carotid relating to the
two large arteries carrying blood to the head and neck
carpetbagger one who comes as an outsider and
presumptuously seeks power
carry-in regional: a potluck meal
cartel an
association of sellers formed to control prices and restrict competition
cartogram a map showing
statistical information graphically; e.g., countries are deliberately distorted
so that the area of each is proportionate to its population
cartographer a mapmaker
cartophily the collection of
trade cards (sometimes defined as "the collection of cigarette
cards," which is the largest single category)
cartouche 1. a drawn frame around of an
engraving, etc. (esp. one in Egyptian hieroglyphics, inclosing royal or
divine names or titles) 2. a heavy paper cartridge case
carval-built (of a wooden ship) built with
non-overlapping planks [contrast clinker-built]
caryatid a figure of a woman used as a supporting column
(the much rarer male-figure so used is a telamon
or atlas [pl. telamones;
atlantes])
Casanova eponym: a promiscuous man; or a man amorously and gallantly
attentive to women
Cassandra eponym: one whose warnings
of doom, though accurate, fall on deaf ears
castaneous chestnut-colored (the chestnut
tree is genus Castanea)
cast-off (knitting;
also known as bind-off)
getting the loops off the needles at the end of a knitting process. There are
myriad ways to cast-off, to achieve different effects (mainly stretchy or not).
cast-on
(knitting) verb: putting the original loops onto
the needle at the beginning of your project. noun: the beginning row of loops. There are many ways to cast-on
the yarn.
castrametation the making or laying out of a
camp
casus belli an act or situation
provoking or justifying war
cat (familiar, but listed for an anecdote comparing French and
English)
catabasis; katabasis a military retreat
catabolism the metabolic process of breaking down tissues in the body
(contrast anabolism)
catachresis incorrect use of a word (either by error or deliberately)
catadromous migrating 'down',
from fresh water to the sea, to spawn (e.g., most eels); contrast anadromous
catamenia menstrual flow
catamite a boy kept by a pederast
catamount a large wild cat of
cataphora linguistics: using a pronoun, etc., to refer forward, as the
him in Near him, John saw a snake. (contrast anaphora)
cataract 1. a large
waterfall 2. a medical condition in which the eyes lens becomes
progressively opaque, causing blurred vision
catatonia an abnormal condition characterized by stupor and bay rigidity or
extreme flexibility of the limbs
catawampus askew
cat-bird seat a position of power or
prominence. Used in the phrase "in the catbird seat".
catchpole a sheriff's
officer, especially one who arrests debtors [also figurative]
catchpoll same as catchpole
cathedral (etymology) 1587, "church of a bishop," from phrase
cathedral church (1297), translating L.L. ecclesia cathedralis
"church of a bishop's seat," from Gk. kathedra "seat,
bench," from kata "down" + hedra "a
seat."
catherine wheel eponym: a firework that
forms a rotating, flaming wheel (a/k/a 'pinwheel')
catspaw (also here) a person used
by another as a dupe or tool (also, a light breeze that ruffles small
areas of a water surface)
caudal pertaining to a tail (Latin cauda,
tail)
cause cιlθbre an issue arousing widespread controversy
causerie informal discussion or chat, esp.
of an intellectual nature (also, a chatty piece of writing)
causeur an easy talker, frequently
witty, pleasant to hear
causeuse formerly meant a female version
of causeur; now means a small cozy sofa for two people to have a long
chat
cava Spanish and Italian for cave; often
used for a wine cellar
caveat emptor the principle that
the buyer is responsible for checking the quality and suitability of goods
before purchase
cavil (trans. or intrans.) to quibble,
detect flaws in, raise trivial objections
cay a small, low
island of coral or sand
celebreality the real life of a celebrity; a TV show format of celebrities
in real-life situations
celibate unmarried. (Only in the 20th century did the word develop the
additional meaning "abstaining from sexual intercourse.")
censer a vessel in which incense is burned, esp.
during religious services. related to incense. Not related to one who
censors literature or who subjects misconduct to censure.
cephaleonomancy divination by asses' heads [dictionary at mancy lists 54 form of divination]
cerulean (also here) pure, strong blue, the color of
the cloudless sky [Source here says "sky-blue",
but that definition rather begs the question, for a sky can range from light
pale blue to rich strong blue. Which do we mean? There seems to be some
confusion. Thus, One-look's "quick definition" is: "cerulean:
noun: a light shade of blue; adjective: of a deep somewhat purplish blue color
similar to that of a clear October sky".)
cervine
pertaining to deer (contrast cervisial)
cervisial
pertaining to beer (contrast cervine)
cervix (etymology) from Latin for
"the neck"
cesta a scoop-shaped
wicker basket, worn over the hand, used in the game of jai alai to catch
and throw the ball
cetacean pertaining to
whales
ceteris paribus other things being
equal; if all other relevant factors remain unaltered
ceviche a
Peruvian dish of raw fish marinated in lemon juice with onions, chilis and
seasonings, served especially as an appetizer
chacham Yiddish:
a wise man, a savant; usually used sardonically (chachma = wisdom)
chachka see tsatske
chaconne see passacaglia
Chadband eponym: an oily,
religious/moralistic hypocrite
chairwarmer 1. an
interim officeholder "keeping the chair warm" until the proper
successor takes office; 2. one who, with only office experience (in his
chair), meddles in practical matters 3. one who lounges long in a hotel
lobby, etc.
chakra a cycle, a wheel; also,
any of several points of physical or spiritual energy in the human body
according to yoga philosophy
chakram flat steel ring with a sharpened
outer edge used as a thrown weapon (thrown like a frisbee)
chalcedony (silent h; accent on 2nd syllable) quartz in the form of
micro-crystals, such as agate
champerty an outsider assisting a litigant in return for a portion of the
proceeds
chandler (also here) [orig.: a candle-maker or candle-seller] chiefly
Brit; usu. contemptuous?: 1. a small shopkeeper selling provisions,
groceries, etc. 2. a retailer of specified goods or lines [typ.
nautical], as, a ship chandler 3. a candle-maker or candle-seller
chandlery a chandler's shop
chanticleer eponym: a rooster
Charybdis see Scylla and Charybdis
charientism an insult so subtly presented
that is it believed by the recipient to be unintended
charley horse a muscle cramp, esp. in
the upper leg, from a muscular strain or a blow
chartomancy divination by writing in papers, and by Valentines [dictionary at mancy lists 54 form of divination]
chartreuse a pale yellowish apple-green color
chary very cautious, wary; also,
not giving/expending freely
chattering classes articulate and educated people considered
as a social group given to the expression of liberal opinions about society and
culture
Chautauqua toponym: an annual summer educational
meeting providing public lectures, concerts, and dramas, usually in an outdoor
setting
chauvinism eponym: fanatical,
exaggerated patriotism
cheap shot an unfair or unsporting verbal attack that takes unfair advantage
of a known weakness of the target. (from
check familiar meaning (to restrain,
or to inspect for quality) evolved from the meaning in the game of chess (a
threatened immediate capture of the opponent's king)
checkmate noun: utter defeat. verb:
to defeat completely (from game of chess: a check (see above) in which capture
cannot be averted)
cherry pick to unfairly select only the
desired items
chesterfield eponym: a type of sofa, large with
upholstered arms
cheval mirror
standalone mirrors in a frame, that can be tilted easily
cheval-de-frise (pl. chevaux de ~) 1. an obstacle of jagged glass,
spikes, etc. set into the top of a wall 2. orig. military: a
defensive line of spikes, etc., to block advance of the enemy (e.g., cavalry)
chevalet the bridge of a stringed
instrument
chevalier d'industrie one who lives by his wits, specially by swindling [lit.
"knight of industry"]
chiaroscuro (also here) the interplay of
light and shade in drawing and painting; a work stressing that interplay; fig. the like
interplay of contrasting characters, moods, etc.
chiasmus (ky-AZ-mus) a rhetorical inversion of the second of two parallel
structures: Never let a fool kiss you or a kiss fool you
chicane 1. chicanery 2. bridge
(game): a holding of no trumps 3. motor traffic or racing: a
sharp double bend [or other obstacle made to slow traffic?]
chichevache mythical monster: an enormous cow
that feeds on patient wives and virtuous women (compare bicorne)
Chicken Little eponym: one who constantly warns that a
calamity is imminent
chilblain painful, itching
swelling, on hand or foot, caused by poor skin circulation when exposed to cold
chili chili con carne;
that is, a Mexican stew of minced beef flavored with chili peppers
chili dog a hot dog topped
with a serving of chili con carne. 1948
chiliasm doctrine that Christ will reign on earth for a thousand years
chimerical eponym: 1. fantastic; wildly or
vainly conceived; also, given to unrealistic fantasies; fanciful
chimera 1. a fanciful mental illusion or
fabrication 2. genetic research:
an offspring combining two different species (contrast clone, a copy of a
single individual)
chinchona eponym: the tree bark that yields quinine
Chinese wall strict confidentiality rules
within a securities firm, barring disclosure of certain information between
departments
chip buttie Brit: a chip
sandwich (what USns would call french fries, placed between two slices of
bread)
chirography handwriting;
penmanship (A previous word-of-the-day; see here.)
chiromancy divination by the hands [dictionary at mancy
lists 54 form of divination]
chirr a trilling vibrant sound, such
as that made by crickets, grasshoppers, or cicadas (verb to make that
sound)
chitin (silent h) the substance
forming the exoskeleton of insects, etc.
chloasma a patchy brown
skin discoloration [particularly on a woman's face from hormonal changes of
pregnancy]
chockie Australian slang: chocolate
choleric easily moved to anger
chook Australian slang: chicken
chop logic convoluted,
contentious and deceptive argument
choropleth a map using
shading or color to show a trait; e.g., colors indicate altitude; or
darker shading indicates more-dense population
chott; shott a shallow brackish lake or marsh, usually dry in the
summer and covered with salt
chouse 1. a cheat; a swindler (verb:
to dupe, cheat, trick or swindle) 2.
to disturb or harry (cattle)
chrestomathy a collection of literary
passages selected to show a subject matter in breadth
chrysanthemum shell a spherical burst firework, in which the stars leave a
visible trail
chthonic of the underworld; of the earth;
dwelling in or under the earth
chuck term of endearment (literally 'a
chicken')
chucking-out time
slang: closing time at a pub
chukka each of the
periods into which a game of polo is divided [Sanskrit, 'circle' or 'wheel' [also; a kind of high shoe, resembling a
polo boot]
churrigueresque eponym: baroque architectural style
characterized by elaborate surface decoration
chutzpah utter nerve; effrontery
cicatrix a scar
cicerone eponym: a guide who conducts sightseers
cicisbeo the young male
lover/escort/admirer of a married woman. (counterpart of mistress) The
definition is imprecise; the term covers a wide range of male admires, from
hangers-on to full-fledged lovers. (Definition taken from Depraved English by
Novobatzky and Shea (1999). The major dictionaries tend to be coy; e.g., Web.
Rev. defines cicisbeo as "a professed admirer of a married woman".)
cimmerian eponym: very dark or
gloomy
cinchona [eponym] the tree whose bark
yields quinine
cinderella eponym: one suddenly lifted from obscurity
to honor or significance
cingulomania a strong desire to hold a person
in your arms
cipher a method of transforming the
letters of a text to conceal its meaning, either by transposing the letters or
substituting (contrast code)
circadian occurring regularly at 24-hour
intervals (but applies only to biological processes; one would not speak of
"the circadian motion of the sun") (compare diurnal, quotidian)
circean eponym: pleasing, but
noxious; as, a Circean draught (after the enchantress Circe of Homer's Odyssey,
who first charmed her victims and then changed them to the forms of beasts)
circular argument 1.
using a premise to prove a conclusion that in turn is used to prove the premise
2. an argument that 'goes around in circles', making no progress 3.
process: a 'self-reinforcing' process, where progress in one area both
requires and stimulates progress in another
circumjacent lying around;
surrounding
circumlocution 1. use of many words where fewer would do 2.
evasion, in speech or writing 3. a roundabout expression
circumvallate to surround with, or as with, a rampart
cirque a bowl-shaped
hollow (like an amphitheater), at the upper end of a mountain valley, esp.
one an the head of a glacier or stream. Also called a cwm (
cisatlantic on this side of the
clamber to climb awkwardly
and laboriously
clapperdugeon a beggar born; a whining beggar
claque 1. a group
of people hired to applaud or heckle a performer; a "rent-a-crowd" 2.
a group of sycophantic followers (esp. in politics)
clarion loud and clear (noun:
a shrill war trumpet) [clarion call a strongly expressed demand for
action]
clart to daub, smear, or spread, as with mud, etc.
claymore mine an anti-personnel land mine that
discharges blast fragments in a predetermined direction, set towards the enemy
cleavage
(art restoration)
separation of paint layers (oil paintings; house paint, etc.)
clement 1. of persons or
behavior: tending to be lenient or merciful. 2. of weather:
mild
clepe to call; to name [yclept is the
past participle]
clepsydra a clock that marks
time by the flow of water through a small opening (sometimes called a water
glass)
clerihew eponym: a witty verse, of two rhyming couplets, on a person
named in one of the rhymes
clerisy the well-educated elite class;
the intelligentsia
clichι (etymology) from the sound
of a die striking a printing plate
climactic adjective form of
'climax'
clinker brick fused together by fire
clinker-built (of a wooden ship) with outer
planks overlapping each other [contrast carval-built]
cliometrics eponym: the study of
history using economic models and advanced mathematical methods of data
processing and analysis
clochard a tramp; a vagrant
cloche [from the French
for 'bell'] either of two bell-shaped covers:
1. woman's hat, close-fitting and bell-shaped
2. a cover, usually bell-shaped, to protect plants from frost
clock the downy
flower-head of a dandelion, etc. that has gone to seed [From the child's play
of blowing away the feathered seeds to find 'what o'clock it is'.]
clodhopper a clumsy, coarse
person, esp. a rustic (also, a big heavy shoe)
clodpated stupid; dull; doltish
cloisonnι (pronounced klwaazonay) a
kind of decorative
enamelwork: areas are outlined by metal filaments mounted on a backing, and
are then filled in with enamel of different colors
cloisters (etymology) from the same Latin root as claustrophobic
cloud-cuckoo-land
someone is said to live in cloud-cuckoo-land when they seem optimistically out
of touch with reality
clowder a group or cluster
of cats
cloyne to act deceitfully
or fraudulently, to cheat, deceive. hence cloyning to have a secret understanding, to conspire. also: to take cunningly, furtively, or
fraudulently; to grab.
cluricaune akin to a leprechaun, but much worse. Leprechauns make shoes.
A cluricaune drinks and thus endangers the stock of any pub he inhabits.
"A cluricaune is a walking thirst." Spider Robinson
clyster 1. a suppository or an edema 2. obsolete:
a contemptuous name for a medical practitioner
cockaigne in peasant
legend of middle ages: an imaginary country of abundant food and of idle
luxury. fig: a place of overflowing abundance. [apparently from older
words for cook and cake]
cockatrice a serpent, hatched from a cock's
egg, having the power to kill by its glance.
cockerel a young domestic
cock
cockshy the throw in a throwing contest,
or the target aimed at
code a system to transform a message
by prearranged substitutions for words or phrases (contrast cipher,
where substitution is for individual letters)
codex (pl. codices)
a manuscript (handwritten) volume, esp. of a classic work or of the
Scriptures ('manuscript' in this sense means "handwritten")
codswallop eponym: nonsense (Brit. slang)
coeval of the same age or
date of origin; contemporary (noun: a person of roughly the same age; a
contemporary)
coffered panel a decorative sunken panel in a
ceiling, etc
cognitive dissonance the mental discomfort of simultaneously holding incompatible
attitudes, beliefs, knowledge, etc.
cognomen 1. the family name of an
of ancient
coins and currency see two bits; simoleon,
greenback; trime; tanner; bob; tosherooon; joey; holey dollar; dump, loonie,
twonie
colibri hummingbird
collation a light, informal meal (also,
the act of collating)
Colonel Blimp eponym: an elderly pompous reactionary
colophon a publisher's emblem or
trademark on the title page (originally, an end-of-book inscription
giving facts about its publication)
colporteur a hawker; specifically, one who travels about selling and
distributing religious tracts and books.
colt
eponym: a type of revolver (firearms. trademark?)
coltish with the enthusiastic awkwardness
of youth (almost always applied to a young female, with implications of budding
sexuality)
comely pleasant to look
at; attractive
comestible adj.
edible; suitable to be eaten. noun; usu. plural: something that can be
eaten as food
commensal biology: of a relation between
two organisms that benefits one without damaging or benefiting the other. [Latin 'sharing a table'] (contrast parasitic;
symbiotic; not to be
confused with commensurate; incommensurable)
commensurate of corresponding size or degree;
proportionate (can also mean commensurable)
commercant merchant, businessman, shopkeeper [not in dictionaries; found in
Wall Street Journal, Aug. 7, 2006]
comstockery eponym: censorship on basis of immorality
or obscenity (coined by George Bernard Shaw)
conation the faculty of
volition and desire; the mental processes directed toward action or change: impulse,
desire, volition, and striving
concertina screen
a screen that folds up and has pleats like an accordion
concinnity 1. harmony in arrangement
of parts to a whole 2. studied elegance in expression
conclave a confidential or
secret meeting
concupiscence sexual lust
condign deserved; adequate (esp.
of punishment); suitable to the fault or crime
coney see hyrax
confabulate [akin to fable]
1. to converse casually together; to chat
2. Psychology: to fill in gaps in one's memory with fabrications
that one believes to be facts
conflate 1. to bring together;
meld or fuse 2. to combine (as two readings of a text) into one whole
congener something akin to or resembling
another (see conger; congeries)
conger a large, scaleless marine eel
(see congener; congeries)
congeries a conglomeration; heap or mess
(see congener; conger)
congress 1. a coming together; meeting 2. sexual intercourse
[among other meanings, of course]
conjunctivitis inflammation of
the eye-membrane (called the conjunctiva) that covers the eyeball and
lines the eyelid. Popularly called pink eye
conk to break down,
give out, fail, or show signs of failing; to die, collapse, or lose
consanguinity relationship by blood or common
ancestry (as opposed to 'by marriage'); more
generally, a close affinity or
connection [com- "together" + sanguineus
"of blood"]
consilience the "jumping together" of
knowledge; unification of knowledge across diverse disciplines
consistory the council of
cardinals; or, a church tribunal or senate; or (rare), a solemn
assembly or council
conskite to bespatter with dung
consmology a account (whether
scientific, philosophic or mythic) of the creation of the universe
constellation astronomy: a formation of stars seen, in the sky, as
forming a figure. metaphoric: a collection or gathering, usually of
prominent persons or things
contesseration the act of making friends [literally, breaking a tablet
together]
continental slope the seabed where it gradually descends from continental
shore. (A steeper descent typically begins at 200 meters depth.)
contrapposto the position
with hips and legs turned somewhat in a different direction from the shoulders
and head; typically most of the weight is on one foot
contretemps an unforeseen
event that disrupts the normal course of things
contronym a word that has two opposite meanings (e.g. to
dust: He dusted the table ['to remove dust'] vs. He dusted sugar onto
the doughnuts ['to apply dust'])
contumely insolent or
insulting words or acts
cooks tour eponym: a quick tour or survey, with attention
only to the main features
coomb see cirque
cooper a barrel-maker or
barrel-repairer
coping the course of brick on top of a
wall (usually sloping)
copper-bottomed
Brit.: thoroughly
reliable [from protective copper sheathing on the bottom of wooden ships]
coprolite petrified dung
coprophagous dung-eating (same as merdivorous)
copula a
connecting word, esp. a form of the
verb be
coquelicot poppy-colored:
brilliant red with orange.
coquette an insincerely
flirtatious woman [adj. coquettish]. to coquet 1. to trifle or dally in love 2.
to deal playfully instead of seriously
coracle an ancient type of
boat,
small, light, rounded and maneuverable, made of wickerwork covered with a
watertight material, and used with a paddle
corinthian 1. a fashionable man about town; a bon vivant; esp.
a wealthy amateur sportsman. 2. a debauched man devoted to the pursuit
of pleasure. adj: as or like such
a man, of either sort [also has several other senses]
corm see geophyte
corn in
cornu a horn-shaped anatomical part (as of the uterus)
cornucopia (etymology) from L. cornu copiζ "horn of plenty," after the myth of Amalthea, who nurtured the infant Zeus. By one version of the myth, Zeus broke off a goat's horn and gave it to Amalthea, promising that it would supply whatever she desired in abundance thus, the animal horn as a fertility symbol.
corpus a large collection
of writings of a particular kind or on a particular subject; esp., the
complete works of an author (also other meanings)
corrie see cirque
corrigible capable of being corrected,
reformed, or improved (contrast the familiar word incorrigible)
corroboree a large noisy celebration, or, a great tumult;
a disturbance
coruscating 1. giving off bright
beams or flashes of light; 2. exhibiting brilliant, sparkling technique
or style [note: often misused to mean "corrosive" or
"scathing"]
corvine like a raven
corybantic wild, frantic, frenzied
coryza a runny nose, as
with a cold (or more exactly, the inflamed nasal membrane that causes the runny
nose)
cosmology study of the the origin, evolution and structure of the
universe
cosmos the universe, the
world, seen as a well-ordered whole
cosset to care for over-indulgently
cotquean a man who busies himself with women's work or affairs (also,
a coarse masculine woman) disparaging. ASax; literally "house woman":
cot = small house + quean = woman. The second syllable is pronounced to rhyme
with 'when'
couloir a deep
mountainside gorge or gully, esp. in the Swiss Alps
coup a sudden stroke (conveys
promptness and force). (AHD: a brilliantly executed stratagem; a triumph)
coup de grβce 1. a finishing stroke or decisive event 2.
a deathblow delivered to end the misery of a mortally wounded victim
coup de graisse death by chocolate (found on one site; doubtless with
tongue in cheek)
coup de main military: a
sudden action undertaken to surprise an enemy
coup de soleil sunstroke
coup de thιβtre 1. a sudden dramatic turn of events in a play. 2.
an unexpected and sensational event, esp. one that reverses or negates a
prevailing situation
coup d'ιtat the sudden overthrow of a government
coup d'oeil a quick survey; a glance (literally, stroke of the eye)
courtesan a prostitute,
especially one with wealthy or upper-class clients
coven an assembly of witches; usually
13 witches [earlier, a variant of 'convent']
coverture 1. a shelter; also, state of being concealed 2.
law: the status of a married woman
coydog the hybrid offspring of coyotes
and feral dogs
coypu a beaver-like aquatic rodent native to
cozen to cheat; to defraud; to beguile; to deceive
crack a mental Australian
slang: express extreme
anger or rage
crack a fat Australian slang: get a boner
cramble to walk ill, as with corns on the feet; to
hobble [obsolete; from The
Word Museum by J. Kacirk]
crannick; cronnick; cran
a tree or root killed or much weathered by wind, water or fire; piece of such
wood gathered as fuel; small twisted fir or spruce
cranny a small narrow
opening or hole; a chink, crevice, crack, fissure
crapper (etymology)
a flush toilet
crapshoot a risky enterprise
crapulous; crapulent over-indulging in food or drink;
also, sick from doing so drinking (from Greek for "drunken
headache")
craquelure fine cracks in surface of an old
painting
craven characterized by abject fear;
cowardly (noun a coward)
crepe-hanger a gloomy pessimist; a kill-joy
crepitate to make a crackling or popping
sound; crackle, as salt in fire; burning leaves or twigs
crepuscular resembling or relating to
twilight
crevasse a deep fissure or
chasm
crib a small abode; a
tiny room; also, a saloon, 'dive', or brothel
critical path the sequence of steps in an operation (as, building a
house) which determines the time needed for the whole project
criticaster a mean-spirited, contemptible,
carping critic
croaker a wellerism based on a punning verb [For example, I'm dying," he croaked, and
"I've got a new game," mumbled Peg.] Term coined by Roy Bongartz.
crock slang: something decrepit
and worn out
croesus eponym: a man of extreme wealth
cromulent coinage: excellent; perfectly
acceptable. (also here; coined on TV in The
Simpsons)
croodle to coo like a dove (also, to
cower together, as from fear or cold; to snuggle, as a young animal with its
mother)
croon 1. to sing in a soft
gentle tone 2. to weep and wail (a word with two
apparently-contradictory meanings)
cruciverbalist a composer of crossword puzzles; an enthusiast at solving
those puzzles
cryptid see cryptozoology
cryptonym a code name; a name used to secretly refer to another
cryptozoology the study of creatures, such as the
Sasquatch, whose existence has not been substantiated [the creatures are called
cryptids]
crystallomancy divination by crystals [dictionary at mancy
lists 54 form of divination]
cubby-hole; cubbyhole 1. a small box or compartment, such as a locker or a pigeon
hole 2. a small room; sometimes used to mean such room used as a
hideaway
cucking stool a tool for
punishing scolds and others. It was a chair
(often with a hole like a toilet seat, suitable for that use). The victim was
tied and either set out for public ridicule or ducked in a river or pond.
[cuck "to defecate" (may also include urinate)]
[Also known as a trebucket, but that term has further
meanings.]
cuesta a ridge with a
gentle slope on one side and a cliff on the other; a gentle upward slope ending
in a steep drop
culacino the mark left on the table by a
moist glass
cullet broken glass for re-melting,
recycling
cultivar a plant variety
produced in cultivation by selective breeding (the selection may be
unintentional)
cumbent recumbent
cumberbund; cummerbund a broad waistband on men's dress clothes. from Persian kamar waist
+ band band
cummingtonite toponym:a felicitously-named mineral first found in
cunabula earliest abode: the cunabula
of the human race
cunctation procrastination; delay.
(etymology suggests that the term is not pejorative, but rather means wise
delay to gain advantage.)
cunctipotent all-powerful, omnipotent (Note: The oriental goddess
Cunti, or Kunda, is thought to be the source of many of our cun- words
here, as well as of the four-letter word beginning with cun- which I
will leave unstated.)
cunicle a hole, cave or passage underground
cunicular pertaining to underground passages; burrow-dwelling
cuniculate penetrated by a passage
cuniculture the agricultural practice of breeding and raising
rabbits
cuniform; cuneiform wedge-shaped; also, pertaining to writing with wedge-shaped
characters (as on ancient clay tablets)
curate's egg (chiefly
British) something with both good and bad parts
Curie point eponym: the temperature above which ferromagnetism becomes
paramagnetism [after Pierre Curie]
curmudgeon an ill-tempered
person (typically old male), full of resentment and stubborn notions
curry to groom [a horse]
curry favor eponym: to seek to gain favor by flattery or attention
[Note: 'curry' means 'to groom a horse'.]
curtain lecture a wifes private
reprimand to her husband
cuspidor a spittoon; a receptacle for
spit (including the "receptacle" of a drinking fountain or in a
dentist's office)
custom esp. Brit. business
patronage: If the store clerk is rude, take your custom elsewhere.
cwm (one
of the few English words with none of the classic vowels) synonymous with cirque; more discussion there
Cyber Monday
cyberterrorism not in dictionaries. Per U.S.
Federal Bureau of Investigation (paraphrased): political attack against
computer systems, programs, and data, by sub-national groups or clandestine
agents. Unlike nuisance virus or simple denial of service, it
is designed to cause physical violence or extreme financial harm to non
combatants
cyborg [cyber-
+ organism] a person [or animal] whose
physical abilities are extended beyond normal limitations, [or are controlled,]
by elements implanted into the body
cytokine storm an overreaction by the immune system's
first responders, running amok, killing not just virus-infected cells but
healthy bystander cells as well
