Rarely Used Words Starting With C
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Transcript of Rarely Used Words Starting With C
Rarely Used Words Starting With C 1
Cabal • noun a secret political clique or faction.
— ORIGIN Latin cabala ‘Kabbalah’ (its original sense in English).
Caber • noun a roughly trimmed tree trunk used in the Scottish Highland sport of tossing the caber.
— ORIGIN Scottish Gaelic cabar ‘pole’.
Caboodle • noun (in phrase the whole caboodle or the whole kit and caboodle) informal the whole number or quantity of people or things in question.
— ORIGIN originally US: perhaps from the phrase kit and boodle, in the same sense.
Cabotage • noun 1 navigation or trade along the coast. 2 Aviation. the legal restriction to domestic carriers of air transport between points within a country's borders.
— ORIGIN1825–35; < F, deriv. of caboter to sail coastwise, v. deriv. of MF cabo < Sp cabo headland, CAPE
Cadastre • noun an official register of the ownership, extent, and value of real property in a given area, used as a basis of taxation.
— ORIGIN 1795–1805; < F < Pr cadastro < It catastro, earlier (Venetian) catastico < LGk katástichon register, deriv. of phrase katà stíchon by line
Cadge • verb informal ask for or obtain (something to which one is not entitled).
— DERIVATIVES cadger noun.
— ORIGIN from cadger, a northern English and Scottish word meaning itinerant dealer.
Cadre • noun 1 a small group of people trained for a particular purpose or profession. 2 /also kayd r/ a group of activists in a revolutionary organization.
— ORIGIN French, from Latin quadrus ‘square’.
Caesium • noun a soft, silvery, extremely reactive metallic chemical element.
— ORIGIN from Latin caesius ‘greyish-blue’ (because it has characteristic lines in the blue part of the spectrum).
Cahoots • plural noun (in phrase in cahoots) informal colluding or conspiring together secretly.
— ORIGIN of unknown origin.
Calamine • noun a pink powder consisting of zinc carbonate and ferric oxide, used to make a soothing lotion or ointment.
— ORIGIN Latin calamina, from Greek kadmeia ge ‘Cadmean earth’, from the name of Cadmus, the legendary founder of Thebes.
1 By H.U.
Calcareous • adjective containing calcium carbonate; chalky.
— ORIGIN Latin calcarius, from calx ‘lime’.
Calliper • noun 1 (also calipers) a measuring instrument with two hinged legs and in-turned or out-turned points. 2 a motor-vehicle or bicycle brake consisting of two or more hinged components. 3 a metal support for a person’s leg.
— ORIGIN probably an alteration of CALIBRE.
Callisthenics • plural noun gymnastic exercises to achieve bodily fitness and grace of movement.
— ORIGIN from Greek kallos ‘beauty’ + sthenos ‘strength’.
Callow • adjective (of a young person) inexperienced and immature.
— DERIVATIVES callowly adverb callowness noun.
— ORIGIN Old English, bald, probably from Latin calvus ‘bald’, later unfledged.
Callus • noun 1 a thickened and hardened part of the skin or soft tissue. 2 Botany a hard formation of tissue formed over a wound.
— DERIVATIVES callused adjective.
— ORIGIN Latin, ‘hardened skin’.
Callumny • noun (pl. calumnies) the making of false and defamatory statements about someone.
• verb (calumnies, calumnied) formal calumniate.
— DERIVATIVES calumnious /k lumni ss/ adjective.
— ORIGIN Latin calumnia.
Calyx • noun (pl. calyces /kayliseez/ or calyxes) 1 Botany the sepals of a flower, forming a protective layer around a flower in bud. 2 Zoology a cup-like cavity or structure.
— ORIGIN Greek kalux ‘case of a bud, husk’.
Cambist • noun 1 a dealer in bills of exchange. 2 an expert in foreign exchange. 3 a manual giving the moneys, weights, and measures of different countries, with their equivalents.
— ORIGIN 1800–10; < F cambiste < It cambista.
Camphor • noun a white volatile crystalline substance with an aromatic smell and bitter taste, occurring in certain essential oils.
— ORIGIN Latin camphora, from Sanskrit
Canasta • noun a card game resembling rummy, using two packs and usually played by two pairs of partners.
— ORIGIN Spanish, ‘basket’.
Candela • noun Physics the SI unit of luminous intensity.
— ORIGIN Latin, ‘candle’.
Canker • noun 1 a destructive fungal disease of trees that results in damage to the bark. 2 an open lesion in plant tissue caused by infection or injury. 3 fungal rot in parsnips, tomatoes, or other vegetables. 4 an ulcerous condition in animals, especially an inflammation of the ear caused by a mite infestation.
• verb 1 become infected with canker. 2 (cankered) infected with a pervasive and corrupting bitterness.
— DERIVATIVES cankerous adjective.
— ORIGIN originally denoting a tumour: from Old French chancre, from Latin cancer ‘crab, creeping ulcer’.
Canoodle • verb informal kiss and cuddle amorously.
— ORIGIN of unknown origin.
Capacious • adjective having a lot of space inside; roomy.
— DERIVATIVES capaciously adverb capaciousness noun.
— ORIGIN from Latin capax ‘capable’.
Capitation • noun the payment of a fee or grant to a doctor, school, etc., the amount being determined by the number of patients, pupils, etc.
— ORIGIN Latin, from caput ‘head’.
Carafe • noun an open-topped glass flask typically used for serving wine in a restaurant.
— ORIGIN French, from Italian caraffa, probably from an Arabic word meaning draw water.
Carbine • noun 1 a light automatic rifle. 2 historical a short rifle or musket used by cavalry.
— ORIGIN French carabine, from carabin ‘mounted musketeer’.
Carbuncle • noun 1 a severe abscess or multiple boil in the skin. 2 a bright red gem, in particular a polished garnet.
— DERIVATIVES carbuncular adjective.
— ORIGIN Latin carbunculus ‘small coal’, from carbo ‘coal, charcoal’.
Careen • verb 1 turn (a ship) on its side for cleaning or repair. 2 (of a ship) tilt; lean over. 3 move in an uncontrolled way; career.
— ORIGIN from Latin carina ‘a keel’.
Caret • noun a mark (⁁, &insert;) placed below a line of text to indicate a proposed insertion.
— ORIGIN Latin, ‘is lacking’.
Caries • noun decay and crumbling of a tooth or bone.
— DERIVATIVES carious adjective.
— ORIGIN Latin.
Carillon • noun a set of bells sounded from a keyboard or by an automatic mechanism.
— ORIGIN French, from Old French quarregnon ‘peal of four bells’, from Latin quattuor ‘four’.
Carmine • noun a vivid crimson pigment made from cochineal.
— ORIGIN French carmin, from an Arabic word meaning kermes; related to CRIMSON.
Carotid • adjective Anatomy relating to the two main arteries carrying blood to the head and neck.
— ORIGIN from Greek karotides, plural of karotis ‘drowsiness, stupor’ (because compression of these arteries was thought to cause stupor).
Carouse • verb drink alcohol and enjoy oneself with others in a noisy, lively way.
• noun a noisy, lively drinking party.
— DERIVATIVES carousal noun carouser noun.
— ORIGIN originally meaning right out, completely in the phrase drink carouse, from German gar aus trinken.
Carrion • noun the decaying flesh of dead animals.
— ORIGIN Old French caroine, charoigne, from Latin caro ‘flesh’.
Carte Blanche • noun complete freedom to act as one wishes.
— ORIGIN French, ‘blank paper’.
Cartography • noun the science or practice of drawing maps.
— DERIVATIVES cartographer noun cartographic adjective.
— ORIGIN from French carte ‘card, map’.
Cassock • noun a long garment worn by some Christian clergy and members of church choirs.
— ORIGIN Italian casacca ‘riding coat’.
Cassowary • noun (pl. cassowaries) a very large flightless bird related to the emu, native mainly to New Guinea.
— ORIGIN Malay.
Casuarina • noun a tree with slender, jointed, drooping twigs bearing tiny scale-like leaves, native to Australia and SE Asia.
— ORIGIN Latin casuarius ‘cassowary’ (from the resemblance of the branches to the bird’s feathers).
Catacomb • noun an underground tunnels and caves, for burial.
— ORIGIN Latin catacumbas, the name of the subterranean cemetery of St Sebastian near Rome.
Catarrh • noun excessive discharge of mucus in the nose or throat.
— DERIVATIVES catarrhal adjective.
— ORIGIN Latin catarrhus, from Greek katarrhein ‘flow down’.
Caterwaul • verb make a shrill howling or wailing noise.
• noun a shrill howling or wailing noise.
Catharsis • noun the release of pent-up emotions, for example through drama.
— DERIVATIVES cathartic adjective & noun.
— ORIGIN Greek katharsis, from kathairein ‘cleanse’.
Catheter • noun a flexible tube inserted into a body cavity, particularly the bladder, for removing fluid.
— ORIGIN Greek katheter, from kathienai ‘send or let down’.
Caul • noun the amniotic membrane enclosing a fetus, part of which is occasionally found on a baby’s head at birth.
— ORIGIN perhaps from Old French cale ‘head covering’.
Caulk • noun a waterproof filler and sealant, used in building work and repairs.
• verb 1 seal with caulk. 2 make (a boat or its seams) watertight.
— ORIGIN from Latin calcare ‘to tread’.
Cauterise • verb burn the skin or flesh of (a wound) to stop bleeding or prevent infection.
— DERIVATIVES cauterization noun.
— ORIGIN Greek kauteriazein, from kauterion ‘branding iron’.
Cavalcade • noun a procession of vehicles, riders, or people on foot.
— ORIGIN Italian cavalcata, from cavalcare ‘to ride’.
Cavil • verb (cavilled, cavilling; US caviled, caviling) make petty objections.
• noun a petty objection.
— ORIGIN Latin cavillari, from cavilla ‘mockery’.
Censorious • adjective severely critical.
— DERIVATIVES censoriously adverb censoriousness noun.
Censure • verb express strong disapproval of.
• noun strong disapproval or criticism.
— DERIVATIVES censurable adjective.
— ORIGIN from Latin censura ‘judgement, assessment’, from censere ‘assess’.
Cephalic • adjective relating to the head.
— ORIGIN from Greek kephale ‘head’.
Chablis • noun a dry white burgundy wine from Chablis in eastern France.
Charge D’affaires • noun (pl. chargés pronunc. same) 1 an ambassador’s deputy. 2 a state’s diplomatic representative in a minor country.
— ORIGIN French, ‘a person in charge of affairs’.
Chary • adjective (charier, chariest) cautiously reluctant: leaders are chary of reform.
— ORIGIN Old English, sorrowful, anxious.
Cheep • noun 1 a shrill squeaky cry made by a young bird. 2 informal the slightest sound: there hasn’t been a cheep from anybody.
• verb make a cheep.
— ORIGIN imitative.
Cheroot • noun a cigar with both ends open.
— ORIGIN French cheroute, from a Tamil word meaning ‘roll of tobacco’.
Chicanery • noun the use of trickery to achieve one’s purpose.
Chilblain • noun a painful, itching swelling on a hand or foot caused by poor circulation in the skin when exposed to cold.
— ORIGIN from CHILL + archaic blain, from an Old English word meaning inflamed swelling or sore.
Chink • noun 1 a narrow opening or crack. 2 a beam of light admitted by a chink.
— ORIGIN related to CHINE.
• verb make a light, high-pitched ringing sound, as of glasses or coins striking together.
• noun a high-pitched ringing sound.
— ORIGIN imitative.
Chintz • noun printed multicoloured cotton fabric with a glazed finish, used for curtains and upholstery.
— ORIGIN Hindi, ‘spattering, stain’.
Chipmunk • noun a burrowing ground squirrel with light and dark stripes running down the body.
— ORIGIN Ojibwa (an American Indian language).
Chiropody • noun the treatment of the feet and their ailments.
— DERIVATIVES chiropodist noun.
— ORIGIN from Greek kheir ‘hand’ + pous ‘foot’.
Chit • noun derogatory an impudent or arrogant young woman.
— ORIGIN originally meaning whelp, cub, or kitten: perhaps related to dialect chit sprout.
• noun a short official note recording a sum owed.
— ORIGIN Hindi, ‘note, pass’.
Chock • noun 1 a wedge or block placed against a wheel to prevent it from moving. 2 a ring with a gap at the top, through which a rope or line is run.
— ORIGIN Old French çoche ‘block, log’.
Chortle • verb laugh in a breathy, gleeful way.
• noun a breathy, gleeful laugh.
— ORIGIN coined by Lewis Carroll in Through the Looking Glass; probably a blend of CHUCKLE and SNORT.
Chronograph • noun an instrument for recording time with great accuracy.
Chronometer • noun an instrument for measuring time accurately in spite of motion or varying conditions.
Chrysalis • noun (pl. chrysalises) 1 an insect pupa, especially of a butterfly or moth. 2 the hard outer case enclosing this.
— ORIGIN Greek khrusallis, from khrusos ‘gold’ (because of the metallic sheen of some pupae).
Chump • noun 1 informal, dated a foolish person. 2 Brit. the thick end of something, especially a loin of lamb or mutton.
— ORIGIN originally in the sense thick lump of wood: probably a blend of CHUNK and LUMP or STUMP.
Chunder • verb vomit.
• noun vomit.
— ORIGIN probably from rhyming slang Chunder Loo spew, from the name of a cartoon character.
Churl • noun 1 an impolite and mean-spirited person. 2 archaic a peasant.
— ORIGIN Old English.
Circumstantiate • verb 1 to set forth or support with circumstances or particulars: Documents circumstantiated her evidence. 2 to describe fully or minutely: He circumstantiated the accident.
— ORIGIN 1640–50; < L circumstanti(a) CIRCUMSTANCE + -ATE
Cirrus • noun (pl. cirri /sirri/) 1 cloud forming wispy streaks at high altitude. 2 Zoology & Botany a slender tendril or hair-like filament.
— ORIGIN Latin, ‘a curl’.
Clack • verb make a sharp sound as of a hard object striking another.
• noun a clacking sound.
— ORIGIN imitative.
Clamber • verb climb or move in an awkward and laborious way.
• noun an act of clambering.
— ORIGIN probably from clamb, obsolete past tense of CLIMB.
Clamour • noun 1 a loud and confused noise. 2 a vehement protest or demand.
• verb (of a group) make a clamour.
— DERIVATIVES clamorous adjective.
— ORIGIN Latin clamor, from clamare ‘cry out’.
Clammy • adjective (clammier, clammiest) 1 unpleasantly damp and sticky. 2 (of air) cold and damp.
— DERIVATIVES clammily adverb clamminess noun.
— ORIGIN from dialect clam to be sticky; related to CLAY.
Clang • noun a loud metallic sound.
• verb make a clang.
— ORIGIN imitative, influenced by Latin clangere ‘resound’.
Clangour • noun a continuous clanging sound.
— DERIVATIVES clangorous adjective.
— ORIGIN Latin clangor, from clangere ‘resound’.
Claret • noun 1 a red wine, especially from Bordeaux. 2 a deep purplish red colour.
— ORIGIN from Latin claratum vinum ‘clarified wine’, from clarus ‘clear’.
Clarion • noun chiefly historical a shrill war trumpet.
• adjective loud and clear.
— PHRASES clarion call a strongly expressed demand for action.
— ORIGIN Latin, from clarus ‘clear’.
Clavicle • noun Anatomy technical term for COLLARBONE.
— DERIVATIVES clavicular adjective.
— ORIGIN Latin clavicula ‘small key’ (because of its shape).
Cleat • noun 1 a T-shaped or similar projection to which a rope may be attached. 2 a projecting wedge on a spar, tool, etc., to prevent slippage.
— DERIVATIVES cleated adjective.
— ORIGIN Germanic, related to CLOT and CLOUT.
Cleft past participle of CLEAVE.
• adjective split, divided, or partially divided into two.
• noun 1 a fissure or split in rock or the ground. 2 an indentation in a person’s forehead or chin, or a hollow between two parts of the body.
— PHRASES be (or be caught) in a cleft stick chiefly Brit. be in a situation in which any action one takes will have adverse consequences.
Clement • adjective 1 (of weather) mild. 2 merciful.
— DERIVATIVES clemency noun.
— ORIGIN Latin clemens.
Clique • noun a small group of people who spend time together and do not readily allow others to join them.
— DERIVATIVES cliquey adjective cliquish adjective.
— ORIGIN French, from Old French cliquer ‘make a noise’.
Clod • noun 1 a lump of earth. 2 informal a stupid person.
— ORIGIN variant of CLOT.
Clodhoppers • noun 1 a clumsy boor; rustic; bumpkin. 2 clodhoppers, strong, heavy shoes.
— ORIGIN1680–90; CLOD + HOPPER , modeled on GRASSHOPPER
Cloy • verb disgust or sicken with an excess of sweetness, richness, or sentiment.
— DERIVATIVES cloying adjective cloyingly adverb.
— ORIGIN shortening of obsolete accloy block up, from Old French encloyer ‘drive a nail into’, from Latin clavus ‘a nail’.
Cobber • noun Austral./NZ informal a companion or friend.
— ORIGIN perhaps related to English dialect cob take a liking to.
Coccyx • noun (pl. coccyges /koksijeez/ or coccyxes) a small triangular bone at the base of the spinal column in humans and some apes, formed of fused vestigial vertebrae.
— DERIVATIVES coccygeal /koksiji l/ adjective.
— ORIGIN Greek kokkux ‘cuckoo’ (because the shape of the human bone resembles the cuckoo’s bill).
Cochineal • noun a scarlet dye used for colouring food, made from the crushed dried bodies of a female scale insect.
— ORIGIN French cochenille or Spanish cochinilla, from Latin coccinus ‘scarlet’.
Coddle • verb 1 treat in an indulgent or overprotective way. 2 cook (an egg) in water below boiling point.
— DERIVATIVES coddler noun.
— ORIGIN origin uncertain; sense 1 is probably a variant of obsolete caudle ‘administer invalids’ gruel’.
Codger • noun informal, derogatory an elderly man.
— ORIGIN perhaps a variant of cadger (see CADGE).
Codicil • noun an addition or supplement that explains, modifies, or revokes a will or part of one.
— ORIGIN Latin codicillus ‘little book’, from codex ‘block of wood’.
Coelenterate • noun Zoology a member of a large group of aquatic invertebrate animals (phylum Cnidaria), including jellyfish, corals, and sea anemones, which typically have a tube- or cup-shaped body with a single opening ringed with tentacles.
— ORIGIN from Greek koilos ‘hollow’ + enteron ‘intestine’.
Coemption • noun The act of buying the whole quantity of any commodity.
Cogitate • verb formal meditate or reflect.
— DERIVATIVES cogitation noun cogitative adjective cogitator noun.
— ORIGIN Latin cogitare ‘to consider’.
Coiffure • noun a person’s hairstyle.
— DERIVATIVES coiffured adjective.
Collocate • verb /koll kayt/ (of a word) form a collocation with another.
• noun /koll k t/ a word that forms a collocation with another.
Colonnade • noun a row of evenly spaced columns supporting a roof or other structure.
— DERIVATIVES colonnaded adjective.
— ORIGIN French, from Latin columna ‘column’.
Colophon • noun a publisher’s emblem or imprint.
— ORIGIN Greek kolophon ‘summit or finishing touch’.
Colostomy • noun (pl. colostomies) a surgical operation in which the colon is shortened and the cut end diverted to an opening in the abdominal wall.
— ORIGIN from COLON + Greek stoma ‘mouth’.
Colt • noun 1 a young uncastrated male horse, in particular one less than four years old. 2 a member of a junior sports team.
— ORIGIN Old English.
Commercialese • noun jargon used by those involved in commercial activities
Commissionaire • noun chiefly Brit. a uniformed door attendant at a hotel, theatre, or other building.
— ORIGIN French.
Commode • noun 1 a piece of furniture containing a concealed chamber pot. 2 a chest of drawers of a decorative type popular in the 18th century.
— ORIGIN French, ‘convenient, suitable’.
Commodious • adjective formal roomy and comfortable.
— ORIGIN Latin commodus ‘convenient’.
Compendium • noun (pl. compendiums or compendia /k pendi /) 1 a collection of concise but detailed information about a particular subject. 2 a collection of similar items.
— ORIGIN Latin, ‘profit, saving’ (literally ‘what is weighed together’), from compendere ‘weigh together’.
Comport • verb (comport oneself) formal conduct oneself; behave.
— ORIGIN Latin comportare, from portare ‘carry, bear’.
Compositor • noun a person who arranges type for printing or who keys text into a composing machine.
Compos Mentis • adjective having full control of one’s mind.
— ORIGIN Latin.
Compunction • noun a feeling of guilt or moral scruple that prevents or follows wrongdoing: he felt no compunction in letting her worry.
— DERIVATIVES compunctious adjective.
— ORIGIN Latin, from compungere ‘prick sharply’.
Conch • noun (pl. conchs /kongks/ or conches /konchiz/) a tropical marine mollusc with a spiral shell.
— ORIGIN Greek konkhe ‘mussel, cockle, or shell-like cavity’.
Concomitant • adjective naturally accompanying or associated.
• noun a concomitant phenomenon.
— DERIVATIVES concomitance noun concomitantly adverb.
— ORIGIN from Latin concomitari ‘accompany’, from comes ‘companion’.
Concourse • noun 1 a large open area inside or in front of a public building. 2 formal a crowd of people.
— ORIGIN Latin concursus, from concurrere ‘assemble in crowds’.
Confabulate • verb formal converse.
— DERIVATIVES confabulation noun.
— ORIGIN Latin confabulari ‘chat together’.
Confute • verb formal prove to be wrong.
— DERIVATIVES confutation noun.
— ORIGIN Latin confutare ‘restrain, answer conclusively’.
Congenital • adjective 1 (of a disease or abnormality) present from birth. 2 having a particular trait from or as if from birth: a congenital liar.
— DERIVATIVES congenitally adverb.
— ORIGIN from Latin congenitus ‘born together’.
Conjugate • verb /konjoogayt/ 1 give the different forms of (a verb). 2 (of bacteria or unicellular organisms) become temporarily united in order to exchange genetic material.
• adjective /konjoog t/ 1 technical joined or related as a pair. 2 Biology (of gametes) fused.
• noun /konjoog t/ a conjugate thing.
— DERIVATIVES conjugation noun.
— ORIGIN Latin conjugare ‘yoke together’.
Conjunctiva • noun the mucous membrane that covers the front of the eye and lines the inside of the eyelids.
— DERIVATIVES conjunctival adjective.
— ORIGIN from Latin membrana conjunctiva ‘conjunctive membrane’.
Conk • verb (conk out) informal 1 (of a machine) break down. 2 faint or go to sleep. 3 die.
— ORIGIN of unknown origin.
• noun Brit. informal a person’s nose.
— ORIGIN perhaps an alteration of CONCH.
Consanguineous • adjective descended from the same ancestor.
— DERIVATIVES consanguinity noun.
— ORIGIN Latin consanguineus ‘of the same blood’.
Contemporaneous • adjective existing at or occurring in the same period of time.
— DERIVATIVES contemporaneity noun contemporaneously adverb contemporaneousness noun.
— ORIGIN Latin, from tempus ‘time’.
Conterminous • adjective 1 sharing a common boundary. 2 having the same area, context, or meaning.
— DERIVATIVES conterminously adverb.
— ORIGIN Latin conterminus, from terminus ‘boundary’.
Contiguous • adjective 1 sharing a common border. 2 next or together in sequence.
— DERIVATIVES contiguity noun contiguously adverb.
— ORIGIN Latin contiguus ‘touching’.
Continence • noun 1 self-restraint or abstinence, esp. in regard to sexual activity; temperance; moderation. 2 Physiology. the ability to voluntarily control urinary and fecal discharge.
— ORIGIN 1350–1400; ME < L continentia.
Contumely • noun (pl. contumelies) archaic insolent or insulting language or treatment.
— DERIVATIVES contumelious /kontyoomeeli ss/ adjective.
— ORIGIN Latin contumelia, perhaps from tumere ‘to swell’.
Contuse • noun Medicine a bruise.
— DERIVATIVES contuse verb.
— ORIGIN Latin, from contundere ‘to bruise, crush’.
Convolution • noun 1 a coil or twist. 2 the state of being or process of becoming coiled or twisted. 3 a complex argument, statement, etc.
— DERIVATIVES convolutional adjective.
— ORIGIN Latin, from convolvere ‘roll together’.
Cooee • exclamation used to attract attention.
— PHRASES within cooee Austral./NZ within reach.
— ORIGIN imitative of a signal used by Australian Aboriginals and copied by settlers.
Coolibah • noun a North Australian gum tree which typically grows near watercourses and has very strong, hard wood.
— ORIGIN from an Aboriginal language.
Coopt • noun 1 to elect into a body by the votes of the existing members. 2 to assimilate, take, or win over into a larger or established group: The fledgling Labor party was coopted by the Socialist party. 3 to appropriate as one's own; preempt: The dissidents have coopted the title of her novel for their slogan.
— ORIGIN 1645–55; < L cooptāre.
Copha • noun from coconut flesh used as shortening.
Copperplate • noun 1 a polished copper plate with a design engraved or etched into it. 2 an elaborate looped style of handwriting. the copybooks for this were originally printed from copperplates.
Coppice • noun an area of woodland in which the trees or shrubs are periodically cut back to ground level to stimulate growth and provide wood.
• verb cut back (a tree or shrub) in this way.
— ORIGIN Old French copeiz, from Greek kolaphus ‘a blow with the fist’.
Copra • noun dried coconut kernels, from which oil is obtained.
— ORIGIN Portuguese and Spanish, from an Indian word meaning coconut.
Copula • noun Grammar a connecting word, in particular a form of the verb be connecting a subject and complement.
— DERIVATIVES copular adjective.
— ORIGIN Latin, ‘connection, linking of words’.
Cormorant • noun a large diving seabird with a long neck, long hooked bill, and mainly black plumage.
— ORIGIN Old French cormaran, from Latin corvus marinus ‘sea-raven’.
Corona • noun (pl. coronae /k ronee/) 1 the rarefied gaseous envelope of the sun or a star. 2 (also corona discharge) Physics the glow around a conductor at high potential. 3 a small circle of light seen round the sun or moon. 4 Anatomy a crown or crown-like structure. 5 Botany the trumpet-shaped central part of a daffodil or narcissus flower. 6 a long, straight-sided cigar.
— ORIGIN Latin, ‘wreath, crown’; sense 6 comes from a proprietary name of a Havana cigar.
Coronet • noun 1 a small or simple crown. 2 a decorative band encircling the head.
— ORIGIN Old French coronete, ‘little crown’.
Corpora plural of CORPUS.
Corporal • noun a rank of non-commissioned officer in the army, above lance corporal or private first class and below sergeant.
— ORIGIN Italian caporale, probably from Latin corpus ‘body (of troops)’.
Corporeal • adjective relating to a person’s body; physical rather than spiritual.
— DERIVATIVES corporeality /korporialiti/ noun.
— ORIGIN Latin corporealis, from corpus ‘body’.
Corpulent • adjective (of a person) fat.
— DERIVATIVES corpulence noun.
— ORIGIN Latin corpulentus, from corpus ‘body’.
Corpuscle • noun a minute body or cell in an organism, especially a red or white blood cell.
— DERIVATIVES corpuscular adjective.
— ORIGIN Latin corpusculum ‘small body’.
Corpus Delicti • noun Law the facts and circumstances constituting a breach of a law.
— ORIGIN Latin, ‘body of offence’.
Corrigendum • noun (pl. corrigenda /korrijend /) a thing to be corrected, especially an error in a book.
— ORIGIN Latin.
Corrugate • verb contract into wrinkles or folds.
— ORIGIN Latin corrugare ‘to wrinkle’.
Corsage • noun 1 a spray of flowers worn pinned to a woman’s clothes. 2 the bodice of a woman’s dress.
— ORIGIN French, from Old French cors ‘body’.
Cortege • noun a solemn procession, especially for a funeral.
— ORIGIN Italian corteggio ‘entourage or retinue’.
Corvette • noun a small warship designed for convoy escort duty.
— ORIGIN French, from Dutch korf, denoting a kind of ship.
Cosset • verb (cosseted, cosseting) care for and protect in an overindulgent way.
— ORIGIN orginally denoting a lamb brought up by hand, later a spoiled child: probably from Old English, ‘cottar’.
Countermand • verb 1 revoke (an order). 2 declare (voting) invalid.
— ORIGIN Latin contramandare, from mandare ‘to order’.
Cower • verb crouch down or shrink back in fear.
— ORIGIN Low German kuren ‘lie in wait’.
Cowry • noun (pl. cowries) a marine gastropod mollusc with a smooth, glossy, domed shell with a long, narrow opening.
— ORIGIN Hindi.
Coxcomb • noun 1 archaic a vain and conceited man; a dandy. 2 variant spelling of COCKSCOMB.
Coxswain • noun 1 the steersman of a boat. 2 the senior petty officer in a small ship or submarine in the Royal Navy.
— ORIGIN from obsolete cock ‘small boat’ + SWAIN.
Cozen • verb literary trick or deceive.
— ORIGIN perhaps from obsolete Italian cozzonare ‘to cheat’.
Crag • noun a steep or rugged cliff or rock face.
— ORIGIN Celtic.
Craggy • adjective (craggier, craggiest) 1 having many crags. 2 (of a man’s face) attractively rugged and rough-textured.
— DERIVATIVES craggily adverb cragginess noun.
Cranium • noun (pl. craniums or crania /krayni /) the skull, especially the part enclosing the brain.
— ORIGIN Latin, from Greek kranion.
Cranny • noun (pl. crannies) a small, narrow space or opening.
— ORIGIN Latin crena ‘notch’.
Cravat • noun a strip of fabric worn by men round the neck and tucked inside an open-necked shirt.
— ORIGIN French cravate, from Cravate ‘Croat’, because of the scarves worn by Croatian mercenaries in 17th-century France.
Craven • adjective contemptibly lacking in courage; cowardly.
— DERIVATIVES cravenly adverb.
— ORIGIN from obsolete cravant defeated, perhaps from Old French cravanter ‘crush, overwhelm’.
Creche • noun Brit. a nursery where babies and young children are cared for during the working day.
— ORIGIN French, related to CRIB.
Credit Foncier • noun A company licensed for the purpose of carrying out improvements, by means of loans and advances upon real securities.
Crenellated • adjective (of a building) having battlements.
— ORIGIN from Latin crena ‘notch’.
Creole • noun 1 a person of mixed European and black descent. 2 a descendant of European settlers in the Caribbean or Central or South America. 3 a white descendant of French settlers in Louisiana. 4 a mother tongue formed from the contact of a European language with another language, especially an African language.
— ORIGIN French, from Spanish criollo, probably from Portuguese crioulo ‘black person born in Brazil’.
Crestfallen • adjective sad and disappointed.
— ORIGIN originally referring to an animal with a fallen or drooping crest.
Cretin • noun 1 a stupid person. 2 Medicine, dated a person who is deformed and mentally handicapped because of congenital thyroid deficiency.
— DERIVATIVES cretinism noun.
— ORIGIN from Swiss French crestin ‘Christian’, apparently used to convey a reminder that handicapped people are human.
Cribbage • noun a card game for two players, the objective of which is to play cards whose value reaches exactly 15 or 31.
— ORIGIN related to CRIB.
Crick • noun a painful stiff feeling in the neck or back.
• verb twist or strain (one’s neck or back), causing painful stiffness.
— ORIGIN of unknown origin.
Crock • noun 1 an old person considered to be feeble and useless. 2 Brit. an old worn-out vehicle.
• verb 1 Brit. cause an injury to. 2 crocked N. Amer. drunk.
— ORIGIN originally denoting an old ewe or horse: probably related to CRACK.
• noun 1 an earthenware pot or jar. 2 an item of crockery. 3 N. Amer. informal something considered to be complete nonsense.
— ORIGIN Old English.
Crone • noun an ugly old woman.
— ORIGIN Old French caroigne ‘carrion’.
Cropper • noun 1 a plant which yields a specified crop. 2 a machine or person that cuts or trims something. 3 chiefly US a person who raises a crop, especially as a sharecropper.
— PHRASES come a cropper informal 1 fall heavily. 2 suffer a defeat or disaster.
Crotchety • adjective irritable.
Croupier • noun the person in charge of a gaming table, gathering in and paying out money or tokens.
— ORIGIN originally denoting a person standing behind a gambler to give advice: from Old French cropier ‘pillion rider’.
Cryogenics • plural noun treated as sing. 1 the branch of physics concerned with the production and effects of very low temperatures. 2 another term for CRYONICS.
— DERIVATIVES cryogenic adjective.
— ORIGIN from Greek kruos ‘frost’.
Cuckold • noun the husband of an adulteress, regarded as an object of derision.
• verb make (a married man) a cuckold.
— DERIVATIVES cuckoldry noun.
— ORIGIN Old French cucuault, from cucu ‘cuckoo’ (from the cuckoo’s habit of laying its egg in another bird’s nest).
Cud • noun partly digested food returned from the first stomach of cattle or other ruminants to the mouth for further chewing.
— PHRASES chew the cud think or talk reflectively.
— ORIGIN Old English.
Cumulus • noun (pl. cumuli /kyoomyooli/) cloud forming rounded masses heaped on each other above a flat base at fairly low altitude.
— ORIGIN Latin, ‘heap’.
Cunnilingus • noun stimulation of the female genitals using the tongue or lips.
— ORIGIN from Latin cunnus ‘vulva’ + lingere ‘lick’.
Cur • noun 1 an aggressive dog, especially a mongrel. 2 informal a despicable man.
— ORIGIN perhaps from Old Norse kurr ‘grumbling’.
Curlicue • noun a decorative curl or twist in calligraphy or in the design of an object.
— ORIGIN from curly + CUE2 (in the sense pigtail), or -cue representing the letter q.
Currawong • noun an Australian songbird with mainly black or grey plumage and a resonant call.
— ORIGIN from an Aboriginal word.
Cutlass • noun a short sword with a slightly curved blade, formerly used by sailors.
— ORIGIN Latin cultellus ‘little knife’.
Cybernetics • plural noun treated as sing. the science of communications and automatic control systems in both machines and living things.
— DERIVATIVES cybernetic adjective.
— ORIGIN from Greek kubernetes ‘steersman’.
Cygent • noun young swan.
Reference
Compact Oxford Dictionary
Dictionary.com