care cares, caring, cared
VERB 1 If you care about something or someone, you think they are important.
VERB 2 If you care for a person or animal, you look after them.
NOUN 3 If you do something with care, you take trouble over it.
career careers NOUN
Someones career is the work they do, which they hope to do for a long time. John wants a career in teaching.
careful ADJECTIVE
If someone is careful, they try to do things safely and well.
careless ADJECTIVE
If you are careless, you do not pay attention to what you are doing.
caretaker caretakers NOUN
A caretaker is a person who looks after a large building such as a school.
cargo cargoes NOUN
Cargo is the goods carried on a ship or plane.
carnival carnivals NOUN
A carnival is a sort of party in the streets.
There is usually music and dancing, and people dress up and decorate cars and trucks.
carpenter carpenters NOUN
A carpenter is a person who works with wood, usually for furniture.
carpet carpets NOUN
A carpet is a thick covering for a floor, often made of wool.
carriage carriages
NOUN 1 A carriage is one of the vehicles that make up a passenger train.
NOUN 2 A carriage is also a vehicle with wheels, pulled by horses.
carrot carrots NOUN
A carrot is a long thin orange vegetable that grows under the ground.
See Vegetables on page 260
carry carries, carrying, carried VERB
When you carry something, you pick it up and take it with you.
cart carts NOUN
A cart is a heavy wooden vehicle pulled by horses or cattle on farms.
carton cartons NOUN
A carton is a strong cardboard or plastic box for holding food or drink.
cartoon cartoons
NOUN 1 A cartoon is a film where the characters are drawn instead of being real people.
NOUN 2 A cartoon is also a funny drawing in a magazine, newspaper or book.
cartwheel cartwheels NOUN
A cartwheel is a movement. You put your hands on the floor and move your legs round in a circle until you land on your feet again.
carve carves, carving, carved
VERB 1 If you carve an object, you cut it out of something like stone or wood.
VERB 2 If someone carves a piece of meat, they cut slices from it.
case cases NOUN
A case is a box for keeping or carrying things in.
cash NOUN
Cash is coins and paper money.
cast casts, casting, cast
NOUN 1 The cast of a play or film is all the people who act in it.
NOUN 2 A cast is an object made by pouring liquid plaster or metal into a container and leaving it to harden.
VERB 3 If something casts a shadow onto a place, it makes a shadow fall there.
VERB 4 If someone like a witch casts a spell on someone or something, they do magic that affects that person or thing.
castle castles NOUN
A castle is a large building with thick walls or ditches round it to protect it from attack.
cat cats NOUN
A cat is a small furry animal, often kept as a pet. There are also larger, wild cats, such as lions and tigers.
catalogue catalogues NOUN
A catalogue is a list of things for sale or for looking at.
catch catches, catching, caught
VERB 1 If you catch something, you take hold of it while it is moving.
VERB 2 If you catch a bus or train, you get on it to go somewhere.
VERB 3 If you catch something like measles, you get that illness.
catching ADJECTIVE
An illness that is catching can spread very quickly.
category categories NOUN
A category is a set of things with a particular feature or quality in common.
caterpillar caterpillars NOUN
A caterpillar is a very small animal like a worm with legs, that will change into a butterfly or moth.
cathedral cathedrals NOUN
A cathedral is a large, important church.
cattle NOUN
Bulls and cows are called cattle.
caught VERB
Caught is the past tense of catch.
cauliflower cauliflowers NOUN
A cauliflower is a round white vegetable with green leaves on the outside.
See Vegetables on page 260
cause causes, causing, caused VERB
To cause something means to make it happen.
cautious ADJECTIVE
Someone who is cautious acts carefully to avoid possible danger.
cave caves NOUN
A cave is a large hole in the side of a hill or cliff, or under the ground.
CD CDs NOUN
CD is an abbreviation of compact disc.
CD-ROM CD-ROMs NOUN
CD-ROM is an abbreviation of compact disc read-only memory. It is a disc which can be played on a computer to show sounds and pictures.
ceiling ceilings NOUN
The ceiling is the inside roof of a room.
celebrate celebrates, celebrating, celebrated VERB
If you celebrate something, you do something enjoyable like having a party, to show it is a special occasion.
celebrity celebrities NOUN
A celebrity is a famous person.
celery NOUN
Celery is a vegetable with long, pale green stalks.
See Vegetables on page 260
cell cells
NOUN 1 Animals and plants are made from tiny parts called cells.
NOUN 2 A cell is also a small room where a prisoner lives.
cellar cellars NOUN
A cellar is a room under a house where you can store things.
cement NOUN
Cement is a grey powder which is mixed with sand and water and used to make bricks stick together.
cemetery cemeteries NOUN
A cemetery is a place where dead people are buried.
centimetre centimetres NOUN
A centimetre (cm) is a measure of length. It is the same as 10 millimetres.
centipede centipedes NOUN
A centipede is a tiny animal like a worm, but with lots of legs.
central ADJECTIVE
Something that is central is in the middle of an object or an area.
centre centres
NOUN 1 The centre of anything is the middle of it.
NOUN 2 A centre is a place where people can go for a particular purpose, for example sports.
century centuries NOUN
A century is a period of 100 years. The 21st century is the time between 2000 and 2099.
cereal cereals
NOUN 1 Cereal is a plant which has seeds called grain that can be used for food.
NOUN 2 Cereal is also a food made from grain that is often eaten for breakfast.
See Other foods on page 261
ceremony ceremonies NOUN
A ceremony is a set of formal actions performed at a special occasion such as a wedding.
certain ADJECTIVE
certain ADJECTIVE
If you are certain of something, you are sure it is true.
certificate certificates NOUN
A certificate is a piece of paper which says that something important like a birth or marriage took place.
chain chains NOUN
A chain is made from rings of metal joined together in a line.
chair chairs NOUN
A chair is a seat with a back, for one person.
chalk NOUN
Chalk is a soft white rock. It can be made into sticks for writing on blackboards.
challenge challenges, challenging, challenged
NOUN 1 A challenge is something new and exciting that needs a lot of effort. Learning how to cook is a new challenge for me.
VERB 2 If someone challenges you, they ask you to have a competition with them.
champion champions NOUN
A champion is a person who has beaten everyone else in a contest.
chance chances
NOUN 1 If there is a chance that something will happen, it might happen.
NOUN 2 If you are given a chance to do something, you are allowed to do it if you want to.
by chance PHRASE If something happens by chance, it has not been planned.
change changes, changing, changed
VERB 1 When something changes, it becomes different.
VERB 2 When you change your clothes, you put on different ones.
NOUN 3 If there is a change in something, it is different in some way.
NOUN 4 Change is the money you are given when you pay more than the right amount for something.
channel channels
NOUN 1 A channel is a passage for water or other liquid.
NOUN 2 Television companies use channels to broadcast programmes.
chaos NOUN
Chaos is a state of complete confusion, where nothing is organized.
chapter chapters NOUN
A chapter is a part of a book.
character characters
NOUN 1 The characters of a book, film or play are the people it is about.
NOUN 2 Someones character is the sort of person they are. She has a kind character.
charge charges, charging, charged
VERB 1 If someone charges you money, they ask you to pay for something.
VERB 2 If something or someone charges towards you, they rush forward.
in charge PHRASE If you are in charge of something, you are the person looking after it.
charity charities NOUN
A charity is an organization which raises money for a particular cause, such as people in need.
charm charms
NOUN 1 A charm is a small ornament that is fixed to a bracelet or necklace.
NOUN 2 A charm is also a magical spell or an object that is supposed to bring good luck.
chart charts
NOUN 1 A chart is a sheet of paper that shows things like dates or numbers.
NOUN 2 A chart can also be a map of the sea or of the stars.
chase chases, chasing, chased VERB
If you chase someone, you run after them to try and catch them.
chat chats NOUN
A chat is a friendly talk about things that are not very important.
chatroom chatrooms NOUN
A chatroom is a site on a computer network where people discuss a particular subject.
chatter chatters, chattering, chattered VERB
When people chatter, they talk about unimportant things.
cheap cheaper, cheapest ADJECTIVE
Something cheap costs very little, or less than you might expect.
cheat cheats, cheating, cheated VERB
When someone cheats, they lie or do unfair things to get what they want.
check checks, checking, checked
VERB 1 If you check something, you make sure it is correct or safe.
NOUN 2 A check is a pattern of squares.
checkout checkouts NOUN
A checkout is the place in a supermarket where you pay.
cheek cheeks NOUN
Your cheeks are the sides of your face below your eyes.
cheeky cheekier, cheekiest ADJECTIVE
Cheeky speech or behaviour is rude and disrespectful.
cheer cheers, cheering, cheered VERB
When you cheer, you shout to show you are pleased about something or to encourage a person or team.
cheerful ADJECTIVE
Someone who is cheerful shows they are feeling happy.
cheese cheeses NOUN
Cheese is a food made from milk. Some cheeses have a strong flavour.
See Other foods on page 261
cheetah cheetahs NOUN
A cheetah is a large wild animal of the cat family, with black spots.
chef chefs NOUN
A chef is the head cook in a restaurant or hotel.
chemist chemists
NOUN 1 A chemist is a person who makes up medicine.
NOUN 2 The chemist is a shop where you can buy medicine and things like soap and toothpaste.
NOUN 3 A chemist can be a scientist trained in chemistry.
chemistry NOUN
Chemistry is the scientific study of how substances are made up and how they work together.
cheque cheques NOUN
A cheque is a piece of paper that people use to pay for things.
cherry cherries NOUN
A cherry is a small round red or black fruit with a hard seed called a stone in the middle.
See Fruit on page 260
chess NOUN
Chess is a game for two people. It is played on a board marked in black and white squares.
chest chests
NOUN 1 Your chest is the top part of the front of your body, between your neck and your waist.
NOUN 2 A chest is a large heavy box, usually made of wood.
chestnut chestnuts
NOUN 1 A chestnut is a large tree.
NOUN 2 A chestnut is also a shiny brown nut that grows on a chestnut tree.
chew chews, chewing, chewed VERB
When you chew food, you bite it several times.
chick chicks NOUN
A chick is a baby bird.
See Young animals on page 265
chicken chickens NOUN
A chicken is a bird kept on a farm for its eggs and meat.
chickenpox NOUN
Chickenpox is an illness that gives you itchy spots.
chief chiefs NOUN
A chief is a person in charge of other people.
child children NOUN
A child is a young boy or girl.
childhood NOUN
A persons childhood is the time of life when they are a child.
childish ADJECTIVE
You call a person childish if they are not acting like an adult is expected to act.
children PLURAL NOUN
Children is the plural of child.
chilly chillier, chilliest ADJECTIVE
If you feel chilly, you are not quite warm enough to be comfortable.
chime chimes NOUN
A chime is the musical sound made by a bell or a clock.
chimney chimneys NOUN
A chimney is a pipe which takes smoke from a fire up into the air.
chimpanzee chimpanzees NOUN
A chimpanzee is a small ape with dark fur that lives in forests in Africa.
chin chins NOUN
Your chin is the part of your face below your mouth.
chip chips, chipping, chipped
NOUN 1 A chip is a long thin fried piece of potato.
See Other foods on page 261