2 a highly developed and organized way of life
civilized; also spelt civilised
ADJECTIVE 1 A civilized society is one with a highly developed social organization and a comfortable way of life.
2 A civilized person is polite and reasonable.
civil war civil wars
NOUN a war between groups of people who live in the same country
claim claims, claiming, claimed
VERB 1 If you claim that something is the case, you say that it is so.
2 If you claim something, you ask for it because you believe you have a right to it.
clamber clambers, clambering, clambered
VERB If you clamber somewhere, you climb there with difficulty. We clambered over the rocks to get to the beach.
clammy clammier, clammiest
ADJECTIVE unpleasantly damp and sticky The weather was very clammy.
clamp clamps, clamping, clamped
NOUN 1 a device that holds something firmly in place
VERB 2 When you clamp one thing to another, you fasten them together with a clamp.
clan clans
NOUN a group of families related to each other by being descended from the same ancestor
clang clangs, clanging, clanged
VERB When something made of metal clangs, or when you clang it, it makes a loud, ringing sound.
clank clanks, clanking, clanked
VERB When something clanks, it makes a loud, metallic sound.
clap claps, clapping, clapped
VERB 1 When you clap, you hit your hands together loudly to show that you have enjoyed something or that you approve of something.
NOUN 2 a sudden loud noise of thunder
clarify clarifies, clarifying, clarified
VERB If you clarify something, you make it clear and easier to understand.
clarification NOUN
clarinet clarinets
NOUN a woodwind instrument with a straight tube and a single reed in its mouthpiece
clarity
NOUN The clarity of something is its clearness. The clarity of the water made me think it was very clean.
clash clashes, clashing, clashed
VERB 1 Colours or ideas that clash are so different that they do not go together. Debbies red shirt clashed with her green shorts.
2 If one event clashes with another, they happen at the same time, so you cannot go to both.
3 If people clash with each other, they fight or argue.
clasp clasps, clasping, clasped
VERB 1 If you clasp something, you hold it tightly.
NOUN 2 a fastening such as a hook or a catch
class classes
NOUN 1 a group of pupils or students taught together, or a lesson that they have together
2 A class of people or things is a group of them of a particular type. Beetles and ants belong to different classes of insect.
SYNONYMS: group, kind, type
classic
ADJECTIVE Something described as classic is considered a high quality example of something. He has a classic car.
classical
ADJECTIVE 1 traditional in style and content classical ballet
2 Classical music is serious music thought to be of lasting value.
classify classifies, classifying, classified
VERB to arrange things into groups with something in common We classified the foods into three groups: fruits, vegetables and meats.
classification NOUN
classroom classrooms
NOUN a room in a school where lessons take place
clatter clatters, clattering, clattered
VERB 1 When things clatter, they hit each other with a loud, rattling noise.
NOUN 2 a loud noise made by hard things hitting against each other There was a great clatter when the waitress dropped the tray.
clause clauses
NOUN In grammar, a clause is a group of words with a subject and a verb, which may be a complete sentence or part of a sentence.
claw claws, clawing, clawed
NOUN 1 An animals claws are the hard, curved nails at the end of its feet.
2 The claws of a crab or a lobster are the two jointed parts at the end of the leg, used for holding things.
VERB 3 3 If an animal claws something, it digs its claws into it
clay
NOUN a type of earth that is soft and sticky when wet and hard when baked dry. It is used to make pottery and bricks.
clean cleaner, cleanest; cleans, cleaning, cleaned
ADJECTIVE 1 free from dirt or unwanted marks
VERB 2 to remove dirt from something
clear clearer, clearest; clears, clearing, cleared
ADJECTIVE 1 easy to understand, see or hear The instructions on the packet were very clear.
2 easy to see through a clear liquid
VERB 3 To clear unwanted things from a place is to remove them. We cleared the dirty dishes from the table.
4 If you clear a fence or other obstacle, you jump over it without touching it.
clearly ADVERB
clear up
VERB When you clear up a place, you tidy it and put things away.
clench clenches, clenching, clenched
VERB 1 When you clench your fist, you curl your fingers up tightly.
2 When you clench your teeth, you squeeze them together tightly, either in pain or in anger.
clerk clerks
NOUN a person who keeps records or accounts in an office, bank or law court
clever cleverer, cleverest
ADJECTIVE 1 intelligent and quick to understand things
SYNONYMS: bright, intelligent, smart
2 very effective or skilful We came up with a clever plan.
cliché clichés
NOUN an idea or phrase that is no longer effective because it has been used so much. For example, in this day and age and over the moon.
click clicks, clicking, clicked
VERB 1 When something clicks or when you click it, it makes a short snapping sound.
NOUN 2 a sound of something clicking
client clients
NOUN someone who pays a professional person or company for a service
cliff cliffs
NOUN a high area of land with a very steep side, usually next to the sea
cliffhanger cliffhangers
NOUN a very exciting or frightening situation, usually in a television or radio serial, where you are left not knowing what is going to happen next
climate climates
NOUN the general weather conditions that are typical of a place
climax climaxes
NOUN the most exciting moment of something, usually near the end
climb climbs, climbing, climbed
VERB 1 If you climb something, such as a tree, mountain or ladder, you move towards the top of it.
2 If you climb somewhere, you move there with difficulty. We climbed over the high wall.
NOUN 3 a movement upwards I was tired after the long climb to the top of the hill.
climber NOUN
cling clings, clinging, clung
VERB If you cling to something, you hold on to it tightly.
clinic clinics
NOUN a place where people go for medical advice or treatment
clip clips, clipping, clipped
NOUN 1 a small metal or plastic object used for holding things together
2 a short piece of a film shown by itself
VERB 3 If you clip something, you cut bits from it to shape it.
clipboard clipboards
NOUN a stiff piece of board or plastic, with a clip at the top to keep papers in place
clippers
PLURAL NOUN a tool used for cutting hedge clippers
cloak cloaks, cloaking, cloaked
NOUN 1 a wide, loose coat without sleeves
VERB 2 If something cloaks something else, it covers or hides it. The mist cloaked the land.
cloakroom cloakrooms
NOUN 1 a room where you can leave coats and luggage for a while
2 a room with toilets and washbasins in a public building
clock clocks
NOUN an instrument that measures and shows the time
clockwise
ADVERB in the same direction as the hands on a clock
clockwork
NOUN 1 Toys that move by clockwork are wound up with a key.
PHRASE 2 If something goes like clockwork, it happens with no problems or delays.
clog clogs, clogging, clogged
VERB 1 When something is clogged, or when you clog something up, it becomes blocked and doesnt work properly or doesnt allow things to move freely. The traffic was clogging the roads.
NOUN 2 a shoe made entirely of wood, originally from the Netherlands
clone clones
NOUN an animal or plant that is an identical copy of another animal or plant
close closes, closing, closed; closer, closest
Said klohz VERB 1 If you close something, you move it so that it is no longer open. He closed the door behind him.
2 If a shop or other building closes at a certain time, it does not do business after that time.
Said klohss ADJECTIVE 3 Something that is close to something else is near to it.
SYNONYMS: near, nearby
4 People who are close are very friendly with each other and know each other well.
5 If the weather is close, it is uncomfortably warm and stuffy.
NOUN 6 a street that is closed at one end We live in Park Close.
closely ADVERB
close-up close-ups
Said klohss-up NOUN A close-up in a film or a photograph is taken at very close range and shows things in great detail.
cloth cloths
NOUN 1 fabric made by a process such as weaving
2 a piece of material used for wiping or protecting things
clothes
PLURAL NOUN things people wear on their bodies
cloud clouds
NOUN 1 a mass of water vapour that is seen as a white or grey patch in the sky
2 A cloud of smoke or dust is a mass of it floating in the air.
cloudy cloudier, cloudiest
ADJECTIVE 1 full of clouds The sky was cloudy.
SYNONYMS: dull, overcast
2 difficult to see through a cloudy liquid
SYNONYM: murky
clover
NOUN a small plant with leaves made up of three similar parts
clown clowns
NOUN a circus performer who wears funny clothes and make-up and does silly things to make people laugh
club clubs
NOUN 1 a group of people with similar interests, who meet regularly. The place where they meet is also called a club. a youth club
2 a team that competes in sports competitions
clue clues
NOUN something that helps solve a problem or mystery Police have found clues to the robbery.
clueless
ADJECTIVE INFORMAL If you say that someone is clueless, you think they are stupid and not able to do things properly.
clump clumps
NOUN a small group of things growing or standing close together a clump of trees
clumsy clumsier, clumsiest
ADJECTIVE moving awkwardly and carelessly
SYNONYMS: awkward, ungainly
clumsily ADVERB
clung
VERB the past tense and past participle of cling
cluster clusters, clustering, clustered
cluster clusters, clustering, clustered
NOUN 1 a group of things together There is a cluster of houses by the lake.
VERB 2 If people cluster together, they stay together in a close group.
[from Old English clyster meaning bunch of grapes]
clutch clutches, clutching, clutched
VERB If you clutch something, you hold it tightly or seize it.
clutter clutters, cluttering, cluttered
NOUN 1 an untidy mess
VERB 2 Things that clutter a place fill it and make it untidy.
coach coaches, coaching, coached
NOUN 1 a large bus that takes passengers on long journeys
2 a section of a train that carries passengers
VERB 3 If someone coaches you, they help you to get better at a sport or a subject.