Collins Primary Illustrated Dictionary

connective connectives

NOUN a word that connects phrases, clauses or words together

See conjunction

conquer conquers, conquering, conquered

VERB 1 If you conquer something difficult or dangerous, you succeed in controlling it. • She conquered her fear of spiders.

2 to take control of a country by force

conqueror NOUN

conscience

NOUN the part of your mind that tells you what is right or wrong

conscientious

ADJECTIVE Someone who is conscientious takes great care over their work.

conscientiously ADVERB

conscious

ADJECTIVE 1 Someone who is conscious is awake, rather than asleep or unconscious.

2 If you are conscious of something, you are aware of it.

3 A conscious action or effort is done deliberately.

consecutive

ADJECTIVE 1 Consecutive events or periods of time happen one after the other. • We had eight consecutive days of rain.

2 Consecutive numbers follow each other in order. For example, 1, 2, 3, 4 are consecutive numbers.

consecutively ADVERB

consent consents, consenting, consented

NOUN 1 permission to do something

2 agreement between two or more people • By common consent we went to France for the holiday.

VERB 3 If you consent to something, you agree to do it or allow it to happen.

consequence consequences

NOUN result or effect

conservation

NOUN the preservation of the environment

conservationist NOUN OR ADJECTIVE

conservative conservatives

NOUN 1 a member or supporter of the Conservative Party in Britain

ADJECTIVE 2 Someone who is conservative does not like change or new ideas.

3 A conservative estimate or guess is a cautious or moderate one.

conservatory conservatories

NOUN a room with glass walls and a glass roof in which plants are kept

conserve conserves, conserving, conserved

VERB 1 If you conserve a supply of something, you make it last as long as possible. • I switched off my torch to conserve the battery.

2 If you conserve something, you keep it as it is and do not change it. • We should conserve this old building.

consider considers, considering, considered

VERB If you consider something, you think about it carefully.

considerable

ADJECTIVE A considerable amount of something is a lot of it.

considerate

ADJECTIVE Someone who is considerate thinks of other people’s needs and feelings.

consideration considerations

NOUN 1 careful thought about something

2 something that should be thought about when you are planning or deciding something

3 Someone who shows consideration pays attention to the needs and feelings of other people.

consist consists, consisting, consisted

VERB Something that consists of certain things is made up of them. • This bread consists of flour, yeast and water.

consistent

ADJECTIVE Something that is consistent does not change.

console consoles, consoling, consoled

Said “kon-sole” VERB 1 If you console someone who is unhappy, you comfort them and cheer them up.

Said “kon-sole” NOUN 2 a panel with switches or knobs for operating a machine

consonant consonants

NOUN all the letters of the alphabet that are not vowels

conspicuous

ADJECTIVE If something is conspicuous, you can see or notice it very easily.

conspiracy conspiracies

NOUN an illegal plan made in secret by a group of people

constable constables

NOUN a police officer of the lowest rank

constant

ADJECTIVE 1 Something that is constant happens all the time or is always there. • We could hear the constant sound of the waves pounding the shore.

2 If an amount or level is constant, it stays the same.

constellation constellations

NOUN a group of stars

constipated

ADJECTIVE Someone who is constipated finds it difficult to empty their bowels.

[from Latin constipare meaning to press together]

constipation NOUN

constitution constitutions

NOUN 1 The constitution of a country is the system of laws and principles by which it is governed.

2 Your constitution is your health.

construct constructs, constructing, constructed

VERB If you construct something, you build or make it.

construction constructions

NOUN 1 the process of building or making something

2 something built or made

constructive

ADJECTIVE helpful • The tennis coach made some constructive comments about my backhand.

consult consults, consulting, consulted

VERB 1 If you consult someone, you ask for their opinion or advice.

2 If you consult a book or map, you look at it for information.

consultation NOUN

consultant consultants

NOUN an experienced doctor who specializes in one type of medicine • a consultant heart surgeon

consume consumes, consuming, consumed

VERB 1 If you consume something, you eat or drink it.

2 To consume fuel or energy is to use it up.

consumer consumers

NOUN someone who buys things or uses services • magazines aimed at teenage consumers

consumption

NOUN The consumption of fuel or food is the using of it, or the amount used. • The consumption of ice cream rises in hot weather.

contact contacts, contacting, contacted

NOUN 1 If you are in contact with someone, you talk or write to them regularly. • I am in contact with a pen pal in France.

2 When things are in contact, they are touching each other.

VERB 3 If you contact someone, you telephone them or write to them.

contact lens contact lenses

NOUN small plastic lenses that you put in your eyes instead of wearing glasses, to help you see better

contagious

ADJECTIVE A contagious disease can be caught by touching people or things infected with it. • Measles is contagious.

contain contains, containing, contained

VERB 1 If a substance contains something, that thing is a part of it.

2 The things a box or room contains are the things inside it.

container containers

NOUN something that you keep things in, such as a box or a jar

contaminate contaminates, contaminating, contaminated

VERB If dirt, chemicals or radiation contaminate something, they make it impure and harmful.

contamination NOUN

contemplate contemplates, contemplating, contemplated

VERB 1 If you contemplate, you think very carefully about something. • She contemplated what she would do at the weekend.

2 If you contemplate something, you look at it for a long time.

contemporary

ADJECTIVE 1 produced or happening now

2 A contemporary work is one that was written at the time of the events it describes.

contempt

NOUN If you treat someone with contempt, you show no respect for them at all.

content

Said “kon-tent” ADJECTIVE 1 If you are content, you are happy and satisfied with your life.

2 If you are content to do something, you are willing to do it.

contents

Said “kon-tents” PLURAL NOUN 1 The contents of something like a box or a cake are the things in it.

2 The contents page of a book tells you what is in it.

contest contests

NOUN a competition or game

contestant contestants

NOUN someone who takes part in a competition

SYNONYMS: competitor, player

context contexts

NOUN The context of a word or sentence is the words or sentences that come before and after it, which help to make the meaning clear.

continent continents

NOUN 1 a very large area of land, such as Africa or Asia

2 In Britain, the mainland of Europe is sometimes called the Continent. [from Latin terra continens meaning continuous land]

continental

ADJECTIVE In Britain, continental means on, belonging to or typical of the mainland of Europe. • continental breakfast

continual

ADJECTIVE happening again and again • Mum had a continual stream of phone calls.

continue continues, continuing, continued

VERB 1 If you continue to do something, you keep doing it.

2 If something continues, it does not stop.

3 You say something continues when it starts again after stopping. • She paused for a moment, then continued.

continuous

ADJECTIVE happening all the time without stopping • The television made a continuous buzzing noise.

contour contours

NOUN 1 The contour of something is its general shape or outline.

2 On a map, a contour is a line joining points of equal height.

contract contracts, contracting, contracted

Said “con-trakt” NOUN 1 a legal agreement about the sale of something or work done for money • He was given a two-year contract.

Said “con-trakt” VERB 2 When something contracts, it gets smaller or shorter. • Metals contract with cold and expand with heat.

ANTONYM: expand

contraction contractions

NOUN a shortened form of a word or words, often marked by an apostrophe • “I’ve” is a contraction of “I have”.

contradict contradicts, contradicting, contradicted

VERB If you contradict someone, you say that what they have just said is wrong.

contradiction NOUN

contrary

ADJECTIVE 1 Contrary ideas, opinions or attitudes are completely different from each other.

PHRASE 2 On the contrary is used to contradict something that has just been said.

contrast contrasts, contrasting, contrasted

Said “con-trast” NOUN 1 a great difference between things • the contrast between town and country

Said “con-trast” VERB 2 If you contrast things, you describe or emphasize the differences between them.

contribute contributes, contributing, contributed

VERB 1 If you contribute to something, you do something to make it successful. • Everyone contributed to the class project.

2 If you contribute money to something, you help to pay for it. • We contributed some money to the appeal for the homeless.

SYNONYMS: donate, give

contribution NOUN

control controls, controlling, controlled

NOUN 1 If you have control over something, you are able to make it work the way you want it to.

2 The controls on a machine are the knobs or other devices used to work it.

VERB 3 If someone controls a country or an organization, they make the decisions about how it is run.

4 If someone controls something such as a machine, they make it work the way they want it to.

PHRASE 5 If something is out of control, nobody has any power over it. • The fire was out of control.

controversial

ADJECTIVE Something that is controversial causes a lot of discussion and argument, because many people disapprove of it. • The film was controversial.

convalescent convalescents

NOUN someone who is resting while recovering from an illness

convenient

ADJECTIVE If something is convenient, it is easy to use or it makes something easy to do. • It’s convenient living close to the bus stop.

convenience NOUN

convent convents

NOUN 1 a building where nuns live

2 a school run by nuns

conventional

ADJECTIVE Someone who is conventional thinks or behaves in an ordinary and accepted way.

converge converges, converging, converged

VERB When things meet or join at a particular place, they converge. • The roads converge after three kilometres.

convergence NOUN

conversation conversations

NOUN When people have a conversation, they talk to each other.

convert converts, converting, converted

VERB 1 If you convert something, it changes from one thing to another. • Dad converted the loft into a workshop.

2 If someone converts you, they persuade you to change your religious or political beliefs.

3 In mathematics, convert means to change a number from one form to another. These are equal to each other. For example, you can convert a fraction to a decimal (½ = 0.5).

convex

ADJECTIVE A convex surface bulges outwards, rather than being level or curving inwards.

See concave

ANTONYM: concave

convey conveys, conveying, conveyed

VERB 1 If someone conveys people or things to a place, they take them there.

2 If you convey information, ideas or feelings, you tell people about them.

conveyor belt conveyor belts

NOUN a moving strip used in factories for moving objects along

convict convicts, convicting, convicted

Said “kon-vikt” VERB 1 If a law court convicts someone of a crime, it says they are guilty of it.

Said “kon-vikt” NOUN 2 someone serving a prison sentence

convince convinces, convincing, convinced

VERB If you convince someone of something, you persuade them to do it or that it is true. • I convinced mum and dad to let me go on the school trip.

convoy convoys

NOUN a group of ships or vehicles travelling together

cook cooks, cooking, cooked

VERB 1 When you cook, you prepare food for eating by boiling, baking or frying it.

NOUN 2 a person whose job is to prepare food

cooker cookers

NOUN an apparatus for cooking food

cookery

NOUN the art of preparing and cooking food

cookie cookies

NOUN 1 a sweet biscuit • a chocolate cookie

2 a small file placed on a user’s computer by a website • This website uses cookies.

cool cooler, coolest; cools, cooling, cooled

ADJECTIVE 1 Something cool has a low temperature but is not cold.

2 If you are cool in a difficult situation, you stay calm.

VERB 3 When something cools, it becomes less warm.

cooperate cooperates, cooperating, cooperated

VERB 1 When people cooperate, they work or act together.

2 If you cooperate, you do what someone asks you to do.

cooperative cooperatives

ADJECTIVE 1 A cooperative person does what they are asked to do willingly and cheerfully.

NOUN 2 a business or organization run by the people who work for it, and who share its profits

coordinates

PLURAL NOUN a pair of numbers or letters that tell you exactly where a point is on a grid, map or graph

cop cops

NOUN INFORMAL a policeman

cope copes, coping, coped

VERB If you cope, you are able to do something even if the circumstances are difficult. • I managed to cope with my homework and with looking after my little brother at the same time.

copper

NOUN a soft, reddish-brown metal

copy copies, copying, copied

NOUN 1 something made to look like something else • a copy of a famous painting

2 A copy of a book, newspaper or record is one of many identical ones produced at the same time. • a copy of today’s newspaper

VERB 3 If you copy what someone does, you do the same thing.

4 If you copy something, you make a copy of it.

copyright copyrights

NOUN If someone has the copyright on a piece of writing or music, it cannot be copied or performed without their permission.

coral corals

NOUN a hard substance that forms in the sea from the skeletons of tiny animals called corals

cord cords

NOUN 1 strong, thick string

2 electrical wire covered in rubber or plastic

corduroy

NOUN heavy, ribbed cloth made of cotton

core cores

NOUN the most central part of an object or place • an apple core • the earth’s core

cork corks

NOUN 1 a soft, light substance that forms the bark of a Mediterranean tree

2 a piece of cork pushed into the end of a bottle to close it

corkscrew corkscrews

NOUN a device for pulling corks out of bottles

corn

NOUN 1 crops such as wheat and barley

2 the seeds of these crops

corner corners, cornering, cornered

NOUN 1 the point where two sides or edges of something meet • The TV was in the corner of the room.

See vertex

VERB 2 If someone corners a person or animal, they get them into a place they can’t escape from. • The police cornered the thief.

cornet cornets

NOUN a small, brass instrument used in brass and military bands

coronation coronations

NOUN the ceremony at which a king or queen is crowned

coroner coroners

NOUN an official who investigates the deaths of people who have died in a violent or unusual way

corporal corporals

NOUN an officer of low rank in the army or air force

corporal punishment

NOUN punishing of people by beating them

corps

Said “kor” NOUN part of an army with special duties • the Medical Corps

corpse corpses

NOUN a dead body

correct corrects, correcting, corrected

ADJECTIVE 1 If something is correct, there are no mistakes in it.

VERB 2 If you correct something that is wrong, you make it right. • She corrected my maths homework.

correction NOUN

correspond corresponds, corresponding, corresponded

VERB 1 If one thing corresponds with another, it is similar to it or it matches it in some way.

2 If numbers or amounts correspond, they are the same.

3 When people correspond, they write to each other.

correspondence

NOUN 1 letters or the writing of letters

2 If there is a correspondence between two things, there is a similarity between them.

correspondent correspondents

NOUN a newspaper, radio or television reporter

corridor corridors

NOUN a passage in a building or train

[from Old Italian corridore meaning place for running]

corrode corrodes, corroding, corroded

VERB When something corrodes, it is eaten away. When iron and steel are corroded, rust is formed.

corrosion NOUN corrosive ADJECTIVE

corrugated

ADJECTIVE Corrugated metal or cardboard has parallel folds to make it stronger.

corrupt corrupts, corrupting, corrupted

ADJECTIVE 1 People who are corrupt act dishonestly or illegally in return for money or power.

SYNONYM: dishonest

VERB 2 If you corrupt someone, you make them dishonest.

3 If a bug in a computer spoils files, it corrupts them.

corruption NOUN

cosmetics

PLURAL NOUN lipstick, face powder and other make-up

cosmic

ADJECTIVE belonging to or relating to the whole universe

cosmos

NOUN the universe

cost costs, costing, cost

NOUN 1 the amount of money needed to buy, do or make something

VERB 2 You use cost to talk about the amount of money you have to pay for things. • You can’t have that – it costs too much.

costume costumes

NOUN 1 a set of clothes worn by an actor

2 the clothing worn in a particular place or during a particular period

cosy cosier, cosiest

ADJECTIVE warm and comfortable

cot cots

NOUN a small bed for a baby, with bars or panels round it to stop the baby falling out

cottage cottages

NOUN a small house, especially in the country

cotton

NOUN 1 cloth made from the soft fibres of the cotton plant • a cotton shirt

2 thread used for sewing • a needle and cotton

couch couches

NOUN a long, soft piece of furniture for sitting or lying on

cough coughs, coughing, coughed

VERB When you cough, you force air out of your throat with a sudden harsh noise.

could

VERB 1 the past tense of can

2 You use could to say that something might happen or might be true. • It could rain later.

3 You use could when you are asking for something politely. • Could you tell me the way to the station, please?

couldn’t

VERB a contraction of could not

council councils

NOUN a group of people elected to look after something, especially the affairs of a town, district or county

counsel counsels, counselling, counselled

NOUN 1 advice

VERB 2 If someone counsels people, they give them advice about their problems.

count counts, counting, counted

VERB 1 When you count, you say all the numbers in order up to a particular number.

2 If you count, or count up, all the things in a group, you add them up to see how many there are.

3 If you can count on someone or something, you can rely on them. • You can count on me to help.

PHRASE 4 If you keep count of something, you keep a record of how often it happens. • Who’s keeping count of the score?

5 If you lose count of something, you cannot remember how often it has happened.

counter counters

NOUN 1 a long, flat surface in a shop, over which goods are sold

2 a small, flat, round object used in board games

counterfeit counterfeits, counterfeiting, counterfeited

Said “kown-ter-fit” ADJECTIVE 1 Counterfeit things are not genuine, but have been made to look genuine in order to deceive people. • counterfeit money

VERB 2 If someone counterfeits something, they make an exact copy of it in order to trick people.

countless

ADJECTIVE too many to count

country countries

NOUN 1 one of the political areas the world is divided into

2 land away from towns and cities • It is peaceful living in the country.

countryside

NOUN land away from towns and cities

county counties

NOUN a region with its own local government • The county of Lincolnshire is in the east of England.

couple couples

NOUN 1 two people who are married or having a romantic relationship

2 A couple of things or people means two of them, or not very many.

couplet couplets

NOUN two lines of poetry together that usually rhyme

coupon coupons

NOUN 1 a piece of printed paper that entitles you to pay less than usual for something

2 a form you fill in to ask for information or to enter a competition

courage

NOUN the quality shown by people who do things that they know are dangerous or difficult • She showed great courage in her efforts to save them from the burning house.

courageous ADJECTIVE

courageously ADVERB

courgette courgettes

NOUN a vegetable that looks like a small green marrow

courier couriers

NOUN 1 someone employed by a travel company to look after people on holiday

2 someone employed to deliver letters and parcels quickly

course courses

NOUN 1 a series of lessons or lectures

2 a piece of land where races take place or golf is played

3 the route something such as a ship or a river takes • The captain changed course to avoid the storm.

4 one of the parts of a meal • The first course was soup.

PHRASE 5 If you say of course, you are showing that you are absolutely sure about something. • Of course she wouldn’t do a thing like that.

court courts

NOUN 1 a place where legal matters are decided by a judge and jury or a magistrate. The judge and jury or magistrate can also be referred to as the court. • He is due to appear in court next week. • The court awarded him ten thousand pounds in compensation.