Collins Primary Illustrated Dictionary

Carroll diagram Carroll diagrams

NOUN a way of sorting and displaying information in the form of a grid

carrot carrots

NOUN a long, thin, orange-coloured root vegetable

carry carries, carrying, carried

VERB 1 If you carry something, you hold it and take it somewhere.

2 When a vehicle carries people, they travel in it.

3 If people or animals carry a germ or a disease, they can pass it on to others.

4 If a sound carries it can be heard a long way off. • Their voices carried across the valley.

cart carts

NOUN a vehicle with wheels, used for carrying things and usually pulled by horses or cattle

carton cartons

NOUN a cardboard or plastic container

cartoon cartoons

NOUN 1 a humorous drawing in a newspaper, comic or magazine

2 a film in which all the characters and scenes are drawn

cartridge cartridges

NOUN 1 a tube containing a bullet and an explosive substance, used in guns

2 a small plastic container filled with ink that you put in a pen or a printer

cartwheel cartwheels

NOUN an acrobatic movement in which you lift both arms in the air then throw yourself sideways on to one hand, swinging your body around in a circle with your legs straight until you land on your feet again

carve carves, carving, carved

VERB If you carve something, you shape it or slice it with a knife.

cascade cascades, cascading, cascaded

NOUN 1 a small waterfall or group of waterfalls flowing down a rocky hillside

VERB 2 When water cascades, it flows very fast down a hillside or over rocks.

case cases

NOUN 1 a box for keeping or carrying things in

2 a particular situation or event • a bad case of measles

3 A crime that the police are investigating is called a case.

cash

NOUN money in notes and coins

cashier cashiers

NOUN the person who deals with money in a place such as a shop or a bank

casserole casseroles

NOUN 1 a stew made with meat, vegetables or fish that is baked in the oven

2 a dish with a lid, which is used for cooking

cast casts, casting, cast

NOUN 1 all the people who act in a play or film

2 an object made by pouring a liquid such as plaster into a container and leaving it to harden

VERB 3 If an object casts a shadow on to a place, it makes a shadow fall there.

castaway castaways

NOUN someone who has been shipwrecked but manages to survive on a lonely shore or an island

castle castles

NOUN a large building with walls or ditches round it to protect it from attack

[from Latin castellum meaning small fort]

casual

ADJECTIVE 1 happening by chance and without planning • I made a casual remark.

2 Casual clothes are suitable for informal occasions.

casualty casualties

NOUN a person killed or injured in an accident or a war • There were many casualties after the motorway crash.

cat cats

NOUN a small, furry mammal with whiskers, a tail and sharp claws, often kept as a pet

catalogue catalogues

NOUN a list of things, such as the goods you can buy from a company, the objects in a museum, or the books in a library • I ordered my trainers from a mail order catalogue.

catastrophe catastrophes

NOUN a terrible disaster

catastrophic ADJECTIVE

catch catches, catching, caught

VERB 1 If you catch an object that is moving through the air, you grasp it with your hands.

2 If you catch a person or animal, you capture them. • The police caught the thief.

3 If you catch a bus, train or plane, you get on it and travel somewhere.

4 If you catch a cold or a disease, you become ill with it.

NOUN 5 a hook that fastens or locks a door or window

catching

ADJECTIVE If a disease or illness is catching it spreads very quickly. • Measles is catching.

catchy catchier, catchiest

ADJECTIVE Something that is catchy, such as a tune, is pleasant and easy to remember.

category categories

NOUN a group of things that have something in common

caterpillar caterpillars

NOUN the larva of a butterfly or moth. Caterpillars look like small, coloured worms and feed on plants.

cathedral cathedrals

NOUN an important church with a bishop in charge of it • Canterbury Cathedral

Catholic Catholics

ADJECTIVE OR NOUN a Roman Catholic, or belonging to that religion

cattle

PLURAL NOUN cows and bulls kept by farmers

caught

VERB the past tense of catch

cauldron cauldrons

NOUN a large, round metal cooking pot, especially one that sits over a fire

[from Latin caldarium meaning hot bath]

cauliflower cauliflowers

NOUN a large, round, white vegetable surrounded by green leaves

cause causes, causing, caused

VERB 1 To cause something means to make it happen.

NOUN 2 The cause of something is the thing that makes it happen. • The cause of the explosion was a gas leak.

cautious

ADJECTIVE Someone who is cautious acts carefully in order to avoid danger or disappointment.

cavalry

NOUN The cavalry is the part of an army that fights on horseback or in armoured vehicles such as tanks.

cave caves, caving, caved

NOUN a large hole in the side of a cliff or under the ground

cave in

VERB If a roof caves in, it collapses inwards.

caveman or cavewoman cavemen or cavewomen

NOUN Cavemen and cavewomen were people who lived in caves in prehistoric times.

cavity cavities

NOUN a small hole in something solid • There were cavities in his back teeth.

CD

NOUN an abbreviation for compact disc

CD-ROM

NOUN a way of storing video, sound or text on a compact disc that can be played on a computer. CD-ROM is an abbreviation for compact disc read-only memory.

cease ceases, ceasing, ceased

VERB 1 If something ceases, it stops.

2 If you cease doing something, you stop doing it.

ceiling ceilings

NOUN the roof inside a room

celebrate celebrates, celebrating, celebrated

VERB If you celebrate something, you do something special and enjoyable because of it. • We felt like celebrating the end of exams.

celebration NOUN

celebrity celebrities

NOUN a famous person

celery

NOUN a vegetable with long, pale green stalks

cell cells

NOUN 1 In biology, a cell is the smallest part of an animal or plant that can exist by itself. Humans, animals and plants are made up of millions of cells.

2 a small room in a prison or police station where a prisoner is locked up

cellar cellars

NOUN a room underneath a building

cello cellos

Said “chel-oh” NOUN a large, stringed musical instrument that you play sitting down

cellist NOUN

Celsius

NOUN a scale for measuring temperature in which water freezes at 0 degrees (0 °C) and boils at 100 degrees (100 °C)

[named after Anders Celsius (1701–1744) who invented it]

cement

NOUN a grey powder that is mixed with sand and water to make concrete

cemetery cemeteries

NOUN an area of land where dead people are buried

census censuses

NOUN an official survey of the population of a country

cent cents

NOUN In some countries a cent is a unit of currency.

centenary centenaries

NOUN the hundredth anniversary of something

centigrade

NOUN another word for Celsius

centimetre centimetres

NOUN a unit of length (cm). One centimetre is equal to ten millimetres (mm).

centipede centipedes

NOUN a long, thin creature with many pairs of legs

[from Latin centum + pedes meaning a hundred feet]

central

ADJECTIVE 1 Something central is in the middle.

2 An idea that is central is the main idea.

central heating

NOUN a heating system in which water or air is heated and passed round a building through pipes and radiators

centre centres

NOUN 1 the middle of an object or area

2 a building where people go for activities, meetings, or help • We played badminton at the sports centre.

century centuries

NOUN a period of one hundred years

ceramic ceramics

Said “ser-ram-ic” NOUN 1 a hard material made by baking clay at very high temperatures

PLURAL NOUN 2 Ceramics is the art of making objects out of clay.

cereal cereals

NOUN 1 a food made from grain, often eaten with milk for breakfast

2 a plant that produces edible grain, such as wheat, oats, barley and rye

ceremony ceremonies

NOUN a formal event such as a wedding or prizegiving

certain

ADJECTIVE 1 If you are certain about something, you are sure it is true. • She is certain she wants to be a vet.

2 You use certain to refer to a particular person, place or thing. • I like certain animals, for example cats and dogs.

certainly

ADVERB without any doubt • “Will you be at the party?” “I certainly will.”

certificate certificates

NOUN an official piece of paper that proves that something took place • a birth certificate

chaffinch chaffinches

NOUN a small European bird with black and white wings

chain chains

NOUN 1 a number of metal rings linked together in a line

2 a number of things in a series or connected to each other • a chain of shops • a chain of events

chair chairs

NOUN a seat for one person to sit on, with a back and four legs

chalet chalets

NOUN a small wooden house with a sloping roof, especially found in mountain areas or holiday camps

chalk

NOUN a soft, white rock. Small sticks of chalk are used for writing or drawing on a blackboard.

chalky ADJECTIVE

challenge challenges, challenging, challenged

NOUN 1 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 suggest that you compete with them. • She challenged me to a game of table tennis.

challenging

ADJECTIVE If you find something challenging, you find it quite difficult.

chameleon chameleons

NOUN a lizard that is able to change the colour of its skin to match the colour of its surroundings

[from Greek khamai + leon meaning ground lion]

champagne champagnes

NOUN a sparkling white wine made in France

champion champions

NOUN a person who wins a competition

championship championships

NOUN a competition to find the best player or players of a particular sport

chance chances

NOUN 1 how possible or likely something is • I think we’ve got a good chance of winning.

2 an opportunity to do something • This is your chance to be a TV star!

3 a possibility that something dangerous or unpleasant may happen

PHRASE 4 Something that happens by chance happens unexpectedly, without being planned.

chancellor chancellors

NOUN the head of government in some European countries

Chancellor of the Exchequer

NOUN the government minister in charge of finance and taxes in Britain

change changes, changing, changed

NOUN 1 money you get back when you pay for something with more money than it costs

VERB 2 When something changes, or you change it, it becomes different. • The wind changed direction.

channel channels

NOUN 1 a wavelength on which television programmes are broadcast. It can also be the television station itself.

2 a passage for water or other liquid

3 The Channel, or the English Channel, is the stretch of sea between England and France.

chaos

NOUN a state of complete disorder • The demonstration ended in chaos.

chaotic ADJECTIVE

chapel chapels

NOUN 1 a section of a church or cathedral with its own altar

2 a type of small church

chapter chapters

NOUN one of the parts into which a book is divided

character characters

NOUN 1 all the qualities that make a person or a place special • She has a gentle character.

2 The characters in a film, play or book are the people in it.

characteristic characteristics

NOUN 1 a special quality about a person, place or thing

ADJECTIVE 2 typical of a place or person • Noise and traffic fumes are characteristic of cities.

charades

NOUN a party game where one team guesses what the other team is acting out

charcoal

NOUN burnt wood used as a fuel. Charcoal is also used for drawing.

charge charges, charging, charged

VERB 1 If someone charges you money, they ask you to pay for something you have bought or received.

2 rush forward • She charged into the room.

PHRASE 3 If you are in charge of someone or something, you are responsible for them. • I left him in charge of the shop while I went out.

chariot chariots

NOUN a two-wheeled open vehicle pulled by horses in ancient times

charity charities

NOUN 1 an organization that raises money to help people in need

2 money or other help given to people in need

charm charms, charming, charmed

NOUN 1 something you wear for good luck

2 the quality of being attractive and pleasant

VERB 3 If you charm someone, you use your charm to please them.

chart charts

NOUN a diagram or table showing information

chase chases, chasing, chased

VERB If you chase someone, you run after them or follow them in order to catch them or make them leave a place.

chat chats, chatting, chatted

NOUN 1 a friendly talk with someone

VERB 2 When people chat, they talk to each other in a friendly way about things that are not very important.

chatty ADJECTIVE

chatroom chatrooms

NOUN an internet site where users have discussions using e-mail

chatter chatters, chattering, chattered

VERB 1 When people chatter, they talk about unimportant things.

2 If your teeth chatter, they knock together and make a clicking noise because you are cold.

chauffeur chauffeurs

NOUN a person whose job is to drive another person’s car • He had a chauffeur to drive him everywhere.

cheap cheaper, cheapest

ADJECTIVE 1 Something that is cheap costs very little money.

2 Cheap sometimes means of poor quality.

cheaply ADVERB

cheat cheats, cheating, cheated

VERB If someone cheats in a game or exam, they break the rules in order to do better.

check checks, checking, checked

VERB 1 If you check something, you examine it to make sure that everything is all right. • Check your work carefully when you finish.

NOUN 2 an inspection to make sure that everything is all right

3 Checks are different coloured squares that form a pattern.

checkout checkouts

NOUN the place in a supermarket where you pay for your goods

cheek cheeks

NOUN 1 Your cheeks are the sides of your face below your eyes.

2 speech or behaviour that is rude and disrespectful • Their grandparents won’t stand any cheek from them.

cheeky ADJECTIVE cheekily ADVERB

cheer cheers, cheering, cheered

VERB When people cheer, they shout loudly and happily. • We cheered our team when they won.

cheerful

ADJECTIVE A cheerful person is happy.

cheerfully ADVERB

cheese cheeses

NOUN a solid savoury food made from milk

cheetah cheetahs

NOUN a wild mammal like a large cat with black spots, mainly found in Africa

[from Sanskrit citra + kaya meaning speckled body]

chef chefs

NOUN a head cook in a restaurant or hotel

[from French chef meaning head]

chemical chemicals

NOUN 1 a substance made by the use of chemistry • Dangerous chemicals should be handled carefully.

ADJECTIVE 2 involved in chemistry or using chemicals • a chemical reaction

chemist chemists

NOUN a shop that sells medicines and cosmetics

chemistry

NOUN the scientific study of substances and the ways in which they change when they are combined

cheque cheques

NOUN a printed piece of paper that people can use to pay for things

cherry cherries

NOUN a small, juicy fruit with a red, yellow or black skin and a hard stone in the centre

chess

NOUN a game played on a board with 64 squares. Each player has 16 pieces.

chest chests

NOUN 1 the front part of your body between your shoulders and your waist

2 a large wooden box used for storing things

chestnut chestnuts

NOUN 1 a reddish-brown nut that grows inside a prickly, green outer covering

2 the tree that produces these nuts

ADJECTIVE 3 Something that is chestnut is reddish-brown in colour.

chew chews, chewing, chewed

VERB When you chew something, you use your teeth to break it up in your mouth before swallowing it.

chewing gum

NOUN a kind of sweet that you chew for a long time, but which you do not swallow

chick chicks

NOUN a young bird

chicken chickens

NOUN a bird kept on a farm for its eggs and meat; also the meat of this bird

chickenpox

NOUN an illness that causes a fever and blister-like spots to appear on the skin

chief chiefs

NOUN 1 the leader of a group or organization

ADJECTIVE 2 main or most important

chilblain chilblains

NOUN a sore, itchy swelling on a finger or toe, which causes discomfort in cold weather

child children

NOUN 1 a young person who is not yet an adult

SYNONYMS: kid, youngster

2 Someone’s child is their son or daughter.

childhood childhoods

NOUN Your childhood is the time when you are a child.

childish

ADJECTIVE If someone is childish, they are not acting in an adult way.

ANTONYM: adult

childishly ADVERB

childminder childminders

NOUN a person who is paid to look after children while their parents are at work

children

PLURAL NOUN the plural of child

chill chills, chilling, chilled

VERB 1 When you chill something, you make it cold. • Chill the orange juice before you drink it.

NOUN 2 a feverish cold

3 a feeling of cold • the chill of early morning

chilli chillies

NOUN the red or green seed pod of a type of pepper that has a very hot, spicy taste

chilly chillier, chilliest

ADJECTIVE 1 Chilly weather is rather cold.

2 If people behave in a chilly way, they are not very friendly.

chime chimes, chiming, chimed

VERB 1 When a bell chimes, it makes a clear ringing sound.

NOUN 2 Chimes are a set of bells or other objects that make ringing sounds.

chimney chimneys

NOUN a pipe above a fireplace or furnace through which smoke from the fire can escape

chimpanzee chimpanzees

NOUN a small ape with dark fur that lives in forests in Africa

chin chins

NOUN the part of your face below your mouth

china

NOUN plates, cups, saucers and other dishes that are made from fine clay

chink chinks

NOUN 1 a small, narrow opening • a chink in the fence

2 a small ringing sound, like glasses touching each other

chip chips, chipping, chipped

NOUN 1 Chips are thin strips of fried potato.

2 a tiny piece of silicon inside a computer, which is used to form electronic circuits • computer chips

VERB 3 If you chip an object, you break a small piece off it.

chirp chirps, chirping, chirped

VERB When a bird chirps, it makes a short, high-pitched sound.

chisel chisels, chiselling, chiselled

NOUN 1 a tool with a long metal blade and a sharp edge at the end. Chisels are used for cutting and shaping wood, stone or metal.

VERB 2 If you chisel wood, stone or metal, you cut or shape it using a chisel.

chlorine

NOUN a poisonous greenish-yellow gas with a strong, unpleasant smell. It is used to disinfect water and to make bleach.

chocolate chocolates

NOUN a sweet food made from cocoa beans

[from Aztec xococ + atl meaning bitter water]

choice choices

NOUN 1 a range of different things that are available to choose from

SYNONYMS: range, variety

2 something that you choose • You made a good choice when you bought this book.

choir choirs

NOUN a group of singers, for example in a church

choke chokes, choking, choked

VERB If you choke on something, it prevents you from breathing properly. • He choked on a fish bone.

cholesterol

NOUN a substance found in all animal fats, tissues and blood

choose chooses, choosing, chose, chosen

VERB If you choose something, you decide to have it or do it.

SYNONYMS: pick, select

chop chops, chopping, chopped

VERB 1 If you chop something, you cut it with quick, heavy strokes using an axe or a knife. • Mum chopped the logs for firewood.

NOUN 2 a small piece of pork or lamb that contains a bone • We had chops and broccoli for dinner.

choppy

ADJECTIVE When the sea or a stretch of water is choppy, there are a lot of waves on it because it is windy.

chopstick chopsticks

NOUN Chopsticks are a pair of thin sticks used for eating Chinese and Japanese food.

choral

Said “kor-al” ADJECTIVE for a choir

chord chords

NOUN a group of three or more musical notes played together

chore chores

NOUN an uninteresting job that has to be done

chorus choruses

NOUN 1 a part of a song that is repeated after each verse

2 a large group of singers

chose

VERB the past tense of choose

chosen

VERB 1 the past participle of choose

2 When you are chosen, you are picked to do something. • I was chosen for the volleyball team.

christen christens, christening, christened

VERB When a priest christens someone, they name them in a ceremony where water is poured over their head as a sign that they are a member of the Christian church.

christening NOUN

Christian Christians

NOUN a person who believes in Jesus Christ and his teachings

Christianity NOUN

Christmas Christmases

NOUN a Christian festival held on December 25th to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ

chrome

Said “krome” NOUN metal plated with chromium, a hard, silver-grey metal

chromosome chromosomes

Said “krome-uh-soam” NOUN the part of a cell in living things that contains the genes that determine what characteristics the animal or plant will have