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Glossary · MWE Terms · C

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TermTypeDefinitionClassificationsUpdated
Critical AnglenounMWEthe smallest angle of incidence for which light is totally reflectedverifiedMay 18, 2026
Critical AppraisalnounMWEan appraisal based on careful analytical evaluationverifiedMay 18, 2026
critical business functionnounMWEA process that is necessary for a business to perform.verifiedMay 9, 2026
critical business processnounMWEA business process that must be restored immediately after a disruption to ensure the affected firm's ability to protect its assets, meet its critical needs, and satisfy mandatory regulations and requirements.verifiedMay 9, 2026
critical employeenounMWEAn employee whose skills and knowledge are vital to organization's operations.verifiedAug 30, 2026
Critical Financial MarketsnounMWEFinancial markets whose operations are critical to the economy. Critical financial markets provide the means for financial institutions to adjust their cash and securities positions and those of their customers in order to manage liquidity, market, and other risks to their organizations. Critical financial markets also provide support for the provision of a wide range of financial services to businesses and consumers in the United States and support the implementation of monetary policy. Examples of "critical financial markets" include: • Federal funds, foreign exchange, and commercial paper; • U.S. Government and agency securities; and • Corporate debt and equity securities.verifiedAug 30, 2026
critical functionnounMWEBusiness activities or information that could not be interrupted or unavailable for several business days without significantly jeopardizing operation of the organization.verifiedMay 9, 2026
Critical infrastructurenounMWESystem and assets, whether physical or virtual, so vital to the U.S. that the incapacity or destruction of such systems and assets would have a debilitating impact on security, national economic security, national public health or safety, or any combination of those matters. [Critical Infrastructures Protection Act of 2001, 42 U.S.C. 5195c(e)]verifiedMay 9, 2026
Critical Market ParticipantsnounMWEParticipants in the financial markets that perform critical operations or provide critical services. Their inability to perform these operations or services could result in major disruptions in the financial system.verifiedMay 9, 2026
Critical MassnounMWEthe minimum mass of fissionable material that can sustain a chain reactionverifiedMay 18, 2026
critical operationsnounMWEAny activity, function, process, or service, the loss of which, for even a short period of time, would materially affect the continued operation of an FMI, its participants, the market it serves, and/or the broader financial system.verifiedMay 9, 2026
Critical PathnounMWEThe critical path represents the business processes or systems that must receive the highest priority during the recovery phase.verifiedAug 30, 2026
Critical PointnounMWEa crisis situation or point in time when a critical decision must be madeverifiedMay 18, 2026
critical program (or technology)nounMWEA program which significantly increases capability, mission effectiveness, or extends the expected effective life of an essential system/capability. [1]candidateAug 30, 2026
Critical ReviewnounMWEan essay or article that gives a critical evaluation (as of a book or play)verifiedMay 18, 2026
Critical Security ParameternounMWESecurity-related information (e.g., secret and private cryptographic keys, and authentication data such as passwords and Personal Identification Numbers [PINs]) whose disclosure or modification can compromise the security of a cryptographic module.verifiedMay 9, 2026
critical servicenounMWEA service that could not be interrupted or unavailable for several business days without significantly jeopardizing operation of the organization.verifiedAug 30, 2026
critical systemnounMWEA system that is necessary and crucial to the organization.verifiedMay 9, 2026
Critical system (infrastructure)nounMWEThe systems and assets, whether physical or virtual, that are so vital that the incapacity or destruction of such may have a debilitating impact.verifiedAug 30, 2026
critical third partynounMWEA necessary third party that is vital to an organization's operations.verifiedAug 30, 2026
Criticality analysisnounMWEAn analysis to evaluate resources or business functions to identify their importance to the enterprise, and the impact if a function cannot be completed or a resource is not availableverifiedAug 30, 2026
Criticality LevelnounMWERefers to the (consequences of) incorrect behavior of a system. The more serious the expected direct and indirect effects of incorrect behavior, the higher the criticality level.verifiedMay 9, 2026
Critter SitternounMWEsomeone left in charge of pets while their owners are away from homeverifiedMay 18, 2026
Crochet HooknounMWEa needle with a hook on the endverifiedMay 18, 2026
Crochet NeedlenounMWEa needle with a hook on the endverifiedMay 18, 2026
Crochet StitchnounMWEany one of a number of stitches made by pulling a loop of yarn through another loop with a crochet needleverifiedMay 18, 2026
Crock PotnounMWEan electric cooker that maintains a relatively low temperatureverifiedMay 18, 2026
crock upverbMWEto suffer a nervous breakdowncandidateJun 3, 2026
Crocodile BirdnounMWEAfrican courser that feeds on insect parasites on crocodilesverifiedMay 18, 2026
Crocodile TearsnounMWEa hypocritical display of sorrowverifiedMay 18, 2026
Crocodilian ReptilenounMWEextant archosaurian reptileverifiedMay 18, 2026
Croo MonkeynounMWEmonkey of southeast Asia, Borneo and the PhilippinesverifiedMay 18, 2026
Crookneck SquashnounMWEyellow squash with a thin curved neck and somewhat warty skinverifiedMay 18, 2026
Crop FailurenounMWEthe failure of crops to produce a marketable surplusverifiedMay 18, 2026
crop outverbMWEto appear at the surfaceverifiedJun 3, 2026
crop upverbMWEto appear suddenly or unexpectedlycandidateJun 3, 2026
Croquet BallnounMWEa wooden ball used in playing croquetverifiedMay 18, 2026
Croquet EquipmentnounMWEsports equipment used in playing croquetverifiedMay 18, 2026
Croquet MalletnounMWEa mallet used to strike the ball in croquetverifiedMay 18, 2026
Cross BitnounMWEa rock drill having cruciform cutting edgesverifiedMay 18, 2026
Cross BunnounMWEmoderately sweet raised roll containing spices and raisins and citron and decorated with a cross-shaped sugar glazeverifiedMay 18, 2026
Cross CountrynounMWEa long race run over open countryverifiedMay 18, 2026
Cross DressingnounMWEthe practice of adopting the clothes or the manner or the sexual role of the opposite sexverifiedMay 18, 2026
cross examineverbMWEto question closely, or question a witness that has already been questioned by the opposing sideverifiedJun 3, 2026
Cross HairnounMWEeither of two fine mutually perpendicular lines that cross in the focus plane of an optical instrument and are use for sighting or calibrationverifiedMay 18, 2026
Cross InfectionnounMWEan infection that is acquired at a hospital or other healthcare facilityverifiedMay 18, 2026
Cross of CalvarynounMWEa Latin cross set on three stepsverifiedMay 18, 2026
Cross of LorrainenounMWEa cross with two crossbars, one above and one below the midpoint of the vertical, the lower longer than the upperverifiedMay 18, 2026
cross offverbMWEto remove from a listverifiedJun 3, 2026
cross oneselfverbMWEto make the sign of the crossverifiedJun 3, 2026
cross outverbMWEto remove from a listverifiedJun 3, 2026
Cross ProductnounMWEa vector that is the product of two other vectorsverifiedMay 18, 2026
cross questionverbMWEto question closely, or question a witness that has already been questioned by the opposing sideverifiedJun 3, 2026
Cross SectionnounMWE(physics) the probability that a particular interaction (as capture or ionization) will take place between particlesverifiedMay 18, 2026
Cross Site ScriptingnounMWEA vulnerability that allows attackers to inject malicious code into an otherwise benign website. These scripts acquire the permissions of scripts generated by the target website and can therefore compromise the confidentiality and integrity of data transfers between the website and client. Websites are vulnerable if they display user supplied data from requests or forms without sanitizing the data so that it is not executable.verifiedAug 30, 2026
Cross StreetnounMWEa street intersecting a main street and continuing on both sides of it, usually at right anglesverifiedMay 18, 2026
Cross ThwartnounMWEa crosspiece spreading the gunnels of a boatverifiedMay 18, 2026
Cross VinenounMWEwoody flowering vine of southern United StatesverifiedMay 18, 2026
Cross WirenounMWEeither of two fine mutually perpendicular lines that cross in the focus plane of an optical instrument and are use for sighting or calibrationverifiedMay 18, 2026
Cross-Country JumpingnounMWEriding horses across country over obstructions to demonstrate horsemanshipverifiedMay 18, 2026
Cross-Country RidingnounMWEriding horses across country over obstructions to demonstrate horsemanshipverifiedMay 18, 2026
Cross-Country SkiingnounMWEthe sport of skiing across the countryside rather than downhillverifiedMay 18, 2026
Cross-Domain CapabilitiesnounMWEThe set of functions that enable the transfer of information between security domains in accordance with the policies of the security domains involved.verifiedAug 30, 2026
Cross-Domain SolutionnounMWEA form of controlled interface that provides the ability to manually and/or automatically access and/or transfer information between different security domains.verifiedMay 9, 2026
Cross-Leaved HeathnounMWEdwarf European shrub with rose-colored flowersverifiedMay 18, 2026
Cross-Market TestsnounMWECross-market tests are also called market-wide tests or "street tests" that are sponsored by the Securities Industry Association, Bond Market Association, and Futures Industry Association. These tests validate the connectivity from alternate sites and include transaction, settlement, and payment processes, to the extent practical.verifiedMay 9, 2026
Crosscut HandsawnounMWEhandsaw that cuts at right angles to the grain (or major axis)verifiedMay 18, 2026
Crosscut SawnounMWEhandsaw that cuts at right angles to the grain (or major axis)verifiedMay 18, 2026
Crossed EyenounMWEstrabismus in which one or both eyes turn inward toward the noseverifiedMay 18, 2026
Crossing GuardnounMWEsomeone who helps people (especially children) at a traffic crossingverifiedMay 18, 2026
Crossing OvernounMWEthe interchange of sections between pairing homologous chromosomes during the prophase of meiosisverifiedMay 18, 2026
Crossover CablenounMWEA crossover cable reverses the pairs of cables at the other end and can be used to connect devices directly together.verifiedAug 30, 2026
Crossover VoternounMWEa voter who is registered as a member of one political party but who votes in the primary of another partyverifiedMay 18, 2026
Crossword PuzzlenounMWEa puzzle in which words corresponding to numbered clues are to be found and written in to squares in the puzzleverifiedMay 18, 2026
Crotch HairnounMWEhair growing in the pubic areaverifiedMay 18, 2026
Croton OilnounMWEviscid acrid brownish-yellow oil from the seeds of Croton tiglium having a violent cathartic actionverifiedMay 18, 2026
Croupier's RakenounMWEa small rake used by a croupier to move chips around on the tableverifiedMay 18, 2026
Crow BlackbirdnounMWElong-tailed American blackbird having iridescent black plumageverifiedMay 18, 2026
Crow CornnounMWEany of several perennials of the genus Aletris having grasslike leaves and bitter roots reputed to cure colicverifiedMay 18, 2026
Crow GarlicnounMWEpungent Old World wild onionverifiedMay 18, 2026
Crow PheasantnounMWEcommon coucal of India and ChinaverifiedMay 18, 2026
Crow StepnounMWE(architecture) a step on the top of a gable wallverifiedMay 18, 2026
Crow's FeetnounMWEa wrinkle in the skin at the outer corner of your eyesverifiedMay 18, 2026
Crow's NestnounMWEplatform for a lookout at or near the top of a mastverifiedMay 18, 2026
Crowberry FamilynounMWEheathlike shrubsverifiedMay 18, 2026
Crowd ControlnounMWEactivity of controlling a crowdverifiedMay 18, 2026
crowd outverbMWEto press, force, or thrust out of a small spaceverifiedJun 3, 2026
crowd togetherverbMWEto gather together in large numbersverifiedJun 3, 2026
Crowfoot FamilynounMWEa family of RanunculaceaeverifiedMay 18, 2026
Crowfoot GrassnounMWEa creeping grass with spikes like fingersverifiedMay 18, 2026
Crown DaisynounMWEshrubby annual of the Mediterranean region with yellowish-white flowersverifiedMay 18, 2026
Crown FirenounMWEa forest fire that advances with great speed jumping from crown to crown ahead of the ground fireverifiedMay 18, 2026
Crown GallnounMWEa bacterial disease of plants (especially pome and stone fruits and grapes and roses) which forms excrescences on the stem near the groundverifiedMay 18, 2026
Crown GlassnounMWEa glass blown into a globe which is later flattened and spun to form a diskverifiedMay 18, 2026
Crown ImperialnounMWEEurasian herb with a cluster of leaves and orange-red bell-shaped flowers at the top of the stemverifiedMay 18, 2026
Crown JewelnounMWEa precious stone that is a valuable part of a sovereign's regaliaverifiedMay 18, 2026
Crown LensnounMWEa lens made of optical crown glassverifiedMay 18, 2026
Crown MonkeynounMWEIndian macaque with a bonnet-like tuft of hairverifiedMay 18, 2026
Crown of ThornsnounMWEsomewhat climbing bushy spurge of Madagascar having long woody spiny stems with few leaves and flowers with scarlet bractsverifiedMay 18, 2026
Crown PrincenounMWEa male heir apparent to a throneverifiedMay 18, 2026