Glossary · Nouns · C
L1 — paginated flat list. Pick a POS, pick a letter.
TermTypeDefinitionClassificationsUpdated
Casting LotsnounMWEmaking a chance decision by using lots (straws or pebbles etc.) that are thrown or drawnverified
Castornouna pivoting roller attached to the bottom of furniture or trucks or portable machines to make them movableverified
Castor Bean PlantnounMWElarge shrub of tropical Africa and Asia having large palmate leaves and spiny capsules containing seeds that are the source of castor oil and ricinverified
Castor-Oil PlantnounMWElarge shrub of tropical Africa and Asia having large palmate leaves and spiny capsules containing seeds that are the source of castor oil and ricinverified
Castrationnounsurgical removal of the testes or ovaries (usually to inhibit hormone secretion in cases of breast cancer in women or prostate cancer in men)verified
Castration AnxietynounMWE(psychoanalysis) anxiety resulting from real or imagined threats to your sexual functionsverified
Castratonouna male singer who was castrated before puberty and retains a soprano or alto voiceverified
Casuarinanounany of various trees and shrubs of the genus Casuarina having jointed stems and whorls of scalelike leavesverified
Casuistrynounmoral philosophy based on the application of general ethical principles to resolve moral dilemmasverified
Cat CrackernounMWEa chemical reactor for converting oils with high boiling points into fuels with lower boiling points in the presence of a catalystverified
Cat Scratch DiseasenounMWEa disease thought to be transmitted to humans by a scratch from a catverified
Cat SuitnounMWEa tight-fitting garment of stretchy material that covers the body from the shoulders to the thighs, and may have long sleeves or legs reaching down to the anklesverified
Cat ThymenounMWEMediterranean germander having small hairy leaves and reddish purple flowersverified
Cat's EyenounMWEany of various gems (as chrysoberyl or chalcedony) that reflect light when cut in a rounded shapeverified
Cat's FeetnounMWElow-growing perennial herb having leaves with whitish down and clusters of small white flowersverified
Cat's FootnounMWElow-growing perennial herb having leaves with whitish down and clusters of small white flowersverified
Cat's-Clawnounerect shrub with small if any spines having racemes of white to yellow flowers followed by curved pointed pods and black shiny seedsverified
Cat's-EarnounEuropean weed widely naturalized in North America having yellow flower heads and leaves resembling a cat's earsverified
Cat's-Pawnouna hitch in the middle of rope that has two eyes into which tackle can be hookedverified
Catabolismnounbreakdown in living organisms of more complex substances into simpler ones together with release of energyverified
Catachresisnounstrained or paradoxical use of words either in error (as `blatant' to mean `flagrant') or deliberately (as in a mixed metaphor: `blind mouths')verified
Catacombnounan underground tunnel with recesses where bodies were buried (as in ancient Rome)verified
Catalasenounenzyme found in most plant and animal cells that functions as an oxidative catalystverified
Catalepsynouna trancelike state with loss of voluntary motion and failure to react to stimuliverified
Cataloged ProcedurenounMWEa set of control statements that have been placed in a library and can be retrieved by nameverified
Catalpanountree of the genus Catalpa with large leaves and white flowers followed by long slender podsverified
Catalysisnounacceleration of a chemical reaction induced the presence of material that is chemically unchanged at the end of the reactionverified
Catalystnounin chemistry, a substance that initiates or accelerates a chemical reaction without itself being affectedverified
Catalytic ConverternounMWEa converter that uses a platinum-iridium catalyst to oxidize pollutants and carbon monoxide into carbon dioxide and waterverified
Catalytic CrackernounMWEa chemical reactor for converting oils with high boiling points into fuels with lower boiling points in the presence of a catalystverified
Catamenianounthe monthly discharge of blood from the uterus of nonpregnant women from puberty to menopauseverified
Catamountainnounbushy-tailed wildcat of Europe that resembles the domestic cat and is regarded as the ancestor of the domestic catverified
Catananchenounany of several plants of the genus Catananche having long-stalked heads of blue or yellow flowersverified
Cataphasianouna speech disorder in which the same word is repeated several times in successionverified
Cataphatismnounthe religious belief that God has given enough clues to be known to humans positively and affirmatively (e.g., God created Adam `in his own image')verified
Cataphoresisnounthe motion of charged particles in a colloid under the influence of an electric fieldverified
Cataphyllnouna reduced or scarcely developed leaf at the start of a plant's life (i.e., cotyledons) or in the early stages of leaf developmentverified
Cataplasianoun(biology) degenerative reversion of cells or tissue to a less differentiated or more primitive formverified
Cataplasmnouna medical dressing consisting of a soft heated mass of meal or clay that is spread on a cloth and applied to the skin to treat inflamed areas or improve circulation etc.verified
Cataractnounan eye disease that involves the clouding or opacification of the natural lens of the eyeverified
Cataract SurgerynounMWEeye surgery that involves removing all or part of the lens and replacing it with an intraocular lens implantverified
Catarrhal FevernounMWEany of several disease of livestock marked by fever and edema of the respiratory tractverified
Catatonianouna form of schizophrenia characterized by a tendency to remain in a fixed stuporous state for long periodsverified
Catatonic SchizophrenianounMWEa form of schizophrenia characterized by a tendency to remain in a fixed stuporous state for long periodsverified
Catatonic Type SchizophrenianounMWEa form of schizophrenia characterized by a tendency to remain in a fixed stuporous state for long periodsverified
Catbirdnounany of various birds of the Australian region whose males build ornamented structures resembling bowers in order to attract femalesverified
Catbriernouna very prickly woody vine of the eastern United States growing in tangled masses having tough round stems with shiny leathery leaves and small greenish flowers followed by clusters of inedible shiny black berriesverified
Catch CropnounMWEa crop that grows quickly (e.g. lettuce) and can be planted between two regular crops grown in successive seasons or between two rows of crops in the same seasonverified
Catchernounthe position on a baseball team of the player who is stationed behind home plate and who catches the balls that the pitcher throwsverified