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Glossary · Nouns · C

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TermTypeDefinitionClassificationsUpdated
Clear and Present DangernounMWEa standard for judging when freedom of speech can be abridgedverifiedMay 18, 2026
Clear Liquid DietnounMWEa diet of fluids with minimal residues (fat-free broth or strained fruit juices or gelatin)verifiedMay 18, 2026
Clear SailingnounMWEeasy unobstructed progressverifiedMay 18, 2026
Clear TextnounMWEInformation that is not encrypted.DataRestrictedMay 12, 2026
Clear-Air TurbulencenounMWEstrong turbulence in an otherwise cloudless region that subjects aircraft to violent updrafts or downdraftsverifiedMay 18, 2026
ClearancenounFormal certification of authorization to have access to classified information other than that protected in a special access program (including SCI). Clearances are of three types: confidential, secret, and top secret. A top secret clearance permits access to top secret, secret, and confidential material; a secret clearance, to secret and confidential material; and a confidential clearance, to confidential material.CredentialMay 9, 2026
Clearance SalenounMWEa sale to reduce inventoryverifiedMay 18, 2026
Clearcutnessnounclarity as a consequence of precisionverifiedMay 18, 2026
ClearingnounRemoval of data from an information system, its storage devices, and other peripheral devices with storage capacity, in such a way that the data may not be reconstructed using common system capabilities (i.e., through the keyboard); however, the data may be reconstructed using laboratory methods.ProcessMay 12, 2026
Clearing CorporationnounMWEAlso known as a clearing house or clearing house association. A central processing mechanism whereby members agree to net, clear, and settle transactions involving financial instruments. Clearing corporations fulfill one or all of the following functions: Net many trades so that the number and the amount of payments that have to be made are minimized, determine money obligations among traders, and guarantee that trades will go through by legally assuming the risk of payments not made or securities not delivered. The latter function is implied when it is stated that the clearing corporation becomes the "counterpart" to all trades entered into its system.OrganizationRegulatedMay 12, 2026
Clearing HousenounMWEa central collection place where banks exchange checks or draftsverifiedMay 18, 2026
Clearing House AssociationsnounMWEVoluntary associations, formed by financial institutions that establish an exchange for checks drawn on them. Typically, institutions participating in check clearing houses use the Federal Reserve's National Settlement Service for the checks exchanged each business day.OrganizationRegulatedMay 9, 2026
Clearing House Interbank Payment Systems (CHIPS)nounMWEA "real time," multilateral, final payments system for large dollar value, business-to-business payment transactions between domestic or foreign institutions that have offices located in the United States. CHIPS is run by CHIP Co. LLC, a subsidiary of The Clearing House Payments Company, LLC.SystemRegulatedMay 12, 2026
Clearnessnounfree from obscurity and easy to understandverifiedMay 18, 2026
Clearstorynounpart of an interior wall rising above the adjacent roof with windows admitting lightverifiedMay 18, 2026
Clearwaynouna road on which you are not allowed to stop (unless you have a breakdown)verifiedMay 18, 2026
Clearweednouna plants of the genus Pilea having drooping green flower clusters and smooth translucent stems and leavesverifiedMay 18, 2026
Cleavagenounthe line formed by a groove between two parts (especially the separation between a woman's breasts)verifiedMay 18, 2026
Cleavage CavitynounMWEthe fluid-filled cavity inside a blastulaverifiedMay 18, 2026
Cleavernouna butcher's knife having a large square bladeverifiedMay 18, 2026
Clefnouna musical notation written on a staff indicating the pitch of the notes following itverifiedMay 18, 2026
Cleft FootnounMWEa deformity in which the space between the third and fourth toes extends up into the footverifiedMay 18, 2026
Cleft LipnounMWEa congenital cleft in the middle of the upper lipverifiedMay 18, 2026
Cleft PalatenounMWEa congenital fissure of the hard palateverifiedMay 18, 2026
Clegnounlarge swift fly the female of which sucks blood of various animalsverifiedMay 18, 2026
Cleggnounlarge swift fly the female of which sucks blood of various animalsverifiedMay 18, 2026
Cleistocarpnounclosed spore-bearing structure of some fungi (especially Aspergillaceae and Erysiphaceae) from which spores are released only by decay or disintegrationverifiedMay 18, 2026
Cleistogamynounthe production of small nonopening self-pollinating flowersverifiedMay 18, 2026
Cleistotheciumnounclosed spore-bearing structure of some fungi (especially Aspergillaceae and Erysiphaceae) from which spores are released only by decay or disintegrationverifiedMay 18, 2026
Clematisnounany of various ornamental climbing plants of the genus Clematis usually having showy flowersverifiedMay 18, 2026
Clemencynounleniency and compassion shown toward offenders by a person or agency charged with administering justiceverifiedMay 18, 2026
Clementinenouna variety of mandarin orange that is grown around the Mediterranean and in South AfricaverifiedMay 18, 2026
Clementine TreenounMWEa variety of mandarin orange that is grown around the Mediterranean and in South AfricaverifiedMay 18, 2026
Clenched FistnounMWEa hand with the fingers clenched in the palm (as for hitting)verifiedMay 18, 2026
Cleomenounany of various often strong-smelling plants of the genus Cleome having showy spider-shaped flowersverifiedMay 18, 2026
Clepsydranounclock that measures time by the escape of waterverifiedMay 18, 2026
Clerestorynounpart of an interior wall rising above the adjacent roof with windows admitting lightverifiedMay 18, 2026
Clergynounin Christianity, clergymen collectively (as distinguished from the laity)verifiedMay 18, 2026
Clergymannouna member of the clergy and a spiritual leader of the Christian ChurchverifiedMay 18, 2026
Clericnouna clergyman or other person in religious ordersverifiedMay 18, 2026
Clerical CollarnounMWEa stiff white collar with no opening in the frontverifiedMay 18, 2026
Clericalismnouna policy of supporting the influence and power of the clergy in secular or political mattersverifiedMay 18, 2026
Clericalistnounone who advocates clericalismverifiedMay 18, 2026
Cleridnounpredacious on other insectsverifiedMay 18, 2026
Clerid BeetlenounMWEpredacious on other insectsverifiedMay 18, 2026
Clerihewnouna witty satiric verse containing two rhymed couplets and mentioning a famous personverifiedMay 18, 2026
Clerisynounan educated and intellectual eliteverifiedMay 18, 2026
Clerkingnounthe activity of recording business transactionsverifiedMay 18, 2026
Clerkshipnounthe job of clerkverifiedMay 18, 2026
Clever ClogsnounMWEan intellectual who is ostentatiously and irritatingly knowledgeableverifiedMay 18, 2026
Clever DicknounMWEan intellectual who is ostentatiously and irritatingly knowledgeableverifiedMay 18, 2026
Clevernessnounintelligence as manifested in being quick and wittyverifiedMay 18, 2026
Clevisnouna coupler shaped like the letter U with holes through each end so a bolt or pin can pass through the holes to complete the couplingverifiedMay 18, 2026
Clewsnounthe cords used to suspend a hammockverifiedMay 18, 2026
Clianthusnounany of various shrubs or vines of the genus Clianthus having compound leaves and pea-like red flowers in drooping racemesverifiedMay 18, 2026
Clichenouna trite or obvious remarkverifiedMay 18, 2026
Click BeetlenounMWEable to right itself when on its back by flipping into the air with a clicking soundverifiedMay 18, 2026
Click-Clacknouna succession of clicksverifiedMay 18, 2026
Clickety-Clacknouna fast and rhythmic click-clackverifiedMay 18, 2026
Clickety-Clicknouna fast and rhythmic click-clackverifiedMay 18, 2026
ClientnounIndividual or process acting on behalf of an individual who makes requests of a guard or dedicated server. The client’s requests to the guard or dedicated server can involve data transfer to, from, or through the guard or dedicated server.SystemMay 9, 2026
Client ApplicationnounMWEA system entity, usually a computer process acting on behalf of a human user, that makes use of a service provided by a server.SystemMay 9, 2026
Client-Centered TherapynounMWEa method of psychotherapy developed by Carl Rogers in which the client determines the focus and pace of each sessionverifiedMay 18, 2026
Clientagenounrelation of a client to a patronverifiedMay 18, 2026
Clientelenouncustomers collectivelyverifiedMay 18, 2026
Cliffnouna steep high face of rockverifiedMay 18, 2026
Cliff BrakenounMWEany of several small lithophytic ferns of tropical and warm temperate regionsverifiedMay 18, 2026
Cliff DivingnounMWEdiving into the water from a steep overhanging cliffverifiedMay 18, 2026
Cliff DwellernounMWEa member of the Anasazi people living in the southwestern United States who built rock or adobe dwellings on ledges in the sides of cavesverifiedMay 18, 2026
Cliff DwellingnounMWEa rock and adobe dwelling built on sheltered ledges in the sides of a cliffverifiedMay 18, 2026
Cliff PenstemonnounMWEone of the West's most beautiful wildflowersverifiedMay 18, 2026
Cliff RosenounMWEtufted thrift of seacoasts and mountains of north temperate zoneverifiedMay 18, 2026
Cliff SwallownounMWENorth American swallow that lives in colonies and builds bottle-shaped mud nests on cliffs and wallsverifiedMay 18, 2026
Cliffhangernouna contest whose outcome is uncertain up to the very endverifiedMay 18, 2026
Climactericnounthe time in a woman's life in which the menstrual cycle endsverifiedMay 18, 2026
Climatenounthe weather in some location averaged over some long period of timeverifiedMay 18, 2026
Climate ChangenounMWEa change in the world's climateverifiedMay 18, 2026
Climatic ZonenounMWEany of the geographical zones loosely divided according to prevailing climate and latitudeverifiedMay 18, 2026
Climatologistnounsomeone who is expert in climatologyverifiedMay 18, 2026
Climatologynounmeteorology of climates and their phenomenaverifiedMay 18, 2026
Climb-Downnouna retraction of a previously held positionverifiedMay 18, 2026
Climbernounan iron spike attached to the shoe to prevent slipping on ice when walking or climbingverifiedMay 18, 2026
Climbingnounan event that involves rising to a higher point (as in altitude or temperature or intensity etc.)verifiedMay 18, 2026
Climbing Bird's Nest FernnounMWEtropical Africa to Australasia and PolynesiaverifiedMay 18, 2026
Climbing BittersweetnounMWEtwining shrub of North America having yellow capsules enclosing scarlet seedsverifiedMay 18, 2026
Climbing BonesetnounMWEherb of tropical America having vanilla-scented flowersverifiedMay 18, 2026
Climbing CorydalisnounMWEannual vine with decompound leaves and racemes of yellow and pink flowersverifiedMay 18, 2026
Climbing FernnounMWEany of several ferns of the genus Lygodium that climb by twiningverifiedMay 18, 2026
Climbing FramenounMWEa framework of bars or logs for children to climb onverifiedMay 18, 2026
Climbing Hemp-VinenounMWEherb of tropical America having vanilla-scented flowersverifiedMay 18, 2026
Climbing HempweednounMWEherb of tropical America having vanilla-scented flowersverifiedMay 18, 2026
Climbing HydrangeanounMWEclimbing shrub with adhesive aerial roots having opposite leaves and small white flowers in terminal cymesverifiedMay 18, 2026
Climbing IronnounMWEan iron spike attached to the shoe to prevent slipping on ice when walking or climbingverifiedMay 18, 2026
Climbing LilynounMWEany plant of the genus Gloriosa of tropical Africa and AsiaverifiedMay 18, 2026
Climbing MaidenhairnounMWEtropical fern widespread in Old WorldverifiedMay 18, 2026
Climbing Maidenhair FernnounMWEtropical fern widespread in Old WorldverifiedMay 18, 2026
Climbing NightshadenounMWEpoisonous perennial Old World vine having violet flowers and oval coral-red berriesverifiedMay 18, 2026
Climbing OnionnounMWEmuch-branched leafless twining South African herb cultivated as an ornamental for its bright green stems growing from large aboveground bulbsverifiedMay 18, 2026
Climbing PerchnounMWEa small perch of India whose gills are modified to allow it to breathe airverifiedMay 18, 2026
Climbing SalamandernounMWEany of several North American salamanders adapted for climbing with well-developed limbs and long somewhat squared-off toesverifiedMay 18, 2026