CWL Infrequent C

calorimetric

adj/ TkalErDSmetrik /(L + Gk) > F of or relating to the measurement of quantities of heat. The lab manual explained how to make a calorimetric device using two Styrofoam cups and a thermometer.

calcaneal

adjective \(ˈ)kal-¦kā-nē-əl\ also cal·ca·ne·an \(ˈ)kal-¦kā-nē-ən\ (audio pronunciation) 1 : relating to the heel 2 : relating to the calcaneus Origin of CALCANEAL[+] Late Latin calcaneus heel + English -al or -an First Known Use: circa 1849 (sense 1)

calciferous

adjective \(ˈ)kal-¦si-f(ə-)rəs\ 1 : bearing, producing, or containing calcium, calcium carbonate, or calcite 2 capitalized [so called from its calciferous sandstone] geology : of or relating to a subdivision of the Ordovician in New York and elsewhere Origin of CALCIFEROUS[+] calc- + -ferous First Known Use: 1799 (sense 1)

caducicorn

adjective \ke d(y)use korn\ : having deciduous horns <caducicorn deer> Origin of CADUCICORN[+] caduci- (from Latin caducus falling) + -corn First Known Use: circa 1895

cadential

adjective \kā-ˈden(t)-shəl\ : of or relating to a cadence <the cadential harmonies> Origin of CADENTIAL[+] from 1cadence, after such pairs as English essence: essential First Known Use: 1806

cadastral

adjective \kə-ˈda-strəl\ 1 : of or relating to the records of a cadastre : concerned with assembling or keeping the records necessary to a cadastre 2 of a map or survey : showing or recording property boundaries, subdivision lines, buildings, and other details — ca·das·tral·ly adverb Origin of CADASTRAL[+] French, from cadastre + -al First Known Use: 1819 (sense 1)

canicular

adjective \kə-ˈni-kyə-lər\ 1 : immediately preceding and following the heliacal rising of the Dog Star <the days canicular — Edith Sitwell> 2 : of or relating to the dog days <the canicular heat of the Deep South> Origin of CANICULAR[+] Middle English, from Late Latin canicularis, from canicula Sirius, literally, small bitch, diminutive of canis dog — more at hound First Known Use: 12th century (sense 1)

capriciously

adjective \kə-ˈpri-shəs, -ˈprē- also ka-\ 1 : marked or guided by caprice : given to changes of interest or attitude according to whims or passing fancies : not guided by steady judgment, intent, or purpose < ... he judged her to be capricious and easily wearied of the pleasure of the moment. — Edith Wharton, The Age of Innocence, 1920><the editing of these papers is so capricious and so wholly without any consistent and discriminating standards — Conrad Aiken> 2 : lacking a standard or norm : marked by unpredictable variation or irregularity : CHANGEABLE, ERRATIC <capricious winds><the revenue of government from the taxes was not regular but capricious and exceptional — Hilaire Belloc><the demand for fur felt provided a steadier, less capricious market — D. G. Creighton> — ca·pri·cious·ly adverb <This removes the power of a prime minister to call an election whenever he wants to, for party advantage, a power that has been exercised capriciously. — Bernard Bergonzi, Commonweal, 4 June 2010> — ca·pri·cious·ness noun <They had had enough of John's faithlessness, his capriciousness, his tall talk, his reckless passions. — Amy Kelly, Eleanor of Aquitaine and the Four Kings, 1950> Origin of CAPRICIOUS[+] Italian capriccioso First Known Use: 1601 (sense 1)

camphoraceous

adjective \¦kam(p)-fə-¦rā-shəs\ : being or having the properties of camphor <camphoraceous odor> Origin of CAMPHORACEOUS[+] camphor + -aceous

Cantonese

adjective \¦kan-tə-¦nēz, -¦nēs\ : of or relating to Canton (Guangzhou), China, its inhabitants, or their dialect Origin of CANTONESE[+] Canton, China + English -ese

capillaceous

adjective \¦kapə¦lāshəs\ 1 : having filaments <a capilla ceous leaf> 2 : like a hair Origin of CAPILLA CEOUS[+] Latin capillaceus, from capillus hair + -aceus -aceous

carcinolytic

adjective \¦kärsənō¦litik\ : destructive of cancer cells Origin of CARCINOLYTIC[+] International Scientific Vocabulary carcin- + -lytic; probably originally formed as German karzinolytisch

candied

adjective \ˈkan-dēd\ 1 : encrusted or coated with sugar or with a sugarlike or candylike substance <candied fruits> 2 : cooked especially by baking with sugar or syrup until translucent <candied sweet potatoes> Origin of CANDIED[+] from past participle of candy First Known Use: 1577 (sense 1)

candid

adjective \ˈkan-dəd\ 1 a : marked by honest, sincere expression <a candid discussion>: uttered or given out honestly and openly <to tell you my private and candid opinion ... I think he's a man from the other camp — James Joyce> b : indicating or suggesting sincere honesty and absence of deception and duplicity <her candid face><his candid eyes took on an expression of genuine sympathy — Archibald Marshall> c : performed, expressed, or acknowledged without concealment or reservation <her eyes burning with a candid excitement — Edith Wharton> d : disposed to criticize severely : BLUNT, FORTHRIGHT 1 <as a leader ... I have never lacked candid critics in my own ranks — Clement Attlee> Origin of CANDID[+] French & Latin; French candide, from Latin candidus white, bright, from candēre to shine, be white; akin to Late Greek kandaros ember, Sanskrit candra shining, moon First Known Use: 1606 (sense 4a)

canned

adjective \ˈkand\ 1 : sealed in cans usually after sterilization and especially for commerce <canned peaches> 2 : transcribed (as on a phonograph record or magnetic tape) for reproduction especially over a radio or television system <his major points were that live TV had spontaneity and topicality that canned shows did not have — F. N. Karmatz> 3 a : prepared in identical form for wide or repeated use : SYNDICATED <canned editorials for country newspapers> b : having a stereotyped cast : HACKNEYED, CUT-AND-DRIED <the salesman's canned phrases> 4 slang : DRUNK First Known Use of CANNED[+] 1859 (sense 1)

cankerous

adjective \ˈkaŋ-k(ə-)rəs\ 1 a obsolete : having the effect of a spreading sore b : eating into and corrupting the flesh 2 : that spreads corruption of mind or spirit <his firmness of mind soon relapsed into a cankerous intolerance — Maurice Cranston> 3 : affected with or caused by canker <a cankerous stem disease>

careful

adjective \ˈker-fəl\ sometimes care·ful·ler sometimes care·ful·lest 1 archaic a : full of care : SOLICITOUS, TROUBLED <be careful for nothing — Philippians 4:6 (Authorized Version)> b : filling with care or solicitude : causing or exposing to concern, anxiety, or trouble <by Him that raised me to this careful height — Shakespeare> 2 : exercising thoughtful supervision or making solicitous provision : taking good care — usually used with for or of <careful of a child's welfare> 3 : marked by care: such as a : marked by attentive concern and solicitude <a sad accident! He will need very careful watching — Bram Stoker> b : marked by wary caution or prudence <be very careful of the moving blades><the perpetual fear which prompts careful stepping — Herbert Spencer> c : marked by painstaking effort to avoid errors or omissions <a careful, sober, and accurate description of the events><careful of detail, laborious, methodical — J. R. Green>— often used with of or with an infinitive <careful of money><careful to adjust the machine> Origin of CAREFUL[+] Middle English, from Old English carful, cearful, from caru, cearu care + ful or full full — more at care, full First Known Use: before 12th century (sense 1)

cariostatic

adjective \¦ka(a)rēō+\ : tending to inhibit the formation of dental caries <the cariostatic action of fluorides> Origin of CARIOSTATIC cario- + static

carious

adjective \ˈker-ē-əs\ 1 : relating to or affected with caries <a carious tooth> 2 : rotting, decaying <carious timbers> Origin of CARIOUS Latin cariosus, from caries decay + -osus -ous — more at caries First Known Use: 1676 (sense 1)

carsick

adjective \ˈkär-ˌsik\ : affected with car sickness First Known Use of CARSICK 1908

carty

adjective \ˈkärtē\ inflected form(s): -er/-est : resembling a cart horse

cadences

n pl/ SkCdFn(t)sDz /L > It > E the modulated and rhythmic recurrences of any sound, especially the sounds of nature. Mary whispered in Jean's ear so quietly that her words sounded merely like broken cadences of breathing.

cannoli

n pl/ kESnPlG /L > It tubes of pastry fried in deep fat and filled with a sweetened mixture of ricotta cheese, cream, and flavoring. Aunt Carla's cannoli are so good that an Italian restaurant offered to buy her recipe.

car

n/ SkBr /L > G or D > E [Note: The definition provided is not the one most commonly associated with this word.] a large live-box for keeping fish or lobsters alive. Sherman tossed the lobster into the car and continued fishing.

carbide

n/ SkBrTbId /L + ISVcf a binary compound of carbon with a more electropositive element. Carbon combines with metals to form several kinds of carbide, some of which are used in metal-cutting tools.

carstone

n/ SkBrTstPn /E a firmly cemented ferruginous sandstone found in the British isles. Carstone, once a traditional English building material, is now used largely for constructional fill.

carga

n/ SkBrgE /Sp a unit of weight usually of a value about equal to 300 pounds used in Mexico and certain other Spanish- American countries. Juan ordered a carga of rice from his vendor.

cartload

n/ SkBrtTlPd /ON > E + E one third of a cubic yard (as of dirt). Every spring, Glennis goes to the tree nursery and buys a cartload of dirt for her garden.

caller

n/ SkOlE(r) /ON > E [Note: The definition provided is not the one most commonly associated with this word. In addition, word has near homonym: collar.] one that makes the calls for a square dance. Don is the senior square dance club's favorite caller.

cack

n/ Skak /unknown a baby's heelless shoe with a soft leather sole. The shoe clerk recommended a size 3 cack for Amanda's three-month old boy.

Camelot

n/ SkamETlBt /E name a time, place, or atmosphere of idyllic happiness. The assassination of President Kennedy is sometimes referred to as "the end of Camelot."

camcorder

n/ SkamTkO(r)dE(r) /L > E + L > E a small portable videocassette camera and recorder combined. Jessica borrowed her neighbor's camcorder to make a tape for her parents.

cancan

n/ SkanTkan /F a woman's dance of French origin characterized by high kicking usually while holding up the front of a full ruffled skirt. There used to be many clubs in Paris where the cancan was performed.

cantatrice

n/ TkBntEStrGchG /L > It > F [Note: One of plural forms is pronounced similarly.] a woman singer; especially : an opera singer. The cantatrice sang most poignantly when she bid goodbye in her death scene.

Callisaurus

n/ TkalESsOrEs /Gk a small genus of lizards (family Iguanidae). The gridiron-tailed lizard is a member of the genus Callisaurus living in the southwestern United States.

calash

n/ kESlash /Czech > G > F a large hood worn by women in the 18th century. Priscilla's calash was made of green silk and was supported by whalebone hoops.

camisa

n/ kESmGsE /Gmc > L > Sp a woman's embroidered blouse with loose sleeves. Jeri practiced her Spanish while bargaining for a colorful camisa.

Calinago

n/ kalESnB(T)gP /Carib > Sp a native of the Lesser Antilles. The guide for the couple's island tour was a Calinago.

calzone

n/ kalSzPn /L > It a baked or fried turnover of pizza dough stuffed with various fillings usually including cheese. Jenna's calzone was so large that it nearly covered the entire plate.

caoutchouc

noun \()kau-chul-chük, -¦chü\ plural -s : 1RUBBER 2a Origin of CAOUTCHOUC[+] French, from obsolete Spanish cauchuc (now caucho), from Quechua cauchu, caucho, cauchuc First Known Use: 1775

campaigner

noun \(ˌ)kam-ˈpā-nər\ plural -s 1 : one that goes on, engages in, or conducts a campaign <an effective campaigner for slum clearance> 2 : one that has taken part in many campaigns; especially : a veteran in any field or vocation <that stout, battle-scarred old campaigner — Frank Yerby>

calyculus

noun \-ləs\ plural calycu·li \-ˌlī, -ē\ : a small cup-shaped structure (as a taste bud, an optic cup, or a cavity of a coral containing a polyp) Origin of CALYCULUS[+] New Latin, modification (influenced by English calycle and Latin calyculus small flower bud, calyx) of England calicle, from Latin caliculus small cup, diminutive of calic-, calix cup — more at chalice

cambistry

noun \-trē\ plural -es : the science of exchange especially in its international aspects Origin of CAMBISTRY[+] cambist + -ry

californium

noun \ka-le-for-nē-əm, -nyəm\ plural -s : a radioactive element discovered by bombarding curium 242 with alpha particles — symbol Cf — see ELEMENT TABLE Origin of CALIFORNIUM[+] New Latin, from California + New Latin -ium First Known Use: 1950

cafard

noun \kafar\ plural -s : severe depression or apathy — used especially of white people in the tropics Origin of CAFARD[+] French, literally, cockroach, from Middle French, cockroach, hypocrite, modification of Arabic kāfir infidel — more at kaffir First Known Use: 1915

camptocormia

noun \kam{p}te kormēə\ plural -s : a condition marked by forward bending of the trunk and sometimes accompanied by lumbar pain Origin of CAMPTOCORMIA[+] New Latin, from campto- + -cormia (from Greek kormos tree trunk + New Latin -ia) — more at cormus

captivity

noun \kap-ˈti-və-tē\ plural -es 1 a : state or condition of being held captive especially in war : subjection to a captor <troops remaining in captivity years after the war> b : state of being kept caged or fenced in <some birds thrive in captivity> 2 : domination by or subjection to another : oppressive control by another <the captivity of science and invention by business — W. H. Hamilton> 3 archaic : a group of captives <they delivered up the whole captivity to Edom — Amos 1:9 (Authorized Version)> Origin of CAPTIVITY[+] Middle English captivite, from Middle French captivité, from Latin captivitas, from captivus captive + -itas -ity First Known Use: 14th century (sense 1a)

cacholong

noun \kasha lon\ plural -s : an opaque bluish white or pale yellow variety of opal containing a little alumina Origin of CACHOLONG[+] French, probably from a native name in Kalmuck, U.S.S.R. First Known Use: 1788

cairngorm

noun \kem gorm\ or cairngorm stone plural -s 1 : SMOKY QUARTZ 2 : a light-colored, usually yellowish smoky quartz that is used as a gemstone Origin of CAIRNGORM[+] from Cairngorm, mountain in Scotland, its locality First Known Use: 1794 (sense 2)

cahier

noun \kä-ˈyā, kī-ˈā\ plural -s 1 : a report or memorial embodying resolutions or instructions concerning policy especially of a parliamentary body; specifically : one of the memorials prepared by the French States-General before the revolution of 1789 2 : a number of sheets of paper put together for binding or bound loosely together to form a notebook or pamphlet Origin of CAHIER[+] French, signature (section of a bound book), written statement presented to the sovereign by a representative body of the state, from Latin quaterni four each, by fours — more at quire First Known Use: 1789 (sense 1)

caboodle

noun \kə-ˈbü-dəl\ plural -s slang : COLLECTION, LOT — often used with whole <sell the whole caboodle> —compare BOODLE 1, 1KIT 3 Origin of CABOODLE[+] probably from ca- (alteration or earlier spelling of ker-) + boodle First Known Use: 1848

capacitance

noun \kə-ˈpa-sə-tən(t)s\ plural -s 1 : the property of an electric nonconductor that permits the storage of energy as a result of electric displacement when opposite surfaces of the nonconductor are maintained at a difference of potential (as in a capacitor), its measure being the ratio of the charge on either surface to the potential difference between the surfaces and its value for a capacitor being the sum of the combined values of its several dielectric plates — called also CAPACITY 2 : a part of a circuit or network that possesses capacitance Origin of CAPACITANCE[+] 1capacity + -ance First Known Use: 1892 (sense 1)

caciquism

noun \kə-ˈsē-ˌki-zəm\ plural -s : domination by caciques <economic and administrative caciquism — C. A. Buss> Origin of CACIQUISM[+] Spanish caciquismo, from cacique + -ismo -ism First Known Use: 1887

calamander

noun \¦ka-lə-¦man-dər\ or calamander wood plural -s : the wood of any of several East Indian trees of the genus Diospyros (especially D. quaesita) colored a mottled hazel brown striped with black and used in furniture manufacturing Origin of CALAMANDER[+] probably from Dutch kalamander- (in kalamanderhout calamander wood), perhaps modification of Coromandel (in Coromandel Coast, southeast India) First Known Use: 1804

camporee

noun \¦kam-pə-¦rē\ plural -s : a gathering of boy scouts or girl scouts especially from a given geographic area, usually in a camp, for purposes of contests or exhibitions in scoutcraft or campcraft — compare JAMBOREE Origin of CAMPOREE[+] 1camp + jamboree First Known Use: 1927

camouflet

noun \¦kamə¦flā\ plural -s 1 : a mine so charged and placed that its detonation will destroy enemy mining tunnels 2 a : an underground or subsurface explosion of a bomb or shell that leaves a sealed pocket of smoke and gas b : a pocket formed in this way Origin of CAMOUFLET[+] French, literally, smoke blown into a sleeper's face from lighted paper

carbonnade

noun \¦kär-bə-¦näd\ also car·bon·ade plural -s : a beef stew cooked in beer Origin of CARBONNADE[+] French, literally, grilled meat, from Italian carbonata, from carbone charcoal, coal (from Latin carbon-, carbo) + -ata -ade First Known Use: 1877

cablese

noun \¦kābə¦lēz, -ēs\ plural -s : the language of a cablegram or language resembling that of a cablegram characterized by the omission of connectives and by the use of special combinations, abbreviations, and code symbols <in my memorandum book wrote a reminder in cablese, "Uplook kids" — W. L. White> Origin of CABLESE[+] 1cable + -ese First Known Use: 1938

cabin

noun \ˈka-bən\ plural -s 1 obsolete a : a prison or convent cell b : an individual study cubicle 2 a : a small room on a ship providing private accommodations for one or a few persons — see CABIN CLASS b : a compartment below deck for passengers or crew on a small boat c : a closed airplane compartment for cargo, crew, or passengers d : the crew compartment of an exploratory vehicle (such as a spacecraft) Origin of CABIN[+] Middle English cabane, from Middle French, from Old Provençal cabana, from Medieval Latin capanna First Known Use: 14th century (sense 2)

caddisworm

noun \ˈka-dəs-ˌwərm\ : the wormlike aquatic larva of a caddis fly that is often used as bait and lives in and carries around a cylindrical sometimes spiral case of silk covered externally with pieces of shell, fine gravel, wood, or straw Illustration of CADDISWORM[+] Origin of CADDISWORM[+] probably alteration of obsolete cadworm, alteration of codworm First Known Use: 1622

calories

noun \ˈka-lə-rē, ˈkal-rē\ also cal·o·ry plural cal·o·ries : any of several thermal units: a : the amount of heat required at a pressure of one atmosphere to raise the temperature of one gram of water one degree centigrade especially from 15° to 16° — abbreviation cal — called also GRAM CALORIE, SMALL CALORIE b capitalized (1) : the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one kilogram of water one degree centigrade : 1000 gram calories or 3.968 Btu — abbreviation Cal — called also KILOGRAM CALORIE, LARGE CALORIE (2) : a unit expressing a heat-producing or energy-producing value in food that when oxidized in the body is capable of releasing one large calorie of energy (3) : an amount of food (as in a diet) having an energy-producing value of one large calorie c : 1/100 of the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one gram of water from 0° to 100° C — called also MEAN CALORIE Origin of CALORIE[+] borrowed from French calorie, probably derivative of calorique 1caloric, by analogy with dynamique 2dynamic and dynamie "force required to raise one kilogram to the height of one meter" (from Greek dýnamis "force, power" + French -ie 2-y

calotype

noun \ˈka-lə-ˌtīp\ plural -s 1 : an early photographic-negative process in which paper is sensitized with silver iodide, brushed over with a solution of silver nitrate and acetic and gallic acids, and after exposure developed in a gallic acid-silver nitrate solution 2 : a positive print made from a calotype negative — cal·o·typ·ic \¦ka-lə-¦ti-pik\ adjective — cal·o·typ·ist \ˈka-lə-ˌtī-pist\ noun, plural -s Origin of CALOTYPE[+] calo- + type First Known Use: 1845 (sense 1)

camelback

noun \ˈka-məl-ˌbak\ 1 : the back of a camel <crossed the desert on camelback> 2 : a back (as of a dog) that is slightly curved upward : ROACH BACK — opposed to swayback 3 or camelback locomotive : a steam locomotive with the cab astride the boiler 4 or camelback house : a house one story high at the front and two stories high in the rear 5 [so called from the shape of one kind of retread made with it] : an uncured compound of rubber made chiefly of reclaimed or synthetic rubber and used for retreading or recapping pneumatic tires First Known Use of CAMELBACK[+] 1860 (sense 1)

camel

noun \ˈka-məl\ plural -s 1 a : either of two large ruminant mammals used as draft and saddle animals in desert regions especially of Africa and Asia and peculiarly adapted to desert life in their ability to live on tough thorny plants, in their capacity to conserve water in the body, and in their highly modified feet with broad thick calloused soles and small hoofs situated at the end of the toes: (1) : the Arabian camel (Camelus dromedarius) with a single large hump on the back : DROMEDARY (2) : the Bactrian camel (C. bactrianus) with two humps b : any member of the family Camelidae 2 : a watertight structure (as a large box or cylinder) used especially to lift submerged ships by being sunk, attached to the object to be raised, and then pumped free of water 3 a : a variable color averaging a light yellowish brown that is slightly redder and very slightly less strong than khaki, yellower and less strong than cinnamon, and yellower and duller than walnut brown b : a brownish gray that is lighter than average chocolate, redder, lighter, and stronger than taupe (see TAUPE 1) or castor, and redder than mouse gray 4 : a wooden float used as a fender especially to fend ships off piers Illustration of CAMEL[+] Origin of CAMEL[+] Middle English camel (from Old English & Old North French) & chamel, from Old French; all from Latin camelus, from Greek kamēlos, of Semitic origin; akin to Hebrew & Phoenician gāmāl camel, Arabic jamal First Known Use: before 12th century (sense 1a)

cannery

noun \ˈka-nə-rē\ plural -es : a factory or other place for the canning of foods First Known Use of CANNERY[+] 1864

cabdriver

noun \ˈkab-ˌdrī-vər\ : a driver of a taxicab or a horse-drawn cab First Known Use of CABDRIVER[+] 1825

cadmium

noun \ˈkad-mē-əm\ plural -s : a tin-white malleable ductile toxic bivalent metallic element capable of a high polish and emitting a crackling sound when bent, occurring in greenockite and also in small amounts in ores of zinc from which it is separated as a by-product, and used chiefly in the protective electroplating of iron and steel and in the manufacture of bearing metals — symbol Cd — see ELEMENT TABLE Origin of CADMIUM[+] New Latin, from Latin cadmia calamine (from Greek kadmeia, from feminine of Kadmeios Cadmean) + New Latin -ium; from the occurrence of its ores together with calamine First Known Use: 1818

caftan

noun \ˈkaf-(ˌ)tan, -tən, kaf-ˈtan\ plural -s : an ankle-length coatlike garment, usually of cotton or silk, often striped, with very long sleeves and a sash fastening, common throughout the Levant Origin of CAFTAN[+] Russian kaftan, from Turkish, from Persian qaftān First Known Use: 1591

calfskin

noun \ˈkaf-ˌskin, ˈkäf-, dialectally also ˈkāf-\ plural -s : leather made of the skin of a calf First Known Use of CALFSKIN[+] 15th century

calligram

noun \ˈkaləˌgram\ plural -s : a design in which the letters of a word (such as a name) are rearranged so as to form a decorative pattern or figure (as for a seal) — compare MONOGRAM Origin of CALLIGRAM[+] calli- + -gram First Known Use: 1923

camshaft

noun \ˈkam-ˌshaft\ plural -s : a shaft to which a cam is fastened or of which a cam forms an integral part Origin of CAMSHAFT[+] 4cam + shaft First Known Use: 1847

campfire

noun \ˈkamp-ˌfīr, -ˌfī-ər\ plural -s 1 : a fire usually built outdoors (as in a camp or on a picnic) for cooking, heat, or illumination; especially : such a fire designed to serve as the focal point of a social gathering <his conduct was the one topic of discussion around campfires — W. E. Woodward> 2 : a social gathering of the members of a lodge or local chapter of a society or league <cheery campfires in the hall of George H. Thomas post — Meredith Nicholson> First Known Use of CAMPFIRE[+] 1675 (sense 1)

campsite

noun \ˈkamp-ˌsīt\ : a place suitable for or used as the site of a camp Origin of CAMPSITE[+] camp + site First Known Use: 1850

canvasback

noun \ˈkan-vəs-ˌbak\ also canvasback duck : a North American wild duck (Aythya valisineria) formerly abundant in Chesapeake Bay and somewhat resembling the redhead in plumage but differing in the longer deeper bill and in the duller reddish brown head of the male which has the back finely vermiculated with gray and white Origin of CANVASBACK[+] so called from its color First Known Use: 1782

capsicum

noun \ˈkap-si-kəm\ 1 capitalized : a genus of chiefly tropical perennial shrubby plants (family Solanaceae) that are widely grown as annuals for their fruits which under cultivation occur as many-seeded berries with a thickened usually fleshy integument and vary greatly in size, shape, color, and pungency — see CAYENNE PEPPER, HOT PEPPER, SWEET PEPPER 2 plural -s : any plant of the genus Capsicum 3 -s : the dried-ripe fruit of any of certain plants of the genus Capsicum (especially C. frutescens) containing capsaicin and used as a gastric and intestinal stimulant and as a rubefacient

captive

noun \ˈkap-tiv\ plural -s 1 : one captured : PRISONER : one taken and held usually in confinement and especially by an enemy in war 2 : one captivated, dominated, or controlled <a captive to love><the politician seemed a captive of hidden interests> Origin of CAPTIVE[+] Middle English, from Latin captivus, from captivus, adjective

canker

noun \ˈkaŋ-kər\ plural can·kers 1 a (1) : an erosive or spreading sore (2) obsolete : GANGRENE b : CANKER SORE 2 archaic : a caterpillar destructive of buds and leaves of plants 3 now dialectal a : RUST b : VERDIGRIS 3 4 a : an area of necrotic tissue in a woody stem or sometimes other plant organ caused by various agents (as fungi, bacteria, or toxic substances) and marked by shrinkage, cracking, and sloughing of tissue that leave an open wound surrounded by zones of callus often girdling and killing the affected stem b : POWDERY SCAB c : POTATO WART 5 : a center and source of spreading corruption, debasement, or enfeeblement <the metropolis was the canker of a continent and the wickedest city since Gomorrah — Herbert Asbury> 6 now dialectal : DOG ROSE 7 a : an obstinate chronic inflammation of the ear in dogs, cats, or rabbits; especially : a localized form of mange b : a chronic and progressive inflammation of the deep horn-producing tissues of the frog and sole of the hoofs of horses resulting in softening and destruction of the horny layers c : FOWL POX d : pigeon trichomoniasis Origin of CANKER[+] Middle English canker, cancre, from Old North French cancre & Old English cancer, from Latin cancer crab, cancer — more at cancer First Known Use: before 12th century (sense 1a)

carfare

noun \ˈkär-ˌfer\ plural carfares : passenger fare for a streetcar, railroad car, bus, taxi, etc. <He had better get back to Harlem. Well, he'd have to walk, for he had not enough money for carfare. Oh, perhaps he could slip into the subway as he had seen other boys do. — Richard Wright, Rite of Passage, 1994> First Known Use of CARFARE[+] 1854

carhop

noun \ˈkär-ˌhäp\ plural -s : a waiter at a drive-in who serves customers in their cars Origin of CARHOP[+] 1car + -hop (as in bellhop) First Known Use: 1923

canaanite

noun \ˈkā-nə-ˌnīt\ plural -s 1 in the Bible a : a member of a pre-Israelite people of Palestine which dwelt in the lowlands of Canaan — distinguished from Amorite b : any pre-Israelite inhabitant of Palestine : AMORITE 1b 2 a : a member of a Semitic people which settled in ancient Palestine and Syria subsequent to the Amorites, dwelt in various independent cities each of which had its separate Baal cult, and were ultimately absorbed by the Israelites and Aramaeans b : the Semitic language spoken by this people, closely allied to Phoenician, and known principally from glosses in the Tell el-ʽAmarna letters of approximately 1400 B.C. 3 : the various languages of the Canaanitic subgroup of the Semitic subfamily sometimes regarded as constituting merely dialects of a single language Origin of CANAANITE[+] Greek Kananitēs, from Kanaan, Chanaan + -itēs -ite First Known Use: 1535 (sense 1)

cage

noun \ˈkāj\ plural -s 1 : a box or enclosure having some openwork (as of wires or bars) especially for confining or carrying birds or animals 2 a : a barred cell for confining prisoners b : a strongly fenced area for prisoners of war 3 : a framework serving as support <the cage of a staircase><the steel cage of a skyscraper><the cage of a field gun> Origin of CAGE[+] Middle English, from Old French, from Latin cavea cavity, cage, from cavus hollow — more at cave First Known Use: 13th century (sense 1)

canaliculus

noun \ˌka-nə-ˈli-kyə-ləs\ plural can·a·lic·u·li \ˌka-nə-ˈli-kyə-ˌlī, -ˌlē\ (audio pronunciation) : a minute canal in a bodily structure: such as a : one of the hairlike channels ramifying an haversian system in bone and linking the lacunae with one another and with the haversian canal b : one of the narrow spaces between cells in the cell cords that make up a liver lobule Origin of CANALICULUS[+] Latin, diminutive of canalis channel — more at canal First Known Use: circa 1839

calamari

noun \ˌkä-lə-ˈmär-ē, ˈka-lə-ˌmer-ē\ plural -s : squid used as food Origin of CALAMARI[+] Italian, plural of calamaro, from Italian dialect, from Medieval Latin calamarium inkpot, pen-case, from Latin calamus reed pen; from the inky substance ejected by the squid and the shape of its shell — more at calamus First Known Use: circa 1961

cartoons

noun \(ˈ)kär-¦tün\ plural -s 1 : a preparatory design, drawing, or painting (as for a fresco, painting, mosaic, or tapestry); especially : a drawing in full size usually on paper which is traced or copied on a surface to be used for a final work <tapestry weaves that closely follow the modeling in the cartoon> 2 a : a drawing that is often symbolic and usually intended as humor, caricature, or satire and comment on public and usually political matters <a political cartoon> b : comic 3a 3 : animated cartoon 4 : a ludicrously simplistic, unrealistic, or one-dimensional portrayal or version (as of a person) : caricature <the film's villain is an entertaining cartoon> — car·toon·like \(ˈ)kär-¦tün-ˌlīk\ (audio pronunciation) or car·toon-like adjective <a cartoonlike depiction> <cartoon-like characters> <The picture is almost cartoonlike. The man is rather large and is seated in regal splendor, holding a quill in one hand, a tablet in the other. — Amy Tan, The Kitchen God's Wife, 1991> Origin of CARTOON Italian cartone pasteboard, cartoon, augmentative of carta card — more at card First Known Use: 1671 (sense 1)

carnation

noun \kär-ˈnā-shən\ plural -s 1 a : the variable color of the skin of white people averaging the color seed pearl b : carnation red 2 : any of the numerous cultivated usually double-flowered varieties of the clove pink (Dianthus caryophyllus) originally flesh-colored but now found in many color variations — compare 2bizarre, 2flake 3, picotee, pink 3 : pride of barbados Origin of CARNATION Middle French, color or complexion of a person, from Old Italian carnagione, from carne flesh, from Latin carn-, caro — more at carnal First Known Use: circa 1535 (sense 1a)

carnelian

noun \kär-ˈnēl-yən\ plural -s 1 : a chalcedony that has a clear deep red, flesh red, or reddish white color, that polishes well, and that being hard and tough is much used for seals 2 : copper 5a Origin of CARNELIAN alteration (probably influenced by Latin carn-, caro flesh) of cornelian; from its flesh-red color First Known Use: 1695 (sense 1)

carphology

noun \kärˈfäləjē\ also car·pho·lo·gia \ˌkärfəˈlōj(ē)ə\ plural carphologies also carphologi·as : an aimless semiconscious plucking at the bedclothes observed in conditions of exhaustion or stupor or in high fevers Origin of CARPHOLOGY New Latin carphologia, from Late Latin, twitching of blankets, picking of straws from mud walls, from Greek karphologia, from karphos dry stalk, stick + -logia gathering — more at -logy

carouse

noun \kə-ˈrau̇z\ plural -s 1 archaic : a large draft of liquor : a cupful drunk up : toast <drank a deep carouse to the queen's health — John Milton> 2 : a drinking bout : a drunken revel <drowning care in a perpetual carouse — R. L. Stevenson> Origin of CAROUSE Middle French carrousse, carroux, from carous, carroux, adverb, all out (in boire carous to empty the cup), modification of German garaus (in garaus trinken to empty the cup), from gar quite, entirely (from Old High German garo, from garo, adjective, ready, complete) + aus out (from Old High German ūz) — more at yare, out

caroche

noun \kə-ˈrōch, -ˈrōsh\ plural -s : a luxurious or stately carriage for persons Origin of CAROCHE Middle French carroche, from Old Italian carroccio, augmentative of carro vehicle, from Latin carrus — more at car

carroccio

noun \kəˈrȯ(ˌ)chō, -ȯchēˌō\ plural carroc·ci \-ȯ(ˌ)chē\ : a large wheeled vehicle bearing a standard and used in medieval times especially by Italian free cities to serve as a rallying point for an army in battle Origin of CARROCCIO Italian — more at caroche

carrefour

noun \¦ker-ə-¦fu̇r, ¦ka-rə-\ plural -s 1 : crossroads <he was not much on maps and drove too fast to read the signs at carrefours — A. J. Liebling> 2 : square, plaza <the farmers ... preferred the open carrefour for their transactions — Thomas Hardy> Origin of CARREFOUR Middle French — more at carfour First Known Use: 15th century (sense 1)

carousal

noun \¦ker-ə-¦sel, ¦ka-rə- also-¦zel\ or car·rou·sel \¦ker-ə-¦sel, ¦ka-rə- also-¦zel\ (audio pronunciation) plural -s 1 a : a tournament in which troops of horsemen execute various evolutions (see evolution 2) b : a riding exhibition performed to music in dancelike patterns by a group on horseback 2 a : merry-go-round b : a conveyer (as for assembly-line work or distribution of something) on which objects are placed and carried around a complete circuit on a horizontal plane <the luggage carousel at an airport> c : a revolving case or tray used for storage or display Origin of CAROUSEL French carrousel, from Italian carosello tourney in which the contestants threw balls of clay at each other, probably from Italian dialect (Neapolitan) carusello ball of clay, from caruso shorn head, boy

carrier

noun \ˈker-ē-ər, ˈka-rē-\ plural -s 1 : one that carries : bearer, messenger <the air is but ... a carrier of the sounds — Francis Bacon> 2 a : an individual, partnership, corporation, or any organization engaged in transporting passengers or goods for hire by land, water, or air; specifically : common carrier b : a transportation line holding a government contract for carrying mail between post offices c : a postal employee who delivers or collects mail <a rural carrier> d : a worker who transfers materials, equipment, or products from one part of an establishment to another — called also distributor e : one that delivers newspapers to subscribers on a specified route — called also newsboy f : an entity (such as a hole or an electron) capable of carrying an electric charge Origin of CARRIER Middle English cariere, from carien to carry + -ere -er First Known Use: 14th century (sense 1)

cabbage

noun, often attributive \ˈka-bij\ plural -s 1 : a leafy garden plant (Brassica oleracea capitata) derived from a wild European plant (B. oleracea) and distinguished by a short stem upon which is crowded a mass of leaves usually green but in some varieties red or purplish forming a dense globular head that is used as a vegetable 2 : a terminal bud of certain palm trees that resembles a head of cabbage and is eaten as a vegetable 3 : CABBAGE PALMETTO <cabbage woods> 4 slang : paper money or banknotes <As a nation, we still like cold, hard cabbage. — Wendy Taylor et al., PC Computing, October 1996> — cab·bage-like also cab·bage·like \ˈka-bij-ˌlīk\ (AUDIO PRONUNCIATION) adjective <cabbage-like leaves><a mild cabbage-like flavor> Origin of CABBAGE[+] Middle English caboche, from Old North French, head, perhaps from boche swelling, bump; akin to Old French boce bump — more at boss First Known Use: 15th century (sense 1)

canonize

transitive verb \ˈka-nə-ˌnīz\ inflected form(s): -ed/-ing/-s 1 : to declare (a deceased person) a saint : put in the catalog of saints : SAINT — compare BEATIFY 2 : to include in a canon especially of Scripture : make canonical 3 : to sanction or ratify by or as if by ecclesiastical authority 4 archaic : to make into a god or into something divine : APOTHEOSIZE 5 : to regard as sanctioned, rightly and securely established, or sacrosanct <canonized as dean of drama critics><his mother had canonized all his timidities as common sense — Scott Fitzgerald> Origin of CANONIZE[+] Middle English canonizen, from Medieval Latin canonizare, from Late Latin canon — more at canon (rule) First Known Use: 14th century (sense 1)

camber

verb \ˈkam-bər\ inflected form(s): -ed/-ing/-s intransitive verb : to bend or curve upward toward the middle transitive verb : to cut, bend, or fashion to a slight convex curve : arch slightly <above and athwartships ran a narrow platform, heavily cambered and naked to the weather — Thomas Wood †1950> Origin of CAMBER[+] French cambrer, from Middle French cambre curved First Known Use: 1627 (intransitive sense)

capsized

verb \ˈkap-ˌsīz, kap-ˈsīz\ inflected form(s): -ed/-ing/-s transitive verb 1 : to turn over; specifically : to cause to keel over or upset from a safe or accustomed level position to one involving danger or loss <capsize a canoe> 2 : COLLAPSE intransitive verb 1 : to turn over : become overturned : UPSET <the ship capsized in the storm> 2 : to fold down : COLLAPSE Origin of CAPSIZE[+] origin unknown First Known Use: 1778 (transitive sense 1)

carry

verb \ˈker-ē, ˈka-rē\ inflected form(s): -ed/-ing/-es transitive verb 1 : to move while supporting (as in a vehicle or in one's hands or arms) : move an appreciable distance without dragging : sustain as a burden or load and bring along to another place <gas, oil, water, and food [are] available at desert hamlets, but extra supplies should be carried — American Guide Series: California> <her legs refused to carry her further — Ellen Glasgow> 2 : convey <carry the news> <carry a message> take <carried his complaint to the president> Origin of CARRY Middle English carien, from Old North French carier to transport in a vehicle, from car vehicle, from Latin carrus — more at car First Known Use: 14th century (transitive sense 1)

calorimetry

noun \ˌka-lə-ˈri-mə-trē\ plural -es : measurement of quantities of heat Origin of CALORIMETRY[+] French calorimétrie, from calori- + -métrie -metry

carport

noun \ˈkär-ˌpȯrt\ : an open-sided roofed automobile shelter that is usually formed by extension of the roof from the side of a building First Known Use of CARPORT 1939