📖 C — The English dictionary · page 14

catastrophic — Everyday, meaning 1: Catastrophic means causing terrible damage, harm or suffering; a disaster.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Catastrophic is also used for something very bad or a total failure, sometimes with a joking tone.↗ Example: The flood was catastrophic for the town.↗ · A catastrophic fire destroyed the forest.↗ · Losing the map would be catastrophic for the explorers.↗ · My first try at baking bread was catastrophic!↗ · Scientists warn that some storms can be catastrophic.↗ · The bridge suffered catastrophic damage in the earthquake.↗

catastrophically — Everyday, meaning 1: In a way that causes terrible damage or disaster.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (everyday, exaggerating) Extremely badly, as when a plan goes completely wrong.↗ Example: The dam failed catastrophically and the valley flooded.↗ · Our class play went catastrophically wrong when the scenery fell down.↗ · The bridge was catastrophically damaged in the earthquake.↗ · My first try at baking bread failed catastrophically.↗ · If the ice sheets melt, sea levels could rise catastrophically.↗ · He catastrophically misjudged the jump and landed in the mud.↗ · The rocket's engine failed catastrophically just after launch.↗

catch — Everyday, meaning 1: To catch is to take and hold something that moves, like a ball or a fish.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: To catch is to get on a bus or train in time.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: To catch an illness is to get it from someone.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: To catch is to see or find someone doing something: «I caught him eating sweets».↗ Everyday, meaning 5: A catch is a hidden problem, or the fish caught.↗ Everyday, meaning 6: To catch a word or a sound means to hear or understand it, especially when it is quick or quiet.↗ Example: He caught 5 fish.↗ · She catches 3 balls out of 10.↗ · They caught 12 fish and let 4 go.↗ · How long until the bus catches up?↗ · Catch the ball with both hands!↗ · We ran to catch the bus.↗ · Wash your hands so you don't catch a cold.↗ · Paper can catch fire easily.↗ · The offer was free, but there was a catch.↗ · Let me catch my breath after running.↗ · Anon he caught the word Peter.↗ · And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in the thicket by his horns.↗ (Torah GEN.22.13, JPS 1917)↗ · that she caught him by his garment, saying: 'Lie with me.'↗ And he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out.↗ (Torah GEN.39.12, JPS 1917)↗ · If fire break out, and catch in thorns, so that the shocks of corn, or the standing corn, or the field are consumed; he that kindled the fire shall surely make restitution.↗ (Torah EXO.22.6, JPS 1917)↗ · For the LORD will be thy confidence, and will keep thy foot from being caught.↗ (Writings PRO.3.26, JPS 1917)↗ · So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face she said unto him: (Writings PRO.7.13, JPS 1917)↗ · And Joab fled unto the Tent of the LORD, and caught hold on the horns of the altar.↗ (Prophets 1KI.2.28, JPS 1917)↗

catcher — Everyday, meaning 1: A person or thing that catches something.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (baseball, softball) The player who crouches behind the batter and catches the balls the pitcher throws.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: A tool or device for catching, like a rat catcher or a dream catcher.↗ Example: The catcher signalled to the pitcher.↗ · Our catcher wears a mask and padding.↗ · I made a dream catcher in art class.↗ · The rat catcher came to the old barn.↗ · The flycatcher is a bird that catches insects in the air.↗ · He is a good catcher of a ball.↗ · Still, the dwarf did not feel quite sure that all was right, and asked what the magician wanted with a bird-catcher.↗

catchy — Everyday, meaning 1: A catchy tune, song or slogan is easy to remember and stays in your head.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (informal) Catchy can describe a name or idea that is attractive and grabs attention.↗ Example: That song is so catchy I can't stop humming it.↗ · The advert has a catchy jingle.↗ · Think of a catchy title for your poster.↗ · A catchy slogan helps people remember.↗ · The chorus is the catchiest part.↗ · Her band has a catchy name.↗

catechism — Everyday, meaning 1: (church) A summary of the main beliefs of a Christian church, set out as questions and answers, used to teach the faith.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (church) Lessons in which children or new members learn these beliefs.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: A set of questions asked one after another, like a test.↗ Example: My cousin goes to catechism class on Saturdays.↗ · The catechism asks, "Who made you?"↗ · She learned the catechism before her Confirmation.↗ · The priest taught the catechism to the children.↗ · Our church gives every family a copy of the catechism.↗ · Grandma still remembers her catechism from long ago.↗ · Mum put me through a catechism of questions about where I'd been.↗

categorical — Everyday, meaning 1: Very clear and certain, with no doubt at all («a categorical no»).↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (maths, formal) To do with categories or groups; categorical data is sorted into groups, not measured with numbers.↗ Example: The head teacher gave a categorical no to phones in class.↗ · The minister issued a categorical denial of the story.↗ · Favourite fruit is categorical data, but height is not.↗ · We sorted the categorical data into a bar chart.↗ · I can say with categorical certainty that I locked the door.↗ · Dad was categorical: no screens after eight.↗ · Eye colour is an example of categorical data.↗

category — Everyday, meaning 1: A category is a group of things or people that are alike in some way: «Put the animals into categories».↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A category is a class in a competition or list: «the under-10 category».↗ Example: Sort these shapes into two categories.↗ · Whales are in the category of mammals.↗ · She won the under-ten category in the art contest.↗ · The bar chart shows four categories of pets.↗ · Which category does a tomato belong to?↗ · We put the books into categories: fiction and non-fiction.↗ · The following are the ten categories of existence out of nothing: (Sefer Yetzirah, Kalisch 1877)↗

cater — Everyday, meaning 1: To provide food and drinks for an event, such as a party or wedding.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: To cater for (UK) / to (US): to provide what a group of people needs or wants.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: To cater to: to try too hard to please someone.↗ Example: A local bakery catered the birthday party.↗ · The camp caters for children of all ages.↗ · The menu caters to vegetarians too.↗ · We stayed in a self-catering cottage.↗ · The hotel can cater for 200 guests.↗ · Mum works in catering at the hospital.↗

caterer — Everyday, meaning 1: A person or company whose job is to provide food and drinks for events such as parties, weddings and meetings.↗ Example: The caterer brought sandwiches and cakes.↗ · We hired a caterer for the school fair.↗ · The caterer charged 12 dollars per guest.↗ · A good caterer plans for extra guests.↗ · The caterer cooked food for 100 people.↗ · My aunt is a caterer who makes wedding cakes.↗

catering — Everyday, meaning 1: Providing food and drink for an event or a group of people, as a job.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (verb form) Catering for or to: providing what a group needs or wants.↗ Example: The catering for the party was done by a local café.↗ · The school's catering staff cook lunch for 300 pupils.↗ · We stayed in self-catering cottages on holiday.↗ · This club caters for children of all ages.↗ · The menu is catering to vegetarians too.↗ · If each of 40 guests eats 3 sandwiches, the catering needs 120 sandwiches.↗

caterpillar — Everyday, meaning 1: A caterpillar is the long, soft, worm-like larva of a butterfly or moth, with many legs.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A Caterpillar track is a moving metal belt around the wheels of a tractor or tank (often written caterpillar track).↗ Example: The caterpillar munched a cabbage leaf.↗ · A caterpillar turns into a butterfly.↗ · Caterpillars hatch from tiny eggs.↗ · Some hairy caterpillars can make your skin itchy.↗ · The caterpillar made a chrysalis.↗ · We read "The Very Hungry Caterpillar".↗ · "I writhed myself free," said the Caterpillar.↗ · He gave also their increase unto the caterpillar, and their labour unto the locust.↗ (Writings PSA.78.46, JPS 1917)↗ · And your spoil is gathered as the caterpillar gathereth; as locusts leap do they leap upon it.↗ (Prophets ISA.33.4, JPS 1917)↗ · If there be in the land famine, if there be pestilence, if there be blasting or mildew, locust or caterpillar; if their enemy besiege them in the land of their cities; whatsoever plague, whatsoever sickness there be; (Prophets 1KI.8.37, JPS 1917)↗

catfish — Everyday, meaning 1: A catfish is a fish with long whiskers around its mouth, like a cat's.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (slang, online) To catfish someone means to pretend to be another person online, using a false name and photos, to trick them.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (slang) A catfish is a person who does this.↗ Example: The catfish lives on the muddy river bottom.↗ · A catfish has whiskers called barbels.↗ · We caught a big catfish in the lake.↗ · He was catfished by someone pretending to be a twelve-year-old (slang).↗ · Catfishing is when someone lies about who they are online.↗ · Never meet an online friend without a parent.↗

cathedral — Everyday, meaning 1: A cathedral is a very large and important Christian church, the main church of an area led by a bishop.↗ Example: We visited the cathedral on our school trip.↗ · The cathedral has a tall stone spire.↗ · Light came through the cathedral's stained-glass windows.↗ · The bishop led a service in the cathedral.↗ · It took workers many years to build the cathedral.↗ · The cathedral bells rang across the city.↗ · He passed by the cathedral tower, where the white marble angels were sculptured.↗

catholic — Everyday, meaning 1: (Catholic, capital C) Belonging to the Roman Catholic Church, the Christian church led by the Pope: a Catholic school.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (noun) A member of the Catholic Church.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (catholic, small c, formal) Including many different kinds of things; wide-ranging: catholic tastes in music.↗ Example: My cousin goes to a Catholic school.↗ · Catholics go to Mass on Sundays.↗ · The Pope is the leader of the Catholic Church.↗ · Ireland has many Catholic churches.↗ · (formal) He has catholic tastes and reads everything from comics to science books.↗ · Our Catholic primary school is next to the church.↗

catkin — Everyday, meaning 1: A long, thin, soft hanging cluster of tiny flowers on trees such as willow, hazel and birch.↗ Example: The hazel tree is covered in yellow catkins.↗ · Catkins release pollen in the wind.↗ · Pussy willow catkins feel soft and furry.↗ · We collected catkins on our spring walk.↗ · Catkins are a sign that spring is coming.↗ · Birch catkins hang like little tails.↗

cattle — Everyday, meaning 1: Cattle are large farm animals such as cows, bulls and steers, kept for milk, meat or leather.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: The word means the whole group of these animals on a farm or ranch.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: Cattle can also be used playfully for other animals kept or herded together, such as sea creatures.↗ Early Modern English, meaning 1: Animals kept on a farm, such as cows, sheep, goats or camels, and sometimes wealth.↗ Example: The cattle were grazing in the field.↗ · A herd of cattle crossed the road slowly.↗ · The farmer has three hundred cattle.↗ · Dairy cattle give us milk.↗ · Cattle chew the cud for hours each day.↗ · The ranch sends its cattle to market in the autumn.↗ · Drive slowly over the cattle grid.↗ · The dog helped round up the cattle.↗ · "These beasts are sea-cattle," replied Little Claus.↗ · And they brought their cattle unto Joseph.↗ (Torah GEN.47.17, JPS 1917)↗ · And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold.↗ (Torah GEN.13.2, JPS 1917)↗ · Thus God hath taken away the cattle of your father, and given them to me.↗ (Torah GEN.31.9, JPS 1917)↗ · Beasts and all cattle, creeping things and winged fowl; (Writings PSA.148.10, JPS 1917)↗ · The noise thereof telleth concerning it, the cattle also concerning the storm that cometh up.↗ (Writings JOB.36.33, JPS 1917)↗ · For every beast of the forest is Mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills.↗ (Writings PSA.50.10, JPS 1917)↗ · And they brought their cattle unto Joseph.↗ (Torah GEN.47.17, JPS 1917) · ‘Raleô, raleô, How the cattle go!’↗ (The Red Fairy Book) · And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold.↗ (Torah GEN.13.2, JPS 1917)

caucus — Everyday, meaning 1: (politics) A meeting of members of a political party or group to choose candidates or decide what to do, especially in the USA.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A group of people inside an organisation who share the same interests.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (Alice) The Caucus-race in Alice in Wonderland is a silly race where everyone runs in a circle, starting and stopping when they like, and at the end the Dodo says «Everybody has won, and all must have prizes».↗ Example: The Dodo said the best way to get dry was a Caucus-race.↗ · The party caucus met to choose a new leader.↗ · In the Caucus-race, they ran round and round in a circle.↗ · Iowa holds its caucus in winter.↗ · Everybody won the Caucus-race, so everybody had a prize.↗ · The caucus voted for the plan.↗

cauldron — Everyday, meaning 1: A very large, deep metal pot for cooking over a fire, often shown in stories with witches.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A place or situation full of violent feelings or wild activity («a cauldron of noise»).↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (sport) The large bowl in which the Olympic flame burns.↗ Example: The witch stirred her bubbling cauldron.↗ · In Viking times, families cooked stew in an iron cauldron.↗ · The Olympic cauldron was lit by a young athlete.↗ · The stadium was a cauldron of noise when the goal went in.↗ · Steam rose from the cauldron over the campfire.↗ · In Macbeth, three witches chant around a cauldron.↗ · The classroom was a cauldron of excitement before the holidays.↗ · Then the witch placed her cauldron on the fire, to prepare the magic draught.↗