📖 C — The English dictionary · page 67

constable — Everyday, meaning 1: (UK, Ireland, Australia, NZ, Canada) A police officer of the lowest rank; often written PC (police constable), as in «PC Smith».↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (history) An important officer in a medieval castle or a royal court (the Constable of the Tower of London).↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (US) A local law officer in some small towns.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: (a name) John Constable was an English painter famous for landscapes like «The Hay Wain» (1821).↗ Example: PC Jones came to talk to us about bike safety.↗ · The constable directed the traffic after the crash.↗ · The Constable of the castle guarded it for the king.↗ · We copied John Constable's painting of a hay cart in a river.↗ · Police constables patrol the town centre.↗ · The chief constable leads a whole police force in Britain.↗

constabulary — Everyday, meaning 1: (UK, Ireland, formal) A constabulary is the police force of an area.↗ Example: The local constabulary searched the woods.↗ · He was a constable in the county constabulary.↗ · Toad was a terror to the constabulary.↗ · The constabulary was called to the riot.↗ · The Royal Irish Constabulary was disbanded in 1922.↗ · The constabulary put out a warning about scams.↗ · I am a copying-clerk at the police-office; and you know you cannot insult any belonging to the constabulary force without a chastisement.↗

constancy — Everyday, meaning 1: Being faithful and steady; keeping to your word or your love and not changing.↗ Example: Her constancy kept her friends close for years.↗ · The dog showed constancy by waiting at the gate every day.↗ · He promised constancy and kept his word.↗

constant — Everyday, meaning 1: Constant means happening all the time or again and again.↗ e.g. "constant noise".↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Constant means staying the same, not changing.↗ e.g. "drive at a constant speed".↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (noun) In maths and science, a constant is a number or amount that does not change, like the number of days in a week.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: (old, literary) Constant means loyal and faithful.↗ e.g. "a constant friend".↗ Example: The car travelled at a constant speed of 60 kilometres an hour.↗ · Keep the water temperature constant during the experiment.↗ · The baby's constant crying kept us awake.↗ · The dog was his constant companion.↗ · At a constant rate of 5 pages a day, 30 pages take 6 days.↗ · In a fair test, everything is constant except one thing.↗ · The constant rain spoiled the camping trip.↗ · The wife of the Viking lived in constant pain and sorrow about it.↗ · The system of points in writing Hebrew was not perfected until the seventh century, and even then was not in constant use.↗ (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1893)↗ · And I will establish his kingdom for ever, if he be constant to do My commandments and Mine ordinances, as at this day.↗ (Writings 1CH.28.7, JPS 1917)↗

constantinople — Everyday, meaning 1: (a name) Constantinople was the old name of the great city on the Bosphorus strait that is now called Istanbul, in Turkey.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: It was the capital of the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire and later of the Ottoman Empire.↗ Example: Constantinople was named after the emperor Constantine.↗ · The city of Constantinople is now called Istanbul.↗ · Hagia Sophia was the great church of Constantinople.↗ · Constantinople had enormous walls to keep out enemies.↗ · The Ottoman Turks captured Constantinople with huge cannons.↗ · Merchants from many lands traded in Constantinople.↗ · Before it was Constantinople, the town was called Byzantium.↗ · Maximus Planudes, a learned monk of Constantinople, made a collection of about a hundred and fifty of these fables.↗ · A Version, Constantinople, 17 19, 8vo.↗ (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1893)↗

constantly — Everyday, meaning 1: Constantly means all the time, again and again, without stopping.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Constantly can mean always in the same way, without changing.↗ Example: My little brother is constantly asking questions.↗ · The weather is constantly changing in spring.↗ · The baby cried constantly all night.↗ · The Earth is constantly moving around the Sun.↗ · Our dog constantly wants to play.↗ · The machine must be constantly checked.↗ · Waves constantly beat against the rocks.↗ · They were great friends and were constantly in all sorts of mischief together.↗ · The importance of equilibrium is constantly reiterated in the Kabalah.↗ (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1893)↗

constellation — Everyday, meaning 1: A constellation is a group of stars that people see as a pattern or picture in the night sky and give a name to.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A constellation can mean a group of related things or people.↗ Example: Orion is a constellation that looks like a hunter.↗ · The Plough is part of a constellation called the Great Bear.↗ · In Australia you can see the Southern Cross constellation.↗ · Sailors used constellations to find their way.↗ · We looked for constellations on the camping trip.↗ · There are 88 official constellations.↗ · Stars in a constellation may be very far from each other.↗ · After her death she was placed by Zeus among the stars as a constellation, under the name of Arctos, or the bear.↗ · The twelve constellations in the world are: Aries, (Sefer Yetzirah, Kalisch 1877)↗ · He fixed these as testimonies of the Triad, the Heptad, and the Dodecad; the twelve constellations rulers of the world, the Dragon (THELE) Tali which environs the universe, and the microcosm, man.↗ (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1887)↗ · astronomers signified by the word Tali, not the constellation Draco, but the line which joins together the two points in which the orbit of the moon intercepts the ecliptic (Dragon's head and tail).↗ (Sefer Yetzirah, Kalisch 1877)↗ · For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light; the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.↗ (Prophets ISA.13.10, JPS 1917)↗

consternation — Everyday, meaning 1: A sudden feeling of shock and worry, when people are upset and do not know what to do.↗ Example: The news filled the village with consternation.↗ · To everyone's consternation, the bridge had washed away.↗ · She looked at the broken vase in consternation.↗

constipated — Everyday, meaning 1: Constipated means unable to empty your bowels easily; your poo is hard, dry or does not come for days.↗ Example: I felt constipated, so Mum gave me more fruit and water.↗ · Eating fibre helps you not to get constipated.↗ · The doctor asked if the baby was constipated.↗ · Drinking enough water can stop you from being constipated.↗ · Our old dog gets constipated if he doesn't walk enough.↗ · Being constipated can give you a tummy ache.↗

constipation — Everyday, meaning 1: Constipation is when you can't poo easily or often, because your poo is hard and dry.↗ Example: Constipation can give you a tummy ache.↗ · Eating fruit and vegetables helps stop constipation.↗ · Drink plenty of water to avoid constipation.↗ · The doctor said the boy had constipation.↗ · Fibre in bread and beans helps prevent constipation.↗ · Being active helps with constipation too.↗

constituency — Everyday, meaning 1: (politics, UK, Canada, Ireland, Australia) An area of a country whose voters elect one or more members to parliament.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: The people who live and vote in such an area.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: A group of people who support someone or whose interests someone represents.↗ Example: There are 650 constituencies in the UK.↗ · Our constituency elected a new MP.↗ · The MP held a meeting for people in her constituency.↗ · Ireland's constituencies elect several members each.↗ · He visits his constituency every weekend.↗

constituent — Everyday, meaning 1: A constituent is one of the parts that make up a whole: «Flour is a constituent of bread.».↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A constituent is a person who lives in an area and votes for a representative such as a Member of Parliament or a congressman.↗ Example: Oxygen is a constituent of air.↗ · Separate the mixture into its constituent parts.↗ · The MP replied to letters from her constituents.↗ · Sand and water are the constituents of this mixture.↗ · Each constituent of the cake adds something.↗ · Ten per cent of the mixture is salt; what is the other constituent's share?↗

constitute — Everyday, meaning 1: (formal) To make up or form something; to be the parts of a whole.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (formal) To be or count as something.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (formal) To set up an official group.↗ Example: Twelve months constitute a year.↗ · Girls constitute half the class.↗ · Copying answers constitutes cheating.↗ · Broken glass on the path constitutes a danger.↗ · Water constitutes most of a cucumber.↗ · The committee was constituted last month.↗ · For the moment, however, it constitutes their chief danger.↗ · § 10 Three vowels B'aK constitute a great secret, marvellous and hidden.↗ (Mordell, The Origin of Letters and Numerals according to Sefer Yetzirah (1914))↗ · § 11 Three vowels n"ax constitute a great secret, marvellous and hidden.↗ (Mordell, The Origin of Letters and Numerals according to Sefer Yetzirah (1914))↗ · In order to show how the twenty-two letters of the alphabet constitute the thirty-two ways of wisdom, the author proceeds to the division of the letters in the second and following Mishnahs.↗ (Mordell, The Origin of Letters and Numerals according to Sefer Yetzirah (1914))↗

constituted — Everyday, meaning 1: (formal) Constituted means made up, formed: «The class is constituted of 30 pupils.».↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (formal) Constituted means counted as: «This constituted a record.».↗ Everyday, meaning 3: To be constituted means to be set up officially, like a committee.↗ Example: Girls constituted half of the team.↗ · Water constituted most of the mixture.↗ · The council was constituted last spring.↗ · Their act constituted a breach of the rules.↗ · 12 of the 48 marbles were red; what fraction did red marbles constitute?↗ · The committee is constituted of five members.↗ · In fact, the hearth was held so sacred that it constituted the sanctum of the family, for which reason it was always erected in the centre of every house.↗

constitution — Everyday, meaning 1: A constitution is the set of basic laws and rules that says how a country or group is governed.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A person's constitution is how healthy and strong their body is.↗ Example: The constitution says how the country's leaders are chosen.↗ · Our school council wrote its own constitution.↗ · The US Constitution begins with the words «We the People».↗ · The United Kingdom has no single written constitution.↗ · Grandpa has a strong constitution and rarely gets ill.↗ · Changes to the constitution need a vote.↗

constitutional — Everyday, meaning 1: To do with a country's constitution, the main set of laws that says how the country is governed and what rights people have.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Allowed by the constitution; a law that is «constitutional» follows those rules, and an «unconstitutional» one breaks them.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: To do with a person's body or nature, as in a «constitutional weakness».↗ Everyday, meaning 4: (noun, old-fashioned) A walk taken for your health, as in «a morning constitutional».↗ Example: The UK is a constitutional monarchy, so the king does not make the laws.↗ · Free speech is a constitutional right in the United States.↗ · The judges decided the new law was not constitutional.↗ · Changing the constitution needs a constitutional amendment.↗ · Grandpa takes his morning constitutional around the park.↗ · The class learned about constitutional government in Canada.↗ · Some people say the vote was unconstitutional.↗

constitutionally — Everyday, meaning 1: (law, politics) In a way that follows or is allowed by a country's constitution (its main set of laws and rules).↗ Everyday, meaning 2: In a way that comes from someone's natural body or character («constitutionally unable to sit still»).↗ Example: The President was constitutionally elected.↗ · The court decided the law was not constitutionally valid.↗ · Ireland's constitution can only be changed by a vote of the people.↗ · The new rule was constitutionally questioned.↗ · My brother is constitutionally unable to keep his room tidy.↗ · Some people are constitutionally strong and rarely get ill.↗

constrained — In Jewish tradition, meaning 1: urged strongly or pressed someone to do something.↗ Example: And it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a great woman; and she constrained him to eat bread.↗ (Prophets 2KI.4.8, JPS 1917)↗

constraint — Everyday, meaning 1: Something that limits or controls what you can do (time constraints, money constraints).↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (maths, design) A condition or rule that an answer or design must follow.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: Holding back your feelings or actions; a lack of freedom.↗ Example: Because of time constraints, we could only visit one museum.↗ · The constraint was that the bridge must hold 1 kg.↗ · Money constraints mean we can't go abroad this year.↗ · In the puzzle, the constraint is that each number is used once.↗ · A design brief lists all the constraints.↗ · He spoke without constraint about his feelings.↗ · He, however, only laughed at her advice, saying, that his father had always kept him in too great constraint, and that now he rejoiced at his new-found liberty.↗ · Thou didst bring us into the hold; Thou didst lay constraint upon our loins.↗ (Writings PSA.66.11, JPS 1917)↗

constrict — Everyday, meaning 1: To make something narrower or tighter by squeezing it: «The snake constricted its prey».↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (body) When blood vessels, pupils of the eye or airways get narrower: «Cold makes blood vessels constrict».↗ Everyday, meaning 3: To limit what someone can do: «Tight rules constricted the players».↗ Example: The python constricts its prey until it stops breathing.↗ · In the cold, the blood vessels in your fingers constrict.↗ · During an asthma attack, the airways constrict, so it is hard to breathe.↗ · His throat constricted with fear.↗ · The tight collar constricted her neck.↗ · Bright light makes the pupils of your eyes constrict.↗ · Too many rules can constrict creativity.↗