📖 C — The English dictionary · page 84

cowrie — Everyday, meaning 1: A cowrie is a small sea snail with a smooth, shiny, rounded shell.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A cowrie is also the shell of this snail, which was used as money in parts of Africa, Asia and the Pacific long ago and is still used in jewellery.↗ Example: She found a tiny cowrie shell on the beach in Queensland.↗ · Long ago, people in West Africa used cowries as money.↗ · The necklace was made of white cowrie shells.↗ · A cowrie shell is smooth and shiny like glass.↗ · Our teacher showed us a cowrie to explain early money.↗ · The cowrie snail lives in warm, shallow seas.↗ · He swapped a bag of cowries for a goat in the trading game.↗

cowshed — Everyday, meaning 1: A cowshed is a farm building where cows are kept, fed or milked, especially in winter.↗ Example: The farmer led the cows into the cowshed before the storm.↗ · The cowshed smelled of hay and milk.↗ · In winter the cows stay in the cowshed.↗ · We saw the calves in the cowshed on our school trip.↗ · Your bedroom looks like a cowshed! said Mum.↗ · The old cowshed has been turned into a holiday cottage.↗ · Then he would go into the cowsheds and unfasten the chains that fixed each beast in its own stall, and let them fall with a heavy clang to the ground.↗

cowslip — Everyday, meaning 1: A wild spring flower with pale yellow, sweet-smelling blossoms that grows in grass and meadows.↗ Example: We picked cowslips in the meadow.↗ · The field was yellow with cowslips.↗ · She made a crown of cowslips.↗

coyly — In Jewish tradition, meaning 1: In a shy or teasing way, as if holding back.↗ Example: How long wilt thou turn away coyly, O thou backsliding daughter?↗ (Prophets JER.31.22, JPS 1917)↗

coyote — Everyday, meaning 1: A coyote is a wild animal of the dog family, smaller than a wolf, with grey-brown fur, big ears and a bushy tail, found across North and Central America.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (US, slang) A coyote is also a person paid to smuggle people secretly across the border from Mexico into the USA.↗ Example: We heard coyotes howling in the desert at night.↗ · Coyotes now live in many cities in North America.↗ · The coyote hunted mice in the field.↗ · A coyote is smaller than a wolf.↗ · In Native American tales, Coyote is a trickster.↗ · In the cartoon, the coyote never catches the Road Runner.↗ · Keep small pets inside at night if coyotes live nearby.↗ · Now Iktomi returned to the coyote who had been looking on through his eyelashes.↗

cozy — Everyday, meaning 1: Warm, snug and comfortable, safe from the cold or from harm.↗ (In British English this is spelled cosy.).↗ Example: They slept in a cozy nest in the hedge.↗ · Our kitchen is cozy on winter nights.↗ · The cat curled up in a cozy corner by the fire.↗

cpr — Everyday, meaning 1: CPR stands for cardiopulmonary resuscitation: first aid for someone whose heart has stopped and who is not breathing, done by pushing hard and fast on the middle of their chest, sometimes with rescue breaths.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: It is said as three letters: «C-P-R».↗ Example: The lifeguard gave him CPR until the ambulance came.↗ · We learned CPR on a dummy at school.↗ · Push hard and fast in the middle of the chest when you do CPR.↗ · Call for help before you start CPR.↗ · Dad took a CPR course at work.↗ · CPR helped save the footballer's life.↗ · The song «Stayin' Alive» has about the right beat for CPR.↗

crab — Everyday, meaning 1: A crab is a sea or shore animal with a hard shell, eight legs and two big claws (pincers), which often walks sideways.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Crab is the meat of this animal eaten as food.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: Informally, a crab is a grumpy person.↗ Example: A crab scuttled sideways across the sand.↗ · We found a little crab in the rock pool.↗ · Be careful, the crab's claws can pinch.↗ · A hermit crab lives in an empty shell.↗ · Crabs have hard shells to protect them.↗ · Dad ordered crab at the seafood restaurant.↗ · Put the crab back gently where you found it.↗ · “Of course,” said the young crab.↗

crabby — Everyday, meaning 1: (informal) Crabby means grumpy and easily annoyed, in a bad mood.↗ Example: The baby gets crabby when she is tired.↗ · Dad is always crabby before his morning coffee.↗ · Don't be so crabby — it's only a game!↗ · I was crabby because I hadn't had lunch.↗ · The crabby neighbour shouted at us to keep the ball out of his garden.↗ · After the long car ride, everyone was hot and crabby.↗

crabs — Everyday, meaning 1: Sea or shore animals with a hard shell, ten legs and two big claws that walk sideways.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: The meat of these animals, eaten as food.↗ Example: We found three little crabs in the rock pool.↗ · Crabs walk sideways across the sand.↗ · Hold crabs from behind so they can't pinch you.↗ · Hermit crabs live in empty shells.↗ · Crabs shed their hard shells when they grow.↗ · Put the crabs back in the water before you go home.↗ · Dad ordered crab cakes at the seaside restaurant.↗ · Crabs are crustaceans, not insects.↗ · There grew water-plants, some quite fresh, and others looking sickly, which had water-snakes twining round them, and black crabs clinging to their stems.↗

crack — Everyday, meaning 1: A crack is a thin line where something has broken but not fallen apart.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A crack is a narrow gap or opening.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: A crack is a sudden sharp loud sound.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: To crack means to break so that lines appear, or to break something open, like an egg.↗ Everyday, meaning 5: To crack a joke means to tell it; to crack a code or problem means to solve it.↗ Everyday, meaning 6: Crack-brain is an old word for a person who is mad or very silly.↗ Example: There's a crack in my phone screen.↗ · Crack two eggs into the bowl.↗ · Keep off the ice; it has cracks in it.↗ · The whip gave a loud crack.↗ · She opened the door a crack and peeped out.↗ · We finally cracked the secret code!↗ · Water freezing in rocks makes them crack.↗ · Dad likes to crack jokes at dinner.↗ · Put the crack-brain under lock and key!"↗ · Because of the ground which is cracked, for there hath been no rain in the land, the plowmen are ashamed, they cover their heads.↗ (Prophets JER.14.4, JPS 1917)↗

cracker — Everyday, meaning 1: A cracker is a thin, dry, crisp biscuit, often eaten with cheese.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A Christmas cracker is a paper tube that bangs when two people pull it, with a small gift inside (UK, Ireland, Australia).↗ Everyday, meaning 3: A firecracker is a small firework that bangs.↗ Example: Matthew had 24 crackers.↗ · He gave equal numbers of crackers to his 3 friends.↗ · Each friend ate 5 crackers.↗ · How many crackers did he have left?↗ · I like crackers with cheese.↗ · We pulled crackers at the party and got paper hats.↗ · Animal crackers are shaped like animals.↗ · Firecrackers are loud, so keep away from them.↗ · Bang! answered the Crackers, who were enjoying themselves immensely.↗

crackle — Everyday, meaning 1: To crackle is to make a lot of short, sharp, small sounds, like a fire burning or paper being crushed.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A crackle is one of these sounds, or a series of them.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: To crackle with something (excitement, energy) means to be full of it.↗ Example: The logs crackled in the fireplace.↗ · Dry leaves crackled under our boots.↗ · The radio crackled and then went silent.↗ · I heard the crackle of a crisp packet.↗ · The air crackled with excitement before the match.↗ · Rice cereal crackles when you pour milk on it.↗ · We sat by the crackling campfire.↗ · The badger, hearing the crackle of the burning grass, asked, “What is that?”↗ · For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool; this also is vanity.↗ (Writings ECC.7.6, JPS 1917)↗

cradle — Everyday, meaning 1: A cradle is a small bed for a baby, often one that can rock.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: The place where something began: the cradle of civilisation.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: To cradle something is to hold it gently in your arms.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: A frame that holds something, like a phone cradle.↗ Example: The baby slept in a wooden cradle.↗ · She cradled the kitten in her arms.↗ · Mesopotamia is called the cradle of civilisation.↗ · Rock the cradle gently.↗ · He cradled his sore arm.↗ · Put the phone back in its cradle.↗ · “Wendy,” remonstrated Michael, “I’m too big for a cradle.”↗

craft — Everyday, meaning 1: An activity where you make things by hand, such as painting, sewing, cutting and gluing.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A skill or job that needs skilful hands, like woodwork or pottery.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: A boat, ship, plane or spaceship: «a small craft».↗ Everyday, meaning 4: (verb) To make something carefully and skilfully.↗ Everyday, meaning 5: Cleverness used to trick people (old use: «craftiness»).↗ Example: We made paper lanterns in craft time.↗ · Knitting is a craft my grandma loves.↗ · Carpentry is an old craft.↗ · The small craft sailed into the harbour.↗ · A spacecraft landed on Mars.↗ · She crafted a birthday card for her friend.↗ · Be careful with scissors and glue guns at the craft table.↗ · ‘What craft shall we follow?’ asked Pryderi.↗

craftily — Everyday, meaning 1: In a clever, sly way, often to trick someone or to get something without being noticed.↗ Example: "Would you send me to school?" he asked craftily.↗ · The fox craftily hid his tail.↗ · She craftily made the guard look away.↗ · He turned their heart to hate His people, to deal craftily with His servants.↗ (Writings PSA.105.25, JPS 1917)↗

craftiness — Everyday, meaning 1: Cleverness used in a sly way, especially for tricking people.↗ Example: His craftiness made the king believe him.↗ · The fox used his craftiness to escape.↗ · We admired her craftiness in solving the puzzle.↗ · In whose hands is craftiness, and their right hand is full of bribes.↗ (Writings PSA.26.10, JPS 1917)↗ · He taketh the wise in their own craftiness; and the counsel of the wily is carried headlong.↗ (Writings JOB.5.13, JPS 1917)↗

craftsman — Everyday, meaning 1: A person, traditionally a man, who is skilled at making things by hand, such as furniture, pots, jewellery or stone carvings: «a skilled craftsman».↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Anyone who does their work with great care and skill.↗ Example: The craftsman carved the wooden chair by hand.↗ · Medieval craftsmen built the great cathedrals.↗ · A master craftsman trained young apprentices.↗ · The clock was made by a Swiss craftsman.↗ · Look at the craftsmanship in this old table!↗ · Joseph, in the Bible, was a craftsman who worked with wood.↗ · The stained glass was made by a local craftsman.↗ · "A master craftsman--you are a master, of course?--can see in a minute what's wrong," the dragon went on.↗ · Cursed be the man that maketh a graven or molten image, an abomination unto the LORD, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and setteth it up in secret.↗ (Torah DEU.27.15, JPS 1917)↗ · And with him was Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, a craftsman, and a skilful workman, and a weaver in colours, in blue, and in purple, and in scarlet, and fine linen. — (Torah EXO.38.23, JPS 1917)↗ · And now I have sent a skilful man, endued with understanding, even Huram my master craftsman, (Writings 2CH.2.12, JPS 1917)↗ · The image perchance, which the craftsman hath melted, and the goldsmith spread over with gold, the silversmith casting silver chains?↗ (Prophets ISA.40.19, JPS 1917)↗ · For from Israel is even this: the craftsman made it, and it is no God; yea, the calf of Samaria shall be broken in shivers.↗ (Prophets HOS.8.6, JPS 1917)↗

craftsperson — Everyday, meaning 1: A craftsperson is someone who makes things skilfully by hand, such as pots, furniture, jewellery or baskets.↗ Example: A craftsperson carved the wooden chair by hand.↗ · The craft fair is full of local craftspeople.↗ · In the Middle Ages, a young apprentice learned from a craftsperson.↗ · The potter is a craftsperson who makes bowls on a wheel.↗ · It takes years of practice to become a skilled craftsperson.↗ · The museum showed tools used by craftspeople long ago.↗

crafty — Everyday, meaning 1: Crafty means clever at getting what you want by tricks and secret plans; sly.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (informal) Crafty can mean liking or good at making crafts by hand.↗ Example: The crafty fox tricked the crow.↗ · He gave a crafty smile.↗ · Toad made a crafty plan to escape.↗ · The crafty weasels took over Toad Hall.↗ · That was a crafty way to win the game!↗ · Gran is very crafty — she knits and sews everything.↗ · So, with a crafty and evil smile upon his face, he spoke as follows:↗ · Cannot my taste discern crafty devices?↗ (Writings JOB.6.30, JPS 1917)↗ · For thine iniquity teacheth thy mouth, and thou choosest the tongue of the crafty.↗ (Writings JOB.15.5, JPS 1917)↗ · They hold crafty converse against Thy people, and take counsel against Thy treasured ones.↗ (Writings PSA.83.4, JPS 1917)↗

crag — Everyday, meaning 1: A steep, rough, rocky cliff or high rock sticking out from a hill or mountain.↗ Example: An eagle perched on the crag.↗ · Edinburgh Castle stands on a volcanic crag.↗ · Climbers scaled the steep crag.↗ · Mist hid the crags above the valley.↗ · The old sailor had a craggy face.↗ · Don't climb crags without proper gear and an instructor.↗ · Next year the Eagle built her nest far up on a mountain crag; but the Beetle found it and again destroyed the eggs.↗ · He made him ride on the high places of the earth, and he did eat the fruitage of the field; and He made him to suck honey out of the crag, and oil out of the flinty rock; (Torah DEU.32.13, JPS 1917)↗ · The rock-badgers are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the crags; (Writings PRO.30.26, JPS 1917)↗ · She dwelleth and abideth on the rock, upon the crag of the rock, and the stronghold.↗ (Writings JOB.39.28, JPS 1917)↗ · The one crag rose up on the north in front of Michmas, and the other on the south in front of Geba.↗ (Prophets 1SA.14.5, JPS 1917)↗