📖 C — The English dictionary · page 98

curve — Everyday, meaning 1: A line that bends smoothly without any sharp corners, like part of a circle.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A bend in a road, river or path.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: As a verb, to bend in a smooth line.↗ Example: Draw a curve, not a straight line.↗ · The road curves around the lake.↗ · Don't cross near a curve; drivers can't see you.↗ · A circle is one long curve.↗ · The rainbow made a curve across the sky.↗ · The ball curved into the goal.↗ · The curve of the broken dome was above his head.↗

curved — Everyday, meaning 1: Bent in a smooth round shape, not straight and with no sharp corners.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (verb) Moved or bent in a curve.↗ Example: A circle is made of one curved line.↗ · A cylinder has two flat faces and one curved surface.↗ · The road curved around the hill.↗ · The banana is long and curved.↗ · A rainbow is a curved band of colours.↗ · Draw a straight line and a curved line.↗ · The spoon's curved back made my face look funny.↗ · The river curved through the valley.↗ · They were swans, and they curved their graceful necks, while their soft plumage shown with dazzling whiteness.↗

curvet — Everyday, meaning 1: A horse's leap or prance, with its forelegs raised.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: To curvet is to leap or prance about like a horse, in a showy way.↗ (old use, riding term).↗ Example: The horse curvetted across the field.↗ · The knight's steed curveted in the courtyard.↗ · Her pony curvets when it hears the music.↗

curvy — Everyday, meaning 1: Curvy means having many curves or bends, not straight.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (informal) A curvy woman has a rounded body shape with wide hips; it is a polite or admiring description.↗ Example: The curvy road went up the side of the mountain.↗ · Draw a curvy line like a snake.↗ · The letter S is curvier than the letter L.↗ · The car slowed down on the curvy path.↗ · The river is curvy, with lots of bends.↗ · The vase has a curvy shape.↗ · The slide at the park is long and curvy.↗

cushion — Everyday, meaning 1: A soft bag filled with stuffing, used to make a seat more comfortable or to lean on.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Something that makes a hit or fall softer.↗ e.g. "a cushion of air".↗ Everyday, meaning 3: As a verb, to make a blow or fall softer.↗ Example: I lay on the sofa with a cushion under my head.↗ · The crash mat cushioned his fall.↗ · Don't throw cushions in the living room!↗ · A hovercraft rides on a cushion of air.↗ · Bike helmets have foam to cushion your head.↗ · My brother put a whoopee cushion on my chair.↗ · And bring me also the golden cushion.’↗ · and say: Thus saith the Lord GOD: Woe to the women that sew cushions upon all elbows, and make pads for the head of persons of every stature to hunt souls!↗ (Prophets EZK.13.18, JPS 1917)↗

cuss — Everyday, meaning 1: (informal) To cuss is to swear or curse, using rude words.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (informal, dialect) A cuss is a person, often an awkward or unlucky one: a poor old cuss.↗ Example: He began to cuss when the cart stuck in the mud.↗ · Don't cuss in front of the little ones.↗ · That old cuss never stops grumbling.↗

custard — Everyday, meaning 1: (UK, Australia, NZ, Ireland) A sweet yellow sauce made from milk, eggs or custard powder and sugar, poured over puddings.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A soft, set dessert of milk and eggs, often baked (egg custard, a custard tart).↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (US) Frozen custard, a kind of ice cream.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: (UK informal) A cowardly custard is a person who is easily frightened and unwilling to face danger.↗ Example: We had apple crumble with custard.↗ · The custard was hot and sweet.↗ · Gran made egg custard tarts.↗ · Custard thickens as it heats.↗ · Cornflour and water make a non-Newtonian «custard» you can run on.↗ · I spilled custard down my jumper.↗ · “So are you a cowardly custard.”↗

custodian — In Jewish tradition, meaning 1: A person who looks after and guards something, such as a building or a collection.↗ Example: Public domain books belong to the public and we are merely their custodians.↗ (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1893)↗

custody — Everyday, meaning 1: Being kept by the police or in prison, usually while waiting to go to court: the suspect was taken into custody.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: The legal right and duty to look after a child, especially after parents separate: his mum has custody.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (formal) Care and keeping of something valuable: the museum has custody of the paintings.↗ Example: The police took the thief into custody.↗ · He is being held in custody until the trial.↗ · After the divorce, her parents share joint custody.↗ · Her dad has custody of the children at weekends.↗ · (formal) The jewels were kept in safe custody at the bank.↗ · The suspect escaped from custody but was caught again.↗ · A man was arrested for having caused his death, and held in custody till a gallows was erected.↗

custom — Everyday, meaning 1: A custom is a way of doing something that people in a place or group have done for a long time: it is a custom to give presents at Christmas.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A custom is a habit of a person: it was his custom to walk after dinner.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: Customs is the place at an airport or border where officers check what people bring into the country.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: Custom-made means made specially for one person.↗ Example: It's a custom in Japan to bow when you greet someone.↗ · In our family, it's a custom to eat pancakes on Shrove Tuesday.↗ · We went through customs at the airport.↗ · The customs officer checked our bags.↗ · Learn the local customs before you travel.↗ · His bike was custom-made for him.↗ · Thank him according to our customs, Mowgli.”↗ · And ye shall not walk in the customs of the nation, which I am casting out before you; for they did all these things, and therefore I abhorred them.↗ (Torah LEV.20.23, JPS 1917)↗ · Therefore shall ye keep My charge, that ye do not any of these abominable customs, which were done before you, and that ye defile not yourselves therein: I am the LORD your God.↗ (Torah LEV.18.30, JPS 1917)↗ · And it was a custom in Israel, (Prophets JDG.11.39, JPS 1917)↗ · For the customs of the peoples are vanity; for it is but a tree which one cutteth out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman with the axe.↗ (Prophets JER.10.3, JPS 1917)↗ · And the custom of the priests with the people was, that, when any man offered sacrifice, the priest's servant came, while the flesh was in seething, with a flesh-hook of three teeth in his band; (Prophets 1SA.2.13, JPS 1917)↗

customarily — Everyday, meaning 1: (formal) Usually or normally, as people traditionally do: gifts are customarily given at birthdays.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: According to custom or habit: the class customarily lines up by the door.↗ Example: Gifts are customarily wrapped in coloured paper.↗ · (formal) Pupils customarily stand when a visitor enters.↗ · In many countries people customarily shake hands when they meet.↗ · The oldest person customarily cuts the cake.↗ · Tea is customarily served at four o'clock in the story.↗ · (formal) The total is customarily rounded to the nearest pound.↗

customary — Everyday, meaning 1: (formal) Customary means usual, what normally happens or what people traditionally do.↗ Example: It is customary to say thank you after a meal.↗ · In Japan it is customary to take off your shoes inside.↗ · She arrived with her customary smile.↗ · It is customary to tip the waiter in the USA.↗ · As is customary, the youngest child cut the cake.↗ · Shaking hands is customary when you meet someone.↗ · He sat in his customary seat by the window.↗ · In New Zealand a hongi is a customary Maori greeting.↗ · In their village it was customary to celebrate the feast of St. Andrew the First-Called (November 30).↗

customer — Everyday, meaning 1: A customer is a person who buys things in a shop or uses a service, like a café or a hairdresser.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (informal) An ugly customer is a person who is dangerous or difficult to deal with.↗ Example: A waiter had 12 customers.↗ · 8 customers left.↗ · Each customer bought 3 drinks.↗ · How many customers did he serve in all?↗ · The shop was full of customers before the holiday.↗ · The baker said hello to every customer.↗ · Customers wait in a queue to pay.↗ · Mrs Brown is a regular customer at the café.↗ · Cucullin was an ugly customer to meet with; and, the idea of the "cake" aforesaid flattened the very heart within him.↗

cut — Everyday, meaning 1: To cut is to divide something or take a piece off with a knife or scissors.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: To cut is to make something shorter: «cut hair», «cut the grass».↗ Everyday, meaning 3: To cut down is to make less: «cut down on sugar».↗ Everyday, meaning 4: A cut is a small wound where the skin is opened.↗ Everyday, meaning 5: A cut is a piece or a part taken off, or a share of money: «my cut».↗ Everyday, meaning 6: A cut is a fall in an amount: «a price cut», «cuts to the budget».↗ Everyday, meaning 7: (casual) «Cut it out!» means stop it; «cut in» means push into a queue or interrupt; «didn't make the cut» means was not chosen.↗ Everyday, meaning 8: (rude) «Cut the crap» means stop talking nonsense; «cut» or «gutted» (UK) means very upset.↗ Everyday, meaning 9: (euphemism) «Job cuts» or «staff cuts» mean people lose their jobs.↗ Everyday, meaning 10: (formal) Exams say «divide into», «sever», «partition», «subdivide», «reduce» and «a reduction of».↗ Everyday, meaning 11: (informal) To cut someone loose means to set them free by cutting the ropes that tie them.↗ Example: Ben cuts off 5 metres.↗ · Mia cuts a 12-metre rope into 4 equal pieces.↗ · Anna cut the cake into 8 slices.↗ · Cut out the star shape carefully.↗ · I cut my finger on the paper.↗ · Cut the pizza in half.↗ · We took a short cut through the field.↗ · Cut it out, you two, or no TV!↗ · Cut the crap, how many biscuits did you take?↗ 3?↗ · The shop cut its prices by 5 dollars.↗ · A rope of a length of 12 metres is partitioned into 4 segments of equal length.↗ Determine the length of each segment.↗ · Many workers lost their jobs in the cuts.↗ · And he shall flay the burnt-offering, and cut it into its pieces.↗ (Torah LEV.1.6, JPS 1917)↗ · then thou shalt cut off her hand, thine eye shall have no pity.↗ (Torah DEU.25.12, JPS 1917)↗ · Whosoever it be that eateth any blood, that soul shall be cut off from his people.↗ (Torah LEV.7.27, JPS 1917)↗ · Or where were the upright cut off?↗ (Writings JOB.4.7, JPS 1917)↗ · And when they came to the Jordan, they cut down wood.↗ (Prophets 2KI.6.4, JPS 1917)↗ · Waters flowed over my head; I said: 'I am cut off.'↗ (Writings LAM.3.54, JPS 1917)↗

cute — Everyday, meaning 1: Cute means pretty and lovable in a way that makes you smile, like a puppy or a baby.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: In American English, cute can mean attractive.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: Cute can also mean clever in a slightly cheeky or annoying way («don't get cute with me»).↗ Example: Look at that cute little kitten!↗ · The baby was wearing a cute hat with ears.↗ · That's a cute drawing of your dog.↗ · She thinks hedgehogs are the cutest animals.↗ · The puppy looked cute, but it chewed my shoe.↗ · Stop trying to be cute and answer the question.↗ · Our class made a cute video about recycling.↗ · No wonder Brer Rabbit is so 'cute: he is nothing less than an incarnation of Buddha.↗

cutlass — Everyday, meaning 1: A short sword with a slightly curved blade and one sharp edge, used by sailors and pirates in the past.↗ Example: The pirate drew his cutlass.↗ · Sailors in the navy once carried cutlasses.↗ · The captain held a cutlass in one hand and a lantern in the other.↗ · The museum has an old naval cutlass.↗ · «Hand over the treasure!» growled the pirate, waving his cutlass.↗ · A cutlass is shorter than most swords.↗ · There was fierce struggle, in which the cutlass was torn from the pirate’s grasp.↗

cutlery — Everyday, meaning 1: Cutlery is the knives, forks and spoons you use for eating and serving food.↗ Example: Please put the cutlery on the table.↗ · The cutlery is in the top drawer.↗ · We used plastic cutlery at the picnic.↗ · Wash the cutlery after dinner.↗ · Knives, forks and spoons are all cutlery.↗ · Hold your cutlery properly at the table.↗ · A piece of cutlery fell on the floor.↗

cutter — Everyday, meaning 1: A cutter is a tool or machine used for cutting, like a pastry cutter, wire cutters or a paper cutter.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A cutter is also a person whose job is to cut things, like cloth or stone.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: A cutter is a small fast boat or a ship used by the coast guard.↗ Example: We used a star-shaped cutter for the biscuits.↗ · Dad cut the wire with wire cutters.↗ · Only use the craft cutter with a teacher.↗ · Roll the pizza cutter across the pizza.↗ · The coast guard cutter sped across the bay.↗ · The cutter at the stone yard shaped the stone.↗ · The houses all looked cookie-cutter, exactly the same.↗ · Cut away from your fingers when using a cutter.↗ · Long, long ago, there lived an old bamboo wood-cutter.↗

cutting — Everyday, meaning 1: As part of the verb, cutting means using a knife, scissors or other sharp tool to divide or open something now.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A cutting is a small piece cut from a plant so that it grows into a new plant.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: A cutting (UK) is a piece cut out of a newspaper.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: Cutting (adjective) describes words that are unkind and hurt: «a cutting remark», or wind that is very cold.↗ Example: I am cutting out shapes for the poster.↗ · Use a board when cutting vegetables.↗ · Always cut away from your hand.↗ · We grew a new plant from a cutting.↗ · Grandma keeps newspaper cuttings in a box.↗ · A cutting wind blew off the sea.↗ · Stop cutting in the queue!↗ · That was a cutting thing to say.↗ · “Barbecue, Flint—what house?” came the cutting retort.↗ · and in cutting of stones for setting, and in carving of wood, to work in all manner of workmanship.↗ (Torah EXO.31.5, JPS 1917)↗ · and in cutting of stones for setting, and in carving of wood, to work in all manner of skilful workmanship.↗ (Torah EXO.35.33, JPS 1917)↗ · Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor imprint any marks upon you: I am the LORD.↗ (Torah LEV.19.28, JPS 1917)↗ · Thou hast devised shame to thy house, by cutting off many peoples, and hast forfeited thy life.↗ (Prophets HAB.2.10, JPS 1917)↗ · For every head is bald, and every beard clipped; upon all the hands are cuttings, and upon the loins sackcloth.↗ (Prophets JER.48.37, JPS 1917)↗