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Collins Primary Illustrated Dictionary
connective connectives
NOUN a word that connects phrases, clauses or words together
See conjunction
conquer conquers, conquering, conquered
VERB 1 If you conquer something difficult or dangerous, you succeed in controlling it. • She conquered her fear of spiders.
2 to take control of a country by force
conqueror NOUN
conscience
NOUN the part of your mind that tells you what is right or wrong
conscientious
ADJECTIVE Someone who is conscientious takes great care over their work.
conscientiously ADVERB
conscious
ADJECTIVE 1 Someone who is conscious is awake, rather than asleep or unconscious.
2 If you are conscious of something, you are aware of it.
3 A conscious action or effort is done deliberately.
consecutive
ADJECTIVE 1 Consecutive events or periods of time happen one after the other. • We had eight consecutive days of rain.
2 Consecutive numbers follow each other in order. For example, 1, 2, 3, 4 are consecutive numbers.
consecutively ADVERB
consent consents, consenting, consented
NOUN 1 permission to do something
2 agreement between two or more people • By common consent we went to France for the holiday.
VERB 3 If you consent to something, you agree to do it or allow it to happen.
consequence consequences
NOUN result or effect
conservation
NOUN the preservation of the environment
conservationist NOUN OR ADJECTIVE
conservative conservatives
NOUN 1 a member or supporter of the Conservative Party in Britain
ADJECTIVE 2 Someone who is conservative does not like change or new ideas.
3 A conservative estimate or guess is a cautious or moderate one.
conservatory conservatories
NOUN a room with glass walls and a glass roof in which plants are kept
conserve conserves, conserving, conserved
VERB 1 If you conserve a supply of something, you make it last as long as possible. • I switched off my torch to conserve the battery.
2 If you conserve something, you keep it as it is and do not change it. • We should conserve this old building.
consider considers, considering, considered
VERB If you consider something, you think about it carefully.
considerable
ADJECTIVE A considerable amount of something is a lot of it.
considerate
ADJECTIVE Someone who is considerate thinks of other people’s needs and feelings.
consideration considerations
NOUN 1 careful thought about something
2 something that should be thought about when you are planning or deciding something
3 Someone who shows consideration pays attention to the needs and feelings of other people.
consist consists, consisting, consisted
VERB Something that consists of certain things is made up of them. • This bread consists of flour, yeast and water.
consistent
ADJECTIVE Something that is consistent does not change.
console consoles, consoling, consoled
Said “kon-sole” VERB 1 If you console someone who is unhappy, you comfort them and cheer them up.
Said “kon-sole” NOUN 2 a panel with switches or knobs for operating a machine
consonant consonants
NOUN all the letters of the alphabet that are not vowels
conspicuous
ADJECTIVE If something is conspicuous, you can see or notice it very easily.
conspiracy conspiracies
NOUN an illegal plan made in secret by a group of people
constable constables
NOUN a police officer of the lowest rank
constant
ADJECTIVE 1 Something that is constant happens all the time or is always there. • We could hear the constant sound of the waves pounding the shore.
2 If an amount or level is constant, it stays the same.
constellation constellations
NOUN a group of stars
constipated
ADJECTIVE Someone who is constipated finds it difficult to empty their bowels.
[from Latin constipare meaning to press together]
constipation NOUN
constitution constitutions
NOUN 1 The constitution of a country is the system of laws and principles by which it is governed.
2 Your constitution is your health.
construct constructs, constructing, constructed
VERB If you construct something, you build or make it.
construction constructions
NOUN 1 the process of building or making something
2 something built or made
constructive
ADJECTIVE helpful • The tennis coach made some constructive comments about my backhand.
consult consults, consulting, consulted
VERB 1 If you consult someone, you ask for their opinion or advice.
2 If you consult a book or map, you look at it for information.
consultation NOUN
consultant consultants
NOUN an experienced doctor who specializes in one type of medicine • a consultant heart surgeon
consume consumes, consuming, consumed
VERB 1 If you consume something, you eat or drink it.
2 To consume fuel or energy is to use it up.
consumer consumers
NOUN someone who buys things or uses services • magazines aimed at teenage consumers
consumption
NOUN The consumption of fuel or food is the using of it, or the amount used. • The consumption of ice cream rises in hot weather.
contact contacts, contacting, contacted
NOUN 1 If you are in contact with someone, you talk or write to them regularly. • I am in contact with a pen pal in France.
2 When things are in contact, they are touching each other.
VERB 3 If you contact someone, you telephone them or write to them.
contact lens contact lenses
NOUN small plastic lenses that you put in your eyes instead of wearing glasses, to help you see better
contagious
ADJECTIVE A contagious disease can be caught by touching people or things infected with it. • Measles is contagious.
contain contains, containing, contained
VERB 1 If a substance contains something, that thing is a part of it.
2 The things a box or room contains are the things inside it.
container containers
NOUN something that you keep things in, such as a box or a jar
contaminate contaminates, contaminating, contaminated
VERB If dirt, chemicals or radiation contaminate something, they make it impure and harmful.
contamination NOUN
contemplate contemplates, contemplating, contemplated
VERB 1 If you contemplate, you think very carefully about something. • She contemplated what she would do at the weekend.
2 If you contemplate something, you look at it for a long time.
contemporary
ADJECTIVE 1 produced or happening now
2 A contemporary work is one that was written at the time of the events it describes.
contempt
NOUN If you treat someone with contempt, you show no respect for them at all.
content
Said “kon-tent” ADJECTIVE 1 If you are content, you are happy and satisfied with your life.
2 If you are content to do something, you are willing to do it.
contents
Said “kon-tents” PLURAL NOUN 1 The contents of something like a box or a cake are the things in it.
2 The contents page of a book tells you what is in it.
contest contests
NOUN a competition or game
contestant contestants
NOUN someone who takes part in a competition
SYNONYMS: competitor, player
context contexts
NOUN The context of a word or sentence is the words or sentences that come before and after it, which help to make the meaning clear.
continent continents
NOUN 1 a very large area of land, such as Africa or Asia
2 In Britain, the mainland of Europe is sometimes called the Continent. [from Latin terra continens meaning continuous land]
continental
ADJECTIVE In Britain, continental means on, belonging to or typical of the mainland of Europe. • continental breakfast
continual
ADJECTIVE happening again and again • Mum had a continual stream of phone calls.
continue continues, continuing, continued
VERB 1 If you continue to do something, you keep doing it.
2 If something continues, it does not stop.
3 You say something continues when it starts again after stopping. • She paused for a moment, then continued.
continuous
ADJECTIVE happening all the time without stopping • The television made a continuous buzzing noise.
contour contours
NOUN 1 The contour of something is its general shape or outline.
2 On a map, a contour is a line joining points of equal height.
contract contracts, contracting, contracted
Said “con-trakt” NOUN 1 a legal agreement about the sale of something or work done for money • He was given a two-year contract.
Said “con-trakt” VERB 2 When something contracts, it gets smaller or shorter. • Metals contract with cold and expand with heat.
ANTONYM: expand
contraction contractions
NOUN a shortened form of a word or words, often marked by an apostrophe • “I’ve” is a contraction of “I have”.
contradict contradicts, contradicting, contradicted
VERB If you contradict someone, you say that what they have just said is wrong.
contradiction NOUN
contrary
ADJECTIVE 1 Contrary ideas, opinions or attitudes are completely different from each other.
PHRASE 2 On the contrary is used to contradict something that has just been said.
contrast contrasts, contrasting, contrasted
Said “con-trast” NOUN 1 a great difference between things • the contrast between town and country
Said “con-trast” VERB 2 If you contrast things, you describe or emphasize the differences between them.
contribute contributes, contributing, contributed
VERB 1 If you contribute to something, you do something to make it successful. • Everyone contributed to the class project.
2 If you contribute money to something, you help to pay for it. • We contributed some money to the appeal for the homeless.
SYNONYMS: donate, give
contribution NOUN
control controls, controlling, controlled
NOUN 1 If you have control over something, you are able to make it work the way you want it to.
2 The controls on a machine are the knobs or other devices used to work it.
VERB 3 If someone controls a country or an organization, they make the decisions about how it is run.
4 If someone controls something such as a machine, they make it work the way they want it to.
PHRASE 5 If something is out of control, nobody has any power over it. • The fire was out of control.
controversial
ADJECTIVE Something that is controversial causes a lot of discussion and argument, because many people disapprove of it. • The film was controversial.
convalescent convalescents
NOUN someone who is resting while recovering from an illness
convenient
ADJECTIVE If something is convenient, it is easy to use or it makes something easy to do. • It’s convenient living close to the bus stop.
convenience NOUN
convent convents
NOUN 1 a building where nuns live
2 a school run by nuns
conventional
ADJECTIVE Someone who is conventional thinks or behaves in an ordinary and accepted way.
converge converges, converging, converged
VERB When things meet or join at a particular place, they converge. • The roads converge after three kilometres.
convergence NOUN
conversation conversations
NOUN When people have a conversation, they talk to each other.
convert converts, converting, converted
VERB 1 If you convert something, it changes from one thing to another. • Dad converted the loft into a workshop.
2 If someone converts you, they persuade you to change your religious or political beliefs.
3 In mathematics, convert means to change a number from one form to another. These are equal to each other. For example, you can convert a fraction to a decimal (½ = 0.5).
convex
ADJECTIVE A convex surface bulges outwards, rather than being level or curving inwards.
See concave
ANTONYM: concave
convey conveys, conveying, conveyed
VERB 1 If someone conveys people or things to a place, they take them there.
2 If you convey information, ideas or feelings, you tell people about them.
conveyor belt conveyor belts
NOUN a moving strip used in factories for moving objects along
convict convicts, convicting, convicted
Said “kon-vikt” VERB 1 If a law court convicts someone of a crime, it says they are guilty of it.
Said “kon-vikt” NOUN 2 someone serving a prison sentence
convince convinces, convincing, convinced
VERB If you convince someone of something, you persuade them to do it or that it is true. • I convinced mum and dad to let me go on the school trip.
convoy convoys
NOUN a group of ships or vehicles travelling together
cook cooks, cooking, cooked
VERB 1 When you cook, you prepare food for eating by boiling, baking or frying it.
NOUN 2 a person whose job is to prepare food
cooker cookers
NOUN an apparatus for cooking food
cookery
NOUN the art of preparing and cooking food
cookie cookies
NOUN 1 a sweet biscuit • a chocolate cookie
2 a small file placed on a user’s computer by a website • This website uses cookies.
cool cooler, coolest; cools, cooling, cooled
ADJECTIVE 1 Something cool has a low temperature but is not cold.
2 If you are cool in a difficult situation, you stay calm.
VERB 3 When something cools, it becomes less warm.
cooperate cooperates, cooperating, cooperated
VERB 1 When people cooperate, they work or act together.
2 If you cooperate, you do what someone asks you to do.
cooperative cooperatives
ADJECTIVE 1 A cooperative person does what they are asked to do willingly and cheerfully.
NOUN 2 a business or organization run by the people who work for it, and who share its profits
coordinates
PLURAL NOUN a pair of numbers or letters that tell you exactly where a point is on a grid, map or graph
cop cops
NOUN INFORMAL a policeman
cope copes, coping, coped
VERB If you cope, you are able to do something even if the circumstances are difficult. • I managed to cope with my homework and with looking after my little brother at the same time.
copper
NOUN a soft, reddish-brown metal
copy copies, copying, copied
NOUN 1 something made to look like something else • a copy of a famous painting
2 A copy of a book, newspaper or record is one of many identical ones produced at the same time. • a copy of today’s newspaper
VERB 3 If you copy what someone does, you do the same thing.
4 If you copy something, you make a copy of it.
copyright copyrights
NOUN If someone has the copyright on a piece of writing or music, it cannot be copied or performed without their permission.
coral corals
NOUN a hard substance that forms in the sea from the skeletons of tiny animals called corals
cord cords
NOUN 1 strong, thick string
2 electrical wire covered in rubber or plastic
corduroy
NOUN heavy, ribbed cloth made of cotton
core cores
NOUN the most central part of an object or place • an apple core • the earth’s core
cork corks
NOUN 1 a soft, light substance that forms the bark of a Mediterranean tree
2 a piece of cork pushed into the end of a bottle to close it
corkscrew corkscrews
NOUN a device for pulling corks out of bottles
corn
NOUN 1 crops such as wheat and barley
2 the seeds of these crops
corner corners, cornering, cornered
NOUN 1 the point where two sides or edges of something meet • The TV was in the corner of the room.
See vertex
VERB 2 If someone corners a person or animal, they get them into a place they can’t escape from. • The police cornered the thief.
cornet cornets
NOUN a small, brass instrument used in brass and military bands
coronation coronations
NOUN the ceremony at which a king or queen is crowned
coroner coroners
NOUN an official who investigates the deaths of people who have died in a violent or unusual way
corporal corporals
NOUN an officer of low rank in the army or air force
corporal punishment
NOUN punishing of people by beating them
corps
Said “kor” NOUN part of an army with special duties • the Medical Corps
corpse corpses
NOUN a dead body
correct corrects, correcting, corrected
ADJECTIVE 1 If something is correct, there are no mistakes in it.
VERB 2 If you correct something that is wrong, you make it right. • She corrected my maths homework.
correction NOUN
correspond corresponds, corresponding, corresponded
VERB 1 If one thing corresponds with another, it is similar to it or it matches it in some way.
2 If numbers or amounts correspond, they are the same.
3 When people correspond, they write to each other.
correspondence
NOUN 1 letters or the writing of letters
2 If there is a correspondence between two things, there is a similarity between them.
correspondent correspondents
NOUN a newspaper, radio or television reporter
corridor corridors
NOUN a passage in a building or train
[from Old Italian corridore meaning place for running]
corrode corrodes, corroding, corroded
VERB When something corrodes, it is eaten away. When iron and steel are corroded, rust is formed.
corrosion NOUN corrosive ADJECTIVE
corrugated
ADJECTIVE Corrugated metal or cardboard has parallel folds to make it stronger.
corrupt corrupts, corrupting, corrupted
ADJECTIVE 1 People who are corrupt act dishonestly or illegally in return for money or power.
SYNONYM: dishonest
VERB 2 If you corrupt someone, you make them dishonest.
3 If a bug in a computer spoils files, it corrupts them.
corruption NOUN
cosmetics
PLURAL NOUN lipstick, face powder and other make-up
cosmic
ADJECTIVE belonging to or relating to the whole universe
cosmos
NOUN the universe
cost costs, costing, cost
NOUN 1 the amount of money needed to buy, do or make something
VERB 2 You use cost to talk about the amount of money you have to pay for things. • You can’t have that – it costs too much.
costume costumes
NOUN 1 a set of clothes worn by an actor
2 the clothing worn in a particular place or during a particular period
cosy cosier, cosiest
ADJECTIVE warm and comfortable
cot cots
NOUN a small bed for a baby, with bars or panels round it to stop the baby falling out
cottage cottages
NOUN a small house, especially in the country
cotton
NOUN 1 cloth made from the soft fibres of the cotton plant • a cotton shirt
2 thread used for sewing • a needle and cotton
couch couches
NOUN a long, soft piece of furniture for sitting or lying on
cough coughs, coughing, coughed
VERB When you cough, you force air out of your throat with a sudden harsh noise.
could
VERB 1 the past tense of can
2 You use could to say that something might happen or might be true. • It could rain later.
3 You use could when you are asking for something politely. • Could you tell me the way to the station, please?
couldn’t
VERB a contraction of could not
council councils
NOUN a group of people elected to look after something, especially the affairs of a town, district or county
counsel counsels, counselling, counselled
NOUN 1 advice
VERB 2 If someone counsels people, they give them advice about their problems.
count counts, counting, counted
VERB 1 When you count, you say all the numbers in order up to a particular number.
2 If you count, or count up, all the things in a group, you add them up to see how many there are.
3 If you can count on someone or something, you can rely on them. • You can count on me to help.
PHRASE 4 If you keep count of something, you keep a record of how often it happens. • Who’s keeping count of the score?
5 If you lose count of something, you cannot remember how often it has happened.
counter counters
NOUN 1 a long, flat surface in a shop, over which goods are sold
2 a small, flat, round object used in board games
counterfeit counterfeits, counterfeiting, counterfeited
Said “kown-ter-fit” ADJECTIVE 1 Counterfeit things are not genuine, but have been made to look genuine in order to deceive people. • counterfeit money
VERB 2 If someone counterfeits something, they make an exact copy of it in order to trick people.
countless
ADJECTIVE too many to count
country countries
NOUN 1 one of the political areas the world is divided into
2 land away from towns and cities • It is peaceful living in the country.
countryside
NOUN land away from towns and cities
county counties
NOUN a region with its own local government • The county of Lincolnshire is in the east of England.
couple couples
NOUN 1 two people who are married or having a romantic relationship
2 A couple of things or people means two of them, or not very many.
couplet couplets
NOUN two lines of poetry together that usually rhyme
coupon coupons
NOUN 1 a piece of printed paper that entitles you to pay less than usual for something
2 a form you fill in to ask for information or to enter a competition
courage
NOUN the quality shown by people who do things that they know are dangerous or difficult • She showed great courage in her efforts to save them from the burning house.
courageous ADJECTIVE
courageously ADVERB
courgette courgettes
NOUN a vegetable that looks like a small green marrow
courier couriers
NOUN 1 someone employed by a travel company to look after people on holiday
2 someone employed to deliver letters and parcels quickly
course courses
NOUN 1 a series of lessons or lectures
2 a piece of land where races take place or golf is played
3 the route something such as a ship or a river takes • The captain changed course to avoid the storm.
4 one of the parts of a meal • The first course was soup.
PHRASE 5 If you say of course, you are showing that you are absolutely sure about something. • Of course she wouldn’t do a thing like that.
court courts
NOUN 1 a place where legal matters are decided by a judge and jury or a magistrate. The judge and jury or magistrate can also be referred to as the court. • He is due to appear in court next week. • The court awarded him ten thousand pounds in compensation.