Sunday, September 7, 2008

C

cabal a group of conspirators

cabaret night club

cache hiding place

cachet prestige

cacophony dissonance, harsh noise

cadaver corpse

cadaverous haggard

cadence rhythm

cadet a student of a military academy

cadge beg

cadre small group

cajole encourage, coax

calamity disaster

calculating scheming

caliber ability, character

callous insensitive

callow inexperienced

calumny slander

camaraderie fellowship

canaille rabble

canard hoax

candid frank, unrehearsed

candor frankness

canine pertaining to dogs

canon rule

cant insincere speech

cantankerous peevish

cantata musical composition

canvass survey

capacious spacious

capillary thin tube

capital most significant, pertaining to wealth

capitol legislative building

capitulate surrender

capricious fickle, impulsive

caption title

captious fond of finding fault in others

captivate engross, fascinate

carafe bottle

carbine rifle

carcinogenic causing cancer

carcinoma tumor

cardinal chief

cardiologist one who studies the heart

careen swerve

carrion decaying flesh

cartographer mapmaker

cascade waterfall

cashmere fine wool from Asia

Cassandra unheeded prophet

castigate criticize

castrate remove the testicles

casuistry specious reasoning

cataclysm catastrophe

catastrophic disastrous

categorical absolute, certain

cathartic purgative, purifying

catholic universal, worldly

caucus meeting

cause célèbre celebrated legal case

caustic scathing (of speech)

cauterize to sear

cavalier disdainful, nonchalant

caveat warning

caveat emptor buyer beware

cavil quibble

cavort frolic

cede transfer ownership, relinquish

celestial heavenly

celibate abstaining from sex

cenotaph empty tomb, monument

censorious condemning speech

censure condemn

ceramics pottery

cerebral pertaining to the brain

cessation a stoping

chafe abrade

chagrin embarrassment

chalice goblet

champion defend

chaperon escort

charade pantomime, sham

charlatan quack, imposter

chartreuse greenish yellow

chary cautious

chaste pure, virgin

chasten castigate

chateau castle

cheeky brass, forward

cherub cupid

cherubic sweet, innocent

chicanery trickery

chide scold

chimerical imaginary, dreamlike

choleric easily angered

chortle laugh, snort

chronic continual (usually of illness)

chronicle a history, record

chronology arrangement by time

churl a boor

chutzpah gall

Cimmerian dim, unlit

cipher zero, nobody, a code

circa about (of time)

circuitous roundabout

circumcise remove the foreskin

circumlocution roundabout expression

circumspect cautious

circumvent evade, thwart

citadel fortress

citation summons to appear in court

clamor noise

clan extended family

clandestine secret

claustrophobia fear of enclosed places

cleave split

cleft split

clemency forgiveness

clique a small group

cloister refuge, monastery

clone duplicate

clout influence

cloven split

cloy glut, to sicken by excess

cloyed jaded

co-opt preempt, usurp

coagulate thicken

coalesce combine

coda concluding passage

coddle pamper

codicil supplement to a will

coercion force

coffer strong box

cogent well-put, convincing

cogitate ponder

cognate from the same source

cognizant aware, mindful

cognomen family name

cohabit live together

cohere stick together

cohort an associate

coiffure hairdo

collaborate work together

collar seize, arrest

collateral securities for a debt

colloquial informal speech

colloquy conference

collusion conspiracy

colonnade row of columns

comatose stupor

combine unite, blend

commandeer seize for military use

commemorate observe

commend praise

commensurate proportionate

commiserate empathize

commissary food store

commission authorization to perform a task

commodious spacious

commodity product

commodore naval officer

communion fellowship

commutation exchange, substitution

commute lessen punishment

compact covenant

compassion kindness

compatible well-matched, harmonious

compatriot countryman

compelling convincing, persuasive

compendium summary

compensate make up for

compensatory redeeming

competence skillfulness

compile collect

complacent self-satisfied, oblivious to coming danger

compliant submissive, conforming

complicity guilt by association

comport to conduct oneself

composed cool, self-possessed

compound augment

comprehensive thorough

comprise consist of

compulsive obsessive

compulsory obligatory

compunction remorse

concatenate link

concave curving inward

concede yield, grant

concerted done together, intensive effort

conch spiral shell

conciliatory reconciling, restoring goodwill

concise brief

conclusive convincing, ending doubt

concoct devise

concomitant accompanying, concurrent

concord accord

concordat agreement

concourse throng, open space for a gathering

concubine mistress

concur agree

concurrent simultaneous

condescend patronize, talk down to

condiment seasoning

condolence commiseration

condone overlook wrong doing, pardon

conducive helping

conduit pipe

confabulate discuss, give a fictitious account of a past event

confection candy

confederacy alliance

confer bestow

conference meeting

confidant trusted friend

confide trust another (with secrets)

confiscate seize

conflagration large fire

confluence flowing together

confound bewilder

confront challenge

confuse perplex

confute disprove

congeal solidify

congenial friendly

congenital inborn, existing from birth

congeries pile

congruence conformity

coniferous bearing cones

conjecture hypothesis, speculation

conjugal pertaining to marriage

conjure summon

connive conspire

connoisseur an expert, gourmet

consanguineous related by blood

conscientious honorable, upright

conscription draft, enlistment

consecrate make holy

consecutive one after another

consensus general agreement

considered well thought-out, contemplated

consign assign

consolation comfort, solice

console comfort

consolidate unite, strengthen

consonant harmonious

consort spouse

consortium cartel

conspicuous obvious

conspire plot

constellation arrangement of stars

consternation anxiety, bewilderment

constrained confined

construe interpret

consummate perfect

contagion infectious agent

contemplate meditate

contempt disdain

contend struggle

contented satisfied

contentious argumentative

contiguous adjacent, abutting

continence self-control

contingent conditional

contort twist

contraband illicit goods

contraction shrinkage

contractual related to a contract

contrariety opposition

contrast difference, comparison

contravene oppose

contretemps unfortunate occurrence

contrite apologetic

contrive arrange, artificial

controversial subject to dispute

controvert dispute

contumacy disobedience

contusion bruise

conundrum puzzle, enigma

convene assemble (a group)

conventional customary, standard

converge come together

conversant familiar

converse opposite

convex curving outward

convey communicate

conviction strongly held belief

convivial sociable, festive

convocation gathering

convoke convene, summon

convoluted twisted, complicated

copious abundant

coquette a flirt

cordial friendly

cordon bond, chain, barrier

cornucopia cone-shaped horn filled with fruit

corollary consequence

coronation crowning of a sovereign

corporeal of the body

corps group of people

corpulent fat

corroborate confirm

cortege procession

coruscate sparkle

cosmopolitan worldly, sophisticated

cosset coddle

coterie small group

countenance facial expression

countermand overrule

counterstrike strike back

countervail counterbalance

coup master stroke, sudden takeover

coup de grâce final stroke, a blow of mercy

court-martial military trial

courtesan prostitute

courtier member of the king’s court

covenant agreement, pact

covert secret

covet desire

cower showing fear

crass crude

crave desire

craven cowardly

credence belief

credenza buffet

credulity gullibility

credulous believing

creed belief

crescendo becoming louder

crestfallen dejected

crevice crack

cringe cower

criterion a standard used in judging

critique examination, criticism

croon sing

cruet bottle

crux gist, key

cryptic mysterious, puzzling

cubism a style of painting

cudgel club

culinary pertaining to cooking

cull pick out, select

culminate climax

culpable blameworthy

culprit offender

culvert drain

cumbersome unwieldy

cumulative accumulate

cupidity greed

curb restrain, block

curmudgeon boor, bad-tempered

curriculum course of study

curry seek favor by flattery

cursory hasty

curt abrupt, rude

curtail shorten

cyclone storm

cynical scornful of the motives or sincerity of others

cynosure celebrity, center of attention

czar Russian emperor

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