ix
cau·ter·ize also -ise BrE /'kɔ:təraɪz/ v [T] med to burn (a
wound, snake bite etc) with a very hot iron or caustic
substance to destroy infection
CD /ˌsi: 'di:/ n abbrev. for 1 compact disc; a small circular
piece of hard plastic on which high quality recorded sound
or large quantities of information can be stored 2 CD-
ROM 3 CERTIFICATE OF DEPOSIT
cease¹ /si:s/ v [I,T] fml to stop (especially an activity or state):
It rained all day without ceasing. | Cease fire! (=stop
shooting!) | [+to-v] As from the end of the month, this regula-
tion will cease to have effect. | [+v-ing] The company has ceased
trading in this part of the world. → see also wonders will
never cease (WONDER)
chance² v [not in progressive forms] 1 [T] fml to take a chance
with; risk: to chance all one's money on a game of
cards 2 [+to-v; it+that] fml to take place by chance; happen
by accident: She chanced to be in the park when I was there. |
It chanced that we were both travelling on the same
plane. 3 chance it/chance one's luck/chance one's arm
infml to take a chance of succeeding, even though failure is
possible: The police may catch us, but we'll just have to chance
it/chance our luck.
chance on/upon sbdy./sthg. phr v [T] to meet or find by
chance: She chanced on some valuable documents when she
was cleaning out the attic.
cheer·ful /'tʃɪəfəl||'tʃɪr-/ adj 1 happy and lively; in good
spirits: a cheerful person/grin 2 bright and pleasant; likely
to cause happy feelings: cheerful music/wallpaper | high
street boutiques selling cheap and cheerful clothes 3 pleas-
antly willing: his cheerful compliance with our requests → see
also cheap and cheerful (CHEAP) —ly adv —ness n [U]
singing cheerfully | She cheerfully admitted her mistake.
cheque·book BrE | checkbook AmE /'tʃekbʊk/ n a set of
CHEQUES bound together in a small book. When a cheque is
removed, a small piece of paper (a cheque stub) remains, on
which you can write details of who the cheque was paid to,
how much it was for etc.
chick·pea /'tʃɪkpi:/ | also garbanzo, garbanzo bean
AmE — n (the bushy plant that produces) a seed like the
common PEA but bigger, which is often eaten as food.
Chickpeas are used to make HUMMUS, a dish from the Middle
East which is popular in the US and Britain.
choose /tʃu:z/ v chose /tʃəʊz/, chosen /'tʃəʊzən/ 1 [be-
tween, from; T] to pick out freely, and after consideration, from
a number of things, possibilities etc: It was such a big menu I
didn't know what to choose | Have you chosen (a hat) yet? | He
chose his words carefully, hoping to avoid a quarrel. | She's
been chosen as the new club president. | Anyone choosing
politics as a career must face intense competition. | We had to
choose between leaving early and paying for a taxi. | There's
little/nothing to choose between them. (=they are both
alike/equally good) | There are ten to choose from. |
[+obj+obj] She chose him a book. | [+obj+for] She chose a book
for him. | [+obj+to-v] They chose him to represent them. | [+wh-]
I'll let you choose where we should go to eat.
cho·ral /'kɔ:rəl/ adj of or sung by a CHOIR or CHORUS: a
choral group | choral music
Christmas 'Day n [⌷] December 25th, the day when
Christians celebrate the birth of Christ
cook² n 1 a person who prepares and cooks food: John's a
cook in a hotel. | My mother is a really good cook. → compare
CHEF 2 too many cooks spoil the broth saying if too many
people are trying to do the same job at the same time, they
will not do it successfully → see also CHIEF COOK AND
BOTTLE-WASHER
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