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canny
whom other people have suggested as a suitable person for
such a job or position: They are interviewing candidates for
the job of sales manager. ¶ a parliamentary candidate 2 espe-
cially BrE a person taking an examination
Can·dide /ˌkɒnˈdiːd||kɑːn-/ (1759) a book by the French
writer VOLTAIRE which is a SATIRE (=humorous criticism) on
the belief that 'everything is for the best in the best of all
possible worlds'. Candide is a young man who is taught to
be an OPTIMIST, but his experiences show him how bad life is,
and he decides that it is best to 'cultivate (=look after) one's
own garden'.
can·died /ˈkændɪd/ adj [A] covered with shiny sugar: candied
fruit
can·dle /ˈkændl/ n 1 a usually round stick of WAX containing
a length of string (WICK) which gives light when it
burns 2 can't hold/is not fit to hold a candle to infml to be
not nearly as good as: No one can hold a candle to him when it
comes to playing the guitar. 3 Out, out brief candle! quote a
phrase from Shakespeare's play Macbeth said by Macbeth
when he is talking about how short and meaningless our
lives are → see also ROMAN CANDLE, burn the candle at both
ends (BURN¹)
Candle in the 'Wind a song originally written in 1973
and sung by Elton John. It was recorded again with different
words in 1997, in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales, and
it sold more copies than any other record ever made.
can·dle·light /ˈkændl·laɪt/ n [U] the light produced by
candles. Candlelight is thought to be ROMANTIC and to encour-
age interest between the sexes: We dined by candlelight.
candle·lit adj lit by candles: a candle-lit dinner for two
Can·dle·mas /ˈkændlmæs/ a Christian holy day, February
2nd, which celebrates the presentation of Jesus Christ in the
temple and the PURIFICATION (=making pure) of his mother
Mary
can·dle·stick /ˈkændlˌstɪk/ n a holder for usually one
candle → compare CANDELABRUM
can·dle·wick /ˈkændlˌwɪk/ n [U] cloth with a decorative
pattern made of rows of raised short threads separated from
other rows by bare material: a candlewick bedspread
can·dour BrE ¶ -dor AmE /ˈkændər/ n [U] the quality of being
sincerely honest and truthful (CANDID)
C & W /ˌsiː ən ˈdʌbəljuː/ n [U] COUNTRY AND WESTERN
can·dy /ˈkændi/ n [U;C] especially AmE (a shaped piece of)
various types of boiled sugar, sweets, or chocolate: Eating all
that candy will rot your teeth. | Is there a candy machine here
somewhere? → compare SWEET²
candyˌapple n AmE for TOFFEE APPLE
candy bar n AmE a bar covered with chocolate and filled
with a variety of different sweets: What's your favorite candy
bar?
candy cane n [C] AmE a stick of hard red and white sugar
with a curved end
can·dy·floss /ˈkændiˌflɒs||-flɔːs, -flɔːs/ BrE ¶ cotton
candy AmE — n [U] fine sticky, often coloured, sugar
threads eaten as a sweet and usually on a stick
CULTURAL NOTE Candyfloss is connected with CARNIVALS,
FAIRS, and AMUSEMENT PARKS. In Britain it is also sold in
seaside towns, and people often eat it when they are on
holiday.
candy-,striped adj (especially of cloth) having narrow col-
oured lines on a white background: a candy-striped blouse
candyˌstriper n AmE a girl who does VOLUNTARY (=without
pay) work in a hospital
cane¹ /keɪn/ n 1 [C] the hard smooth thin, often hollow,
stem of certain plants (tall grasses such as BAMBOO) → see
also SUGARCANE 2 [C] a long thin stick used by school-
teachers, especially in the past, to beat children as a punish-
ment for bad behaviour: The teacher gave him the cane (=hit
him with a cane) for fighting in school. 3 [U] lengths of cane
used as a material for making furniture: cane chairs 4 [C] a
length of cane used for supporting weak plants, for helping
weak people to walk: a walking cane 5 [C] the woody stem
of certain fruit-bearing plants: raspberry canes
cane² v [T] especially BrE 1 to punish (someone) by hitting
them with a cane: a campaign to abolish caning in
schools 2 (especially in newspapers) to defeat completely;
TROUNCE: England were caned by France in last night's game.
ca·nine /ˈkeɪnaɪn, ˈkæ-||ˈkeɪ-/ adj, n tech (of, for, or typical of)
a dog or related animal
'canine tooth n any of four sharp pointed teeth in the
human mouth → compare INCISOR
can·is·ter /ˈkænstər/ n 1 a usually metal container for
holding a dry substance, such as tea 2 a small container
which bursts and scatters its contents when thrown or fired
from a gun: a canister of teargas
can·ker /ˈkæŋkər/ n [C;U] (an area of) soreness caused by a
disease which attacks the wood of trees and the flesh
(especially the mouth and ears) of animals and people: Our
cat has a canker in its ear. | (fig.) Violence is the canker
(=spreading evil) in our society. → compare CANCER —~ous
adj
can·na·bis /ˈkænəbɪs/ also dope, grass, pot slang — n [U]
the drug produced from a particular type of HEMP plant
(Indian hemp), sometimes smoked in cigarettes to give a
feeling of pleasure, leading to sleepiness. Using and selling
cannabis is against the law in most Western countries. →
compare BHANG, HASHISH, MARIJUANA
canned /kænd/ adj 1 (of food) preserved in a tin: canned
beans 2 usually derog recorded in advance and having an
unoriginal or artificial quality: canned music in the airport
lounge | canned laughter on a TV comedy show 3 [F] slang
drunk
can·nel·lo·ni /ˌkænəˈləʊni/ n [U] small quantities of meat or
cheese, each with a covering of PASTA
can·ne·ry /ˈkænəri/ n a factory where food is put in tins
Cannes /kæn/ a fashionable expensive town next to the
Mediterranean Sea in southern France which is famous as a
holiday centre and because of the Cannes Film Festival, a
yearly event when new international films are shown for the
first time and are judged
can·ni·bal /ˈkænɪbəl/ n 1 a person who eats human flesh
CULTURAL NOTE In the US and UK, there is an old
STEREOTYPE about cannibals that is sometimes used in
CARTOONS. They are drawn as men who have a bone
through their nose or tied in their hair. They usually wear
grass skirts, and are typically shown cooking a
MISSIONARY or an EXPLORER in a very big pot.
2 an animal which eats the flesh of other animals of the
same kind: Some fish are cannibals. —ism n [U] —istic
/ˌkænɪbəˈlɪstɪk/ adj
can·ni·bal·ize also -ise BrE /ˈkænɪbəlaɪz/ v [T] to take (a
machine) to pieces to use the parts in other machines: He
cannibalized his old car to repair the new one.
can·ning /ˈkænɪŋ/ n [U] AmE the preserving of food by storing
it in tins or JARS especially at home: These tomatoes will be
good for canning. | I'm out of canning jars.
can·non¹ /ˈkænən/ n pl. cannons or cannon a large powerful
gun, often fixed to the ground or onto a two-wheeled
carriage or, in modern times, fixed to an aircraft: a 15th-
century cannon | fighter planes armed with cannon → see
also WATER CANNON
cannon² v [I+adv/prep] to hit or knock forcefully, especially by
accident: She came running round the corner, cannoned into
me, and knocked me over.
can·non·ade /ˌkænəˈneɪd/ n continuous heavy firing by
large guns
can·non·ball /ˈkænənbɔːl/ n a heavy iron ball fired from an
old type of cannon
'cannonˌfodder n [U] ordinary soldiers thought of as
nothing but military material to be used without regard for
their lives
can·not /ˈkænɒt, -nɒt||-nɑːt/ fmI 1 can not: Mr Smith is
sorry that he cannot accept your kind invitation to dinner. →
compare CAN'T; see CAN (USAGE), MUST (USAGE) 2 cannot
but fmI or pomp must: One cannot but admire her even if one
may not like her.
can·ny /ˈkæni/ adj 1 clever, careful, and not easily deceived,
especially in money matters; SHREWD 2 NEngE nice; good: a
canny lass —nily adv