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Castro, Fidel
cas'sette re,corder n a TAPE RECORDER
cas'sette ,tape n a cassette
cas-sock /'kæsək/ n a long, heavy, usually black garment, worn by some priests and by people helping at religious services
cast¹ /kɑːst||kæst/ v cast [T] 1 especially lit or old use to throw or drop: The fishermen cast their nets into the sea. | The wicked king cast his enemies into prison. | (fig.) The witch cast a spell on the prince and turned him into a frog. 2 [+obj+adv/prep] to throw off; remove; get rid of; SHED: Every year the snake casts off its skin. | to cast aside one's doubts/inhibitions/former friends 3 to turn or direct: The evening sun cast long shadows (across the garden). | She cast a glance in his direction. | So far, the police investigation has not cast any light on her disappearance. (=has not helped to explain it) | Would you just cast an eye over (=look through quickly) this letter before I put it in the post? | These incidents must cast doubt on his suitability for government office. 4 [(as, in)] to give an acting part to (a person) or choose actors for (a play): The director cast me as a mad scientist. | Who is casting this play? 5 to make (a vote) in an election: The TV news showed the vice-president casting his vote. 6 to make (an object) by pouring (hot metal or plastic) into a shaped container (MOULD): to cast bronze | to cast a statue 7 to calculate (a HOROSCOPE) 8 cast one's net wide to spread your efforts in all directions when trying to find someone or something: If we want the best person for the job, we must cast our net as wide as possible by advertising in all the papers. → see also the die is cast (DIE²) 9 cast pearls before swine to say useful or nice things to people who cannot appreciate them
cast about/around for sthg. phr v [T no pass.] to search or look for in all directions
cast sbdy. ⇔ away phr v [T usually pass.] to leave somebody somewhere as the result of a shipwreck: We were cast away on an island without food or water. → see also CASTAWAY
cast sbdy. ⇔ down phr v [T usually pass.] to make sad or disappointed
cast (sthg.) ⇔ off phr v [I;T] 1 a) (of a boat or ship) to be set free on the water by a rope being untied b) to set (a boat or ship) free by untying a rope 2 to finish making a piece of KNITTING by removing (stitches) from the needle in such a way that the garment does not come undone
cast (sthg.) ⇔ on phr v [I;T] to start a piece of KNITTING by putting (the first stitches) onto a needle
cast sbdy./sthg. ⇔ out phr v [T[of]] especially lit or old use to drive out or away; EXPEL → see also OUTCAST
cast² n 1 [C+sing./pl. v] the actors in a play, film etc: The cast is/are waiting on the stage. | The film has a strong cast that includes several famous names. 2 [C] an act of throwing something, especially a fishing line 3 [C] a hard stiff protective covering for holding a broken bone in place while it gets better. People with an arm or leg in a cast often get their friends to write their names or a message on the cast: He's got his leg in a plaster cast. | Do you want to sign my cast? 4 [C] an object made by being cast (CAST¹) in a specially shaped container (MOULD): plaster casts of the statues 5 [C] a small pile of earth thrown out of the ground by worms when they make a hole 6 [S] fml appearance, type, or character: the noble cast of his features | a philosophic cast of mind
as-ta-nets /,kæstə'nets/ n [P] a musical instrument made from two round pieces of hard wood, plastic etc fastened to the thumb by a string and played by being knocked together by the other fingers. Castanets are thought to be typical of southern Spain and Mexico.
ast-a-way /'kɑːstəweɪ||'kæst-/ n a person who escapes from a shipwreck and reaches the shore of a strange country or lonely island. The most famous castaway in English literature is Robinson Crusoe. → see also CAST AWAY
ast 'down adj [F] sad and disappointed: She could not bear to see him so miserable and cast down.
aste /kɑːst||kæst/ n [C;U] (any of the groups in) the system by which Indian society is divided up into different classes, according to the principles of Hinduism
as-tel-lat-ed /'kæstleɪtɪd/ adj tech (of a building) having defences like a castle; made to look like a castle
ast-er, -or /'kɑːstə||'kæs-/ n 1 a small metal or plastic wheel fixed to the base of a piece of furniture so that it can be easily moved 2 BrE || shaker AmE a container with small holes in the top from which sugar, salt etc may be evenly spread over foods
'caster ,sugar, castor sugar BrE || granulated sugar AmE — n [U] very fine white sugar usually used in cooking → compare GRANULATED
cast-i-gate /'kæstɪgeɪt/ v [T] fml 1 to punish or speak to severely 2 to express strong disapproval of (a person, behaviour, or ideas) —gation /,kæstɪ'geɪʃən/ n [U]
cast-ing /'kɑːstɪŋ||'kæstɪŋ/ n 1 [C] an object shaped by being CAST¹ 2 [U] the process of choosing actors for a play or film
casting 'vote n [C usually sing.] a deciding vote (usually belonging to the person in charge of a meeting, committee etc) used when both sides have an equal number of votes
cast 'iron n [U] a hard but easily breakable type of iron
cast-iron adj 1 made of cast iron 2 infml a) strong or insensitive: She has a cast-iron stomach and can eat anything. b) impossible to question or doubt: a cast-iron excuse
turret
barbican
battlements
drawbridge
portcullis
moat
castle
cas·tle /'kɑːsəl||'kæ-/ n 1 a large strongly built building or set of buildings made in former times as a safe place that could easily be defended against attack: Windsor Castle 2 also rook — a powerful CHESS piece → see picture at CHESSMAN 3 castles in the air plans, hopes, desires etc that will probably not become realities; DAYDREAMS
Castle, Bar-ba-ra /'bɑːbərə||'bær-/ (1911–2002) a British politician who was a Labour MP from 1945 to 1979. She held many senior government positions, including Minister of Transport (1965–68) and Secretary of State for Employment (1968–70). She was also a Labour Party representative in the European Parliament. When she was Minister of Transport she introduced the BREATHALYSER test which is used by the police to test whether a driver has drunk too much alcohol. Her official title was Baroness Castle.
Cas-tle-maine XXXX /,kɑːsəlmeɪn ,fɔːr 'eksɪl,kæ-/ trade-mark a type of Australian LAGER (=light-coloured beer) popular in the UK
'cast-off adj [A] (especially of clothes) unwanted by the original owner and thrown away —castoff /'kɑːstɒf||'kæstɔːf/ n {usually pl.} She gave her castoffs to her younger sister. → see also HAND-ME-DOWN
cast-or /'kɑːstə||'kæs-/ n a CASTER
Cas-tor and Pol-lux /,kɑːstər ənd 'pɒləksl,kæstər ənd 'pɑː-/ in ancient Greek and Roman stories, two brothers who were TWINS (=two children born at the same time), and who had many adventures. The group of stars known as GEMINI or the Heavenly Twins is named after them.
castor 'oil n [U] a thick yellowish medicinal oil made from the castor-oil plant and used especially as a LAXATIVE. Many people who are now adults were given castor oil regularly as children and remember it for its unpleasant taste.
'castor ,sugar n [U] CASTER SUGAR
cas-trate /kæ'streɪt||'kæstreɪt/ v [T] 1 to remove all or part of the sex organs of (a male animal or person) 2 to make (a man) lose his sense of being male —tration /kæ'streɪʃən/ n [U]
Cas-tro, Fi-del /'kæstrəʊ, fɪ'del/ (1927–) the Cuban COMMUNIST leader who led the opposition to the DICTATOR BATISTA, and forced him to leave the country in 1954. Castro then became Prime Minister of Cuba, and later its President. He is known for always wearing military clothes and having a long BEARD.