clown
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clown¹ /klaʊn/ n 1 an entertainer, especially in the CIRCUS, who wears funny clothes and special MAKE-UP, often with a large red painted smile, and tries to make people laugh by jokes, tricks, or actions. It is often said that people who are clowns are really rather sad people underneath all their cheerful make-up and acting. 2 derog a fool, especially someone who continually behaves in a silly way; BUFFOON: The teacher wondered which kid would be the class clown (especially AmE) this year.
clown² v [I (ABOUT, AROUND)] derog to act stupidly; play the fool: Will you children stop clowning and eat up your dinner!
clown·ish /'klaʊnɪʃ/ adj derog of or like a CLOWN: clownish behaviour —–ly adv —–ness n [U]
cloy /klɔɪ/ v [I] fml to become unpleasant through too much sweetness or through being taken in too great a quantity: Chocolates start to cloy if you eat too many. | a love story of cloying sentimentality
cloze test /'kləʊz test/ n BrE a test used in teaching, where the student must supply the missing words in a short piece of writing
club¹ /klʌb/ n 1 [+sing./pl. v] an organization consisting of people who join together for a certain purpose, especially sport or amusement: an active member of the school's chess club | He joined the local stamp club. | The tennis club has/have organized a dance. | (fig.) countries that belong to the nuclear club → see also COUNTRY CLUB, GOLF CLUB 2 a) a building where a club meets b) a NIGHTCLUB 3 an association of people, usually upper-class men or men connected with the Establishment, who like to meet together to relax and discuss things. The club usually owns a building where members can eat, drink, and sometimes sleep. New members pay to join or are elected (ELECT) by other members. 4 a thick heavy stick, used as a weapon: to brandish a club 5 a specially shaped stick for hitting a ball in certain sports: a golf club 6 a) a black three-leafed figure printed on a playing card b) a card belonging to the SUIT (=set) of cards that have one or more of these figures printed on them: I have four clubs in my hand. | the seven/king of clubs → see Cultural Note and picture at CARDS 7 in the club infml, especially BrE expecting a baby; PREGNANT 8 Join the club! (said when other people are in the same situation): 'I've got a bad cold.' 'Join the club.' (=I've got one, too)
club² v -bb- [T] to beat or hit hard (as if) with a CLUB: He was clubbed to death with the butt of a gun.
club together phr v [I] to share the cost of something with others: We clubbed together to buy her a present.
club·ba·ble /'klʌbəbəl/ adj BrE old-fash likely to be a popular member of a club; SOCIABLE
club·bing /'klʌbɪŋ/ n [U] BrE the activity of going to NIGHT-CLUBS: We go clubbing (=visit nightclubs) every weekend.
—–ber n
CULTURAL NOTE Clubbing is a very popular activity in the UK and large cities have many clubs, most of which play dance music. Most clubs have DJs who MIX different records (= play one record after another without a period of time between them, or play two or more records at the same time). Some DJs are more famous than the people who make the records, and the expression 'superstar DJ' is sometimes used to refer to the most popular DJs. Drugs, especially ECSTASY, are often associated with clubbing, and clubs are known as places where some people take drugs. Some young people also go on holiday to places such as Ibiza in order to go clubbing.
'club class n BUSINESS CLASS
Club 18-30 /ˌklʌb ˌeɪtiːn 'θɜːtiːl-'θɜːr-/ trademark a British company that sells low-cost holidays to young people aged between 18 and 30, mainly in places on the Mediterranean coast. Many British people have the idea that people who go on Club 18-30 holidays are mostly interested in sex and drinking alcohol.
club-foot /'klʌbfʊt/ n [C;U] (the condition of having) a badly shaped foot twisted out of position from birth —–ed /ˌklʌb'fʊtɪd/ adj
club·house /'klʌbhaʊs/ n pl. -houses /haʊzɪz/ a building where a club meets, especially one used by a sports group
club·land /'klʌblænd/ n [U] the part of London around St James's, where most of the famous CLUBS¹ are found
Club Med /ˌklʌb 'med/ trademark a company that sells expensive holidays in many parts of the world, aimed especially at younger people. Its full name is 'Club Méditerranée'. Club Med holidays are based in specially-built villages, and people can spend their whole holiday without leaving the village. The cost of the holidays includes food, drink, sports activities, and entertainment.
,club 'sandwich n especially AmE three pieces of bread with cold food between them (such as cold meat and SALAD), to be eaten with the hands
,club 'soda n AmE for SODA WATER
cluck¹ /klʌk/ n 1 (a sound like) the low short noise that a hen makes when calling her CHICKS (baby hens) or sitting on her eggs 2 AmE slang a stupid person or one who has behaved in a stupid way: You can be a real dumb cluck sometimes.
cluck² v 1 [I] to make a cluck 2 [I (over);T] to express (a feeling) by making a sound like this: She clucked her disapproval. | The old lady clucked over her grandchildren, feeding them everything they liked.
clue¹ /kluː/ n 1 [(to)] something, such as an object or a piece of information, that helps to find an answer to a question, difficulty, or mystery: Police have still found no clues as to the whereabouts of the missing woman. | I'll never guess the answer—give me another clue! 2 not have a clue infml a) to know nothing (about something): 'Do you know the time of the next train?' 'I haven't a clue.' | She hasn't a clue about computers. b) to be stupid or lacking in skill: That new clerk hasn't a clue – it's taken him all afternoon just to file three letters! 3 a question or information about a word, the answer to which will complete one part of a CROSSWORD
clue² v
clue sbdy. in phr v [T] infml to provide with the latest facts, news etc: I don't know what's been going on – could you clue me in?
clue sbdy. up phr v [T(about, on)] infml to cause (especially yourself) to become well-informed about something: You'd better clue yourself up a bit before you go for the interview!
Clue·do /'kluːduː/ BrE || Clue AmE – trademark a type of BOARD GAME in which each player becomes a different character, such as Colonel Mustard or Miss Scarlet, in a murder story, and tries to discover which character is the murderer, what the murder weapon was, and in which room in the house the murder took place
,clued-'up adj infml knowing a lot about something: She's very clued up about the new pay scheme.
clue·less /'kluːləs/ adj infml, especially BrE helpless, stupid, or IGNORANT: I'm completely clueless about cricket.
clump¹ /klʌmp/ n 1 [C(of)] a group of trees, bushes, plants etc growing together: a little clump of reeds 2 [C(of)] a heavy solid lump or mass of something, such as soil or mud: sticky clumps of earth on his boots 3 [S] a heavy slow sound, such as that made by slow footsteps
clump² v 1 [+adv/prep] to walk with slow heavy noisy footsteps: She clumps around/about in her heavy boots. 2 [I (TOGETHER)] to (cause) to gather into or form a clump
clum·sy /'klʌmzi/ adj 1 awkward and ungraceful in movement or action; without skill or grace: He's too clumsy to be a good dancer. | You clumsy oaf! You've knocked over my coffee! 2 unskilful in handling people; without TACT: a clumsy attempt to apologize 3 difficult to handle or control; UNWIELDY —–sily adv —–siness n [U]
clung /klʌŋ/ past tense and past participle of CLING
clunk /klʌŋk/ n the dull sound of something heavy, especially metal, hitting something else
,clunk-'click n (in Britain) a word that is sometimes used to remind people to fasten their SEAT BELTS in cars. It comes