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cooked breakfast
con'veyer belt n an endless moving belt that carries objects from one place to another, for example in a factory so that someone can do the same operation on many different objects: He took his suitcase off the conveyer belt at the airport. | (fig., derog) the conveyer belt mentality of most modern artists -> see also CAROUSEL
con·vict¹ /kən'vɪkt/ v [T(of) usually pass.] to prove or declare that (someone) is guilty of a crime after a trial in a court: They were convicted of murder. | a convicted rapist -> opposite ACQUIT
con·vict² /'kɒnvɪkt||'kɑ:n-/ n a person who has been found guilty of a crime and sent to prison, especially for a long time. If a man is said to look like a convict, it usually means that his hair is cut extremely short: an escaped convict
con·vic·tion /kən'vɪkʃən/ n [C;U] 1 the act of convicting or being convicted of a crime: This was her third conviction for stealing. | His conviction caused rioting in the streets. | They had no previous convictions. -> opposite ACQUITTAL 2 (a) very firm and sincere belief: She's a woman of strong convictions. | He said he wasn't frightened, but his voice lacked conviction/didn't carry conviction. (=he didn't sound as if he believed what he was saying) | a conviction politician (=whose beliefs tend not to change) | [+that] She had a firm conviction that she was always right.
con·vince /kən'vɪns/ v [T(of)] to make (someone) completely certain about something; persuade: We finally convinced them of our innocence. | [+obj+(that)] They failed to convince the directors that their proposals would work. | I'm convinced that she is telling the truth. | a convinced Christian (=sure of his/her faith)
con·vinc·ing /kən'vɪnsɪŋ/ adj 1 able to convince: a convincing speaker/speech -> opposite UNCONVINCING 2 certain; clear: a convincing victory (=a win by a large number of points) | They won by a convincing margin. —-ly adv
con·viv·ial /kən'vɪviəl/ adj pleasantly merry and friendly: convivial companions | a very convivial atmosphere —-ly adv —-ity /kənˌvɪviˈæləti/ n [U]
con·vo·ca·tion /ˌknvə'keɪʃən||ˌkɑ:n-/ n 1 [U] the act of calling people together for a meeting 2 [C+sing./ pl. v] an organization of church officials, or of members of certain universities, that holds formal meetings 3 the name for GRADUATION at some American universities
con·voke /kən'vəʊk/ v [T] fml to call together for a meeting: to convoke Parliament
con·vo·lut·ed /'kɒnvəlu:tɪd||'kɑ:n-/ adj 1 fml twisted; curved: sheep with convoluted horns 2 difficult to understand; COMPLICATED, especially without good reason: convoluted arguments —-ly adv
con·vo·lu·tion /ˌkɒnvə'lu:ʃən||ˌkɑ:n-/ n [usually pl.] fml a fold, twist, or the act of folding or twisting: a snake's convolutions | (fig.) to follow the convolutions of her argument/of the story
con·voy¹ /'kɒnvɔɪ||'kɑ:n-/ n [C+sing./ pl. v] 1 a group of ships or vehicles travelling together, especially for protection: Convoys of lorries took food to the disaster area. | Cars should cross the desert in convoy in case there is a breakdown. 2 a protecting force of armed ships, vehicles, soldiers etc; ESCORT: The weapons were sent under convoy because of the danger of enemy attack. | a naval convoy
convoy² v [T] (of an armed ship, vehicle, soldiers etc) to go with and protect (a group of ships, vehicles etc)
con·vulse /kən'vʌls/ v [T(with)] to shake violently, in or as if in convulsions: We were convulsed with laughter.
con·vul·sion /kən'vʌlʃən/ n [usually pl.] a number of sudden violent uncontrollable shaking movements caused especially by illness: He couldn't drive because he sometimes had convulsions. | (fig.) We were all in convulsions of laughter.
con·vul·sive /kən'vʌlsɪv/ adj being, having, or producing a convulsion: a convulsive movement of the muscles —-ly adv
co·ny, coney /'kəʊni/ n 1 [C] AmE nonstandard a rabbit 2 [U] rabbit fur as used in making fur coats
coo /ku:/ v [I] 1 to make (a sound like) the low soft cry of a DOVE or PIGEON 2 to make soft loving noises: They all cooed over the new baby. -> see also bill and coo (BILL) —coo n
Coo·gan, Steve /'ku:gən, sti:v/ (1965-) a British COMEDIAN who appears on television acting as the different characters that he has invented. The most famous of these is Alan Partridge, a television PRESENTER who has his own CHAT SHOW, and who talks in a way that makes other people embarrassed or annoyed, but does not realize he is doing this.
cook¹ /kʊk/ v 1 [I;T] to prepare (food) for eating by using heat; make (a dish): There are various ways of cooking rice. | Do you want your vegetables cooked or raw? | I learnt how to cook at school. | [+obj(I)+obj(d)] She cooked us a marvellous dinner. 2 [I] (of food) to be prepared in this way: Make sure the meat cooks for at least an hour. 3 [T] infml to change (facts, numbers etc) dishonestly for your own advantage; FALSIFY: She was sacked for cooking the books. (=stealing money by making changes in the accounts) -> compare CREATIVE ACCOUNTING 4 cook someone's goose to get someone into serious trouble: I could mention where he really was at the weekend to his wife – that'd cook his goose!
A modern gas or electric cooker (stove AmE) usually has three parts: the oven, the grill (broiler AmE), and the burners or hotplates on top. The oven is used for baking bread and cakes, or roasting a large piece of meat. The grill is an apparatus for cooking by direct heat and can be used, for example, for grilling (broiling AmE) meat or toasting bread (making it hard and brown). The gas burners or electric hotplates can be used for boiling food in a pot with water, for stewing food (=cooking food slowly in liquid to make a stew) or for frying (=cooking food in hot fat or oil). Simmering is very gentle slow boiling. Steaming is cooking food in water but in an inner container so that the water does not directly touch the food. Braising, used usually of meat, means cooking slowly in a covered pot with a little fat and water.
cook sthg. <-> up phr v [T] infml to invent falsely; CONCOCT: They cooked up some excuse about an accident, but no-one believed them.
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
Cook, Captain (1728-79) a British sailor and EXPLORER who sailed to Australia and New Zealand, and claimed the eastern coast of Australia for Britain. He also discovered several islands in the Pacific Ocean, including Hawaii, where he was killed.
Cook, Peter (1937-95) a British COMEDIAN, who had a great influence on British COMEDY and who is known especially for making humorous television programmes with Dudley MOORE, with whom he first appeared in BEYOND THE FRINGE when they were both at university. He also owned the humorous magazine PRIVATE EYE.
Cook, Robin (1946-2005) a British politician in the Labour Party, who was Foreign Secretary (=the minister in charge of the UK's relations with other countries) from 1997 to 2001. He was leader of the House of Commons from 2001 to 2003 until he RESIGNED because he did not support the government's decision to go to war with Iraq.
cook·book /'kʊkbʊk/ n especially AmE a book on how to prepare and cook food; COOKERY BOOK
cook·'chill v [T] BrE to preserve (food) by cooking it and then CHILLing it (=making it become very cold but not freezing) quickly until it is needed at a later time. This process is used in hospitals and also for READY MEALS stored in shops. Food that is cook-chilled must be stored at the correct low temperature and reheated properly in order for it to be safe to eat.
Cooke, Al·is·tair /kʊk, 'ælɪsteər/ (1908-2004) a US broadcaster who was born in Britain. He is known in the UK for his radio programme Letter from America (1946-2004), in which he described American life and politics. In the US, he presented the programme Masterpiece Theater from 1971 to 1993.
cooked 'breakfast n (in Britain) a breakfast consisting of cooked food, usually including eggs, often together with BACON, SAUSAGES or TOMATOES, and also TOAST and tea or coffee