crybaby
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Africa in the 1940s. It shows the lack of equality between black and white people, but encourages them not to hate each other.
cry·ba·by /'kraɪˌbeɪbi/ n derog a person, especially a child, who cries too often
,cry for 'help n [S] (used of a DESPERATE action, especially an attempt at SUICIDE) an attempt to get some help and attention from other people, rather than to hurt yourself or anyone else: I think she took the pills knowing her mother would find her in time; it was just a cry for help.
cry·ing /'kraɪ-ɪŋ/ adj [A] infml (of something bad) that demands urgent attention: The state of the roads is a crying shame.
cry·o·gen·ics /ˌkraɪərə'dʒenɪks/ n the science of very low temperature
cry·on·ics /kraɪ'ɒnɪks||-'ɑː-/ n the process of freezing a body in liquid NITROGEN at the moment of its death. People who pay for their bodies to be frozen like this hope that at some future time doctors will be able to bring them back to life.
crypt /krɪpt/ n a room under a church, often used in the past as a BURIAL place
cryp·tic /'krɪptɪk/ adj secret or mysterious; difficult to understand, sometimes intentionally: a cryptic message | a cryptic comment/remark (=with hidden meaning) ➔ compare ELLIPTICAL -ally /kli/ adv
crypto- ➔ see WORD FORMATION TABLE
cryp·to·gra·phy /krɪp'tɒgrəfi||-'tɑː-/ n [U] the study of secret writing and CODES -pher n -phic /ˌkrɪptə'græfɪk/ adj -phically /kli/ adv
crys·tal /'krɪstl/ n 1 [C;U] (a shaped piece of) a natural mineral that is either transparent, looking like ice, or is only slightly coloured 2 [U] colourless glass of very high quality: a crystal wine glass | a crystal chandelier 3 [C] a small regular shape with its surfaces in an even arrangement, formed naturally by a substance when it becomes solid: crystals of salt | copper sulphate crystals 4 [C] AmE the transparent cover over the face of a clock or watch
,crystal 'ball n a ball of crystal or glass used by FORTUNE-TELLERS to look into the future: (fig.) He's an expert - but not even his crystal ball can tell us how the stockmarket will change.
,crystal 'clear adj very clearly stated or understood; allowing no possibility of doubt: I'd like to make it crystal clear that I do not agree with these proposals.
'crystal gazing n [U] the practice of looking into a ball of crystal or glass in an attempt to see the future: (fig.) The article contained some firm predictions, but also a lot of crystal gazing. (=guessing about the future) -er n
crys·tal·line /'krɪstəlaɪn, -liːn||-lɪn/ adj 1 of or like crystal; very clear; transparent: a crystalline mountain stream 2 made of CRYSTALS: crystalline rocks
crys·tal·lize also -lise BrE /'krɪstəlaɪz/ v 1 [I;T] to (cause to) form CRYSTALS: The liquid will crystallize at 50°C. 2 [I;T] to (cause to) become clear and fixed in form: a number of related ideas that gradually crystallized into a practical plan 3 [T] to preserve (fruit) by covering with sugar: crystallized cherries -lization /ˌkrɪstəlaɪ'zeɪʃn||-l-a-/ n [U]
,Crystal 'Palace, the a large building made of glass and iron, built in HYDE PARK, London to contain the GREAT EXHIBITION of 1851. The building was later moved to South London, but was destroyed by fire in 1936. The name 'Crystal Palace' is still used for a football team and a sports ground in South London.
'crystal set n a simple radio receiver of an old-fashioned kind
CSA, the /ˌsiː es 'eɪ/ abbrev. for the CHILD SUPPORT AGENCY ➔ see DIVORCE
CSE /ˌsiː es 'iː/ n Certificate of Secondary Education; an examination taken at the age of 16 in schools in Britain before 1988
C-section /'siː ˌsekʃən/ n infml a CAESAREAN
CS gas /ˌsiː es 'gæs/ n [U] BrE TEAR GAS
CSO, the /ˌsiː es 'əʊ/ abbrev. for the CHICAGO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
C-SPAN /'siː spæn/ a CABLE TELEVISION station in the US which broadcasts the meetings of the US Congress and its various committees while they are taking place
CST /ˌsiː es 'tiː/ abbrev. for CENTRAL STANDARD TIME
CT written abbrev. for CONNECTICUT
CT scan /ˌsiː 'tiː skæn, 'kæt skæn/ n a CAT SCAN
C2 /ˌsiː 'tuː/ n BrE a word used by advertising companies, political parties etc to talk about a typical WORKING-CLASS person who does a low-paid job that does not need much skill: trying to capture the C2 vote | advertising aimed mainly at the C1s and C2s ➔ compare C1
cu written abbrev. for CUBIC
cub /kʌb/ n 1 the young of various meat-eating wild animals, such as the lion, bear etc: a fox and her cubs | lion cubs 2 (often cap.) a member of the CUB SCOUTS 3 a young and inexperienced person: a cub reporter on a newspaper
Cu·ba /'kjuːbə/ the largest island in the Caribbean Sea. Population: 11,263,429 (2003). Capital: Havana. Cuba has been a one-party Communist state since 1959, led by Fidel CASTRO. Cuba is known for its RUM, its CIGARS, and its music. It also has a growing tourist industry. -Cuban n, adj
CULTURAL NOTE There are many Cuban REFUGEES in the US. Some left Cuba when the government was taken over by the Communists in 1959, and many others came to the US as BOAT PEOPLE (=people who try to escape from their own country in boats), especially in the 1980s and 1990s. Many Cubans live in Florida, especially in Miami. The US government does not trust the Communist government in Cuba, and does not allow US citizens to visit Cuba or US companies to do business in Cuba. The US TRADE EMBARGO (=official order to stop trade with another country) has had a bad effect on the Cuban economy. ➔ see also BAY OF PIGS, GUANTANAMO BAY
,Cuban 'missile ,crisis, the a dangerous situation which developed in 1962 when the Soviet Union began to build bases for NUCLEAR MISSILES in Cuba. US President John F. Kennedy complained to the Soviet government and threatened to take military action. It caused a lot of international anxiety until the Soviet Union agreed to remove the missile bases. ➔ see also BAY OF PIGS
CULTURAL NOTE The Cuban missile crisis is considered to be the time when the US and the Soviet Union came closest to having a NUCLEAR WAR. Many people were very frightened when President Kennedy appeared on television to explain what was happening.
cub·by·hole /'kʌbɪhəʊl/ n a small enclosed space, sometimes used either as a room or a cupboard: She works in a little cubbyhole at the end of the corridor.
cube¹ /kjuːb/ n 1 a solid object with six equal square sides: a sugar cube | The box was cube-shaped. 2 the number made by multiplying a number by itself twice: The cube of 3 is 27. (3 × 3 × 3 = 27)
cube² v [T] 1 to multiply a number by itself twice: 3 cubed (=written 3³) is 27. 2 to cut (something) into cubes; DICE
,cube 'root /ɪl'vː/ n the number which when multiplied by itself twice equals a particular number: If 3 is the cube root of 27 (written ³√27), then 3 × 3 × 3 = 27.
cu·bic /'kjuːbɪk/ adj being a measurement of space when the length of something is multiplied by its width and height: a cubic centimetre (often written as cc) | a cubic metre/inch/foot | What's the cubic capacity (=size) of this engine? '2000 cc.'
cu·bi·cal /'kjuːbɪkəl/ also cubic adj having the shape of a cube
cu·bi·cle /'kjuːbɪkəl/ n a very small division of a larger room, such as one used for dressing or undressing in at a swimming pool, or studying in a library
cub·is·m /'kjuːbɪzəm/ n [U] (often cap.) a 20th century art style in which the subject matter is represented by GEOMETRIC shapes. Picasso and Braque are the most famous artists connected with Cubism. -ist adj, n
cu·bit /'kjuːbɪt/ n bibl an ancient unit of length equal to the length of the arm between the tip of the middle finger and the elbow
'Cub Scout n BrE 1 the Cub Scouts also the Cubs the part