Castro, the 208
**Castro, the** an area in San Francisco which is known for being a fashionable place where many HOMOSEXUALS live**Cas-trol** /'kæstrɒl; -trəʊl/ *trademark* a British company that produces oil for car engines
**cas·u·al** /'kæʒuəl/ *adj* **1** showing or feeling little interest: *His casual manner/attitude annoyed her. | She tried to sound casual, but her excitement was obvious.* **2** without a clear aim, plan, or intention; not serious or thorough: *I took a casual glance at the article. | not a real lecture, just a few casual remarks* **3** (of clothes) intended for informal situations or occasions: *casual shoes* **4** [A] **a)** *especially BrE* (of workers) employed for a short period of time: *They employ casual labour to pick the fruit.* **b)** doing something only on some occasions but not regularly: *casual readers of the paper | casual users of the library service* **5** *now rare* resulting from chance: *a casual meeting* **---ly** *adv: casually dressed* **---ness** *n [U]***‘casual 'sex** *n [U]* the act of sex without the thought of forming a lasting relationship
**cas·u·al·ty** /'kæʒuəlti/ *n* **1 [C]** a person hurt in an accident or killed or wounded in battle: *There were ten serious casualties in the train crash. | Their army suffered heavy casualties. (=many of the soldiers were killed or wounded)* | *She read through the casualty list anxiously.* **2 [C]** a person or thing that has suffered loss or destruction as a result of a particular event: *The new school was never finished: it was a casualty of the recent spending cuts.* **3 [U]** *BrE* || emergency room *AmE* a place in a hospital where people hurt in accidents are taken for treatment: *They rushed her to casualty but she was dead on arrival.***Casualty** a British television DRAMA programme about the doctors, nurses, and medical students who work in the casualty department of a hospital -> compare ER**cas·u·ist** /'kæʒuɪst/ *n fml derog* a person skilled in casuistry **---istic** /‚kæʒu'ɪstɪk/ , **-istical** *adj* **---istically** /kli/ *adv***cas·u·is·try** /'kæʒuɪstri/ *n [U] fml, often derog* false but clever use of arguments and reasoning, especially when dealing with cases of conscience, law, or right and wrong behaviour**ca·sus bel·li** /‚kɑ:səs 'beli, ‚keɪsəs 'belai/ *n pl. casus belli tech Lat* an event or political action which directly causes a declaration of war**cat** /kæt/ *n* **1** a small four-legged animal with soft fur and sharp CLAWS, often kept as a pet or for catching mice and rats. A young cat is called a **kitten**. -> see also MANX CAT, MIAOW, PURR**CULTURAL NOTE** People sometimes say that a cat has nine lives, meaning that it always seems to stay alive and unhurt even in dangerous situations. In the UK, some people believe it is good luck for a black cat to walk in front of you. In the US, however, people think this is unlucky.**2** an animal related to this, such as the lion or tiger -> see also BIG CAT **3** a CAT-O’-NINE-TAILS **4 Cat got your tongue?** (used to TEASE someone when they are expected to speak and do not) **5 let the cat out of the bag** *infml* to tell a secret, especially unintentionally **6 like a cat on hot bricks** *BrE* | **like a cat on a hot tin roof** *AmE* --- *infml* very nervous or anxious and unable to keep still or keep your attention on one thing **7 play cat and mouse with** to continually nearly catch (someone), and then allow them to escape; TEASE **8** *BrE* **put/set the cat among the pigeons** to cause trouble, especially by doing or saying something that is unexpected or excites strong feeling **9 when the cat’s away, the mice will play** *saying* when the person in authority is away, the other people will enjoy themselves **10 someone looks like something the cat brought/dragged in** *spoken* used in order to say that someone looks very untidy or ill, and unattractive: *Sit down and have a rest - you look like something the cat brought in. | They looked at me as if I was something the cat had dragged in.* -> see also CAT-AND-DOG, FAT CAT, rain cats and dogs (RAIN²), not enough room to swing a cat (ROOM¹)**cat·a·clys·m** /'kætəˌklɪzəm/ *n fml* a violent and sudden event or change, especially a serious flood or EARTHQUAKE **---ic** /‚kætə'klɪzmɪk/ *adj***cat·a·comb** /'kætəku:m; -kəʊm/ *n [usually pl.]* an underground burial place made up of many passages and rooms
**cat·a·falque** /'kætəfælk/ *n. a* decorated raised stage on which a dead body may be placed before an official funeral**Cat·a·lan** /'kætəlæn || -tl-ən/ *n [U]* a language spoken in parts of Spain around Barcelona
**cat·a·lep·sy** /'kætəlepsi/ *n [U] med* an illness in which a person can no longer control movement of their body, and their limbs either become stiff as in death or else remain in whatever position they are placed **---tic** /‚kætə'leptɪk/ *n, adj***cat·a·logue¹** *also* **-log** *AmE* /'kætəlɒg || -lɔ:g, -lɑ:g/ *n* a list of places, names, objects, goods etc (often with information about them) put in a special order so that they can be found easily: *Look in the catalogue to see whether the library has the book. | (fig.) the latest addition to the catalogue of terrorist crimes | I saw some slacks I like in the Sears catalog.*
**catalogue²** *also* **-log** *AmE* --- *v [T]* to make a catalogue (goods, objects etc) or list in a catalogue**ca·tal·y·sis** /kə'tæləsɪs/ *n [U]* the process of quickening a chemical activity by adding a catalyst
**cat·a·lyst** /'kætəl-ɪst/ *n* **1** a substance which, without itself changing, quickens chemical processes **2** a person, thing, or event that causes changes to happen, but without taking part in those changes: *The First World War served as a catalyst for major social changes in Europe.* **---lytic** /‚kætəl'ɪtɪk/ *adj***‚catalytic con'verter** *n* a piece of equipment fitted to the EXHAUST PIPE of a car that reduces the amount of poisonous gas sent out into the air when the engine is running**cat·a·ma·ran** /‚kætəmə'ræn/ *n* a boat with a flat surface (DECK) supported by two narrow parallel HULLS (=floating surfaces) like two boats fastened together**‚cat-and-'dog** *adj [A] infml* full of quarrels and arguments: *In the early years of their marriage they had led a cat-and-dog existence/life.***cat·a·pult¹** /'kætəpʌlt/ *n* **1** *BrE* || slingshot *AmE* --- a small Y-shaped stick with a rubber band fastened between the forks, used by children to shoot small stones **2** a machine for throwing heavy stones, balls etc, used in former times as a weapon for breaking down defensive walls**catapult²** *v [T+obj+adv/prep]* to fire (as if) from a catapult: *The attackers catapulted stones against the town wall. | The car stopped suddenly and I was catapulted through the windscreen. | (fig.) She was catapulted to stardom by the success of her first record.***cat·a·ract** /'kætərækt/ *n* **1** a large waterfall **2** *med* a disease of the eye in which the LENS becomes clouded and causes a gradual loss of sight**ca·tarrh** /kə'tɑ:r/ *n [U]* a flow of thick liquid, especially in the nose and throat, which causes a feeling of discomfort, when one has a cold: *He suffers from chronic catarrh.* **---al** *adj***ca·tas·tro·phe** /kə'tæstrəfi/ *n* a sudden, unexpected, and terrible event that causes great suffering, misfortune, or ruin: *The flood was a major catastrophe, causing heavy loss of life. | (fig.) The party could be heading for catastrophe in the election.* **---phic** /‚kætə'strɒfɪk || -'strɑ:-/ *adj: the catastrophic consequences of a war* **---phically** /kli/ *adv*
**cat·a·ton·ic** /‚kætə'tɒnɪk || -'tɑ:-/ *adj* suffering from or being in a state of CATALEPSY: *a catatonic trance***'cat ‚burglar** *n* a thief who enters and leaves a building by climbing up walls, pipes etc
**cat·call** /'kætkɔ:l/ *n* a loud whistle or cry expressing disapproval or displeasure, made at events like theatre performances and sports matches **---catcall** *v [I]***catch¹** /kætʃ/ *v* caught /kɔ:t/ **1 [T]** to get hold of and stay (a moving object): *I threw the ball, and the dog caught it in his mouth.* **2 [T]** to trap, especially after chasing or hunting; CAPTURE: *The cat caught a mouse. | to catch a fish in a net | They drove off after the thieves but couldn't catch them. | The police are confident that the murderer will be caught.* **3 [T]** to discover suddenly and by surprise (especially someone who is doing something wrong): *I caught him in the act of reading my diary.* **|** [[+obj+v-ing]] *The police caught him stealing a car. | You won’t catch me mending his socks for him! (=I will never do that) | The thieves were caught red-handed. (=were found while actually stealing)* | (*fig.*) *This kind of cancer can be cured, provided it is caught early. (=if its existence is*
