257
coal gas
from a well-known old television advertisement which told
people to **clunk-click**, every trip.
**clunk·er** /'klʌŋkər/ *n AmE infml* an old machine, especially a
car, that works very badly and will probably not be useful
for much longer
**clunk·y** /'klʌŋki/ *adj AmE infml* large or heavy and awkward:
clunky shoes/furniture
**clus·ter**¹ /'klʌstər/ *n* **1** [(off)] a number of things of the same
kind growing or being close together in a group: *a cluster of
bees/of stars* | *a small cluster of older buildings in the modern
city centre* **2** a small metal BADGE fixed to a soldier's RIBBON
as an added sign of honour
**cluster**² *v* [I;T(Together)] to (cause to) gather or grow in one or
more clusters: *The men clustered together for warmth/
clustered round the notice board.* | *Most of the foreign embas-
sies are clustered in this area.*
**cluster ,bomb** *n* a bomb that sends out a number of
smaller bombs when it explodes —**cluster-bomb** *v* [T]
**clutch**¹ /klʌtʃ/ *v* **1** [T] to hold tightly: *The mother clutched
her baby in her arms.* **2** [i(at)] to try to hold or seize: *He
clutched desperately at the branch as he fell.* **3** clutch at
straws to be prepared to try anything to get yourself out of
a difficulty
**clutch**² *n* **1** (the PEDAL that operates) an apparatus, espe-
cially in a car, which allows working parts of machinery to
be connected or disconnected smoothly: *Take your foot off
the clutch after changing gear.* → see picture at CAR **2** [C
usually sing.] an act of clutching or the fingers and hands in the
act of clutching; GRIP **3** *AmE* a CLUTCH BAG → see also
CLUTCHES
**clutch**³ *n* [(off)] (the chickens born from) a number of eggs
laid by one bird at one time: *a clutch of eggs* | (fig.) *a clutch of
new trainees*
**clutch bag** *n* a type of HANDBAG that is carried in the hand
rather than with a STRAP. It is usually used by women when
they are going out somewhere special in the evening.
**clutch·es** /'klʌtʃɪz/ *n* [P] control or power: *in the clutches of
the enemy* | *She's fallen into the clutches of that awful man!*
**clut·ter**¹ /'klʌtər/ *v* [T(UP, with)] to make untidy or confused,
especially by filling with useless or unwanted things: *The
room was cluttered (up) with toys.* | *His mind's cluttered with
useless information.*
**clutter**² *n* [S;U] (a collection of) things scattered about in a
disorderly fashion: *a desk full of clutter* | *Her room is always
in a clutter.* (=untidy)
**Clw·yd** /'kluːɪd/ a former COUNTY in North Wales. In 1994
Clwyd was divided between the counties of Flintshire and
Denbighshire.
**Clyde** → see BONNIE AND CLYDE
**Clyde, the** /klaɪd/ a large river which goes through Glasgow
**Clydes·dale Bank, the** /ˌklaɪdzdeɪl 'bæŋk/ one of the
main banks in Scotland. Like other Scottish banks it prints
its own banknotes.
**Clyde·side** /'klaɪdsaɪd/ the towns between Glasgow and
Greenock on the River Clyde in Scotland, where many
famous shipbuilding companies were established in the past
**Cly·tem·nes·tra** /ˌklɪtəm'nestrə/ in ancient Greek stories,
the wife of AGAMEMNON. She murders her husband, and as a
result she is killed by her son, ORESTES.
**cm** *written abbrev.* for CENTIMETRE(s)
**CND** /ˌsiː en 'diː/ *abbrev.* for Campaign for Nuclear Disarma-
ment; a British organization whose aim is to persuade the
British government to get rid of its NUCLEAR weapons, close
its nuclear military bases, and stop making nuclear weapons
**CNN** /ˌsiː en 'en/ *trademark abbrev.* for Cable News Network; a
CABLE TELEVISION station started by Ted TURNER which
broadcasts news 24 hours a day. It is based in the US, but
can also be seen all over the world, especially in hotels.
**C-note** /'siː noʊt/ *n AmE slang* a 100 dollar note
**CN Tower** /ˌsiː en 'taʊər/ a building in Toronto, Canada,
which is 1815 feet 5 inches or 553.33 metres tall. Although
it is taller than the Petronas Towers in Malaysia, it is not
considered to be the tallest building in the world, because it
does not have separate floors and is not used for people to
work or live in.
**c/o** /ˌsiː 'əʊ/ *abbrev.* for care of; (especially used when writing
addresses) to be held or looked after by: *Send it to John
Hammond c/o Dorothy Smith.*
**co-** → see WORD FORMATION TABLE
**CO** *written abbrev.* for COLORADO
**C.O.** /ˌsiː 'ə/ *n* Commanding Officer; an officer who
commands a military unit
**Co**¹ *written abbrev.* for COUNTY¹: Sunderland, Co Durham
**Co**² /kəʊ/ *abbrev.* for company: James Smith & Co
**coach**¹ /kəʊtʃ/ *n* **1** *BrE* || bus *AmE* — a comfortable bus used
for long-distance travel or touring: *We went to Switzerland by
coach.* | *This hotel welcomes coach parties.* (=groups of people
travelling in coaches) **2** also carriage *BrE* || car *AmE* — a
railway passenger carriage **3** a person **a)** who trains sports-
men and sportswomen for games, competitions etc: *a
football/baseball coach* **b)** who is employed privately to
train a student for an examination: *a mathematics
coach* **4** *AmE* the cheapest class of seats in a plane or train:
*Do you want coach or first-class?* **5** a large enclosed four-
wheeled horse-drawn carriage, used especially in former
times or in official ceremonies: *a coach and four* (=four
horses) | *the royal coach* → see also drive a coach and
horses through (DRIVE)
**coach**² *v* [I;T(for, in)] to train or teach, especially not in a place
of formal education; give instruction or advice to (a person
or a group of people): *I coach people for English exams.* | *She
coaches me in French.* | to do some private coaching → see
TEACH (USAGE)
**Coach and 'Horses, the** a common name for a PUB in
the UK, sometimes used to mean any typical pub
**coach-build·er** /'kəʊtʃˌbɪldər/ *n BrE* a skilled worker who
builds the bodies of motor vehicles, railway carriages etc
**'coach house** *n BrE* a building used in the past for storing a
carriage which was pulled by horses
**coach·man** /'kəʊtʃmən/ *n pl.* **-men** /mən/ a person
employed to drive a horse-drawn coach
**'coach ,station** *n BrE* (the building or buildings at) a place
where a COACH starts and finishes its journey and where
passengers can get on and off
**coach·work** /'kəʊtʃwɜːk||-wɜːrk/ *n* [U] *BrE* the outside
body of a car
**co·ad·ju·tor** /ˌkəʊˈædʊtər||ˌkəʊəˈdʒuːtər, kəʊˈædʊtər/ *n
fml* a helper; ASSISTANT
**co·ag·u·late** /kəʊˈægjʊleɪt/ *v* [I;T] to (cause to) change from
a liquid into a solid state, especially by chemical action:
*Blood coagulates when it meets air.* —**lation**
/kəʊˌægjʊˈleɪʃən/ *n* [U]
**coal**¹ /kəʊl/ *n* **1** [U] a black or brownish-black mineral which
is dug from the earth, which can be burnt to give heat, and
from which gas and many other products can be made: *a
sack/lump of coal* | *a coal fire* | *a coal miner* **2** [C] a burning
piece of coal; EMBER: *A coal fell from the fire and burned the
rug.* **3** carry/take coals to Newcastle *infml* to take goods to
a place where they are plentiful already → see also COKE,
haul over the coals (HAUL)
**coal**² *v* **1** [T] to supply (a ship, railway engine etc) with
coal **2** [I] (of ships, engines etc) to take in coal
**coal·bun·ker** /'kəʊlˌbæŋkər/ *n* a container or small building
where coal is stored
**'coal ,cellar** *n AmE* for COALHOLE
**co·a·lesce** /ˌkəʊə'les/ *v* [I] *fml or tech* to grow together so as to
form one group, body, mass etc; MERGE —**lescence** *n* [U]
**coal·face** /'kəʊlfeɪs/ *n* **1** [C] the part of a coalmine from
which coal is actually cut **2** [the S] especially *BrE* the place
where a particular job is actually done, not just talked about:
*new methods that can be used by teachers working at the
coalface* (=in the classroom)
**coal·field** /'kəʊlfiːld/ *n* an area where there is a lot of coal
under the ground
**coal·fired** *adj BrE* (of machinery, heating systems etc)using
coal to make something work: *a coal-fired electricity generat-
ing station*
**'coal gas** *n* [U] gas produced by burning coal, used especially
for lighting and heating → compare NATURAL GAS