caterpillar tractor 210
caterpillar 'tractor n a large heavy vehicle which moves along on a CATERPILLAR and is used for farm work, road repair, or building work
cat-er-waul /'kætəwɔːl|-tər-/ v [I] to make a loud unpleasant catlike sound —caterwaul n [S]
cat-fight /'kætfaɪt/ n infml a fight between women. Some people consider this word to be offensive.
cat-fish /'kætˌfɪʃ/ n pl. catfish [C,U] a type of fish that has WHISKERS (=strong hairs) around its mouth and lives in rivers or lakes
'cat flap n [C] an entrance to the house for your pet cat, consisting of a piece of wood or plastic which hangs down over a hole at the bottom of the door, and which can swing open
cat-gut /'kætgʌt/ n [U] strong cord made from the INTESTINES of animals, especially sheep, and used for the strings of musical instruments
ca-thar-sis /kə'θɑːsɪs, kæ-/||kə'θɑːr-/ n pl. -ses /-siːz/ fml or tech [C;U] the process by which strong and perhaps dangerous feelings are allowed to be experienced, for example under the influence of music or DRAMA so that they lose their power —tic adj: Watching tragic drama is supposed to have a cathartic effect on people.
Cath-ay Pa-cif-ic /ˌkæθeɪ pə'sɪfɪk/ trademark an AIRLINE based in Hong Kong
ca-the-dral /kə'θiːdrəl/ n the chief church of a Christian DIOCESE (=an area with a BISHOP), usually a very large beautifully decorated stone structure: Durham Cathedral | a cathedral city (=one which has a cathedral)
Cath-er, Wil-la /'kæðər ˈwɪlə/ (1876-1947) a US writer who grew up in Nebraska at the time when Europeans first went to live there. Her books include O! Pioneers and My Antonia.
Cath-e-rine of Ar-a-gon /ˌkæθərɪn əv ˈærəgən||-gɑːn/ (1485-1536) the first wife of King Henry VIII of England and the mother of Mary I
Catherine the 'Great also Catherine II /ˌkæθərɪn ə ˈsekənd/ (1729-96) the EMPRESS of Russia from 1762 to 1796 who greatly increased the size of the Russian EMPIRE. She is known for having had many lovers.
'catherine wheel n a circular FIREWORK that is pinned to an upright surface and turns round when set on fire
cath-e-ter /'kæθətər/ n a thin tube that is put into passages in the body, used especially for putting in or taking out liquids
cath-ode /'kæθəʊd/ also negative pole n tech the part of an electrical instrument (such as a BATTERY) from which ELECTRONS leave, often a rod or wire represented by the sign [-] → compare ANODE
cathode 'ray tube n a glass instrument in which streams of ELECTRONS from the CATHODE (cathode rays) are directed onto a flat surface where they give out light, as in a television
cath-o-lic /'kæθəlɪk/ adj fml (especially of likings and interests) general; including many different things; broad: catholic opinions/tastes —ity /ˌkæθə'lɪsəti/ n [U]
Catholic¹ adj 1 connected with the ROMAN CATHOLIC religion: Is he Catholic? 2 connected with the ROMAN CATHOLIC Church: a Catholic school
Catholic² n someone who is a member of the Roman Catholic Church —Catholicism /kə'θɒlɪsɪzəm||kə'θɑː-/ n [U]
'cat house n AmE old-fash a BROTHEL
Cat in the 'Hat, The a popular children's book by DR SEUSS which is written in RHYME and contains drawings. It is the story of a strange cat who wears a tall red and white hat and plays tricks. The same character appears in other books by Dr Seuss.
cat-kin /'kætkɪn/ n especially BrE a stringlike bunch of soft small furry flowers that grows on certain trees such as the WILLOW or BIRCH
'cat litter n [U] a special substance (LITTER) on which house cats can empty their bowels
cat-nap /'kætnæp/ n infml a very short light sleep
cat-nip /'kætnɪp/ n [U] a HERB whose smell is very attractive to cats
cat-o'-nine-tails /ˌkæt ə ˈnaɪn ˌteɪlz/ also cat n a whip of nine knotted cords fastened to a handle, used formerly for punishing people
Cats /kæts/ a MUSICAL (=a play that uses singing and dancing to tell a story) by Andrew Lloyd Webber, which is based on T.S. ELIOT's Poems about Cats. Cats is one of the most popular musicals ever written, and has been seen by millions of people.
CAT scan /'kæt skæn/ also CT scan n an X-RAY image of the body produced by a CAT scanner, an electronic machine used in a hospital. CAT scans are used to discover whether there are CANCERS or other diseased parts in someone's body. The full name of this process is Computerized Axial Tomography.
CAT scan-ner /'kæt ˌskænər/ n [C] an electronic machine used in a hospital to do a CAT Scan
cat's 'cradle n [U] a children's game played with string wound round the fingers and passed from one finger to another to make various shapes
'cat's eye n 1 a small object fixed in the middle of a road which shines when lit by car lights in the dark 2 a valuable stone which REFLECTS a narrow band of light
Cat-skill Moun-tains, the /ˌkætskɪl ˈmaʊntɪnz||-ˈmaʊntɪnz/ also the Catskills n [P] a group of mountains in the southeast of New York state, US, part of the Appalachian mountain range. From the 1920s to the 1950s they were a popular place for people to go on holiday, especially Jewish people, and there were many large, comfortable hotels there. Many Jewish entertainers worked there before they became famous. Today it is a popular place for people who live in New York City to visit at the weekend.
cat-suit /'kætsuːt, -sjut||-suːt/ n a tightly fitting garment, worn especially by women, consisting of a combined top and trousers
cat-sup /'kætsəp/ n [U] especially AmE KETCHUP
cat-tail /'kæt-teɪl/ AmE bulrush BrE — n a tall grasslike plant with a thick brown top, which grows near water
cat-ter-y /'kætəri/ n BrE a place where cats are looked after or bred
cat-tle /'kætl/ n [P] cows and BULLS especially as kept on farms for meat or milk: He has twenty (head of) cattle on his farm. | The cattle are in the shed.
'cattle grid BrE || 'cattle guard AmE n a set of poles placed over a hole in a road, which cars can go across but animals cannot
cat-tle-man /'kætlmən/, cat-tle-wom-an /'kætlˌwʊmən/ fem. — n pl. -men /-mən/ a man who looks after cattle
'cattle market n a place where cattle are bought and sold: (fig.) The Miss World contest is just a cattle market.
'cattle prod n a stick that gives cattle an electric shock when it touches them, used to make them move
'cattle truck n BrE a railway vehicle or a LORRY made to carry cattle
cat-ty /'kæti/ adj infml derog showing a desire to hurt or harm someone, especially in a way that is not openly or directly expressed; MALICIOUS: She often makes catty remarks about her stepmother. —tily adv —tiness n [U]
'catty-corner adv KITTY-CORNER
Ca-tul-lus, Gai-us Va-ler-i-us /kə'tʌləs, ˈgaɪəs vəˈlɪəriəs/ (784-754 BC) an ancient Roman poet, known especially for his love poems
cat-walk /'kætwɔk/ n a narrow raised footway, especially along a bridge or round a large machine, or sticking out into a room for MODELS to walk on in a fashion show
Cau-ca-sian /kɔːˈkeɪziən||-ˈkeɪʒən/ adj 1 someone who is Caucasian belongs to the race that has white or pale skin 2 from or relating to the Caucasus —Caucasian n
Cau-ca-sus, the /'kɔːkəsəs/ also Cau-ca-si-a /kɔːˈkeɪziə||-ˈkeɪʒə/ an area in the extreme south-east of Europe between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, which includes Russia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia and contains the Caucasus Mountains
Caucasus 'Mountains, the a group of mountains in the Caucasus in south-east Europe, which includes Mount Elbruz, the highest mountain in Europe