Collins Primary Illustrated Dictionary. Collins Dictionaries

“ser-ram-ic” NOUN 1 a hard material made by baking clay at very high temperatures

      PLURAL NOUN 2 Ceramics is the art of making objects out of clay.

      cereal cereals

      NOUN 1 a food made from grain, often eaten with milk for breakfast

      2 a plant that produces edible grain, such as wheat, oats, barley and rye

      ceremony ceremonies

      NOUN a formal event such as a wedding or prizegiving

      certain

      ADJECTIVE 1 If you are certain about something, you are sure it is true. • She is certain she wants to be a vet.

      2 You use certain to refer to a particular person, place or thing. • I like certain animals, for example cats and dogs.

      certainly

      ADVERB without any doubt • “Will you be at the party?” “I certainly will.”

      certificate certificates

      NOUN an official piece of paper that proves that something took place • a birth certificate

      chaffinch chaffinches

      NOUN a small European bird with black and white wings

      chain chains

      NOUN 1 a number of metal rings linked together in a line

      2 a number of things in a series or connected to each other • a chain of shops • a chain of events

      chair chairs

      NOUN a seat for one person to sit on, with a back and four legs

      chalet chalets

      NOUN a small wooden house with a sloping roof, especially found in mountain areas or holiday camps

      chalk

      NOUN a soft, white rock. Small sticks of chalk are used for writing or drawing on a blackboard.

      chalky ADJECTIVE

      challenge challenges, challenging, challenged

      NOUN 1 something new and exciting that needs a lot of effort • Learning how to cook is a new challenge for me.

      VERB 2 If someone challenges you, they suggest that you compete with them. • She challenged me to a game of table tennis.

      challenging

      ADJECTIVE If you find something challenging, you find it quite difficult.

      chameleon chameleons

      NOUN a lizard that is able to change the colour of its skin to match the colour of its surroundings

      [from Greek khamai + leon meaning ground lion]

      champagne champagnes

      NOUN a sparkling white wine made in France

      champion champions

      NOUN a person who wins a competition

      championship championships

      NOUN a competition to find the best player or players of a particular sport

      chance chances

      NOUN 1 how possible or likely something is • I think we’ve got a good chance of winning.

      2 an opportunity to do something • This is your chance to be a TV star!

      3 a possibility that something dangerous or unpleasant may happen

      PHRASE 4 Something that happens by chance happens unexpectedly, without being planned.

      chancellor chancellors

      NOUN the head of government in some European countries

      Chancellor of the Exchequer

      NOUN the government minister in charge of finance and taxes in Britain

      change changes, changing, changed

      NOUN 1 money you get back when you pay for something with more money than it costs

      VERB 2 When something changes, or you change it, it becomes different. • The wind changed direction.

      channel channels

      NOUN 1 a wavelength on which television programmes are broadcast. It can also be the television station itself.

      2 a passage for water or other liquid

      3 The Channel, or the English Channel, is the stretch of sea between England and France.

      chaos

      NOUN a state of complete disorder • The demonstration ended in chaos.

      chaotic ADJECTIVE

      chapel chapels

      NOUN 1 a section of a church or cathedral with its own altar

      2 a type of small church

      chapter chapters

      NOUN one of the parts into which a book is divided

      character characters

      NOUN 1 all the qualities that make a person or a place special • She has a gentle character.

      2 The characters in a film, play or book are the people in it.

      characteristic characteristics

      NOUN 1 a special quality about a person, place or thing

      ADJECTIVE 2 typical of a place or person • Noise and traffic fumes are characteristic of cities.

      charades

      NOUN a party game where one team guesses what the other team is acting out

      charcoal

      NOUN burnt wood used as a fuel. Charcoal is also used for drawing.

      charge charges, charging, charged

      VERB 1 If someone charges you money, they ask you to pay for something you have bought or received.

      2 rush forward • She charged into the room.

      PHRASE 3 If you are in charge of someone or something, you are responsible for them. • I left him in charge of the shop while I went out.

      chariot chariots

      NOUN a two-wheeled open vehicle pulled by horses in ancient times

      charity charities

      NOUN 1 an organization that raises money to help people in need

      2 money or other help given to people in need

      charm charms, charming, charmed

      NOUN 1 something you wear for good luck

      2 the quality of being attractive and pleasant

      VERB 3 If you charm someone, you use your charm to please them.

      chart charts

      NOUN a diagram or table showing information

      chase chases, chasing, chased

      VERB If you chase someone, you run after them or follow them in order to catch them or make them leave a place.

      chat chats, chatting, chatted

      NOUN 1 a friendly talk with someone

      VERB 2 When people chat, they talk to each other in a friendly way about things that are not very important.

      chatty ADJECTIVE

      chatroom chatrooms

      NOUN an internet site where users have discussions using e-mail

      chatter chatters, chattering, chattered

      VERB 1 When people chatter, they talk about unimportant things.

      2 If your teeth chatter, they knock