Collins Primary Illustrated Dictionary. Collins Dictionaries

2 A compelling story or event is extremely interesting.

      3 A compelling argument or reason makes you believe that something is true.

      compensate compensates, compensating, compensated

      VERB 1 To compensate someone means to give them money to replace something that has been lost or damaged.

      2 If one thing compensates for another, it cancels out the bad effects of it. • The trip to Disneyland compensated for her long illness.

      compete competes, competing, competed

      VERB 1 If you compete in a contest or game, you take part in it.

      2 If you compete, you try to do better than others.

      competent

      ADJECTIVE Someone who is competent at something can do it satisfactorily. • He is a competent nurse.

      competition competitions

      NOUN an event in which people take part to find out who is the best at something

      compile compiles, compiling, compiled

      VERB When you compile information, you collect it and put it together.

      complain complains, complaining, complained

      VERB 1 If you complain, you say that you are not happy about something. • The neighbours complained about the noise.

      2 If you complain of pain or illness, you say that you have it.

      complaint NOUN

      complement complements, complementing, complemented

      VERB 1 If one thing complements another, the two things go well together. • Her piano music complements the poem.

      NOUN 2 In grammar, a complement is a word or phrase that gives information about the subject or object of a sentence. For example, in the sentence Rover is a dog, is a dog is the complement.

       Do not confuse complement with compliment.

      complete completes, completing, completed

      VERB 1 If you complete something, you finish it. • She has just completed her third short story.

      ADJECTIVE 2 If something is complete, none of it is missing.

      completely

      ADVERB totally

      SYNONYM: utterly

      complex complexes

      ADJECTIVE 1 Complex things have many different parts and are hard to understand.

      NOUN 2 a group of buildings used for a particular purpose, such a sports complex

      complexion complexions

      NOUN the quality of the skin on your face

      complicated

      ADJECTIVE Something that is complicated is hard to understand.

      complication complications

      NOUN something that makes a situation more difficult to deal with

      compliment compliments

      NOUN If you pay someone a compliment, you tell them you admire or like something about them.

       Do not confuse compliment with complement.

      component components

      NOUN The components of something are the parts it is made of.

      compose composes, composing, composed

      VERB 1 If you compose a piece of music, a letter, or a speech, you write it.

      2 If something is composed of particular things or people, it is made up of them.

      composer composers

      NOUN someone who writes music

      composition compositions

      NOUN 1 a piece of music or writing

      2 the things that something is made up of

      compost

      NOUN a mixture of rotted plants and manure that gardeners add to the soil to help plants grow

      compound word compound words

      NOUN a word with a single meaning, but made up of two or more words. For example, gingerbread, housework and teapot are all compound words.

      comprehend comprehends, comprehending, comprehended

      VERB If you comprehend something, you understand it.

      comprehensive comprehensives

      ADJECTIVE 1 Something that is comprehensive includes everything that you need to know.

      NOUN 2 a school where children of all abilities are taught together

      comprehensively ADVERB

      compress compresses, compressing, compressed

      VERB If you compress something, you squeeze it or shorten it. • She compressed her story into one page.

      compromise compromises, compromising, compromised

      NOUN 1 an agreement in which people accept less than they really wanted

      VERB 2 When people compromise, they settle for less than they really wanted.

      compulsory

      ADJECTIVE If something is compulsory, you have to do it.

      computer computers

      NOUN an electronic machine that stores information and makes calculations

      computerize computerizes, computerizing, computerized; also spelt computerise

      VERB When a system or process is computerized, such as train timetables or bank accounts, the work is done by computers.

      comrade comrades

      NOUN a companion, especially in battle

      con cons, conning, conned

      VERB 1 If someone cons you, or you are conned, you are tricked into doing something. • He conned me into buying the tickets.

      NOUN 2 a trick that makes you believe or do something that you would not normally believe or do

concave

      ADJECTIVE A concave surface curves inwards, rather than being level or bulging outwards.

      ANTONYM: convex

      conceal conceals, concealing, concealed

      VERB If you conceal something, you hide it.

      conceited

      ADJECTIVE Someone who is conceited is too proud of their appearance or abilities.

      SYNONYMS: bigheaded, self-important

      conceive conceives, conceiving, conceived

      VERB 1 If you can’t conceive of something, you can’t imagine it or believe it. • He couldn’t conceive of anything more fun than surfing.

      2 If you conceive something such as a plan, you think of it and work out how it could be done. • Alex conceived the idea while eating his lunch.

      3 When a woman conceives, she becomes pregnant.

      concentrate concentrates, concentrating, concentrated

      VERB 1 If you concentrate on something, you give it all your attention. • I need to concentrate on my homework.

      2 When something is concentrated in one place, it is all there