Collins Primary Illustrated Dictionary. Collins Dictionaries

contractions

      NOUN a shortened form of a word or words, often marked by an apostrophe • “I’ve” is a contraction of “I have”.

      contradict contradicts, contradicting, contradicted

      VERB If you contradict someone, you say that what they have just said is wrong.

      contradiction NOUN

      contrary

      ADJECTIVE 1 Contrary ideas, opinions or attitudes are completely different from each other.

      PHRASE 2 On the contrary is used to contradict something that has just been said.

      contrast contrasts, contrasting, contrasted

      Said “con-trast” NOUN 1 a great difference between things • the contrast between town and country

      Said “con-trast” VERB 2 If you contrast things, you describe or emphasize the differences between them.

      contribute contributes, contributing, contributed

      VERB 1 If you contribute to something, you do something to make it successful. • Everyone contributed to the class project.

      2 If you contribute money to something, you help to pay for it. • We contributed some money to the appeal for the homeless.

      SYNONYMS: donate, give

      contribution NOUN

      control controls, controlling, controlled

      NOUN 1 If you have control over something, you are able to make it work the way you want it to.

      2 The controls on a machine are the knobs or other devices used to work it.

      VERB 3 If someone controls a country or an organization, they make the decisions about how it is run.

      4 If someone controls something such as a machine, they make it work the way they want it to.

      PHRASE 5 If something is out of control, nobody has any power over it. • The fire was out of control.

      controversial

      ADJECTIVE Something that is controversial causes a lot of discussion and argument, because many people disapprove of it. • The film was controversial.

      convalescent convalescents

      NOUN someone who is resting while recovering from an illness

      convenient

      ADJECTIVE If something is convenient, it is easy to use or it makes something easy to do. • It’s convenient living close to the bus stop.

      convenience NOUN

      convent convents

      NOUN 1 a building where nuns live

      2 a school run by nuns

      conventional

      ADJECTIVE Someone who is conventional thinks or behaves in an ordinary and accepted way.

      converge converges, converging, converged

      VERB When things meet or join at a particular place, they converge. • The roads converge after three kilometres.

      convergence NOUN

      conversation conversations

      NOUN When people have a conversation, they talk to each other.

      convert converts, converting, converted

      VERB 1 If you convert something, it changes from one thing to another. • Dad converted the loft into a workshop.

      2 If someone converts you, they persuade you to change your religious or political beliefs.

      3 In mathematics, convert means to change a number from one form to another. These are equal to each other. For example, you can convert a fraction to a decimal (½ = 0.5).

      convex

      ADJECTIVE A convex surface bulges outwards, rather than being level or curving inwards.

      See concave

      ANTONYM: concave

      convey conveys, conveying, conveyed

      VERB 1 If someone conveys people or things to a place, they take them there.

      2 If you convey information, ideas or feelings, you tell people about them.

      conveyor belt conveyor belts

      NOUN a moving strip used in factories for moving objects along

      convict convicts, convicting, convicted

      Said “kon-vikt” VERB 1 If a law court convicts someone of a crime, it says they are guilty of it.

      Said “kon-vikt” NOUN 2 someone serving a prison sentence

      convince convinces, convincing, convinced

      VERB If you convince someone of something, you persuade them to do it or that it is true. • I convinced mum and dad to let me go on the school trip.

      convoy convoys

      NOUN a group of ships or vehicles travelling together

      cook cooks, cooking, cooked

      VERB 1 When you cook, you prepare food for eating by boiling, baking or frying it.

      NOUN 2 a person whose job is to prepare food

      cooker cookers

      NOUN an apparatus for cooking food

      cookery

      NOUN the art of preparing and cooking food

      cookie cookies

      NOUN 1 a sweet biscuit • a chocolate cookie

      2 a small file placed on a user’s computer by a website • This website uses cookies.

      cool cooler, coolest; cools, cooling, cooled

      ADJECTIVE 1 Something cool has a low temperature but is not cold.

      2 If you are cool in a difficult situation, you stay calm.

      VERB 3 When something cools, it becomes less warm.

      cooperate cooperates, cooperating, cooperated

      VERB 1 When people cooperate, they work or act together.

      2 If you cooperate, you do what someone asks you to do.

      cooperative cooperatives

      ADJECTIVE 1 A cooperative person does what they are asked to do willingly and cheerfully.

      NOUN 2 a business or organization run by the people who work for it, and who share its profits

      coordinates

      PLURAL NOUN a pair of numbers or letters that tell you exactly where a point is on a grid, map or graph

      cop cops

      NOUN INFORMAL a policeman

      cope copes, coping, coped

      VERB If you cope, you are able to do something even if the circumstances are difficult. • I managed to cope with my homework and with looking after my little brother at the same time.

      copper

      NOUN a soft, reddish-brown metal

      copy copies, copying, copied

      NOUN 1 something made to look like something else • a copy of a famous painting

      2 A copy of a book, newspaper or record is one of many identical ones produced at the same time. • a copy of today’s newspaper

      VERB 3 If you copy what someone does, you do the same thing.

      4 If you copy something, you make a copy of it.

      copyright