Letter C

cabal a group of conspirators
cabaret night club
cache hiding place
cachet prestige
cacophony dissonance, harsh noise
cadaver corpse
cadaverous haggard
cadence rhythm
cadet a student of a military academy
cadge beg
cadre small group
cajole encourage, coax
calamity disaster
calculating scheming
caliber ability, character
callous insensitive
callow inexperienced
calumny slander
camaraderie fellowship
canaille rabble
canard hoax
candid frank, unrehearsed
candor frankness
canine pertaining to dogs
canon rule
cant insincere speech
cantankerous peevish
cantata musical composition
canvass survey
capacious spacious
capillary thin tube
capitol legislative building
capitulate surrender
capricious fickle, impulsive
caption title
captious fond of finding fault in others
captivate engross, fascinate
carafe bottle
carbine rifle
carcinogenic causing cancer
carcinoma tumor
cardinal chief
cardiologist one who studies the heart
careen swerve
carrion decaying flesh
cartographer mapmaker
cascade waterfall
cashmere fine wool from Asia
Cassandra unheeded prophet
castigate criticize
castrate remove the testicles
casuistry specious reasoning
cataclysm catastrophe
catastrophic disastrous
categorical absolute, certain
cathartic purgative, purifying
catholic universal, worldly
caucus meeting
cause célèbre celebrated legal case
caustic scathing (of speech)
cauterize to sear
cavalier disdainful, nonchalant
caveat warning
caveat emptor buyer beware
cavil quibble
cavort frolic
cede transfer ownership, relinquish
celestial heavenly
celibate abstaining from sex
cenotaph empty tomb, monument
censorious condemning speech
censure condemn
ceramics pottery
cerebral pertaining to the brain
cessation a stoping
chafe abrade
chagrin embarrassment
chalice goblet
champion defend
chaperon escort
charade pantomime, sham
charlatan quack, imposter
chartreuse greenish yellow
chary cautious
chaste pure, virgin
chasten castigate
chateau castle
cheeky brass, forward
cherub cupid
cherubic sweet, innocent
chicanery trickery
chide scold
chimerical imaginary, dreamlike
choleric easily angered
chortle laugh, snort
chronic continual (usually of illness)
chronicle a history, record
chronology arrangement by time
churl a boor
chutzpah gall
Cimmerian dim, unlit
cipher zero, nobody, a code
circa about (of time)
circuitous roundabout
circumcise remove the foreskin
circumlocution roundabout expression
circumspect cautious
circumvent evade, thwart
citadel fortress
citation summons to appear in court
clamor noise
clan extended family
clandestine secret
claustrophobia fear of enclosed places
cleave split
cleft split
clemency forgiveness
clique a small group
cloister refuge, monastery
clone duplicate
clout influence
cloven split
cloy glut, to sicken by excess
cloyed jaded
co-opt preempt, usurp
coagulate thicken
coalesce combine
coda concluding passage
coddle pamper
codicil supplement to a will
coercion force
coffer strong box
cogent well-put, convincing
cogitate ponder
cognate from the same source
cognizant aware, mindful
cognomen family name
cohabit live together
cohere stick together
cohort an associate
coiffure hairdo
collaborate work together
collar seize, arrest
collateral securities for a debt
colloquial informal speech
colloquy conference
collusion conspiracy
colonnade row of columns
comatose stupor
combine unite, blend
commandeer seize for military use
commemorate observe
commend praise
commensurate proportionate
commiserate empathize
commissary food store
commission authorization to perform a task
commodious spacious
commodity product
commodore naval officer
communion fellowship
commutation exchange, substitution
commute lessen punishment
compact covenant
compassion kindness
compatible well-matched, harmonious
compatriot countryman
compelling convincing, persuasive
compendium summary
compensate make up for
compensatory redeeming
competence skillfulness
compile collect
complacent self-satisfied
compliant submissive, conforming
complicity guilt by association
comport to conduct oneself
composed cool, self-possessed
compound augment
comprehensive thorough
comprise consist of
compulsive obsessive
compulsory obligatory
compunction remorse
concatenate link
concave curving inward
concede yield, grant
concerted done together, intensive effort
conch spiral shell
conciliatory reconciling,
concise brief
conclusive convincing, ending doubt
concoct devise
concomitant accompanying,concurrent
concord accord
concordat agreement
concourse open space for a gathering
concubine mistress
concur agree
concurrent simultaneous
condescend patronize, talk down to
condiment seasoning
condolence commiseration
condone overlook wrong doing, pardon
conducive helping
conduit pipe
confabulate discuss,
confection candy
confederacy alliance
confer bestow
conference meeting
confidant trusted friend
confide trust another (with secrets)
confiscate seize
conflagration large fire
confluence flowing together
confound bewilder
confront challenge
confuse perplex
confute disprove
congeal solidify
congenial friendly
congenital inborn, existing from birth
congeries pile
congruence conformity
coniferous bearing cones
conjecture hypothesis, speculation
conjugal pertaining to marriage
conjure summon
connive conspire
connoisseur an expert, gourmet
consanguineous related by blood
conscientious honorable, upright
conscription draft, enlistment
consecrate make holy
consecutive one after another
consensus general agreement
considered well thought-out,
contemplated
consign assign
consolation comfort, solice
console comfort
consolidate unite, strengthen
consonant harmonious
consort spouse
consortium cartel
conspicuous obvious
conspire plot
constellation arrangement of stars
consternation anxiety, bewilderment
constrained confined
construe interpret
consummate perfect
contagion infectious agent
contemplate meditate
contempt disdain
contend struggle
contented satisfied
contentious argumentative
contiguous adjacent, abutting
continence self-control
contingent conditional
contort twist
contraband illicit goods
contraction shrinkage
contractual related to a contract
contrariety opposition
contrast difference, comparison
contravene oppose
contretemps unfortunate occurrence
contrite apologetic
contrive arrange, artificial
controversial subject to dispute
controvert dispute
contumacy disobedience
contusion bruise
conundrum puzzle, enigma
convene assemble (a group)
conventional customary, standard
converge come together
conversant familiar
converse opposite
convex curving outward
convey communicate
conviction strongly held belief
convivial sociable, festive
convocation gathering
convoke convene, summon
convoluted twisted, complicated
copious abundant
coquette a flirt
cordial friendly
cordon bond, chain, barrier
corollary consequence
coronation crowning of a sovereign
corporeal of the body
corps group of people
corpulent fat
corroborate confirm
cortege procession
coruscate sparkle
cosmopolitan worldly, sophisticated
cosset coddle
coterie small group
countenance facial expression
countermand overrule
counterstrike strike back
countervail counterbalance
coup master stroke, sudden takeover
coup de grâce final stroke,
court-martial military trial
courtesan prostitute
courtier member of the king’s court
covenant agreement, pact
covert secret
covet desire
cower showing fear
crass crude
crave desire
craven cowardly
credence belief
credenza buffet
credulity gullibility
credulous believing
creed belief
crescendo becoming louder
crestfallen dejected
crevice crack
cringe cower
criterion a standard used in judging
critique examination, criticism
croon sing
cruet bottle
crux gist, key
cryptic mysterious, puzzling
cubism a style of painting
cudgel club
culinary pertaining to cooking
cull pick out, select
culminate climax
culpable blameworthy
culprit offender
culvert drain
cumbersome unwieldy
cumulative accumulate
cupidity greed
curb restrain, block
curmudgeon boor, bad-tempered
curriculum course of study
curry seek favor by flattery
cursory hasty
curt abrupt, rude
curtail shorten
cyclone storm
cynosure celebrity, center of attention
czar Russian emperor