“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