|
cessation
(n.)ceasing; a stopping
The cessation of a bad habit is often difficult to sustain.
chafe
(v.) to annoy, to irritate; to wear away or make sore by rubbing
His constant teasing chafed her.
He doesn't wear pure wool sweaters because they usually chafe his skin.
chaffing
(n.) banter; teasing
The king was used to his jesters good-natured chaffing.
chagrin
(n.) a feeling of embarrassment due to failure or disappointment
To the chagrin of the inventor, the machine did not work.
She turned red-faced with chagrin when she learned that her son had been
caught shoplifting.
charisma
(n.) appeal; magnetism; presence
She has such charisma that everyone likes her the first time they meet
her.
charlatan
(n.) a person who pretends to have knowledge; an impostor; fake
The charlatan deceived the townspeople.
It was finally discovered that the charlatan sitting on the throne was
not the real king.
chary
(adj.) cautious; being sparing in giving
Be chary when driving at night.
The chary man had few friends.
chaste
(adj.) virtuous; free of obscenity
Because the woman believed in being chaste, she would not let her date
into the house.
chastise
(v.) to punish; discipline; admonish
The dean chastised the first-year student for cheating on the exam.
cherish
(v.) to feel love for
The bride vowed to cherish the groom for life.
chicanery
(n.) trickery or deception
The swindler was trained in chicanery.
A news broadcast is no place for chicanery.
chimera
(n.) an impossible fancy
Perhaps he saw a flying saucer, but perhaps it was only a chimera.
choleric
(adj.) cranky; cantankerous; easily moved to feeling displeasure
The choleric man was continually upset by his neighbors.
Rolly becomes choleric when his views are challenged.
chortle
(v.) to make a gleeful, chuckling sound
The chortles emanating from the audience indicated it wouldn't be as tough
a crowd as the stand-up comic had expected.
churlishness
(n.) crude or surly behavior; behavior of a peasant
The fraternity's churlishness ran afoul of the dean's office.
The churlishness of the teenager caused his employer to lose faith in
him.
circumlocution
(n.) a roundabout or indirect way of speaking; not to the point
The man's speech contained so much circumlocution that I was unsure of
the point he was trying to make.
The child made a long speech using circumlocution to avoid stating that
it was she who had knocked over the lamp.
circumlocutory
(adj.) being too long, as in a description or expression; a roundabout,
indirect, or ungainly way of expressing something
It was a circumlocutory documentary that could have been cut to half its
running time to say twice as much.
circumspect
(adj.) considering all circumstances
A circumspect decision must be made when so many people are involved.
citadel
(n.) a fortress set up high to defend a city
A citadel sat on the hill to protect the city below.
clandestine
(adj.) secret
The clandestine plan must be kept between the two of us!
clemency
(n.) mercy toward an offender; mildness
The governor granted the prisoner clemency.
The weather's clemency made for a perfect picnic.
cloture
(n.) a parliamentary procedure to end debate and begin to vote
Cloture was declared as the parliamentarians readied to register their
votes.
cloying
(adj.) too sugary; too sentimental or flattering
After years of marriage the husband still gave cloying gifts to his wife.
Complimenting her on her weight loss, clothing and hairstyle was a cloying
way to begin asking for a raise.
coagulate
(v.) to become a semisolid, soft mass; to clot
The liquid will coagulate and close the tube if left standing.
coalesce
(v.) to grow together
The bride and groom coalesced their funds to increase their collateral.
At the end of the conference the five groups coalesced in one room.
coda
(n.) in music, a concluding passage
By the end of the coda, I was ready to burst with excitement over the
thrilling performance.
The audience knew that the concerto was about to end when they heard the
orchestra begin playing the coda.
|