| castor-oil plant |
a large tropical plant, native to Africa and Asia, from whose seeds castor oil is extracted. |
| cast pearls before swine |
to offer or provide something of value to persons who cannot understand or appreciate it. |
| castrate |
to remove the sexual organs of, esp. the testicles; geld. [2 definitions] |
| Castries |
the capital of St. Lucia. |
| cast steel |
steel shaped by casting rather than rolling or forging. |
| cast the first stone |
to be the first to accuse someone of wrongdoing. |
| casual |
occurring by chance; unplanned; accidental. [6 definitions] |
| casualty |
a member of the armed forces removed from active duty as a result of being killed, wounded, captured, or missing in action. [5 definitions] |
| casuist |
one who is expert in, or tends to resort to, casuistry. |
| casuistry |
the application of general ethical principles in determining right and wrong in particular cases. [2 definitions] |
| casus belli |
(Latin) an event or occurrence that provokes or serves as a pretext to declare war. |
| cat1 |
a small carnivorous furry mammal, usu. kept as a pet or to catch mice and rats. [4 definitions] |
| cat2 |
(informal) a vehicle with moving treads, esp. a Caterpillar tractor. |
| cata- |
down. [4 definitions] |
| catabolism |
the metabolic breakdown, in living organisms, of complex substances into simpler ones. (Cf. anabolism.) |
| catabolize |
to undergo or cause to undergo catabolism. |
| cat about |
(slang) to hunt about for sex partners. |
| catachresis |
the incorrect use of a word or words. [2 definitions] |
| cataclysm |
a violent natural event, esp. an upheaval causing a sudden change in the earth's crust, or a great flood. [2 definitions] |
| catacomb |
(usu. pl.) an underground burial tunnel, lined by recesses for the tombs. [2 definitions] |
| catafalque |
a raised platform on which a dead body, usu. in a coffin, rests during or prior to an elaborate funeral. |