| 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. |
| catalepsy |
a condition, often associated with epilepsy and schizophrenia, in which the body becomes numb and the limbs rigid, and the victim loses consciousness or fails to respond to external stimuli. |
| catalo |
variant of cattalo. |
| catalog |
a systematic, usu. annotated, list of book titles, items on display, merchandise, or the like that is available in or from a source such as a library, retail store, or mail order merchandiser. [5 definitions] |
| catalogue raisonné |
reasoned catalog (French); a listing of books, art works, or the like, with explanatory notes; descriptive catalog. |
| catalpa |
any of several deciduous shade trees that have broad leaves and bear clusters of white flowers and long slender pods. |
| catalysis |
the introduction or intervention of a substance that causes or speeds up a chemical reaction without being affected itself. [2 definitions] |
| catalyst |
a substance that produces or speeds up a chemical reaction without being affected itself. [2 definitions] |
| catalytic converter |
an antipollution device on automobiles that consists of a chemical filter connected to the exhaust system. |
| catalyze |
to bring about or change, as a catalyst. |
| catamaran |
a boat, usu. a sailboat, with parallel twin hulls. |