Ci -abbr

  1. cirrus
  2. curie

CI -abbr

  1. cast iron
  2. certificate of insurance
  3. Channel Islands

cia -abbr

  1. company

CIA -abbr

  1. Central Intelligence Agency
  2. certified internal auditor

CIAA -abbr

  1. Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association

cia·bat·ta [chə-'bä-tə] -n

  1. a flat oblong bread having a moist interior and a crispy crust

ciao ['chau̇] -interj

  1. used conventionally as an utterance at meeting or parting

ci·bo·ri·um [sə-'bȯr-ē-əm] -n

  1. a goblet-shaped vessel for holding eucharistic bread
  2. baldachin
  3. a freestanding vaulted canopy supported by four columns over a high altar

CIC -abbr

  1. combat information center
  2. counterintelligence corps

ci·ca·da [sə-'kā-də, -'kä-; sī-'kā-] -n

  1. any of a family (Cicadidae) of homopterous insects which have a stout body, wide blunt head, and large transparent wings and the males of which produce a loud buzzing noise usu. by stridulation

ci·ca·la [sə-'kä-lə] -n

  1. cicada

cic·a·tri·cial [,si-kə-'tri-shəl] -adj

  1. of or relating to a cicatrix

ci·ca·trix ['si-kə-,triks, sə-'kā-triks] -n

  1. a scar resulting from formation and contraction of fibrous tissue in a wound
  2. a mark resembling a scar esp. when caused by the previous attachment of an organ or part (as a leaf)

cic·a·tri·za·tion [,si-kə-trə-'zā-shən] -n, vt

  1. scar formation at the site of a healing wound

ci·ce·ro·ne [,si-sə-'rō-nē, ,chē-chə-] -n

  1. a guide who conducts sightseers
  2. mentor, tutor

cich·lid ['si-kləd] -n, adj

  1. any of a family (Cichlidae) of mostly tropical spiny-finned usu. freshwater fishes including several kept in tropical aquariums

ci·cis·beo [,chē-chəz-'bā-(,)ō] -n

  1. lover, gallant

cid -abbr

  1. cubic inch displacement

CID -abbr

  1. civil investigative demand
  2. Criminal Investigation Department

ci·der ['sī-dər] -n

  1. fermented apple juice often made sparkling by carbonation or fermentation in a sealed container
  2. the expressed juice of fruit (as apples) used as a beverage or for making other products (as applejack)

cider vinegar -n

  1. vinegar made from fermented cider

cide·vant [,sē-də-'väⁿ] -adj

  1. former

cie -abbr

  1. company

CIF -abbr

  1. central information file
  2. cost, insurance, and freight

cig ['sig] -n

  1. cigarette

ci·gar [si-'gär] -n

  1. a small roll of tobacco leaf for smoking

cig·a·rette [,si-gə-'ret, 'si-gə-,] -n

  1. a slender roll of cut tobacco enclosed in paper and meant to be smoked
  2. a similar roll of another substance (as marijuana)

cig·a·ril·lo [,si-gə-'ri-(,)lō, -'rē-(,)yō] -n

  1. a very small cigar
  2. a cigarette wrapped in tobacco rather than paper

ci·gua·tera [,sē-gwə-'ter-ə, ,si-] -n

  1. poisoning caused by the ingestion of various normally edible tropical fish in whose flesh a toxic substance (as one produced by some dinoflagellates) has accumulated

ci·lan·tro [si-'län-(,)trō, -'lan-] -n

  1. leaves of coriander used as a flavoring or garnish
  2. coriander

cil·i·ary ['si-lē-,er-ē] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or being the annular suspension of the lens of the eye
  2. of or relating to cilia

cil·i·ate ['si-lē-ət, -lē-,āt] -n

  1. any of a phylum or subphylum (Ciliophora) of ciliated protozoans (as paramecia)

cil·i·at·ed ['si-lē-,ā-təd] -adj, n

  1. possessing cilia
    • ciliated epithelial cells

cil·i·um ['si-lē-əm] -n

  1. a minute short hairlike process often forming part of a fringe
  2. one on a cell that is capable of lashing movement and serves esp. in free unicellular organisms to produce locomotion or in higher forms a current of fluid
  3. eyelash

ci·met·i·dine [sī-'me-tə-,dēn] -n

  1. a histamine analog C 10H 16N 6S that inhibits gastric acid secretion and is used esp. in the treatment of duodenal ulcers

Cim·me·ri·an [sə-'mir-ē-ən] -adj

  1. very dark or gloomy
    • under ebon shades...in dark Cimmerian desert ever dwell -- John Milton

Cimmerian -n

  1. any of a mythical people described by Homer as dwelling in a remote realm of mist and gloom

cinch ['sinch] -n

  1. a girth for a pack or saddle
  2. a tight grip
  3. a thing done with ease
  4. a certainty to happen
    • it's a cinch he'll break the record
  5. to put a cinch on
  6. to fasten (as a belt or strap) tightly
  7. to make certain : assure
    • the goal that cinch ed the victory
  8. to tighten the cinch often used with up

cin·cho·na [siŋ-'kō-nə, sin-'chō-] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Cinchona) of So. American trees and shrubs of the madder family
  2. the dried bark of a cinchona (as C. ledgeriana) containing alkaloids (as quinine) and formerly used as a specific in malaria

cin·cho·nine ['siŋ-kə-,nēn, 'sin-chə-] -n

  1. a bitter white crystalline alkaloid C 19H 22N 2O found esp. in cinchona bark and used like quinine

cin·cho·nism ['siŋ-kə-,ni-zəm, 'sin-chə-] -n

  1. a disorder due to excessive or prolonged use of cinchona or its alkaloids and marked by temporary deafness, ringing in the ears, headache, dizziness, and rash

Cinco de Mayo [,siŋ-kō-də-'mī-ō, ,sēŋ-kō-thā-'mä-yō] -n

  1. a Mexican and Mexican-American celebration held on May 5 in commemoration of the Mexican victory over the French at Puebla in 1862

cinc·ture ['siŋ(k)-chər] -n

  1. the act of encircling
  2. an encircling area
  3. girdle, belt
  4. a cord or sash of cloth worn around an ecclesiastical vestment or the habit of a religious

cin·der ['sin-dər] -n, adj

  1. the slag from a metal furnace : dross
  2. ashes
  3. a fragment of ash
  4. a partly burned combustible in which fire is extinct
  5. a hot coal without flame
  6. a partly burned coal capable of further burning without flame
  7. a fragment of lava from an erupting volcano

cinder block -n

  1. a hollow rectangular building block made of cement and coal cinders

cinder cone -n

  1. a conical hill formed by the accumulation of volcanic debris around a vent

Cin·der·el·la [,sin-də-'re-lə] -n, adj

  1. : one resembling the fairy-tale Cinderella: as
  2. one suffering undeserved neglect
  3. one suddenly lifted from obscurity to honor or significance

cine ['si-nē] -n

  1. motion picture

cine·ast ['si-nē-,ast, -nē-əst] -n

  1. a devotee of motion pictures
  2. moviemaker

cin·e·ma ['si-nə-mə, Brit also -,mä] -n

  1. motion picture usu. used attributively
  2. a motion-picture theater
  3. movies
  4. the film industry
  5. the art or technique of making motion pictures

cin·e·ma·go·er [-,gō-ər] -n

  1. moviegoer

cin·e·ma·theque [,si-nə-mə-'tek] -n

  1. a small movie house specializing in avant-garde films

cin·e·mat·ic [,si-nə-'ma-tik] -adj, adv

  1. of, relating to, suggestive of, or suitable for motion pictures or the filming of motion pictures
    • cinematic principles and techniques
  2. filmed and presented as a motion picture
    • cinematic fantasies

cin·e·ma·tize ['si-nə-mə-,tīz] -vt

  1. to make a motion picture of (as a novel) : adapt for motion pictures

cin·e·mat·o·graph [,si-nə-'ma-tə-,graf] -n

  1. a motion-picture camera, projector, theater, or show

cin·e·ma·tog·ra·pher [,si-nə-mə-'tä-grə-fər] -n

  1. a specialist in cinematography

cin·e·ma·tog·ra·phy [,si-nə-mə-'tä-grə-fē] -n, adj, adv

  1. the art or science of motion-picture photography

ci·ne·ma ve·ri·te ['si-nə-mə-,ver-i-'tā; si-nā-'mä-ve-rē-'tā] -n

  1. the art or technique of filming a motion picture so as to convey candid realism

cin·e·ole ['si-nē-,ōl] -n

  1. eucalyptol

cine·phile ['si-nə-,fī(-ə)l] -n

  1. a devotee of motion pictures

Cine·plex ['si-nə-,pleks] -service mark

  1. used for a movie theater containing several auditoriums in one building

cin·er·ar·ia [,si-nə-'rer-ē-ə] -n

  1. any of several garden or potted plants derived from a perennial senecio ( Senecio cruentus) of the Canary Islands and having heart-shaped leaves and clusters of bright flower heads

cin·er·ar·i·um [-ē-əm] -n, adj

  1. a place to receive the ashes of the cremated dead

ci·ne·re·ous [sə-'nir-ē-əs] -adj

  1. gray tinged with black
  2. resembling or consisting of ashes

cin·gu·lum ['siŋ-gyə-ləm] -n, adj

  1. an anatomical band or encircling ridge

cin·na·bar ['si-nə-,bär] -n, adj

  1. artificial red mercuric sulfide used esp. as a pigment
  2. a red mineral consisting of native mercuric sulfide HgS that is the only important ore of mercury
  3. a deep vivid red

cinnabar moth -n

  1. a European moth ( Tyria jacobaeae) that has been introduced into the western U.S. in attempts to control the tansy ragwort on which its larvae feed called also cinnabar

cin·nam·ic acid [sə-'na-mik-] -n

  1. a white crystalline odorless acid C 9H 8O 2found esp. in cinnamon oil and storax

cin·na·mon ['si-nə-mən] -n, adj

  1. any of several Asian trees (genus Cinnamomum) of the laurel family
  2. an aromatic spice prepared from the dried inner bark of a cinnamon (esp. C. zeylanicum)
  3. the bark
  4. a light yellowish brown

cinnamon fern -n

  1. a large fern ( Osmunda cinnamomea) with cinnamon-colored spore-bearing fronds shorter than and separate from the green foliage fronds

cinnamon stone -n

  1. essonite

cin·quain ['siŋ-,kān, 'saŋ-] -n

  1. a 5-line stanza

cin·que·cen·tist [,chiŋ-kwi-'chen-tist] -n

  1. an Italian of the cinquecento
  2. a poet or artist of this period

cin·que·cen·to [,chiŋ-kwi-'chen-(,)tō] -n

  1. the 16th century esp. in Italian art and literature

cinque·foil ['siŋk-,fȯi(-ə)l, 'saŋk-] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Potentilla) of herbs and shrubs of the rose family usu. having 5-lobed leaves and 5-petaled flowers called also potentilla
  2. a design enclosed by five joined foils

CIO -abbr

  1. chief information officer

ciop·pi·no [chə-'pē-(,)nō] -n

  1. a stew of fish and shellfish cooked usu. with tomatoes, wine, spices, and herbs

CIP -abbr

  1. Cataloging in Publication

ci·pher ['sī-fər] -n

  1. zero
  2. one that has no weight, worth, or influence : nonentity
  3. a method of transforming a text in order to conceal its meaning
  4. a message in code
  5. arabic numeral
  6. a combination of symbolic letters
  7. the interwoven initials of a name

cipher [-f(ə-)riŋ] -vb

  1. to use figures in a mathematical process
  2. encipher
  3. to compute arithmetically

ci·pher·text ['sī-fər-,tekst] -n

  1. the enciphered form of a text or of its elements

cip·ro·flox·a·cin [,si-prə-'fläk-sə-sən, -prō-] -n

  1. a synthetic broad-spectrum antibiotic C 17H 18FN 3O 3that is a fluorinated derivative of quinolone and is often administered in the form of its hydrochloride

cir -abbr

  1. circle; circular
  2. circuit
  3. circumference

circ -abbr

  1. circular
  2. circulation

cir·ca ['sər-kə] -prep

  1. at, in, or of approximately used esp. with dates
    • born circa 1600

cir·ca·di·an [sər-'kā-dē-ən] -adj

  1. being, having, characterized by, or occurring in approximately 24-hour periods or cycles (as of biological activity or function)
    • circadian rhythms in activity

Cir·cas·sian [(,)sər-'ka-sh(ē-)ən] -n, adj

  1. a member of a group of peoples of the northwestern Caucasus
  2. the language of the Circassian peoples

Circassian walnut -n

  1. the light brown irregularly black-veined wood of the English walnut much used for veneer and cabinetwork

Cir·ce ['sər-(,)sē] -n

  1. a sorceress who changes Odysseus' men into swine but is forced by Odysseus to change them back

cir·ci·nate ['sər-sə-,nāt] -adj, adv

  1. rounded, coiled
  2. rolled in the form of a flat coil with the apex as a center
    • circinate fern fronds unfolding

cir·cle ['sər-kəl] -n

  1. ring, halo
  2. a closed plane curve every point of which is equidistant from a fixed point within the curve
  3. the plane surface bounded by such a curve
  4. the orbit of a celestial body
  5. : something in the form of a circle or section of a circle: as
  6. diadem
  7. an instrument of astronomical observation the graduated limb of which consists of an entire circle
  8. a balcony or tier of seats in a theater
  9. a circle formed on the surface of a sphere by the intersection of a plane that passes through it
    • circle of latitude
  10. rotary
  11. an area of action or influence : realm
  12. cycle, round
    • the wheel has come full circle
  13. fallacious reasoning in which something to be demonstrated is covertly assumed
  14. a group of persons sharing a common interest or revolving about a common center
    • the sewing circle of her church
    • family circle
    • the gossip of court circle s
  15. a territorial or administrative division or district
  16. a curving side street

circle [-k(ə-)liŋ] -vb, n

  1. to enclose in or as if in a circle
  2. to move or revolve around
    • satellites circling the earth
  3. to move in or as if in a circle
  4. circulate
  5. to describe or extend in a circle

circle graph -n

  1. pie chart

cir·clet ['sər-klət] -n

  1. a little circle
  2. a circular ornament

cir·cuit ['sər-kət] -n, adj

  1. a usu. circular line encompassing an area
  2. the space enclosed within such a line
  3. a course around a periphery
  4. a circuitous or indirect route
  5. a regular tour (as by a traveling judge or preacher) around an assigned district or territory
  6. the route traveled
  7. a group of church congregations ministered to by one pastor
  8. the complete path of an electric current including usu. the source of electric energy
  9. an assemblage of electronic elements : hookup
  10. a two-way communication path between points (as in a computer)
  11. a neuronal pathway of the brain along which electrical and chemical signals travel
  12. an association of similar groups : league
  13. a number or series of public outlets (as theaters, radio shows, or arenas) offering the same kind of presentation
  14. a number of similar social gatherings
    • the cocktail circuit

circuit -vt

  1. to make a circuit about
  2. to make a circuit

circuit board -n

  1. board

circuit breaker -n

  1. a switch that automatically interrupts the current of an overloaded electric circuit

circuit court -n

  1. a court that sits at two or more places within one judicial district

circuit judge -n

  1. a judge who holds a circuit court

cir·cu·i·tous [(,)sər-'kyü-ə-təs] -adj, adv, n

  1. having a circular or winding course
    • a circuitous route
  2. not being forthright or direct in language or action
    • a circuitous explanation

circuit rider -n

  1. a clergyman assigned to a circuit esp. in a rural area

cir·cuit·ry ['sər-kə-trē] -n

  1. the detailed plan or arrangement of an electric circuit
  2. the components of an electric circuit
  3. the network of interconnected neurons in the nervous system and esp. the brain
  4. circuit

cir·cu·ity [(,)sər-'kyü-ə-tē] -n

  1. lack of straightforwardness : indirection

cir·cu·lar ['sər-kyə-lər] -adj, n, adv

  1. having the form of a circle : round
    • a circular orbit
  2. moving in or describing a circle or spiral
    • a circular staircase
  3. of or relating to a circle or its mathematical properties
    • a circular arc
  4. having a circular base or bases
    • a circular cylinder
  5. circuitous, indirect
  6. marked by or moving in a cycle
  7. being or involving reasoning that uses in the argument or proof a conclusion to be proved or one of its unproved consequences
  8. intended for circulation
    • a circular letter

circular -n

  1. a paper (as a leaflet) intended for wide distribution

circular dichroism -n

  1. the property (as of an optically active medium) of unequal absorption of right and left plane-polarized light so that the emergent light is elliptically polarized
  2. a spectroscopic technique that makes use of circular dichroism

circular file -n

  1. wastebasket

circular function -n

  1. trigonometric function

cir·cu·lar·ise ['sər-kyə-lə-,rīz] -vt, n

(variant of circularize)

  1. to send circulars to
  2. to poll by questionnaire
  3. publicize
  4. to make circular

cir·cu·lar·ize ['sər-kyə-lə-,rīz] -vt, n

  1. to send circulars to
  2. to poll by questionnaire
  3. publicize
  4. to make circular

circular saw -n

  1. a power saw with a circular cutting blade
  2. the blade itself

cir·cu·late ['sər-kyə-,lāt] -vb, adj, n

  1. to move in a circle, circuit, or orbit
  2. to follow a course that returns to the starting point
    • blood circulate s through the body
  3. : to pass from person to person or place to place: as
  4. to flow without obstruction
  5. to become well-known or widespread
    • rumors circulated through the town
  6. to go from group to group at a social gathering
  7. to come into the hands of readers
  8. to become sold or distributed
  9. to cause to circulate

circulating decimal -n

  1. repeating decimal

cir·cu·la·tion [,sər-kyə-'lā-shən] -n

  1. orderly movement through a circuit
  2. the movement of blood through the vessels of the body induced by the pumping action of the heart
  3. flow
  4. passage or transmission from person to person or place to place
  5. the interchange of currency
    • coins in circulation
  6. : the extent of dissemination: as
  7. the average number of copies of a publication sold over a given period
  8. the total number of items borrowed from a library

cir·cu·la·to·ry ['sər-kyə-lə-,tȯr-ē] -adj

  1. of or relating to circulation or the circulatory system
    • circulatory failure

circulatory system -n

  1. the system of blood, blood vessels, lymphatics, and heart concerned with the circulation of the blood and lymph

circum- -prefix

  1. around : about
    • circum polar

cir·cum·am·bi·ent [,sər-kᵊm-'am-bē-ənt] -adj, adv

  1. being on all sides : encompassing

cir·cum·am·bu·late [-'am-byə-,lāt] -vt, n

  1. to circle on foot esp. ritualistically

cir·cum·cen·ter ['sər-kᵊm-,sen-tər] -n

  1. the point at which the perpendicular bisectors of the sides of a triangle intersect and which is equidistant from the three vertices

cir·cum·cir·cle [-,sər-kəl] -n

  1. a circle which passes through all the vertices of a polygon (as a triangle)

cir·cum·cise ['sər-kᵊm-,sīz] -vt, n

  1. to cut off the foreskin of (a male) or the prepuce of (a female)
  2. to cut off all or part of the external genitalia and esp. the clitoris and labia minora of (a female)

cir·cum·ci·sion [,sər-kᵊm-'si-zhən, 'sər-kᵊm-,] -n

  1. the act of circumcising
  2. a Jewish rite performed on male infants as a sign of inclusion in the Jewish religious community
  3. the condition of being circumcised
  4. January 1 observed as a festival in some churches in commemoration of the circumcision of Jesus

cir·cum·fer·ence [sə(r)-'kəm(p)-fərn(t)s, -f(ə-)rən(t)s] -n, adj

  1. the perimeter of a circle
  2. the external boundary or surface of a figure or object : periphery

cir·cum·flex ['sər-kᵊm-,fleks] -adj

  1. characterized by the pitch, quantity, or quality indicated by a circumflex
  2. marked with a circumflex

circumflex -n

  1. a mark , , or orig. used in Greek over long vowels to indicate a rising-falling tone and in other languages to mark length, contraction, or a particular vowel quality

cir·cum·flu·ent [(,)sər-'kəm-flü-ənt] -adj

  1. flowing round or surrounding in the manner of a fluid

cir·cum·fuse [,sər-kᵊm-'fyüz] -vt, n

  1. surround

cir·cum·ja·cent [,sər-kᵊm-'jā-sᵊnt] -adj

  1. lying adjacent on all sides : surrounding

cir·cum·lo·cu·tion [,sər-kᵊm-lō-'kyü-shən] -n, adj

  1. the use of an unnecessarily large number of words to express an idea
  2. evasion in speech

cir·cum·lu·nar [,sər-kəm-'lü-nər] -adj

  1. revolving about or surrounding the moon
    • a circumlunar orbit

cir·cum·nav·i·gate [-'na-və-,gāt] -vt, n

  1. to go completely around (as the earth) esp. by water
  2. to go around instead of through : bypass
    • circumnavigate a congested area

cir·cum·po·lar [,sər-kᵊm-'pō-lər] -adj

  1. continually visible above the horizon
    • a circumpolar star
  2. surrounding or found in the vicinity of a terrestrial pole
    • a circumpolar current
    • circumpolar species

cir·cum·scis·sile [-'si-səl, -,sī(-ə)l] -adj

  1. dehiscing by fissure around the capsule of the fruit

cir·cum·scribe ['sər-kᵊm-,skrīb] -vt

  1. to constrict the range or activity of definitely and clearly
    • his role was carefully circumscribed
  2. to define or mark off carefully
    • a study of plant species in a circumscribed area
  3. to draw a line around
  4. to surround by or as if by a boundary
    • fields circumscribed by tall trees
  5. to construct or be constructed around (a geometrical figure) so as to touch as many points as possible

cir·cum·scrip·tion [,sər-kᵊm-'skrip-shən] -n

  1. : the act of circumscribing : the state of being circumscribed: as
  2. definition, delimitation
    • the circumscription of her duties
  3. limitation
  4. : something that circumscribes: as
  5. limit, boundary
  6. restriction
    • a circumscription of his power to act
  7. a circumscribed area or district

cir·cum·spect ['sər-kᵊm-,spekt] -adj, n, adv

  1. careful to consider all circumstances and possible consequences : prudent
    • diplomacy required a circumspect response

cir·cum·stance ['sər-kᵊm-,stan(t)s, -stən(t)s] -n

  1. a condition, fact, or event accompanying, conditioning, or determining another : an essential or inevitable concomitant
    • the weather is a circumstance to be taken into consideration
  2. a subordinate or accessory fact or detail
    • cost is a minor circumstance in this case
  3. a piece of evidence that indicates the probability or improbability of an event (as a crime)
    • the circumstance of the missing weapon told against him
    • the circumstance s suggest murder
  4. the sum of essential and environmental factors (as of an event or situation)
    • constant and rapid change in economic circumstance -- G. M. Trevelyan
  5. state of affairs : eventuality
    • open rebellion was a rare circumstance
    often used in pl.
    • a victim of circumstance s
  6. situation with regard to wealth
    • he was in easy circumstance s
    • rose from difficult circumstance s
  7. attendant formalities and ceremonial
    • pride, pomp, and circumstance of glorious war -- Shak.
  8. an event that constitutes a detail (as of a narrative or course of events)
    • considering each circumstance in turn

cir·cum·stanced [-,stan(t)st, -stən(t)st] -adj

  1. placed in particular circumstances esp. in regard to property or income

cir·cum·stan·tial [,sər-kᵊm-'stan(t)-shəl] -adj, n, adv

  1. belonging to, consisting in, or dependent on circumstances
    • a circumstantial case
    • circumstantial factors
  2. pertinent but not essential : incidental
  3. marked by careful attention to detail : abounding in factual details
    • a circumstantial account of the fight
  4. ceremonial

circumstantial evidence -n

  1. evidence that tends to prove a fact by proving other events or circumstances which afford a basis for a reasonable inference of the occurrence of the fact at issue

cir·cum·stan·ti·ate [,sər-kᵊm-'stan(t)-shē-,āt] -vt

  1. to supply with circumstantial evidence or support

cir·cum·stel·lar [,sər-kᵊm-'ste-lər] -adj

  1. surrounding or occurring in the vicinity of a star
    • circumstellar dust

cir·cum·val·late [-'va-,lāt] -vt, n

  1. to surround by or as if by a rampart
  2. being any of approximately 12 large papillae near the back of the tongue each of which is surrounded with a marginal sulcus and supplied with taste buds responsive esp. to bitter flavors

cir·cum·vent [,sər-kᵊm-'vent] -vt, n

  1. to hem in
  2. to make a circuit around
  3. to manage to get around esp. by ingenuity or stratagem
    • the setup circumvent ed the red tape -- Lynne McTaggart

cir·cum·vo·lu·tion [sər-,kəm-və-'lü-shən, ,sər-kᵊm-vō-] -n

  1. an act or instance of turning around an axis

cir·cus ['sər-kəs] -n, adj

  1. a large arena enclosed by tiers of seats on three or all four sides and used esp. for sports or spectacles (as athletic contests, exhibitions of horsemanship, or in ancient times chariot racing)
  2. a public spectacle
  3. an arena often covered by a tent and used for variety shows usu. including feats of physical skill, wild animal acts, and performances by clowns
  4. a circus performance
  5. the physical plant, livestock, and personnel of such a circus
  6. something suggestive of a circus (as in frenzied activity, sensationalism, theatricality, or razzle-dazzle)
    • a media circus
  7. circle, ring
  8. a usu. circular area at an intersection of streets

circus catch -n

  1. a catch (as in baseball or football) requiring an extraordinary or spectacular effort

ci·re [sə-'rā, sē-] -n

  1. a highly glazed finish for fabrics usu. achieved by applying wax to the fabric
  2. a fabric or garment with a cire finish

cirque ['sərk] -n

  1. circus
  2. circle, circlet
  3. a deep steep-walled basin on a mountain usu. forming the blunt end of a valley

cir·rho·sis [sə-'rō-səs] -n, adj or n

  1. widespread disruption of normal liver structure by fibrosis and the formation of regenerative nodules that is caused by any of various chronic progressive conditions affecting the liver (as long-term alcohol abuse or hepatitis)

cirro- -comb form

  1. cirrus
    • cirro stratus

cir·ro·cu·mu·lus [,sir-ō-'kyü-myə-ləs] -n

  1. a high-altitude cloud form consisting of small white rounded masses usu. in regular groupings

cir·ro·stra·tus [,sir-ō-'strā-təs, -'stra-] -n

  1. a fairly uniform high thin cloud layer darker than cirrus and often covering the entire sky

cir·rus ['sir-əs] -n

  1. tendril
  2. : a slender usu. flexible animal appendage or projection: as
  3. an arm of a barnacle
  4. a filament of a crinoid
  5. a fused group of cilia functioning like a limb on some protozoans
  6. the male copulatory organ of various invertebrate animals
  7. a high wispy white cloud usu. of minute ice crystals formed at altitudes between about 20,000 and 40,000 feet (6,000 and 12,000 meters)

cis ['sis] -adj

  1. characterized by having certain atoms or groups of atoms on the same side of the longitudinal axis of a double bond or of the plane of a ring in a molecule

CIS -abbr

  1. Commonwealth of Independent States

cis- -prefix

  1. on this side
    • cis lunar
    • cis atlantic
  2. cis
    • cis- dichloroethylene

cis·al·pine [(,)sis-'al-,pīn] -adj

  1. situated on the south side of the Alps
    • Cisalpine Gaul

cis·at·lan·tic [-at-'lan-tik, -ət-] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or characteristic of the side of the Atlantic Ocean regarded as the near side

cis·co ['sis-(,)kō] -n

  1. any of various whitefishes (genus Coregonus)
  2. lake herring

cis·lu·nar [(,)sis-'lü-nər] -adj

  1. lying between the earth and the moon or the moon's orbit
    • cislunar space

cis·plat·in [(,)sis-'pla-tᵊn] -n

  1. a platinum-containing antineoplastic drug Cl 2H 6N 2Pt used esp. in the treatment of testicular and ovarian tumors and advanced bladder cancer

cisplat·i·num [-'plat-nəm, -'pla-tᵊn-əm] -n

  1. cisplatin

cis·sy ['si-sē] -n, adj

(variant of sissy)

  1. an effeminate man or boy
  2. a timid or cowardly person

cist ['sist, 'kist] -n

  1. a neolithic or Bronze Age burial chamber typically lined with stone

Cis·ter·cian [sis-'tər-shən] -n, adj

  1. a member of a monastic order founded by St. Robert of Molesme in 1098 at Citeaux, France, under Benedictine rule

cis·tern ['sis-tərn] -n

  1. an artificial reservoir (as an underground tank) for storing liquids and esp. water (as rainwater)
  2. a large usu. silver vessel formerly used (as in cooling wine) at the dining table
  3. a fluid-containing sac or cavity in an organism

cis·ter·na [sis-'tər-nə] -n, adj

  1. : cistern : as
  2. one of the large spaces under the arachnoid membrane
  3. one of the flattened vesicles comprising the Golgi apparatus and the part of the endoplasmic reticulum studded with ribosomes

cis·tron ['sis-,trän] -n, adj

  1. a segment of DNA that is equivalent to a gene and that specifies a single functional unit (as a protein or enzyme)

cit -abbr

  1. citation; cited
  2. citizen

cit·a·del ['si-tə-dᵊl, -,del] -n

  1. a fortress that commands a city
  2. stronghold
    • the nation's citadel of health research -- Constance Holden
    • a citadel of higher education

ci·ta·tion [sī-'tā-shən] -n, adj

  1. an official summons to appear (as before a court)
  2. an act of quoting
  3. the citing of a previously settled case at law
  4. excerpt, quotation
  5. : mention: as
  6. a formal statement of the achievements of a person receiving an academic honor
  7. specific reference in a military dispatch to meritorious performance of duty

cite ['sīt] -vt, adj

  1. to call upon officially or authoritatively to appear (as before a court)
  2. to quote by way of example, authority, or proof
    • cite s several noteworthy authors
  3. to refer to
  4. to mention formally in commendation or praise
  5. to name in a citation
  6. to bring forward or call to another's attention esp. as an example, proof, or precedent
    • cite d the weather as a reason for canceling the picnic

cithara ['ki-thə-rə] -n

(variant of kithara)

  1. an ancient Greek stringed instrument similar to but larger than the lyre and having a box-shaped resonator

cith·er ['si-thər, -thər] -n

  1. cittern

cit·ied ['si-tēd] -adj

  1. occupied by cities

cit·i·fied ['si-ti-,fīd] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or characteristic of a sophisticated urban style of living
    • citified tourists
    • citified surroundings

cit·i·fy [-,fī] -vt, n

  1. urbanize

cit·i·zen ['si-tə-zən also -sən] -n, adj

  1. an inhabitant of a city or town
  2. one entitled to the rights and privileges of a freeman
  3. a member of a state
  4. a native or naturalized person who owes allegiance to a government and is entitled to protection from it
  5. a civilian as distinguished from a specialized servant of the state

cit·i·zen·ess [-zə-nəs also -sə-] -n

  1. a woman who is a citizen

cit·i·zen·ry [-zən-rē also -sən-] -n

  1. a whole body of citizens

citizen's arrest -n

  1. an arrest made not by a law officer but by a citizen who derives authority from the fact of being a citizen

citizens band -n

  1. a range of radio-wave frequencies that in the U.S. is allocated officially for private radio communications

cit·i·zen·ship ['si-tə-zən-,ship] -n

  1. the status of being a citizen
  2. membership in a community (as a college)
  3. the quality of an individual's response to membership in a community

citr- -comb form

  1. citrus
    • citri culture
  2. citric acid
    • citr ate

cit·ral ['si-,tral] -n

  1. an unsaturated liquid isomeric aldehyde C 10H 16O of many essential oils that has a strong lemon odor and is used esp. in perfumery and as a flavoring

cit·rate ['si-,trāt] -n

  1. a salt or ester of citric acid

cit·ric acid ['si-trik-] -n

  1. a tricarboxylic acid C 6H 8O 7occurring in cellular metabolism, obtained esp. from lemon and lime juices or by fermentation of sugars, and used chiefly as a flavoring

citric acid cycle -n

  1. krebs cycle

cit·ri·cul·ture ['si-trə-,kəl-chər] -n

  1. the cultivation of citrus fruits

cit·rine ['si-,trīn] -adj

  1. resembling a citron or lemon esp. in color

ci·trine [si-'trēn] -n

  1. a semiprecious yellow stone resembling topaz and formed by heating a black quartz in order to change its color

ci·tri·nin [si-'trī-nən] -n

  1. a toxic antibiotic C 13H 14O 5that is produced esp. by a penicillium ( Penicillium citrinum) and an aspergillus ( Aspergillus niveus) and is effective against some gram-positive bacteria

cit·ron ['si-trən] -n

  1. a citrus fruit resembling a lemon but larger with little pulp and a very thick rind
  2. a small shrubby tree ( Citrus medica) that produces citrons and is cultivated in tropical regions
  3. the preserved rind of the citron used esp. in cakes and puddings
  4. a small hard-fleshed watermelon used esp. in pickles and preserves

cit·ro·nel·la [,si-trə-'ne-lə] -n

  1. a lemon-scented grass ( Cymbopogon nardus) of southern Asia that yields an oil used in perfumery and as an insect repellent
  2. its oil

cit·ro·nel·lal [-'ne-,lal] -n

  1. a lemon-odored aldehyde C 10H 18O that is derived esp. from citronella oil and is used in perfumery and as an insect repellent

cit·ro·nel·lol [-'ne-,lȯl, -,lōl] -n

  1. an unsaturated liquid alcohol C 10H 20O with a roselike odor that is found in two optically active forms in many essential oils (as rose oil) and is used in perfumery and soaps

ci·trov·o·rum factor [sə-'trä-və-rəm-] -n

  1. a metabolically active form of folic acid that has been used in cancer therapy to protect normal cells against methotrexate

cit·rul·line ['si-trə-,lēn] -n

  1. a crystalline amino acid C 6H 13N 3O 3formed esp. as an intermediate in the conversion of ornithine to arginine

cit·rus ['si-trəs] -n, adj

  1. any of a group of often thorny trees and shrubs ( Citrusand related genera) of the rue family grown in warm regions for their edible fruit (as the orange or lemon) with firm usu. thick rind and pulpy flesh
  2. the fruit

citrus canker -n

  1. a destructive disease of citrus caused by a bacterium ( Xanthomonas axonopodis citrisyn. X. campestris citri) that produces lesions on the leaves, twigs, and fruits

citrus red mite -n

  1. a relatively large mite ( Panonychus citri) that is a destructive pest on the foliage of citrus

cit·tern ['si-tərn] -n

  1. a Renaissance stringed instrument like a guitar with a flat pear-shaped body

city ['si-tē] -n

  1. an inhabited place of greater size, population, or importance than a town or village
  2. an incorporated British town usu. of major size or importance having the status of an episcopal see
  3. the financial district of London
  4. the influential financial interests of the British economy
  5. a usu. large or important municipality in the U.S. governed under a charter granted by the state
  6. an incorporated municipal unit of the highest class in Canada
  7. city-state
  8. the people of a city
  9. a thing, event, or situation that is strongly characterized by a specified quintessential feature or quality
    • the movie was shoot-out city

city clerk -n

  1. a public officer charged with recording the official proceedings and vital statistics of a city

city council -n

  1. the legislative body of a city

city editor -n

  1. a newspaper editor usu. in charge of local news and staff assignments

city father -n

  1. a member (as an alderman or councilman) of the governing body of a city

city hall -n

  1. the chief administrative building of a city
  2. a municipal government
  3. city officialdom or bureaucracy
    • you can't fight city hall

city manager -n

  1. an official employed by an elected council to direct the administration of a city government

city planning -n

  1. the drawing up of an organized arrangement (as of streets, parks, and business and residential areas) of a city

city room -n

  1. the department where local news is handled in a newspaper editorial office

city·scape ['si-tē-,skāp] -n

  1. a city viewed as a scene
  2. an artistic representation of a city
  3. an urban environment
    • a cityscape cluttered with factories

city slicker -n

  1. slicker

citystate ['si-tē-,stāt also -'stāt] -n

  1. an autonomous state consisting of a city and surrounding territory

city·wide ['si-tē-,wīd] -adj

  1. including or involving all parts of a city
    • a citywide blackout

civ -abbr

  1. civil; civilian; civilization

civ·et ['si-vət] -n

  1. any of various Old World carnivorous viverrid mammals with long bodies, short legs, and a usu. long tail
  2. a thick yellowish musky-odored substance found in a sac near the anus of the civet (esp. genera Civettictis, Viverra,and Viverricula) and used in perfume

civet cat -n

  1. civet
  2. ringtail
  3. any of several small spotted skunks (genus Spilogale) of western No. America

civ·ic ['si-vik] -adj, adv

  1. of or relating to a citizen, a city, citizenship, or community affairs
    • civic duty
    • civic pride

civ·icmind·ed [,si-vik-'mīn-dəd] -adj, n

  1. disposed to look after civic needs and interests

civ·ics ['si-viks] -n pl but sing or pl in constr

  1. a social science dealing with the rights and duties of citizens

civ·il ['si-vəl] -adj

  1. of or relating to citizens
  2. of or relating to the state or its citizenry
    • civil strife
  3. civilized
    • civil society
  4. adequate in courtesy and politeness : mannerly
    • a civil question
  5. of, relating to, or based on civil law
  6. relating to private rights and to remedies sought by action or suit distinct from criminal proceedings
  7. established by law
  8. of, relating to, or involving the general public, their activities, needs, or ways, or civic affairs as distinguished from special (as military or religious) affairs
  9. based on the mean sun and legally recognized for use in ordinary affairs

civil death -n

  1. the status of a living person equivalent in its legal consequences to natural death
  2. deprivation of civil rights

civil defense -n

  1. the system of protective measures and emergency relief activities conducted by civilians in case of hostile attack, sabotage, or natural disaster

civil disobedience -n

  1. refusal to obey governmental demands or commands esp. as a nonviolent and usu. collective means of forcing concessions from the government

civil engineer -n

  1. an engineer whose training or occupation is in the design and construction esp. of public works (as roads or harbors)

ci·vil·ian [sə-'vil-yən also -'vi-yən] -n, adj

  1. a specialist in Roman or modern civil law
  2. one not on active duty in the armed services or not on a police or firefighting force
  3. outsider

ci·vil·ian·ize [-yə-,nīz] -vt, n

  1. to convert from military to civilian status or control

civ·i·li·sa·tion [,si-və-lə-'zā-shən] -n, adj

(variant of civilization)

  1. a relatively high level of cultural and technological development
  2. the stage of cultural development at which writing and the keeping of written records is attained
  3. the culture characteristic of a particular time or place
  4. the process of becoming civilized
  5. refinement of thought, manners, or taste
  6. a situation of urban comfort

ci·vil·i·ty [sə-'vi-lə-tē] -n

  1. training in the humanities
  2. civilized conduct
  3. courtesy, politeness
  4. a polite act or expression

civ·i·li·za·tion [,si-və-lə-'zā-shən] -n, adj

  1. a relatively high level of cultural and technological development
  2. the stage of cultural development at which writing and the keeping of written records is attained
  3. the culture characteristic of a particular time or place
  4. the process of becoming civilized
  5. refinement of thought, manners, or taste
  6. a situation of urban comfort

civ·i·lize ['si-və-,līz] -vb, n

  1. to cause to develop out of a primitive state
  2. to bring to a technically advanced and rationally ordered stage of cultural development
  3. educate, refine
  4. socialize
  5. to acquire the customs and amenities of a civil community

civilized -adj

  1. characteristic of a state of civilization
    • civilized society
  2. characterized by taste, refinement, or restraint

civil law -n

  1. Roman law esp. as set forth in the Justinian code
  2. the body of private law developed from Roman law and used in Louisiana and in many countries outside the English-speaking world
  3. the law established by a nation or state for its own jurisdiction
  4. the law of civil or private rights

civil liberty -n, n or adj

  1. freedom from arbitrary governmental interference (as with the right of free speech) specif. by denial of governmental power and in the U.S. esp. as guaranteed by the Bill of Rights usu. used in pl.

civ·il·ly ['si-və(l)-lē] -adv

  1. in terms of civil rights, law, or matters
    • civilly dead
  2. in a civil manner : politely

civil marriage -n

  1. a marriage performed by a magistrate

civil rights -n pl

  1. the nonpolitical rights of a citizen
  2. the rights of personal liberty guaranteed to U.S. citizens by the 13th and 14th amendments to the Constitution and by acts of Congress

civil servant -n

  1. a member of a civil service
  2. a member of the administrative staff of an international agency

civil service -n

  1. the administrative service of a government or international agency exclusive of the armed forces
  2. one in which appointments are determined by competitive examination

civil union -n

  1. the legal status that ensures to same-sex couples specified rights and responsibilities of married couples

civil war -n

  1. a war between opposing groups of citizens of the same country

Civ·i·tan ['si-və-,tan] -n

  1. a member of a major national and international service club

civ·vy ['si-vē] -n

  1. civilian clothes as distinguished from a particular uniform (as of the military)
  2. civilian

civvy street -n

  1. civilian life

CIWS -abbr

  1. close-in weapons system