chthonic adj. of creatures, deities, beings, or other things dwelling in the earth
chuck-farthing n. game similar to pitchpenny prevalent in 18th & 19th Centuries British
chuffed adj. delighted informal
chukka n. period in game of polo, lasting from 7 to 7-1/2 minutes of play
chunter v. to grumble, to complain
churl n. boor; freeman of lowest status under feudalism; peasant
chyle n. milky fats-containing fluid formed in the small intestine from chyme
chyme n. quasi-fluid mass of food acted upon by gastric processes and passed into the small intestine
ciborium n. baldachin, canopy over a high altar; receptacle for the Eucharist
cicatrize v. to heal by forming new skin tissue over a wound
cicerone n. knowledgeable tour guide
cinchona n. evergreen tree or shrub native to the Andes, now also grown in India and Java, yielding quinine
cinchonism n. quinine poisoning
cincture n. girdle, belt; enclosure
cinereous adj. of or related to ashes; ash-colored
circular insanity n. outdated term for manic-depressive disorder obsolete
circumflittergate v. to move around and around quickly in a purposeless and random manner
circumjacent adj. surrounding, in the area around
circumquaque n. roundabout speech or writing
circumvallation n. state of being surrounded by rampart or entrenchment
circumverbalistic adj. of the design or creation of crossword puzzles; of the solving of crossword puzzles
cispontine adj. of or related to this side of a bridge
cit n. derogatory term for citizen or city folk
cittern n. wire-string instrument similar to guitar, having a flat pear-shaped soundbox and asymmetric neck
clabber v. to curdle
clapboard n. board with one edge thicker than the other, used to weatherboard walls of buildings
clapper bridge n. old style of bridge in which large stone slabs are laid across a creek or river, usually on stone piers
clarigation n. solemn demand for redress made through heralds prior to declaration of war
clastic adj. (geology) formed from pieces of broken older rocks
cleat n. knob or device (often metal) used to secure lines on a nautical vessel; protrusion on shoes etc. to provide extra traction; strip secured across something to provide stability or strength
cleave v. 1 to cut asunder
cleave v. 2 to stick fast; to adhere to (a person, principle, etc.)
cleek v. to seize with the hand, to clutch strongly or suddenly; to snatch
cleg n. horsefly, gadfly British
clement adj. temperate, mild; merciful
clepsydra n. ancient timekeeping device using discharge of water to measure time; water-clock
clerestory n. upper part of building rising above interior space so as to allow the entry of daylight through high windows
clew n. skein or ball of yarn, etc
climb the wooden hill to Bedfordshire v. to go to bed, to sleep British
clinamen n. the unpredictable swerve of atoms, in the philosophy of Lucretius
clinker n. fused matter left behind from burning combustible material in furnace or forge, piece of slag
clinker-built adj. of a ship’s hull built with the edges of its planks overlapping, as opposed to “carvel-built” ships where the planks are fitted side-by-side and flush with one another nautical
cloche n. glass cover placed over plants; bell-shaped cover for plates of food; close-fitting brimmed woman’s hat
clodpole n. stupid fellow
cloistral adj. of or related to a cloister
clonic adj. of or related to spasmodic muscular convulsions
closestool n. (also close-stool) stool with hole in its seat, beneath which is a chamber pot
clothespress n. cabinet or wardrobe for storing clothes
clough n. valley or ravine with very steep sides, defile
clunch n. pale limestone rock mixture (sometimes with chalk or clay) used as building material
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