PHRASAL VERB
If you
cave in
, you suddenly stop arguing or resisting, especially when people put pressure on you to stop. □ [V
P
]
After a ruinous strike, the union caved in.
□ [V
P
+ to
]
The Prime Minister has caved in to backbench pressure.
□ [V
P
+ on
]
He's caved in on capital punishment.
ca|veat
/kæ
viæt, [AM
] ke
I
v-/ (caveats
) N‑COUNT
[oft N
that] A
caveat
is a warning of a specific limitation of something such as information or an agreement. [FORMAL
] □
There was one caveat: he was not to enter into a merger or otherwise weaken the Roche family's control of the firm.
ca|veat emp|tor
/kæ
viæt e
mptɔː
r
, [AM
] ke
I
v-/ CONVENTION
Caveat emptor
means 'let the buyer beware', and is a warning to someone buying something that it is their responsibility to identify and accept any faults in it. [FORMAL
, WRITTEN
]
ca
ve-in
(
cave-ins
) N‑COUNT
A
cave-in
is the sudden collapse of the roof of a cave or mine.
cave|man
/ke
I
vmæn/ (cavemen
) N‑COUNT
Cavemen
were people in prehistoric times who lived mainly in caves.
cav|er
/ke
I
və
r
/ (cavers
) N‑COUNT
A
caver
is someone who goes into underground caves as a sport.
cav|ern
/kæ
və
r
n/ (caverns
) N‑COUNT
A
cavern
is a large deep cave.
cav|ern|ous
/kæ
və
r
nəs/ ADJ
A
cavernous
room or building is very large inside, and so it reminds you of a cave. □
The work space is a bare and cavernous warehouse.
cavi|ar
/kæ
viɑː
r
/ (caviars
) also
caviare
N‑VAR
Caviar
is the salted eggs of a fish called a sturgeon.
cav|il
/kæ
v
ə
l/ (cavils
, cavilling
, cavilled
)
in AM, use caviling
, caviled
VERB
[no passive] If you say that someone
cavilsat
something, you mean that they make criticisms of it that you think are unimportant or unnecessary. [FORMAL
, DISAPPROVAL
] □ [V
]
Let us not cavil too much.
□ [V
+ at
]
I don't think this is the time to cavil at the wording of the report.
● N‑COUNT
Cavil
is also a noun. □
These cavils aside, most of the essays are very good indeed.
cav|ity
/kæ
v
I
ti/ (cavities
)
1
N‑COUNT
A
cavity
is a space or hole in something such as a solid object or a person's body. [FORMAL
]
2
N‑COUNT
In dentistry, a
cavity
is a hole in a tooth, caused by decay. [TECHNICAL
]
ca
v|ity wa
ll
(
cavity walls
) N‑COUNT
[oft N
n] A
cavity wall
is a wall that consists of two separate walls with a space between them. Cavity walls help to keep out noise and cold. [mainly BRIT
] □
…cavity wall insulation.
ca|vort
/kəvɔː
r
t/ (cavorts
, cavorting
, cavorted
)
1
VERB
When people
cavort
, they leap about in a noisy and excited way. □ [V
]
You can enjoy a quick snack while your children cavort in the sand.
2
VERB
Cavort
is sometimes used by journalists to suggest that people were behaving in a playfully sexual way. □ [V
+ with
]
Dr Murray, 56, cavorted with the models on a jaunt to Trinidad and Tobago.
caw
/kɔː
/ (caws
, cawing
, cawed
) VERB
When a bird such as a crow or a rook
caws
, it makes a loud harsh sound. □ [V
]
Outside, a raven cawed.
cay|enne pep|per
/ka
I
e
n pe
pə
r
/ N‑UNCOUNT
Cayenne pepper
or
cayenne
is a red powder with a hot taste which is made from dried peppers and is used to flavour food. □
Season with salt, pepper and a pinch of cayenne.
CB
/siː
biː
/ N‑UNCOUNT
CB
, an abbreviation for 'Citizens' Band', is a range of radio frequencies which the general public is allowed to use to send messages to each other. It is used especially by truck drivers and other drivers who use radio sets in their vehicles.
cc
/siː
siː
/
1
You use
cc
when referring to the volume or capacity of something such as the size of a car engine.
cc
is an abbreviation for 'cubic centimetres'. □
…1,500 cc sports cars.
2
cc
is used at the end of a business letter to indicate that a copy is being sent to another person. [BUSINESS
] □
…cc J. Chan, S. Cooper.