| consonant |
When you speak, you make different kinds of sounds. Some of these sounds are called consonants and some are called vowels. These two kinds of sounds are made in different ways in your mouth. The letters D, K, B, S and M stand for some of the consonant sounds that we make in English. The letters A, E, and O stand for some of the vowel sounds. [2 definitions] |
| contact |
When there is contact between two things, they are touching each other in some way. When you make contact with something, you touch it. [3 definitions] |
| contagious |
If a disease is contagious, it means that one person can give it to another person. If you have a contagious illness, you can pass it to other people. [2 definitions] |
| contain |
When something is contained, it is in or inside of something else. When a food contains salt, it means that the food has salt in it. If a box contains cereal, it means that the box has cereal inside it. |
| container |
A container is something that holds something else. Boxes, bowls, and cans are some kinds of containers. |
| contest |
A contest is a kind of competition. A contest is often about things like who can eat the most hot dogs, or who painted the best picture, or who made the best pie. If you win a contest, you get a prize. |
| continent |
A continent is any one of the seven very large areas of land on the earth. These continents are called Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, and South America. When we talk about the countries that make up a particular continent, we often include islands that are close to that continent or are connected with it by culture and history. For example, when we talk about the island country of Madagascar, we call it part of Africa even though it does not actually touch the continent. |
| continue |
When something continues, it means that it keeps going. It doesn't stop. [2 definitions] |
| contraction |
When we say things like "don't" or "I'm" or "can't," we are using what we call contractions. Contractions let us put two words together so we can say or write them in a shorter way. "Don't" is a contraction of the two words "do" and "not." "I'm" is a contraction of the words "I" and "am." The little mark between the two words in a contraction is called an apostrophe. That mark tell us that something is missing. For example, in the contraction "I'm," the letter "a" of the word "am" is missing. |
| contrast |
When you contrast two things, you talk about how they are different from each other. [3 definitions] |
| contribute |
When you contribute something, you add it to what other people are doing or giving so that you and they can do something good together. |
| control |
When you control something, you use your power to make it do what you want. Sometimes people control other people too. [4 definitions] |
| convenient |
When something is convenient, it makes things easy for you in some way. |
| conversation |
Conversation is talking that people do with each other. [2 definitions] |
| convince |
When you convince someone, you make them agree with you. You get them to believe that something is true or that they should do something. |
| cook |
When you cook food, you make it ready to eat by making it hot. When you boil an egg, fry a chicken, or bake a potato, you are cooking food. [3 definitions] |
| cookie |
A cookie is a sweet baked food that you hold in your hand to eat. A cookie is usually round, and it is flat or shaped like a ball. We eat cookies as a snack. Cookies are made with flour and sugar, oil or butter, and other things. Some cookies have things like chocolate or nuts in them. |
| cool |
When something is cool, it is a little cold. When you are cool, you are not warm. [4 definitions] |
| copper1 |
Copper is a kind of metal. It has a color that looks like a mixture of red and brown. Electricity travels very well through copper, so wires that carry electricity are often made of copper. Copper is also used for cooking pots and pipes that carry water. |
| copy |
A copy is something that looks exactly like something else. [3 definitions] |
| coral |
Coral is something that is often found at the bottom of the sea in places where the water is warm and not very deep. Coral looks like a growing plant and is found in different colors and shapes. Coral is not a plant, though. Coral is actually very hard, and it is made up of the skeletons of very tiny sea animals. Sometimes coral builds up so much that it rises toward the surface of the water. When coral makes a large structure like this, the structure is called a reef. |