C

the third letter of the English alphabet, a consonant.
any spoken sound represented by the letter C or c, as in cat, race, or circle.
something having the shape of a C .
a written or printed representation of the letter C or c.
a device, as a printer’s type, for reproducing the letter C or c.
cocaine.
Grammar, complement.
consonant.
coulomb.
county (used with a number to designate a county road):
C55.
the third in order or in a series.
(sometimes lowercase) (in some grading systems) a grade or mark, as in school or college, indicating the quality of a student’s work as fair or average.
Music.

the first tone, or keynote, in the scale of C major or the third tone in the relative minor scale, A minor.
a string, key, or pipe tuned to this tone.
a written or printed note representing this tone.
(in the fixed system of solmization) the first tone of the scale of C major, called do.
the tonality having C as the tonic note.
a symbol indicating quadruple time and appearing after the clef sign on a musical staff.

(sometimes lowercase) the Roman numeral for 100.
Celsius.
centigrade.
Electricity.

capacitance.
a battery size for 1.5 volt dry cells: diameter, 1 inch (2.5 cm); length, 1.9 inches (4.8 cm).

Chemistry, carbon.
Physics.

charge conjugation.
charm1 (def 9).

Biochemistry.

cysteine.
cytosine.

Also, C-note. Slang. a hundred-dollar bill.
a proportional shoe width size, narrower than D and wider than B.
a proportional brassiere cup size, smaller than D and larger than B.
the lowest quality rating for a corporate or municipal bond.
Computers. a high-level programming language: very powerful and flexible, it is used in a wide variety of applications.
(with a year) about:
c1775.
calorie.
Optics. candle; candles.
Physics, Chemistry. curie; curies.
cycle; cycles.
Optics, Physics. the velocity of light in a vacuum: approximately 186,000 miles per second or 299,793 kilometers per second.
Acoustics, Physics. the velocity of sound.
(in prescriptions) with.
Calorie.
Cape.
Catholic.
Celsius.
Celtic.
Centigrade.
College.
(in Costa Rica and El Salvador) colon; colons.
Congress.
Conservative.
(in designations of transport aircraft) cargo:
C-54; C-124.
(with a year) about:
c. 1775.
gallon.
(in prescriptions) with.
calorie.
Optics. candle; candles.
carat.
carbon.
carton.
case.
Baseball. catcher.
cathode.
cent; cents.
centavo.
Football. center.
centigrade.
centime.
centimeter.
century.
chairman; chairperson.
chapter.
chief.
child.
church.
cirrus.
city.
cloudy.
cognate.
color.
copper.
copyright.
corps.
cubic.
cycle; cycles.
Contemporary Examples

The Rise and Fall…and Rise Again of the Old-Fashioned Allison McNearney June 13, 2014
Bang With Friends Facebook App Won’t Be Just About Sex, CEO Says Anna Klassen February 25, 2013
The Bag Lady Writes a Book Alexandra Penney February 18, 2010
Whatever Happened to the “B” Battery? Megan McArdle December 20, 2012
Political Funny Pages Michael Crowley, Dan Goldman January 17, 2009

Historical Examples

The Life of Ludwig van Beethoven, Volume I (of 3) Alexander Wheelock Thayer
Commercial Geography Jacques W. Redway
Injun and Whitey to the Rescue William S. Hart
The Call Of The South Louis Becke
The Boy With the U.S. Census Francis Rolt-Wheeler

noun (pl) c’s, C’s, Cs
the third letter and second consonant of the modern English alphabet
a speech sound represented by this letter, in English usually either a voiceless alveolar fricative, as in cigar, or a voiceless velar stop, as in case
the third in a series, esp the third highest grade in an examination

something shaped like a C
(in combination): a C-spring

symbol
centi-
cubic
cycle
(maths) constant
specific heat capacity
the speed of light and other types of electromagnetic radiation in a vacuum
(chess) See algebraic notation
symbol
(music)

a note having a frequency of 261.63 hertz (middle C) or this value multiplied or divided by any power of 2; the first degree of a major scale containing no sharps or flats (C major)
a key, string, or pipe producing this note
the major or minor key having this note as its tonic
a time signature denoting four crotchet beats to the bar See also alla breve (sense 2), common time

(chem) carbon
(biochem) cytosine
capacitance
heat capacity
cold (water)
(physics) compliance
Celsius
centigrade
century: C20
coulomb
(Roman numeral) 100 See Roman numerals
abbreviation
Cuba (international car registration)
noun
a computer programming language combining the advantages of a high-level language with the ability to address the computer at a level comparable with that of an assembly language
abbreviation (of US military aircraft)
cargo transport: C-5
abbreviation
carat
(cricket) caught
cent(s)
century or centuries
(used esp preceding a date) circa: c. 1800
abbreviation
(on maps as part of name) Cape
Catholic
Celtic
Conservative
Corps

c
The symbol for the speed of light in a vacuum.
C

carbon
(kär’bən)
Symbol C
A naturally abundant, nonmetallic element that occurs in all organic compounds and can be found in all known forms of life. Diamonds and graphite are pure forms, and carbon is a major constituent of coal, petroleum, and natural gas. Carbon generally forms four covalent bonds with other atoms in larger molecules. Atomic number 6; atomic weight 12.011; sublimation point above 3,500°C; boiling point 4,827°C; specific gravity of amorphous carbon 1.8 to 2.1, of diamond 3.15 to 3.53, of graphite 1.9 to 2.3; valence 2, 3, 4. See Periodic Table.

carbonaceous adjective
candle
carat
charm quark
circumference
constant
cubic
carbon
capacitance
Celsius
center
centigrade
charge
charm
Christian (as in personal ads)
Citigroup Inc.
cloudy
cocaine
complement
conjugation
consonant
coulomb
couple(s) (as in personal ads)
Cuba (international vehicle ID)
cytosine
100
see (shortwave transmission)
yes (shortwave transmission)
capacity
cent
centavo
centime
centimo
chapter
Latin circa (in approximately, about)
Latin congius (gallon)
copy
copyright
Latin cum (with)
cup
cape
Celtic
century
Chancellor