car|nal /kɑː r n ə l/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] Carnal feelings and desires are sexual and physical, without any spiritual element. [FORMAL ] □ Their ruling passion is that of carnal love.
car|na|tion /kɑː r ne I ʃ ə n/ (carnations ) N‑COUNT A carnation is a plant with white, pink, or red flowers.
car|ni|val /kɑː r n I v ə l/ (carnivals )
1 N‑COUNT A carnival is a public festival during which people play music and sometimes dance in the streets.
2 N‑COUNT A carnival is a travelling show which is held in a park or field and at which there are machines to ride on, entertainments, and games. [AM ] in BRIT, use funfair
car|ni|vore /kɑː r n I vɔː r / (carnivores )
1 N‑COUNT A carnivore is an animal that eats meat. [TECHNICAL ]
2 N‑COUNT If you describe someone as a carnivore , you are saying, especially in a humorous way, that they eat meat. □ This is a vegetarian dish that carnivores love.
car|nivo|rous /kɑː r n I vərəs/
1 ADJ Carnivorous animals eat meat. [TECHNICAL ] □ Snakes are carnivorous.
2 ADJ Carnivorous can be used, especially humorously, to describe someone who eats meat.
car|ob /kæ rəb/ (carobs )
1 N‑VAR A carob or carob tree is a Mediterranean tree that stays green all year round. It has dark-brown fruit that tastes similar to chocolate.
2 N‑UNCOUNT [oft N n] The dark-brown fruit of the carob tree can be referred to as carob . It is often made into powder and used instead of chocolate. □ If you do yearn for chocolate, try a carob bar instead.
car|ol /kæ rəl/ (carols ) N‑COUNT Carols are Christian religious songs that are sung at Christmas. □ …carol singers at the door.
ca|rot|id ar|tery /kərɒ t I d ɑː r təri/ (carotid arteries ) N‑COUNT A carotid artery is one of the two arteries in the neck that supply the head with blood. [MEDICAL ]
ca|rouse /kəraʊ z/ (carouses , carousing , caroused ) VERB If you say that people are carousing , you mean that they are behaving very noisily and drinking a lot of alcohol as they enjoy themselves. □ [V + with ] He's now more likely to be seen tending his garden than carousing with the stars.
carou|sel /kæ rəse l/ (carousels )
1 N‑COUNT At an airport, a carousel is a moving surface from which passengers can collect their luggage.
2 N‑COUNT A carousel is a large circular machine with seats, often in the shape of animals or cars. People can sit on it and go round and round for fun.
carp /kɑː r p/ (carps , carping , carped ) carp can also be used as the plural form for meaning 1 . 1 N‑VAR A carp is a kind of fish that lives in lakes and rivers.
2 VERB If you say that someone is carping , you mean that they keep criticizing or complaining about someone or something, especially in a way you think is unnecessary or annoying. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ [V + at ] He cannot understand why she's constantly carping at him. [Also V about ] ● carp|ing N‑UNCOUNT □ She was in no mood to put up with Blanche's carping.
ca r park (car parks ) also carpark N‑COUNT A car park is an area or building where people can leave their cars. [BRIT ] in AM, use parking lot
car|pen|ter /kɑː r p I ntə r / (carpenters ) N‑COUNT A carpenter is a person whose job is making and repairing wooden things.
car|pen|try /kɑː r p I ntri/ N‑UNCOUNT Carpentry is the activity of making and repairing wooden things.
car|pet /kɑː r p I t/ (carpets , carpeting , carpeted )
1 N‑VAR A carpet is a thick covering of soft material which is laid over a floor or a staircase. □ They put down wooden boards, and laid new carpets on top. □ …the stain on our living-room carpet.
2 VERB [usu passive] If a floor or a room is carpeted , a carpet is laid on the floor. □ [be V -ed] The room had been carpeted and the windows glazed with coloured glass. □ [be V -ed] The main gaming room was thickly carpeted. [Also + with ]
3 N‑COUNT [usu sing] A carpet of something such as leaves or plants is a layer of them which covers the ground. [LITERARY ] □ [+ of ] The carpet of leaves in my yard became more and more noticeable.
4 VERB [usu passive] If the ground is carpeted with something such as leaves or plants, it is completely covered by them. [LITERARY ] □ [be V -ed + with ] The ground was thickly carpeted with pine needles.
5 → see also carpeting , red carpet
6 to sweep something under the carpet → see sweep
carpet|bag|ger /kɑː r p I tbægə r / (carpetbaggers ) N‑COUNT If you call someone a carpetbagger , you disapprove of them because they are trying to become a politician in an area which is not their home, simply because they think they are more likely to succeed there. [AM , DISAPPROVAL ]
ca r|pet bomb|ing N‑UNCOUNT Carpet bombing is heavy bombing from aircraft, with the intention of hitting as many places as possible in a particular area.
car|pet|ing /kɑː r p I t I ŋ/
1 N‑UNCOUNT You use carpeting to refer to a carpet, or to the type of material that is used to make carpets. □ …a bedroom with wall-to-wall carpeting. □ Carpeting is a reasonably cheap floor-covering.