CEO ◆◇◇ /siː iː oʊ / (CEOs ) N‑COUNT CEO is an abbreviation for chief executive officer .
ce|ram|ic /s I ræ m I k/ (ceramics )
1 N‑VAR [usu N n] Ceramic is clay that has been heated to a very high temperature so that it becomes hard. □ …ceramic tiles. □ …items made from hand-painted ceramic.
2 N‑COUNT [usu pl] Ceramics are ceramic ornaments or objects. □ …a collection of Chinese ceramics.
3 N‑UNCOUNT Ceramics is the art of making artistic objects out of clay.
ce|real /s I ə riəl/ (cereals )
1 N‑VAR Cereal or breakfast cereal is a food made from grain. It is mixed with milk and eaten for breakfast. □ I have a bowl of cereal every morning.
2 N‑COUNT Cereals are plants such as wheat, corn, or rice that produce grain. □ …the rich cereal-growing districts of the Paris Basin.
cere|bral /se r I brəl, [AM ] səriː brəl/
1 ADJ If you describe someone or something as cerebral , you mean that they are intellectual rather than emotional. [FORMAL ] □ Washington struck me as a precarious place from which to publish such a cerebral newspaper.
2 ADJ [ADJ n] Cerebral means relating to the brain. [MEDICAL ] □ …a cerebral haemorrhage.
ce re|bral pa l|sy N‑UNCOUNT Cerebral palsy is a condition caused by damage to a baby's brain before or during its birth, which makes its limbs and muscles permanently weak.
cer|emo|nial /se r I moʊ niəl/
1 ADJ [ADJ n] Something that is ceremonial relates to a ceremony or is used in a ceremony. □ He represented the nation on ceremonial occasions. □ Feathers of various kinds are used by Native Americans for ceremonial purposes.
2 ADJ A position, function, or event that is ceremonial is considered to be representative of an institution, but has very little authority or influence. □ Up to now the post of president has been largely ceremonial.
cer|emo|ni|ous|ly /se r I moʊ niəsli/ ADV [ADV with v] If someone does something ceremoniously , they do it in an extremely formal way. [WRITTEN ] □ They ceremoniously cut a piece of ribbon, declaring the exhibition open. □ He thanked her ceremoniously.
cer|emo|ny ◆◇◇ /se r I məni, [AM ] -moʊni/ (ceremonies )
1 N‑COUNT A ceremony is a formal event such as a wedding. □ …his grandmother's funeral, a private ceremony attended only by the family. □ Today's award ceremony took place at the British Embassy in Tokyo.
2 N‑UNCOUNT [usu with N ] Ceremony consists of the special things that are said and done on very formal occasions. □ The Republic was proclaimed in public with great ceremony.
3 N‑UNCOUNT [without N ] If you do something without ceremony , you do it quickly and in a casual way. □ 'Is Hilton here?' she asked without ceremony.
4 → see also master of ceremonies COLLOCATIONS ceremony NOUN 1
noun + ceremony : closing, opening; awards, medal, presentation; citizenship, civil partnership, graduation, marriage, wedding; induction, initiation, swearing-in
adjective + ceremony : glittering, glitzy, lavish, star-studded; civil, religious; intimate, low-key
verb + ceremony : attend; conduct, hold, host, perform
ce|rise /səriː s/ COLOUR Something that is cerise is a bright pinkish red.
cert /sɜː r t/ (certs ) N‑COUNT If you say that someone or something is a cert , you mean that you are certain they will succeed. [BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ There's no such thing as a cert in horse racing. □ Anthony was a dead cert for promotion.
cert. (certs ) Cert. is a written abbreviation for certificate .
certain
➊ BEING SURE
➋ REFERRING AND INDICATING AMOUNT
➊ cer|tain ◆◇◇ /sɜː r t ə n/
1 ADJ [v-link ADJ , oft ADJ that/wh] If you are certain about something, you firmly believe it is true and have no doubt about it. If you are not certain about something, you do not have definite knowledge about it. □ She's absolutely certain she's going to make it in the world. □ We are not certain whether the appendix had already burst or not. □ [+ of ] It wasn't a balloon–I'm certain of that. [Also + about ]
2 ADJ [oft ADJ to-inf] If you say that something is certain to happen, you mean that it will definitely happen. □ However, the scheme is certain to meet opposition from fishermen's leaders. □ [+ of ] Brazil need to beat Uruguay to be certain of a place in the finals. □ The Prime Minister is heading for certain defeat if he forces a vote. □ Victory looked certain.
3 ADJ [v-link ADJ ] If you say that something is certain , you firmly believe that it is true, or have definite knowledge about it. □ One thing is certain, both have the utmost respect for each other. □ It is certain that Rodney arrived the previous day.
4 PHRASE If you know something for certain , you have no doubt at all about it. □ Hill had to find out for certain.
5 PHRASE If you make certain that something is the way you want or expect it to be, you take action to ensure that it is. □ Firstly, they must make certain that their pension needs are adequately catered for.
➋ cer|tain ◆◆◇ /sɜː r t ə n/
1 ADJ [ADJ n] You use certain to indicate that you are referring to one particular thing, person, or group, although you are not saying exactly which it is. □ There will be certain people who'll say 'I told you so!'. □ Leaflets have been air dropped telling people to leave certain areas.