cor|ti|sone /kɔː r t I zoʊn/ N‑UNCOUNT Cortisone is a hormone used in the treatment of arthritis, allergies, and some skin diseases.
co|rus|cat|ing /kɒ rəske I t I ŋ, [AM ] kɔː r-/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] A coruscating speech or performance is lively, intelligent, and impressive. [LITERARY , APPROVAL ] □ …coruscating humour.
cor|vette /kɔː r ve t/ (corvettes ) N‑COUNT A corvette is a small fast warship that is used to protect other ships from attack.
'cos ◆◆◇ /kəz/ also cos CONJ 'Cos is an informal way of saying because . [BRIT , SPOKEN ] □ It was absolutely horrible going up the hills 'cos they were really, really steep. in AM, use 'cause
cosh /kɒ ʃ/ (coshes , coshing , coshed )
1 N‑COUNT A cosh is a heavy piece of rubber or metal which is used as a weapon. [BRIT ]
2 VERB To cosh someone means to hit them hard on the head with a cosh or a similar weapon. [BRIT ] □ [V n] …robbers who punched Tom and coshed Helen.
cos|met|ic /kɒzme t I k/ (cosmetics )
1 N‑COUNT [usu pl] Cosmetics are substances such as lipstick or powder, which people put on their face to make themselves look more attractive.
2 ADJ If you describe measures or changes as cosmetic , you mean they improve the appearance of a situation or thing but do not change its basic nature, and you are usually implying that they are inadequate. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ It is a cosmetic measure which will do nothing to help the situation long term.
cos|me t|ic su r|gery N‑UNCOUNT Cosmetic surgery is surgery done to make a person look more attractive.
cos|mic /kɒ zm I k/
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Cosmic means occurring in, or coming from, the part of space that lies outside Earth and its atmosphere. □ …cosmic radiation. □ …cosmic debris.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Cosmic means belonging or relating to the universe. □ …the cosmic laws governing our world.
cos|mic ra ys N‑PLURAL Cosmic rays are rays that reach Earth from outer space and consist of atomic nuclei.
cos|mol|ogy /kɒzmɒ lədʒi/ (cosmologies )
1 N‑VAR A cosmology is a theory about the origin and nature of the universe. □ …the ideas implicit in Big Bang cosmology.
2 N‑UNCOUNT Cosmology is the study of the origin and nature of the universe. ● cos|molo|gist (cosmologists ) N‑COUNT □ …astronomers and cosmologists. ● cos|mo|logi|cal /kɒ zməlɒ dʒ I k ə l/ ADJ [ADJ n] □ …cosmological sciences.
cos|mo|naut /kɒ zmənɔːt/ (cosmonauts ) N‑COUNT A cosmonaut is an astronaut from the former Soviet Union.
cos|mo|poli|tan /kɒ zməpɒ l I tən/
1 ADJ A cosmopolitan place or society is full of people from many different countries and cultures. [APPROVAL ] □ London has always been a cosmopolitan city.
2 ADJ Someone who is cosmopolitan has had a lot of contact with people and things from many different countries and as a result is very open to different ideas and ways of doing things. [APPROVAL ] □ The family are rich, and extremely sophisticated and cosmopolitan.
cos|mos /kɒ zmɒs, [AM ] -məs/ N‑SING The cosmos is the universe. [LITERARY ] □ …the natural laws of the cosmos.
cos|set /kɒ s I t/ (cossets , cosseting or cossetting , cosseted or cossetted ) VERB [usu passive] If someone is cosseted , everything possible is done for them and they are protected from anything unpleasant. □ [be V -ed] Our kind of travel is definitely not suitable for people who expect to be cosseted.
cost ◆◆◆ /kɒ st, [AM ] kɔː st/ (costs , costing ) The form cost is used in the present tense, and is also the past tense and past participle, except for meaning 4 , where the form costed is used. 1 N‑COUNT [usu sing] The cost of something is the amount of money that is needed in order to buy, do, or make it. □ [+ of ] The cost of a loaf of bread has increased five-fold. □ [+ of ] In 1989 the price of coffee fell so low that in many countries it did not even cover the cost of production. □ [+ of ] Badges are also available at a cost of £2.50.
2 VERB If something costs a particular amount of money, you can buy, do, or make it for that amount. □ [V amount] This course is limited to 12 people and costs £50. □ [V n amount] It's going to cost me over $100,000 to buy new trucks.
3 N‑PLURAL Your costs are the total amount of money that you must spend on running your home or business. □ Costs have been cut by 30 to 50 per cent.
4 VERB [usu passive] When something that you plan to do or make is costed , the amount of money you need is calculated in advance. □ [be V -ed] Everything that goes into making a programme, staff, rent, lighting, is now costed. □ [V -ed] …apartments, a restaurant and a hotel, costed at around 10 million pounds. ● PHRASAL VERB Cost out means the same as cost . □ [V P n] …training days for charity staff on how to draw up contracts and cost out proposals. □ [have n V -ed P ] It is always worth having a loft conversion costed out. [Also V n P ]
5 N‑PLURAL If someone is ordered by a court of law to pay costs , they have to pay a sum of money towards the expenses of a court case they are involved in. □ He was jailed for 18 months and ordered to pay £550 costs.
6 N‑UNCOUNT If something is sold at cost , it is sold for the same price as it cost the seller to buy it. □ …a store that provided soft drinks and candy bars at cost.