4 N‑COUNT A cue is a long, thin wooden stick that is used to hit the ball in games such as snooker, billiards, and pool.
5 PHRASE If you say that something happened on cue or as if on cue , you mean that it happened just when it was expected to happen, or just at the right time. □ Kevin arrived right on cue to care for Harry.
6 PHRASE If you take your cue from someone or something, you do something similar in a particular situation. □ [+ from ] Taking his cue from his companion, he apologized for his earlier display of temper. COLLOCATIONS cue NOUN 1
verb + cue : take; miss; provide
cuff /kʌ f/ (cuffs , cuffing , cuffed )
1 N‑COUNT [usu pl] The cuffs of a shirt or dress are the parts at the ends of the sleeves, which are thicker than the rest of the sleeve. □ …a pale blue shirt with white collar and cuffs.
2 N‑COUNT [usu pl] The cuffs on a pair of pants or trousers are the parts at the ends of the legs, which are folded up. [AM ] □ [+ of ] …the cuffs of his jeans. in BRIT, use turn-up 3 VERB If the police cuff someone, they put handcuffs on them. [INFORMAL ] □ [V n] She hoped they wouldn't cuff her hands behind her back.
4 PHRASE An off-the-cuff remark is made without being prepared or thought about in advance. □ I didn't mean any offence. It was a flippant, off-the-cuff remark.
cuff|link /kʌ fl I ŋk/ (cufflinks ) N‑COUNT [usu pl] Cufflinks are small decorative objects used for holding together shirt cuffs around the wrist. □ …a pair of gold cufflinks.
cui|sine /kw I ziː n/ (cuisines )
1 N‑VAR The cuisine of a country or district is the style of cooking that is characteristic of that place. □ [+ of ] The cuisine of Japan is low in fat. □ …traditional French cuisine.
2 N‑UNCOUNT The skill or profession of cooking unusual or interesting food can be referred to as cuisine . □ …residential courses in gourmet cuisine.
cul-de-sac /kʌ l d I sæk, [AM ] - sæ k/ (cul-de-sacs ) N‑COUNT [usu sing] A cul-de-sac is a short road which is closed off at one end. [mainly BRIT ] □ …a four-bedroom detached house in a quiet cul-de-sac. in AM, usually use dead end
culi|nary /kʌ l I nəri, [AM ] kjuː ləneri/ ADJ [ADJ n] Culinary means concerned with cooking. [FORMAL ] □ She was keen to acquire more advanced culinary skills.
cull /kʌ l/ (culls , culling , culled )
1 VERB If items or ideas are culled from a particular source or number of sources, they are taken and gathered together. □ [be V -ed + from ] All this, needless to say, had been culled second-hand from radio reports. □ [V n + from ] Laura was passing around photographs she'd culled from the albums at home.
2 VERB To cull animals means to kill the weaker animals in a group in order to reduce their numbers. □ [V n] To save remaining herds and habitat, the national parks department is planning to cull 2000 elephants. ● N‑COUNT Cull is also a noun. □ In many South African reserves, annual culls are routine. ● cull|ing N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ of ] The culling of seal cubs has led to an outcry from environmental groups.
cul|mi|nate /kʌ lm I ne I t/ (culminates , culminating , culminated ) VERB If you say that an activity, process, or series of events culminates in or with a particular event, you mean that event happens at the end of it. □ [V + in/with ] They had an argument, which culminated in Tom getting drunk.
cul|mi|na|tion /kʌ lm I ne I ʃ ə n/ N‑SING Something, especially something important, that is the culmination of an activity, process, or series of events happens at the end of it. □ [+ of ] Their arrest was the culmination of an operation in which 120 other people were detained.
cu|lottes /kjuːlɒ ts, [AM ] kuː-/ N‑PLURAL [oft a pair of N ] Culottes are knee-length women's trousers that look like a skirt.
cul|pable /kʌ lpəb ə l/ ADJ If someone or their conduct is culpable , they are responsible for something wrong or bad that has happened. [FORMAL ] □ Their decision to do nothing makes them culpable. □ …manslaughter resulting from culpable negligence. ● cul|pabil|ity /kʌ lpəb I l I ti/ N‑UNCOUNT □ He added there was clear culpability on the part of the government.
cul|prit /kʌ lpr I t/ (culprits )
1 N‑COUNT When you are talking about a crime or something wrong that has been done, you can refer to the person who did it as the culprit . □ The culprits in the robbery have not been identified.
2 N‑COUNT When you are talking about a problem or bad situation, you can refer to its cause as the culprit . □ About 10% of Japanese teenagers are overweight. The main culprit is Western fast food.
cult /kʌ lt/ (cults )
1 N‑COUNT [usu sing] A cult is a fairly small religious group, especially one which is considered strange. □ The teenager may have been abducted by a religious cult. [Also + of ]
2 ADJ [ADJ n] Cult is used to describe things that are very popular or fashionable among a particular group of people. □ Since her death, she has become a cult figure. □ The film is destined to become a cult classic.
3 N‑SING Someone or something that is a cult has become very popular or fashionable among a particular group of people. □ Ludlam was responsible for making Ridiculous Theatre something of a cult.
4 N‑COUNT The cult of something is a situation in which people regard that thing as very important or special. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ Meanwhile, the personality cult around this campaigner grew.