WORD LIST 129
censure ('sen·shu ̆r) n. expression of strong criticism or disapproval; a rebuke or
condemnation. v. to criticize strongly, rebuke, condemn. After Tyra was found
cheating on the exam, her mother censured her behavior.
chastise ('chas·t ̄z) v. to punish severely, as with a beating; to criticize harshly,
rebuke. Charles knew that his wife would chastise him after he inadvertently told the
room full of guests that she had just had a face lift.
chauvinist ('shoh·v ̆n·ist) n. a person who believes in the superiority of his or
her own kind; an extreme nationalist. Though common in the early days of the
women’s movement, male chauvinists are pretty rare today.
chimera (ki·'meer·a ̆) n. 1. (in Greek mythology) a fire-breathing she-monster
with a lion’s head, a goat’s body, and a serpent’s tail. 2. a vain or incongruous
fancy; a (monstrous) product of the imagination, illusion. Seduced by the chimera
of immortality, Victor Frankenstein created a monster that ended up destroying him
and everyone he loved.
chronic ('kron·ik) adj. 1. continuing for a long time; on-going, habitual.
- long-lasting or recurrent. Seamus has had a chronic cough for the past six months.
chronicle ('kron·i·ke ̆l) n. a detailed record or narrative description of past
events. v. to record in chronological order; make a historical record. Historians
have made a chronicle of the war’s events.
chronology (kro ̆·'nol·o ̆·jee) n. the arrangement of events in time; the sequence
in which events occur. The firefighter determined the chronology of incidents that
contributed to the fire.
chronometer (kro ̆·'nom·i·te ̆r) n. an exceptionally accurate clock; a precise
instrument for measuring time. The track coach used a chronometer to determine
the runner’s time for the marathon.
churlish ('chur·l ̆sh) adj. ill-mannered, boorish, rude. Angelo’s churlish remarks
made everyone at the table uncomfortable and ill at ease.
circumspect ('sur·ku ̆m·spekt) adj. cautious, wary, watchful. The prison guard was
circumspect when he learned that some of the prisoners were planning an escape.
clandestine (klan·'des·tin) adj. conducted in secrecy; kept or done in private,
often in order to conceal an illicit or improper purpose. The private investiga-
tor followed Raul to a clandestine rendezvous with a woman in sunglasses and a
trench coat.
cliché (klee·'shay) n. a trite or overused expression or idea. Tito has an engaging
writing style, but he uses too many clichés.