Word origins

• capitoulThe former chief magistrates of the city of Toulouse, France.
• capitoulateRule by capitouls, (specifically, historical) the former municipal government of Toulouse, France, under their direction.
• caponierA work made across or in a ditch, to protect it from the enemy (as fire from it could cover the ditch), or to serve as a covered passageway (e.g. to outworks).
• Capsianof or pertaining to a Paleolithic culture of North Africa (named after primary findings there, in the now southern Tunisian oasis Gafsa) and southern Europe
• capucheA long, pointed hood, as that worn by the Augustinians, Capuchins or Franciscans.
• carbineerA soldier armed with a carbine.
• cardecueAn old French coin worth one quarter of an écu.
• carto-Forms terms relating to maps.
• carveneA variety of limonene, C₁₀H₁₆, extracted from caraway.
• casuistA person who resolves cases of conscience or moral duty.
• catadupeWaterfall; cataract.
• causerieAn informal conversation, or casual short written article, especially on a serious topic.
• cauterA hot iron for searing or cauterizing.
• CedotalA surname from French.
• celadoniteA blueish-green form of mica.
• CéléA river in south-western France that flows for about 104.4 km (64.9 mi) through the Cantal and Lot departments into the River Lot at Bouziès.
• celeritousSwift, speedy, fast.
• cenesthopathyDisordered cenesthesia; a psychopathological symptom characterised by generalised abnormal sensations in the body.
• centareA measure of area: one hundredth of an are, or one square meter.
• centisecondAn SI unit of time equal to 10⁻² seconds. Symbol: cs
• centistereA unit equal to one hundredth of a stere.
• cervelliereA metal skullcap.
• ceterachA fern of species Asplenium ceterach.
• chabaziteAny of several zeolite minerals that occur in basaltic rocks.
• chacun à son goûtUsed to acknowledge that different people have different tastes or preferences.
• chaise loungeSynonym of chaise longue.
• ChambéryA city and prefecture, the capital of Savoie department, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France.
• champaineCurved (concave), enarched, or sometimes varriated; especially in the phrase point champaine, an abatement consisting of a curved (or sometimes horizontal) stain the bottom of the shield.
• champertorOne guilty of champerty; one who purchases a suit, or the right of suing, and carries it on at his or her own expense, in order to obtain a share of the gain.
• Champlain ValleyA north–south running valley surrounding Lake Champlain, in upstate New York State, Vermont and southern Quebec, spanning the United States and Canada, mostly lying within the U.S.; separating the Adirondacks from the Green Mountains and Appalachians.
• chanfrinThe forepart of a horse's head.
• chanson de gesteA type of epic medieval French poem, having a characteristic verse form and typically featuring historical characters.
• chantantPlayed in a melodious and singsong style.
• chantepleureTo sing and cry at the same time.
• chantoosieA woman employed to sing in a nightclub.
• chantwellA (generally female) lead singer of traditional cariso music, or of a calypso band.
• chapeaugraphyA style of performance art in which the performer manipulates a piece of fabric into the shapes of various hats.
• charterpartyA contract between a shipowner and a merchant, under which a ship is hired for the conveyance of goods, etc.
• chasse-maréeA French coasting lugger.
• Chaudière-AppalachesA region of Quebec, Canada.
• chaud-medleySynonym of chance-medley.
• chausséeLevel of soil.
• cheval glassA long mirror, mounted on a swivel in a frame, allowing it to be tilted.
• chevenA river fish, the chub.
• chevetSynonym of apse chapel.
• chevonThe meat of a goat.
• chevronnyHaving chevrons, especially (heraldry) charged with chevrons.
• chewetA kind of meat pie.
• chiengoraDog hair used as a textile.
• ChiersA river in Europe that flows for about 130 km (81 mi) through Luxembourg, Belgium and France; it joins the Meuse near Sedan.
• chirographySynonym of handwriting or penmanship, one's personal skill at writing.
• chironomyThe art of using effective hand gestures, especially (historical) in Greco-Roman contexts.
• chiropterA member of the order Chiroptera, a bat
• chocardthe chough (any of various birds)
• chondrologyThe branch of anatomy that deals with cartilage.
• chordeeAn abnormal downward curve to the erect penis.
• choreea choreus, trochee (a foot of two syllables, the first long and the second short)
• choristA singer in a choir; a chorister.
• chou moellierA cultivated variety of Brassica oleracea, or a cross between cabbage, kohlrabi, and kale, used as fodder
• cibolA perennial onion plant, Allium fistulosum, commonly called Welsh onion.
• citronellicOf or pertaining to citronellic acid.
• clairgustanceThe paranormal ability to taste a substance without putting anything in one's mouth. It is claimed that those who possess this ability are able to perceive the essence of a substance from the spiritual or ethereal realms through taste.
• clairsentienceThe psychic ability for a person to acquire knowledge by means of feeling.
• clayeswattles or hurdles made with stakes interwoven with osiers, to cover lodgments
• clearcoleA primer (for paint) containing white lead.
• ClervauxThe northernmost canton of Luxembourg, in the former district of Diekirch.
• ClerveA river in Europe that flows for 48 km (30 mi) through Luxembourg; it empties into the Wiltz near Kautenbach.
• climacterA climacteric (period in life, or critical point).
• clinquantGlittery; gleaming; sparkling; dressed in, or overlaid with, tinsel finery.
• ClotildaA female given name from the Germanic languages; of mostly historical use in the Anglo-Saxon world.
• Cochin ChinaSynonym of Cochin (“type of domestic hen”).
• cockalaneA satire or lampoon.
• cocketA document issued by the bond office stating that duty has been paid and goods may be sold.
• Coeur d'AleneA Native American ethnic group of northern Idaho.
• cold hands, warm heartHaving cold hands is an indication of warmheartedness; used as a rejoinder if one finds that another's hands are cold.
• collaretteA small collar, especially as a kind of necklace of lace, fur etc. for women; a ruff
• collegianerA college student.
• colportageThe distribution or selling of publications via carriers, particularly devotional literature.
• combleA band along the top part of the shield, half the height of the chief.
• comfitureA confection, especially of preserved fruit.
• commensurabilityThe quality of being commensurable or commensurate
• CommunicationsspracheAn international auxiliary language created by Joseph Schipfer in 1836, chiefly based on French, with some influences from Latin, English and German.
• CompeauA surname from French.
• compissTo piss all over (something); to wet with urine.
• componyDivided into a line of squares of alternating tinctures.
• concassedRoughly chopped or diced; (in particular, of a tomato) diced after the seeds/core and skin have been removed.
• concomitanceoccurrence or existence together or in connection with one another, coexistence
• concomitateTo accompany; to be somehow connected with.
• concursionA sudden solidification.
• condescendenceThe act of condescending; voluntary descent from one's rank or dignity in intercourse with an inferior; courtesy toward inferiors, condescension.
• confessantOne who confesses to a priest.
• congeSynonym of congee: to take leave, to bid farewell, in various senses; to bow, to curtsey, etc.
• conglobeTo collect (something) into a round mass; to conglobate.
• congySynonym of congius, Roman units of liquid measure and mass.
• consolableAble or likely to be consoled.
• contournéFacing sinister instead of dexter.
• contraposeTo place in contraposition.
• contrapositionThe statement of the form "if not Q then not P", given the statement "if P then Q".
• convenableCapable of being convened or assembled.
• convenanceconventional propriety