cremains

cremains /kri'meinz/ noun [pi.] {NAmE) the powder that is left after a dead person’s body has been cremated (= burned)   E£m ashes

cre-mate /kra'meit/ verb [VN] [often passive] to burn a dead body, especially as part of a funeral ceremony

mm,

cremation /kra'meijn/ noun 1 [u] the act of cremating sb A it 2 [C] a funeral at which the dead person is

cremated AP; Aft.t^

crema tor ium /.krema’tairiam/ noun (pi crema toria /-‘tairia/ or crematoriums) (NAmE also crematory /'kriimatairi; 'krem-/ pi -ies) a building in which the bodies of dead people are burned creme brulee /,krem brui'lei/ noun [C, U] (pi crepies brulees /.krem brui'lei/) (from French) a cold dessert {= a sweet dish) made from cream, with burnt sugar on

top mmmm ()

creme caramel /.krem 'kaeramel/ noun [C, u] (pi cremes caramels /.krem 'kaeramel/) (BrE, from French) (NAmE flan) a cold dessert (= a sweet dish) made from milk, eggs and sugar jUftS ft (        )

creme de cassis /.krem da kae'siis/ noun [u, C] (pi cremes de cassis /.krem da kae'siis/) = cassis creme de la creme /.krem da lai 'krem/ noun [sing.] (from French, formal or humorous) the best people or things of their kind Jjf ^           ^ fit: This school

takes only the creme de la creme, ^ H fS fSc

creme de menthe /.krem da 'monG; NAmE 'men0/ noun [U, C] (pi cremes de menthe /.krem da 'mDn0; NAmE 'men0/) (from French) a strong sweet alcoholic drink made with mint

creme fraiche /.krem ‘freJV noun [U] (from French) thick cream with a slightly sour taste 6|$c#5?ft, &ftift ( )

crenel-lated (US also cren-el-ated) /‘krenaleitid/ adj. (technical Ai§) (of a tower, castle, etc. ig, ilf) having battlements

Creole /’kriiaul; NAmE -oul/ (also creole) noun 1 [C] a person of mixed European and African race, especially one who lives in the West Indies      ( XfefUsik

) 2 [C] a person

whose ancestors were among the first Europeans who settled in the West Indies or S America, or one of the French or Spanish people who settled in the southern states of the US AiMllAA (

iSftMBHHIAWJsl*,

) : Creole cookery

3 [U] a language formed when a mixture of a European language with a local language (especially an African language spoken by slaves in the West Indies) is spoken as a first language

— compare pidgin

cre-olize (BrE also -ise) /'kriialaiz; BrE also 'kria-/ verb [VN] (linguistics i?fW) to change a language by combining it with a language from another place ( ilTa ) ;£M H A in ft; {<£ M o' ft : Creolized forms of Latin were spoken in various parts of Europe.

► creol-ization, -isation /.kriialai'zeijn; BrE also 'kria-/ noun [U, C] creo-sote /'kriiasaut; NAmE -sout/ noun, verb mnoun [U] a thick brown liquid that is made from coal tar, used to preserve wood ^®)ift, Attlift ( ffif

mm)

w verb [VN] to paint or preserve sth with creosote

?ft&ft (mm)

crepe (also crepe) /kreip/ noun 1 [U] a type of light thin cloth, made especially from cotton or silk, with a surface that is covered in lines and folds ( A fa )$ tU a black crepe dress Mfe ft IBS:3c ft 0 a crepe bandage    2 [U] a type of

strong rubber with a rough surface, used for making the soles of shoes ftii£ ( rfrJiiljlffl ) : crepe-soled shoes 3 [C] a thin pancake

crepe paper noun [U] a type of thin brightly coloured paper that stretches and has a surface covered in lines and folds, used especially for making decorations ( A

m

crepe Su-zette /.kreip sui’zet; ,krep/ noun (pi crepes Su-zette /.kreip sui'zet; .krep/) (from French) a pancake (= thin flat round cake) which has alcohol poured over it and is served covered in flames        A^oJM

m (    )

crepi ta tion /.krepi'teijn/ noun a series of short sharp sounds, for example like those made by sth burning in a fire

crept pt, pp of creep

cre pus cul ar /kri'pAskjala(r)/ adj. (literary) related to the period of the evening when the sun has just gone down but there is still some light in the sky M

cres cendo /kra'Jendau; NAmE -dou/ noun (pi -os) [C, U] 1 (music H) a gradual increase in how loudly a piece of music is played or sung (    ) $r!M PTU13 diminu­

endo 2 a gradual increase in noise; the loudest point of a period of continuous noise ® I® ft?] P; J#

am swell: Voices rose in a crescendo and drowned him out. A Cl i# iS ftj P W A M A , He ji 7 ftfe r k o 0 (figurative) The advertising campaign reached a crescendo just before Christmas.     M ^,

cres cent /'kresnt; BrE also 'kreznt/ noun 1 [C] a curved shape that is wide in the middle and pointed at each end §i MM; M5FM: a crescent moon §\M 2 [C] (often used in street names # M if & ffc) a curved street with a row of houses on it §rM MffilK ( — WfeM ) : I live at 7 Park Crescent.      M1 ^0 3 the

Crescent [sing] the curved shape that is used as a symbol of Islam 0fM (          ) —see also Red

Crescent

cress /kres/ noun [U] a small plant with thin stems and very small leaves, often eaten in salads and sand­wiches 7jtjr (     ) —see also

WATERCRESS

crest /krest/ noun, verb

mnoun 1 [usually sing.] ~ (of sth) the top part of a hill or wave ii|M;          surfers riding the crest

of the wave  2 a design used as

the symbol of a particular family, organization, etc., especially one that has a long history (

the university crest 3 a group of feathers that stand up on top of a bird’s head 4S; 'M — picture o page R28 ITiTTl the crest of a/the wave a situation in which sb is very successful, happy, etc.  #

more at ride v.

m verb 1 [VN] (formal) to reach the top of a hill, mountain or wave PJiilijM (         ) : He slowed the pace as

they crested the ridge. ^ fftCl fU Lil WH, i%0 2 [V] (NAmE) (of a flood, wave, etc. ^^^) to reach its highest level before it falls again 3?!]i£'#tilit; li IiJ]jA&: (figurative) The level of debt crested at a massive $290 billion in 1992. * 1992

\L% o

crest-ed /‘krestid/ adj. 1 marked with a crest ^

: crested notepaper k tfp M ft ^ 2 used especially in names of birds or animals which have a crest ( A tjmmwj-. crested newts M

mm

crestfall en /'krestfoilan/ adj. sad and disappointed because you have failed and you did not expect toi^

cre tin /'kretin; NAmE ‘kriitn/ noun (informal, offensive) a very stupid person          JR; S : Why did you

do that, you cretin? A ft £

► cret-in ous /‘kretinas; NAmE 'kriitnas/ adj.

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease /.kroitsfelt 'jaekDb diziiz; NAmE 'jaekoib/ noun [U] (abbr. CJD) a brain disease that causes gradual loss of control of the mind and body and, finally, death. It is believed to be caused by prions and is linked to BSE in cows.