Bullion (n): bool-yuhn
gold and silver in the form of bars
Bribes have to be paid, often in gold bullion
Bulwark (n): bool-werk, -wawrk, buhl-
A bulwark against something protects you against it A bulwark of something protects it = defence
Chinese wall is a bulward against mangolese attacks
Bureaucracy (n): byoo-rok-ruh-see
A bureaucracy is an administrative system operated by a large number of officials = government by bureaus
The company's huge bureaucracy limits creativity and independent thinking
Buskin (n): buhs-kin
thick-soled half boot worn by actors of Greek tragedy
Buttress (n): buh-tris (205)
Buttresses are supports, usually made of stone or brick, that support a wall = support
His wife’s good attitude was his buttress during the recent crisis
Cabal (n): kuh-bal
If you refer to a group of politicians or other people as a cabal, you are criticizing them because they meet and decide things secretly = small group, clique, coterie
Every member of the cabal was executed in public
Cache (n): kash
A cache is a quantity of things such as weapons that have been hidden= hiding place
A cache of explosives was found in in the forest by police officers
Cacophony (n): kuh-kof-uh-nee
You can describe a loud, unpleasant mixture of sounds as a cacophony = harsh sound
An office-goer’s typical day starts with a cacophony of car horns
Cadaver (n): kuh-dav-e
A cadaver is a dead body = corpse
Dissection here takes place on cadavers or using tissue taken from them
Cadence (n): keyd-ns (210)
The cadence of someone’s voice is the way their voice gets higher and lower as they speak = intonation
I still remember the cadence of my mother’s voice
Calamity (n): kuh-lam-i-tee
A calamity is an event that causes a great deal of damage, destruction, or personal distress = disaster
Caliber (n): kal-uh-ber
ability, capacity
He's a doctor of the highest caliber
Calligraphy (n): kuh-lig-ruh-fee
Calligraphy is the art of producing beautiful handwriting using a brush or a special pen
Ritu won the calligraphy prize when she was at school
Callisthenics (n): kal-uhs-then-iks
a set of physical exercises that are intended to make you strong and healthy = exercises
Callisthenics is a very good remedy for most of the health problems
Calumny (n): kal-uhm-nee (215)
Calumny or a calumny is an untrue statement made about someone in order to reduce other people’s respect and admiration for them = slander
The poor man has been the victim of completely unjustified calumny
Camaraderie (n): kah-muh-rah-duh-ree
Camaraderie is a feeling of trust and friendship among a group of people who have usually known each other for a long time or gone through some kind of experience together = fellowship, brotherhood
He missed the old camaraderie of life in the college
Cameo (n): kam-ee-oh
1 A cameo is a piece of jewellery, usually oval in shape, consisting of a raised stone figure or design fixed on to a flat stone of another colour2 a short appearance in a film or play by a well-known actor
There is an increasing trend of playing cameos in Bollywood these days
Camouflage (n): kam-uh-flahzh
Camouflage consists of things such as leaves, branches, or brown and green paint, which are used to make it difficult for an enemy to see military forces and equipment = hide
Animals use the branches of trees as camouflage
Canard (n): kuh-nahrd
A canard is an idea or a piece of information that is false, especially one that is spread deliberately in order to harm someone or their work =
The newspaper report that the celebrity couple is going to get married proved to be canard
Candour (n): kan-der (220)
Candour is the quality of speaking honestly and openly about things = frankness
He spoke with remarkable candour about his experience before the interview panal
Canker (n): kang-ker
A canker is something evil that spreads and affects things or people
Corruption is a canker spreading its tentacles in all directions of the society
Canon (n): kan-uhn
A canon is a member of the clergy who is on the staff of a cathedral
The Canon was highly revered by all
Hard working people coin their own canons of business practice
Cant (n): kant
If you refer to moral or religious statements as cant, you are criticizing them because you think the person making them does not really believe what they are saying
Sometimes words that were originally cant came to be used in the general language
Cantata (n): kuhn-tah-tuh
A cantata is a fairly short musical work for singers and instruments
People usually organize cantata in Navratras
Canter (n): kan-ter (225)
When a horse canters, it moves at a speed that is slower than a gallop but faster than a trot = slow gallop
The horseman cantered around the field
Canto (n): kan-toh
division of a long poem
Rig Veda is divided into ten cantos
Capillary (n): kap-uh-ler-ee
Capillaries are tiny blood vessels in your body
Caprice (n): kuh-prees
A caprice is an unexpected action or decision which has no strong reason or purpose = whim
The objective of making a dam in this region is to protect the region from nature’s caprices
Caption (n): kap-shuhn
A caption is the words printed underneath a picture or cartoon which explain what it is about = title
On the back of the photo is written the simple caption, `Mrs Monroe'
Carafe (n): kuh-raf (230)
A carafe is a glass container in which you serve water or wine = glass water bottle, decanter
He ordered a carafe of wine
Carapace (n): kar-uh-peys
A carapace is the protective shell on the back of some animals such as tortoises or crabs = shell
You can refer to an attitude that someone has in order to protect themselves as their carapace
The arrogance became his protective carapace
Carat (n): kar-uht
A carat is a unit for measuring the weight of diamonds and other precious stones It is equal to 02 grams
Pure gold is 24 carats
Caricature (n): kar-i-kuh-cher
If you caricature someone, you draw or describe them in an exaggerated way in order to be humorous or critical = distortion, burlesque
RK Laxman’s caricatures of coditions of a common man are simple at heart rendering
Carillon (n): kar-uh-lon
a set of bells capable of being played
The resulting effect is reminiscent of a carillon of wooden hells
Carousal (n): kuh-rou-zuhl (235)
a noisy or drunken feast or social gathering; revelry = bacchanal, fiesta
Most parties in the college eventually turn into carousals
Carmine (n): kahr-min
Carmine is a deep bright red colour = rich red
Its flowers have needle-thin petals in differing degrees of white, rose, pink and carmine
Carnage (n): kahr-nij
Carnage is the violent killing of large numbers of people, especially in a war = slaughter
Emperor Ashoka adopted non-violence after seeing carnage in Kalinga War
Carrion (n): kar-ee-uhn
The decaying flesh of dead animals, which is eaten by some animals and birds = corpse
Nature has its own way of getting rid of carrion
Carte blanche (n): kahrt blanch
If someone gives you carte blanche, they give you the authority to do whatever you think is right
The new manager will be given carte blanche as long as she can increase the company's profits
Cartel (n): kahr-tel (240)
A cartel is an association of similar companies or businesses that have grouped together in order to prevent competition and to control prices = group
The US takes stringent action against companies forming cartel
Cartographer (n): kahr-tog-ruh-fee
A cartographer is a person whose job is drawing maps
Cartography (n): kahr-tuh-grafee
The activity of making maps
Google excelled in digital cartography
Caryatid (n): kar-ee-at-id
sculptured column of a female figure
Each of the legs of the table incorporated a naked ormolu caryatid
Cascade (n): kas-keyd
If you refer to a cascade of something, you mean that there is a large amount of it = small waterfall
Her thick black hair cascaded down below her waist
Casualty (n): kazh-oo-uhl-tee (245)
A casualty of a particular event or situation is a person or a thing that has suffered badly as a result of that event or situation = victim
Our aim is to reduce road casualties
Casuistry (n): kazh-oo-uh-stree
Casuistry is the use of clever arguments to persuade or trick people = trickery
He used causuistry to convince people into giving him money
Cataclysm (n): kat-uh-kliz-uhm
A cataclysm is an event that causes great change or harm = deluge, upheaval
The tsunami cataclysm changed their life forever
Catalyst (n): kat-l-ist
You can describe a person or thing that causes a change or event to happen as a catalyst
The new highway project will act as a catalyst for growth
Catapult (n): kat-uh-puhlt
If something catapults you into a particular state or situation, or if you catapult there, you are suddenly and unexpectedly caused to be in that state or situation = slingshot, a hurling machine
Suddenly she was catapulted into his jet-set lifestyle
Catechism (n): kat-i-kiz-uhm (250)
In a Catholic, Episcopal, or Orthodox Church, the catechism is a series of questions and answers about religious beliefs, which has to be learned by people before they can become full members of that Church = principles
