Glossary
C
cloth
Use generally for textile that is woven, felted, knit, pounded, or otherwise made into a flat piece
clothes peg
used to grip laundry on a washing line
clotting factors
Chemicals in the blood which interact to make the blood clot.
club foot
A condition where the foot is twisted and so the sole cannot be placed flat on the floor.
coat - garment
Main garment usually fitted to the upper body, extending below the hip line, open at the front or side and generally having sleeves. Also, similar outer garment worn for warmth or protection from the weather.
cocaine
White, crystalline powder extracted from the leaves of the coca plant. Once used as a local anaesthetic, it is now an illegal drug. It is habit-forming and harmful to the body.
cochlear implant
A device surgically implanted in the cochlea which translates sound into electrical impulses conveyed to the auditory nerve to facilitate hearing.
coconut
Fruit of the tropical palm coco nucifera (coco-palm)
cocoon
Case or wrapping produced by larval forms of animals (such as some moths, butterflies, and wasps) for protection during the pupal stage in their life cycle. Most cocoons are made of silk.
coeliac disease
A digestive intolerance of the small intestine to foods that contain gluten.
coffin
Box or chest for a corpse to be buried in.
cognitive behavioural therapy
Type of therapy using analysis of behaviour and thought patterns. The patient is encouraged to analyse his or her specific ways of thinking around a problem. The therapist then looks at the resulting behaviour and the consequences of that thinking and tries to encourage the patient to change his or her cognition in order to avoid adverse behaviour or its consequences.
coitus interruptus
A method of contraception in which the penis is withdrawn from the vagina prior to ejaculation. Also known as the withdrawal method.
colic
Severe abdominal pain caused by obstruction of the intestine or by constipation.
cologne
Scented water, similar to perfume.
colorimeter
Instrument that measure colour by comparing a given colour to a standard colour, a scale of colours, or certain combinations of primary colours.
colour blindness test
A test to find whether a person is colour blind. The most commonly used test in the world is the Ishihara test invented in 1917, where numbers are concealed within a circle of different colours.
comb - grooming tool
Tool with a row of teeth on one or both edges or sides that are used for adjusting, distangling, or cleaning the hair.
comedy
a play, film, etc., of an amusing or satirical character, usually with a happy ending. The traditional theatrical genre can be simply described as a dramatic performance which pits two societies against each other in an amusing agon or conflict. However, in modern times the term has adopted a popular connotation associated with a variety of different media that proports to make others amused.
commemorative
Use for items produced, issued, or worn to commemorate a person, event, or occasion. For structures erected to preserve the memory of persons or events, use "memorials."