
claim | claim: n. 1 demand, assertion, request, requisition, petition, application; requirement: As far as the land is concerned, his claim has been denied. 2 right(s), call, title: What possible claim could the Miss Dashwoods have on his generosity? --v. 3 demand, seek, ask or call (for), exact, insist (on or upon), require, command, be entitled to: She has every right to claim a share in the estate. 4 declare, assert, allege, state, put or set forth, affirm, contend, maintain: These measurements lack the degree of accuracy claimed for them. She claims that she was the first person to ring the police.
clammy | clammy: adj. 1 moist, sticky, gummy, pasty, viscous, slimy: In the swamp the police found a clammy pistol that they believe to be the weapon. 2 moist, damp, humid, close, muggy, wet, misty, foggy: It was the kind of clammy summer''s day when your shirt sticks to your back.
clamp | clamp: n. 1 clasp, vice, brace, clip, fastener: Use a clamp to hold the pieces together till the glue dries. --v. 2 fasten (together), clip (together), bracket, make fast, clasp: You should clamp the planks together and plane the edges of both.
clan | clan: n. 1 tribe, family, dynasty, line, house: There had been a feud of long standing between the two clans, which culminated in the massacre of Glencoe. 2 fraternity, brotherhood, party, set, clique, coterie, circle, crowd, group, fellowship, society, faction, family, tribe; band, ring, gang: He regards social scientists as a clan quite separate from other scientists.
clap | clap: v. 1 applaud; cheer, acclaim: Everyone clapped when the boxer climbed into the ring. 2 slap, strike, pat: He clapped me on the shoulder in the friendliest way. 3 put, place, slap, fling, toss, cast , Colloq stick: He had no sooner set foot in the town when he was clapped in jail. 4 impose, lay, apply: The magistrate clapped a severe fine on me for speeding. --n. 5 crack, slap, report, crash, bang, snap: There was a loud clap of thunder, making the house shake.
clapper | clapper: n. tongue: We attached a rope to the clapper of the bell.
clarify | clarify: v. 1 elucidate, make clear, simplify, make plain, clear up, explain, shed or throw light on or upon, illuminate, explicate: She offered to clarify any points about which we had questions. 2 clear, purify, clean: The trout should be lightly basted with clarified butter.
clarity | clarity: n. 1 clearness, transparency, limpidity, pellucidity: The clarity of the sea in the tropics is owing to a lack of plankton. 2 lucidity, definition, definiteness, distinctness; comprehensibility, understandability, intelligibility, unambiguousness: One cannot argue with the clarity of her explanation of Hegelianism.
clash | clash: n. 1 crash, clang, clank, clangour: The concerto ends with a clash of cymbals. 2 collision, smash, (hostile) encounter, conflict, engagement, fight, battle, disagreement, difference, argument, dispute, altercation, quarrel, squabble: He has witnessed many a clash between the prime minister and parliament. --v. 3 conflict, fight, battle, disagree, differ, argue, dispute, quarrel, squabble, feud, wrangle, cross swords: My brother and I always clash on the question of who should pay our father''s hospital bills. 4 conflict, disharmonize, jar, be at odds or out of keeping: The pink of the blouse and the fuchsia of the skirt clash badly.
clasp | clasp: n. 1 fastener, fastening, hook, catch, clip, pin, brooch: The ends were fastened together with a diamond clasp. 2 embrace, hug, hold, grasp, grip: He held her tight in his clasp. --v. 3 fasten, secure, close, hold, hook, clip, pin, clamp: The robe was clasped by an emerald pin. 4 hold, embrace, take hold of, hug, enclose, envelop: The beggar clasped my hand, his eyes seeking mine in piteous supplication. 5 grab, grasp, seize, clutch, grip: They clasped hands in friendship.
class | class: n. 1 rank, grade, level, order, stratum; caste, lineage, birth, pedigree, stock, extraction, descent: He was born in the l940s into a family of the middle class. 2 category, division, classification, group, genre, league, realm, domain; kind, sort, type: As a dancer, she in a class by herself. 3 excellence, merit, refinement, elegance, prestige, importance, taste, discernment, distinction, bearing, presence, savoir faire, savoir vivre, breeding: He may be a good drinking companion, but he has no class whatsoever. 4 year, form, US grade: We were in the same class at school. --v. 5 classify, group, arrange, assort, type, categorize, rank, grade, rate, order: They are classed as self-employed for these purposes.
classic | classic: adj. 1 standard, leading, outstanding, prototypical, definitive, model, ideal, archetypal, paradigmatic: His military career is a classic example of what family connections can achieve. 2 legendary, immortal, enduring, deathless, ageless, timeless, undying, venerable, time-honoured; outstanding, first-rate, superior, excellent, noteworthy, notable, exemplary: By the time she was ten, she had read most of the classic works of English literature. He collects classic cars. --n. 3 paragon, epitome, outstanding example, exemplar, model, paradigm, prototype: When it comes to comedians, Ronnie is a classic. 4 masterpiece, master-work: The Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost is regarded as a classic by collectors.
classical | classical: adj. 1 standard, model, exemplary, traditional, established, influential, authoritative, serious, weighty: Classical authors are those who are regarded as being of good credit and authority in the schools. Montaigne is the earliest classical writer in the French language. 2 Greek, Latin, Roman: Architectural styles of the 18th century harked back to Classical designs.
claw | claw: n. 1 talon, nail: The cat had scratched her badly with its claws. --v. 2 scratch, tear, scrape, rake, slash: She clawed at his face to break his grip on her throat. 3 grapple, grab, catch, scrape, scrabble: He tried to climb up the embankment, clawing at the steep wall.
clean | clean: adj. 1 pure, undefiled, unsullied, unmixed, unadulterated, uncontaminated, unpolluted, uninfected, unspoiled or unspoilt, sanitary, disinfected; antiseptic, decontaminated, purified, sterile: The laboratory reports that our well water is absolutely clean. You must use a clean bandage. 2 unsoiled, untainted, unstained; unsullied; cleansed, cleanly, (freshly) laundered or washed, scrubbed; spotless, immaculate: She puts on clean underwear every day in case she''s involved in an accident. 3 clean-cut, neat, simple, definite, uncomplicated, smooth, even, straight, trim, tidy: The edges of the fracture are clean and will mend quickly. 4 innocent, blameless, inoffensive, respectable; decent, chaste, pure, honourable, good, undefiled, virtuous, moral: The suspect was completely clean - he was out of town at the time of the robbery. 5 non-radioactive: They say they''ve produced a clean bomb, but I don''t believe it. 6 unarmed, weaponless: Frisk that suspect and make sure he''s clean. --adv. 7 completely, entirely, thoroughly, fully, totally, wholly, altogether, quite, utterly, absolutely: Geoff''s clean out of his mind if he believes that. With one blow he cut the orange clean through. 8 come clean. confess, acknowledge, make a clean breast, admit, make a revelation, reveal, Colloq own up, spill the beans; US dialect fess up; Slang sing: In the end he saw that he was trapped and decided to come clean. --v. 9 cleanse, wash, lave, (take a) shower, sponge, mop, scrub, scour, sweep, dust, vacuum, polish, launder, dry-clean, Brit hoover; tidy, neaten, do up, straighten up or out, unclutter; Brit bath; US and Canadian bathe: When we cleaned the urn, we could read the inscription. I have told Richard a thousand times to clean his room. 10 clean out. a exhaust, deplete: The gambler cleaned her out of every penny she had in the world. b empty, leave bare, clear out, evacuate: We must clean out the larder before it can be painted. 11 clean up. a clean, cleanse, wash, (take a) shower, Brit bath; US take a bath, bathe, wash up: Clean up, please, dinner is almost ready. It took us a week to clean up the stables. b purge, purify, disinfect, depollute, decontaminate, clear, sanitize: The council has led the way towards cleaning up the wetlands of chemical waste.
cleanse | cleanse: v. 1 clean, absterge, deterge, wash, scour, scrub: You need a scrubbing brush to cleanse the tub. 2 purify, depurate; purge, wash away, expiate: Each prayer repeated has a certain value in cleansing away sin.
clear | clear: adj. 1 unclouded, cloudless, sunny, fair, sunlit, fine: On a clear day, you can see the lighthouse several miles away. 2 transparent, limpid, crystalline; translucent, uncloudy, unclouded, pellucid: The water was clear enough to see the bottom. 3 bright, lustrous, shining, shiny, sparkling, Formal nitid: We painted the bathroom a lovely clear blue. 4 bright, fresh, unblemished, unscarred: She has a lovely clear complexion. 5 distinct, sharp, well-defined, definite; legible, readable; acute, vivid: The notes were written in a large clear hand. 6 understandable, intelligible, perspicuous, lucid, comprehensible, apprehensible, discernible, plain, obvious, unambiguous, unequivocal, explicit, definite, unmistakable, indisputable, undisputed, unquestionable, incontrovertible: He has made himself very clear on that point. 7 distinct, unclouded, unconfused, explicit, plain, definite, clear-cut, palpable: I have a clear recollection of her words. 8 evident, plain, obvious, patent, manifest, apparent: It became clear that someone was trying to compromise her. 9 perceptive, acute, sensitive, perspicacious, discerning, keen: It was only his clear vision of the situation that saved us all. 10 certain, sure, convinced, confident, positive, determined, definite, assured: I am not clear that the subject was a good one. 11 pure, unwavering, well-defined, distinct, clarion, bell-like: We heard father''s clear voice calling from below. 12 pure, guileless, unsophisticated, innocent, blameless, faultless; not guilty: I still cannot look her in the eye with a clear conscience. 13 unencumbered, free, net: In our first year we made a clear profit of 25 per cent. 14 unlimited, unqualified, unquestioned, unquestionable, absolute, complete, entire; pure, sheer, perfect: You must allow three clear days for the ascent. 15 disengaged, disentangled, unentangled, free, freed, rid, quit, loose, unencumbered, released: When the line is clear of any obstruction, hoist sail and let''s be off. 16 open, unencumbered, free, unblocked, unobstructed, unimpeded, direct: There is a clear view of the park from here. --adv. 17 brightly, effulgently, radiantly, luminously, lambently: The stars were shining clear in the night sky. 18 distinctly, clearly, starkly, perceptibly, discernibly, understandably, prominently: When you see the reef, sing out loud and clear. 19 completely, utterly, entirely, cleanly, clean, wholly, totally: The thief got clear away in the confusion. --v. 20 clarify, cleanse, clean, purify: The chemical soon cleared the water of all sediment. 21 exonerate, absolve, acquit; excuse, forgive: He has been cleared of all charges and released. 22 Also, clear up. explain, elucidate, explicate, clarify, make plain or clear, disambiguate: We should be able to clear up the mystery by this evening. 23 Also, clear up. become fair or cloudless or sunny: I hope the weather clears in time for the game. 24 open (up), free; unblock, unclog, unstop; disencumber, dislodge: We were able to clear a path through the jungle. He cleared his throat and began to speak. 25 empty: Clear the land of trees before farming it. 26 Also, clear away or out. remove, eliminate, take; cut away or down: Clear those branches from the paths. 27 disburden, unburden, purge, free, rid: He has cleared his conscience of any responsibility in the matter. 28 leap or jump over, vault: She cleared the fence easily. 29 Also, clear up. settle, discharge, pay, square, defray, satisfy: The company has cleared all its debts. 30 clear off or out. leave, depart, decamp, go or run off, get out, withdraw, Slang beat it, scram, Taboo Brit sod off, Chiefly Australian shoot through, US and Canadian take a (run-out) powder: I told them to clear off and stop bothering me. 31 clear up. a eliminate, remove, settle; clarify: I hope we can clear up any misunderstanding between us. b tidy (up), neaten (up), put or set in order, clear: I''ll clear up after dinner. --n. 32 in the clear. innocent, not guilty; exonerated, forgiven, absolved; unburdened, disburdened, unencumbered, free: The other chap confessed, leaving me in the clear.
clearance | clearance: n. 1 space, gap, hole, interval, separation, room, margin, leeway, allowance: You must allow a clearance of 2 millimetres. 2 approval, endorsement, authorization, consent; licence, leave, permission: He cannot get security clearance with his prison record.
clearly | clearly: adv. 1 distinctly; starkly, plainly: With spectacles, I can see everything more clearly. 2 evidently, apparently, manifestly, obviously, certainly, definitely, positively, unequivocally, unquestionably, incontestably, without doubt, undoubtedly, indubitably, demonstrably, absolutely, utterly: His statement is clearly untrue. 3 audibly, distinctly, understandably: I wish she would speak more clearly.
cleave | cleave: v. split, divide, cut, cut or chop or hew in two or asunder, bisect, halve, separate, slit, rive: With a mighty blow the log was cleaved cleanly in two.
clergyman | clergyman: n. 1 ecclesiastic, churchman, cleric, reverend, divine, man of the cloth, holy man, priest, minister, chaplain, father, rabbi, pastor, parson, rector, vicar, dean, canon, presbyter, prebendary or prebend, deacon, sexton, sacristan, guru, ayatollah, imam: In his black frock coat he looked like a clergyman. 2 monk, friar, brother, monastic, religious: A clergyman was responsible for his religious education. 3 preacher, gospeller, evangelist, revivalist, missionary, sermonizer: She was moved by the clergyman''s sermon.
clerical | clerical: adj. 1 ecclesiastical, churchly, pastoral, sacerdotal, priestly, hieratic, rabbinical, ministerial, monastic, apostolic, prelatic, papal, pontifical, episcopal, canonical: He was wearing his clerical vestments. 2 white-collar, office, professional, secretarial, stenographic, accounting, bookkeeping: He runs the shop and his wife has the clerical responsibilities.
clever | clever: adj. 1 skilled, talented, skilful, adroit, dexterous, gifted, agile, quick-witted, intelligent, perceptive, discerning, sharp, sharp-witted, adept, able, Colloq brainy: She was very clever at mathematics. 2 shrewd, cunning, guileful, canny, artful, crafty, sly, wily, foxy: It was a clever move to sound out the chairman before the meeting. 3 intelligent, wise, sage, sagacious; ingenious, original, resourceful, Daedalian, inventive, creative, smart, imaginative: It was very clever of her to memorize the record-book for the competition. 4 deft, adroit, nimble-fingered, dexterous, handy, skilful: The old woman is clever with her hands.
clich� | clich�: n. stereotype, bromide, trite saying, old saw or maxim, truism, platitude, commonplace, banality, Colloq chestnut: The report was full of clich�s and convinced no one.
client | client: n. customer, patron, shopper; patient: She opened a law practice and already has a number of clients.
clientele | clientele: n. clients, patrons, customers; custom, business, trade, patronage, following: What sort of clientele do you expect to attract?
cliff | cliff: n. precipice, bluff, escarpment, scarp, crag, rock-face, cuesta, scar or Scots scaur: The commandos are trained to scale a 100-foot cliff.
climate | climate: n. 1 weather, Literary clime: We are retiring to the Maldives because we like a sunny climate. 2 atmosphere, ambience or ambiance, air; feeling, mood, aura, milieu, feel: In the present climate of opinion, we''d best delay introducing the bill.
climax | climax: n. 1 culmination, height, acme, apex, summit, zenith, apogee, peak, high point, maximum, supreme moment: The war reached its climax at the battle of Arbela. 2 turning-point, crisis, crossroads: The climax of the play occurs in the third act. 3 orgasm: She told her psychiatrist that she had never reached a climax with her husband. --v. 4 culminate, peak, crest, come to a head: The week''s events climaxed with the presentation of the gold medal.
climb | climb: v. 1 Also, climb up. mount, ascend, go up, scale, shin (up), clamber up, US shinny (up): In one of the games we had to climb a greased pole. Two Japanese teams have climbed Mount Everest. 2 creep, trail, twine; grow: The ivy has climbed all over the garden wall. 3 rise, arise, ascend, go up, mount; advance: Watch the smoke climb into the sky. 4 climb along. creep, edge, clamber, crawl, inch: The cat burglar climbed along the ledge till he reached the window. 5 climb down. a descend, go down: We shall need a rope to climb down from here. b Usually, climb down from. retreat (from), withdraw (from), back away (from), give up, abandon, renounce: He has climbed down from his earlier position regarding women in the priesthood. --n. 6 grade, incline, route, pitch; ascent; descent: It was a steep climb to Camp Four.
clinch | clinch: v. 1 secure, settle, confirm, determine, conclude, dispose of, complete, wind up, finalize Colloq sew up: He clinched the argument by resigning. --n. 2 close quarters, hug, clasp, embrace; cuddle: The boxers went into a clinch to regain their breath.
clincher | clincher: n. finishing touch, pay-off, punch-line, coup de gr�ce, final or crowning blow: The point about saving costs proved to be a clincher, and we were given the go-ahead.
cling | cling: v. 1 stick, adhere, attach, fasten, fix: The detectives found that one of the victim''s hairs had clung to the suspect''s lapel. 2 favour, be or remain devoted or attached to, embrace, hang on to, retain, keep, cherish: He still clung to his old-fashioned notions of honour. 3 cling together or to one another. embrace, hug, cleave to one another, clasp one another, clutch one another, hold (fast) to one another, grasp one another: The children clung together in the darkness.
clip� | clip�: v. 1 clasp, fasten, fix, attach, hold, clinch; staple: Please clip these papers together. --n. 2 clasp, fastener: That clip isn''t strong enough to hold all these papers.
clip� | clip�: v. 1 trim (off), lop (off), cut (off), crop, bob, snip: The barber clipped my hair short. Roger has clipped two seconds off the record. 2 shorten, reduce, abbreviate, diminish, cut (short): The film was clipped by fifteen minutes for television. In her rapid-fire way of speaking, she clipped each word. 3 strike, hit, punch, smack, box, cuff, whack, Colloq wallop, clout; Slang sock: He was clipped on the jaw and knocked out. 4 cheat, swindle, bilk, overcharge, Slang rook: They clipped him out of a week''s wages. She was clipped for a ten per cent ''service fee''. --n. 5 segment, interval, section, part, portion, extract, cutting, excerpt, cutting, bit, snippet, scrap, fragment: We were shown a film clip of the cheese-making process. 6 blow, cuff, punch, hit, strike, smack, whack, box, Colloq wallop, clout; Slang sock: She gave him a clip at the side of the head and he went down. 7 pace, rate, speed: I was riding along at a good clip when my horse shied and I was thrown off.
clique | clique: n. set, coterie, crowd, circle, group: There was the usual clique from the Sales Department standing round the bar.
cloak | cloak: n. 1 mantle, cape, robe, wrap, poncho; coat, overcoat: She pulled her cloak around her in the chill night air. 2 mantle, concealment, cover, screen, shroud, veil: He stole away under the cloak of darkness. --v. 3 conceal, hide, mask, screen, veil, shroud, cover up; disguise: All of the spies'' activities were cloaked in secrecy.
clod | clod: n. 1 lump, mass, gob, wad, hunk, chunk; piece of sod or turf; Colloq glob: A clod of earth was stuck between the spikes of my golf shoes. 2 idiot, fool, dolt, blockhead, simpleton, dunce, dope, oaf, Neanderthal, lout, ass, boor, clown, ninny, ninny-hammer, bumpkin, clodhopper, Slang vegetable, US and Canadian jerk: He felt a bit of a clod standing there with no idea which way to go.
clog | clog: v. hamper, encumber, impede; obstruct, choke (up), block, congest, jam: The road was clogged with returning holiday-makers. A piece of orange peel had clogged the sink drain.
close | close: v. 1 shut, close up, seal; close off, lock, padlock, secure, fasten: I closed my eyes. Please close the door behind you. 2 make inaccessible, shut, Chiefly US place off limits: The Bodleian Library will be closed for a week. 3 conclude, end, finish, complete, bring to a close or end, terminate, climax, Colloq wind up: A brilliant flourish closes the first movement of the symphony. 4 conclude, sign, seal, make, settle, clinch, agree, arrange, work out, establish: Union and management closed a deal, and the strike was called off. 5 Also, close down. discontinue, terminate, stop, suspend, shut down, go out of business, cease operations, close (up), Colloq wind up, shut up shop, put up the shutters: Competition from the supermarket forced the greengrocer to close down. 6 Also, close off. seal, make inaccessible, shut (off), obstruct, obturate: This wing of the museum has been closed off temporarily. 7 close one''s eyes to. ignore, overlook, disregard: You have always closed your eyes to his faults. 8 close up. a close, shut (up), lock up, close (down): It''s time to close up for the night. b close, come or draw or bring together, unite, join; connect: We closed up ranks and stood at attention. --adj. 9 near; adjacent, proximate, proximal: He claims to have had a close encounter with an extraterrestrial. There certainly is a close resemblance between Kathy and her daughter. 10 closed, shut (up), fixed, fast, secure, tight: The hostages spent a month in close confinement. 11 dense, compact, tight, cramped, compressed, tiny, minuscule, minute: I could hardly read the close writing on the matchbox. 12 stuffy, musty, stale, fusty, confining, oppressive, airless, unventilated, confined, stifling, suffocating: They locked me in a room that was so close I could hardly breathe. 13 nearly equal or even, close-matched, neck and neck, tight: It was a close race, but Flanagan won by a hair. 14 careful, assiduous, precise, detailed, concentrated, strict, rigorous, minute, searching, attentive, alert, intent, intense, thorough, painstaking: Close analysis has revealed that the handwriting is that of a left-handed adult. 15 attached, intimate, devoted, familiar, inseparable, close-knit, solid, confidential; fast; Colloq thick, thick as thieves, pally, US and Canadian palsy-walsy, buddy-buddy: They are a very close family. She and her father are very close. 16 private, privy, secret, guarded, closely guarded, confidential: Although it should have been a close secret, the press managed to get hold of it. 17 secretive, reticent, taciturn, reserved, close-mouthed, tight-lipped, silent: She is very close about the whereabouts of her husband. 18 stingy, mean, miserly, niggardly, tight-fisted, close-fisted, parsimonious, penurious, penny-pinching, cheese-paring, Scrooge-like, skinflinty, Colloq near, Brit mingy: He''s so close he charges his own mother rent. 19 secluded, concealed, shut up or away, hidden: The fugitives decided to lie close till nightfall. --adv. 20 near, in the neighbourhood (of), not far (from), adjacent (to); alongside; at hand, nearby, close by: The murder took place close to my house. I''m frightened, so please stay close by. 21 close to or on or onto. nearly, almost, about, practically, approximately, nigh unto, approaching: For close to two thousand years the site lay untouched. --n. 22 end, termination, conclusion, finish, completion, cessation; culmination: By the close of trading, share prices had risen again.
cloth | cloth: n. 1 fabric, material, textile, Chiefly Brit stuff: The curtains are made of cloth, not plastic. 2 the cloth. the clergy, the (religious) ministry, the priesthood: He is a man of the cloth.
clothe | clothe: v. 1 dress, attire, garb, apparel, outfit, fit out or up, accoutre or US also accouter, Brit kit out or up, Colloq tog up or out: He earns barely enough to clothe and feed his family. 2 endow, invest, caparison, endue: They tried to clothe their transactions with the raiment of honesty.
clothes | clothes: n.pl. clothing, apparel, attire, wear, dress, garments, raiment, wardrobe, outfit, ensemble, vestment(s), Old-fashioned duds, Colloq togs, gear, get-up Slang glad rags, Brit clobber; Slang US (set of) threads: Put on some old clothes and make yourself comfortable.
clown | clown: n. 1 jester, fool, zany, comic, comedian, funny man: Of all the performers at the circus, I like the clowns best. 2 buffoon, boor, rustic, yahoo, oaf, lout, clod, dolt, bumpkin, clodhopper, provincial, peasant, yokel, Colloq lummox; Slang chiefly US jerk; Old-fashioned galoot or galloot; Slang chiefly US and Canadian hick: That''s the kind of language we expect to hear only from the most ignorant clowns. --v. 3 Often, clown around or about. fool (around), play the fool, horse around or about, caper, cut a caper or capers, engage in high jinks or hijinks, US cut up, cut didos: Stop clowning around with that hose and help water the garden.
club | club: n. 1 cudgel, bat, bludgeon, mace, billy, truncheon, baton, staff, stick; cosh, Chiefly US and Canadian blackjack: The blow from the club required six stitches. 2 association, society, organization, fraternity, sorority, fellowship, brotherhood, sisterhood, federation, union, guild, lodge, alliance, league, order, consortium, company: Our sailing club holds an annual race. 3 clubhouse: The society''s club is near Pall Mall. 4 nightclub, cabaret, Colloq nightspot: After the theatre, we stopped at Oscar''s club for a nightcap. --v. 5 beat, cudgel, bludgeon, bat, belabour or US belabor; lambaste, baste, thrash, trounce: The guerrillas caught the traitor and clubbed him to death. 6 Often, club together. band or join or league (together), team (up), join forces, combine, ally, associate, confederate, cooperate: We clubbed together to purchase the antique clock.
clue | clue: n. 1 hint, suspicion, trace, intimation, suggestion, inkling, indication, pointer, lead, tip, tip-off, evidence, information, advice; key, answer, indicator: There is no clue pointing to anyone in particular. Any clue to the solution of the mystery disappeared in the fire. --v. 2 clue someone in or Brit also up. hint, suggest, imply, intimate, inform, advise, indicate: She clued us in as to who might have sent the letter.
clump | clump: n. 1 lump, mass, clod, chunk, hunk, wad, gob, Colloq glob: As the soup cooled, clumps of fat formed on its surface. 2 bunch, cluster; thicket, copse; wood, Chiefly Brit spinney: The deer disappeared into a clump of trees. That clump will provide good cover for us. --v. 3 lump, mass, heap, collect, gather, bunch, pile: She wore her hair clumped on top her head.
clumsy | clumsy: adj. awkward, ungainly, unwieldy, ungraceful, gawky, maladroit, unhandy, unskilful, inept, bungling, bumbling, cloddish, ox-like, bovine, uncoordinated, lubberly, oafish; gauche, Colloq butter-fingered, ham-fisted, ham-handed, cack-handed: He made a clumsy attempt to put the key in the lock. She gave a clumsy excuse for being in the bank after hours.
cluster | cluster: n. 1 collection, bunch, clutch, tuft, bundle: Notice that cluster of flowers near the top of the plant. 2 collection, bunch, group, knot, body, band, company, gathering, crowd, assembly, congregation, throng, flock, assemblage, swarm: A cluster of well-wishers stood talking with the minister. --v. 3 collect, bunch, group, band, gather, crowd, congregate, throng, assemble, accumulate, mass, aggregate: A number of people clustered round the new sculpture. Why do these flowers cluster at this tree?
clutch | clutch: v. 1 seize, snatch, grab, grasp, take or lay hold of; hold; US snag: She clutched feebly to the rope before losing her grip and plunging into the abyss below. He clutched the child to his bosom. --n. 2 clutches. a grasp at, hold; embrace: We watched as the gazelle deftly eluded the cheetah''s clutches. b influence, control, power, domination, dominance, possession: He fell into the clutches of the Triads.
clutter | clutter: n. 1 mess, litter, jumble; mishmash, olla podrida, confusion, hash, gallimaufry, hotchpotch or US also hodgepodge, muddle, farrago, medley: I must insist that you clear up the clutter in your room at once. That philosophy is a clutter of competing ideas. 2 confusion, tangle, chaos, disarray: The town was a clutter of narrow, crooked, dark, and dirty lanes. --v. 3 Often, clutter up. mess up, litter, strew, make a shambles of: Please don''t clutter up my desk with newspaper cuttings.
