c

1 of 5

noun

ˈsē 

variants often C

plural c's or cs ˈsēz 

often attributive

1

a

: the 3rd letter of the English alphabet

b

: a graphic representation of this letter

c

: a speech counterpart of orthographic c

2

a

: one hundred see Table of Numbers

b

slang : a sum of $100

3

: the keynote of a C-major scale

4

: a graphic device for reproducing the letter c

5

: one designated c especially as the third in order or class

6

a

: a grade rating a student's work as fair or mediocre in quality

b

: one graded or rated with a C

7

: something shaped like the letter C

8

: a structured language for creating computer programs that is designed to be compact and efficient

c

2 of 5

abbreviation (1)

1

calm

2

calorie

3

canceled

4

candle

5

canine (see canine entry 1 sense 1)

6

carat

7

catcher

8

cent

9

centavo

10

centi-

11

centime

12

centimeter

13

century

14

chapter

15

charm (see charm entry 1 sense 5)

16

circa

17

circumference

18

clonus

19

closure

20

cocaine

21

coefficient

22

college

23

[Latin congius] gallon

24

contralto

25

copyright

26

cubic

27

or c̄ [Latin cum] with

—used in writing prescriptions

28

cup

29

curie

c

3 of 5

symbol (1)

speed of light

—usually italic

C

4 of 5

abbreviation (2)

1

capacitance

2

Celsius

3

centigrade

4

cervical

—used especially with a number from 1 to 7 to indicate a vertebra or segment of the spinal cord

5

Coulomb

6

cytosine

C

5 of 5

symbol (2)

carbon

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Words Starting With C

Browse 33,831 words and phrases that start with the letter C, from caaing whale to czechize.

Examples of c in a Sentence

Noun

The word “access” is spelled with two cs.

Many English words begin with c.

a song in the key of C

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

In San Sebastian, in Spain's traditionally cooler north, the temperature was set to reach 40 C, more than double the city's historic average for June 22, according to the Reuters Climate Monitor, which showed Europe as the continent furthest from its historic norm on Monday. —Makini Brice, USA Today, 23 June 2026

At rest the animals dissipate heat efficiently (maintaining a constant body temperature of about 40°C, even when the air temperature is 10 degrees higher), but this evaporative heat loss is not enhanced during fast runs. —Literary Hub, 22 June 2026

Thermal monitoring detected a bearing temperature rising toward 140°C, allowing maintenance teams to schedule an eight-hour repair instead of responding to a costly emergency failure. —Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 22 June 2026

Temperatures there are mostly in the upper 30s C (high 90s to low 100s F). —Oleg Cetinic, Fortune, 22 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing c

• c-suite
• c to c
• cytochrome c

Kids Definition

c

noun

ˈsē

often capitalized

1

: the third letter of the English alphabet

2

: one hundred in Roman numerals

3

: a musical note referred to by the letter C : the tone on which a C-major scale is based

4

: a grade rating a student's work as fair or mediocre

Medical Definition

c

1 of 3 abbreviation

1

calorie

2

canine

3

cathode

4

centimeter

5

clonus

6

closure

7

cobalt

8

coefficient

9

contact

10

contraction

11

coulomb

12

curie

13

cylinder

14

or c̄ [Latin cum] with

—used in writing prescriptions

C

2 of 3 abbreviation

1

Celsius

2

centigrade

3

cervical

—used especially with a number from 1 to 7 to indicate a vertebra or segment of the spinal cord

4

cocaine

5

complement

6

congius

7

cytosine

C

3 of 3 symbol

carbon

Legal Definition

c

abbreviation

copyright