Descriptionary

caustic adj. (KAWS tik) cutting, burning, and cor­rosive, as acid. The fumes are caustic, so be sure to wear protective clothing. His caustic remarks hurt my feelings.

cautionary tale n. an incident, event, or story that serves as an illustration or a warning of a hazard. The Great Depression serves as a cautionary tale to all stock market investors.

cavalier adj. (kav uh LEER) arrogantly indifferent or nonchalant. His attitude toward the discipline of his spoiled children was cavalier; he just didn't seem to give a damn.

caveat n. (KA vee aht) a warning or caution. The police officer issued a firm caveat: either move along or be arrested for loitering.

caveat emptor (KA vee aht EM tur) Latin term for "let the buyer beware." When shopping over the Internet, caveat emptor.

celibate adj. (SELL uh but) not sexually active; sexu­ally abstinent. With all of the sexually transmitted dis­eases out there, some think it's a good idea to remain celibate until marriage.

cerebral adj. (suh REE brul) pertaining to the intel­lect or the brain. Some people have a more cerebral focus than an athletic one.

c'est la vie (say lah VEE) French term for "that's life" or "such is life." Today I struck out three times, then on the way home from the game I got a flat tire on my bike! Oh well, c'est la vie.

chagrin n. (shuh GRIN) a feeling of embarrassment, shame, or annoyed unease. I suffered only mild cha­grin at noticing that my shirt was on inside-out.

chameleon n. (kuh MEE lyun) one who changes or has the ability to change quickly, so-named after the color-changing lizard. Mary is such a chameleon; I never know from one day to the next which fashion trend she is going to follow.

champion n. (CHAMP ee un) a proponent, advo­cate or backer of some cause or person. Martin Luther King was a champion of equal rights.

charisma n. (kuh RIZ muh) an aura of great power and charm. Great political leaders and movie stars usually share a common trait: charisma.

charlatan n. (SHAR luh tun) one who professes to have great knowledge or credentials but does not; a quack; an imposter. The charlatan tried to pass himself off as a physician, but we knew his university degrees were fraudulent.

chaste adj. (CHAYST) pure, upright, moral. Also, virginal. Nuns living in the convent were expected to be chaste.

chastise vb. (CHAS tiyz) to punish one either physi­cally or with harsh criticism. The young boy was chastized for swearing in church.

chauvinism n. (SHO vin izum) blind devotion to one's own kind and contempt for those of a different sex, race, religion, etc. After seven years of excluding men from her company, she was accused of chauvinism.