C (Noun)
Meaning 1
A base found in DNA and RNA and derived from pyrimidine; pairs with guanine.
Classification
Nouns denoting substances.
Examples
- Cytosine is one of the four nucleobases in the nucleic acid of all living organisms.
- The base C, cytosine, projects inward from the backbone and joins with the base G, guanine.
- Base pairing between C and G is mediated by hydrogen bonds.
- C is the first letter of the nucleobase cytosine, which is a component of DNA and RNA.
- The letters A, C, G, and T represent the nucleobases of DNA.
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Meaning 2
One of the four nucleotides used in building DNA; all four nucleotides have a common phosphate group and a sugar (ribose).
Classification
Nouns denoting substances.
Examples
- Adenine and guanine are paired with thymine and cytosine, respectively, to form the rungs of the double helix in DNA.
- The nucleotide cytosine is composed of the base cytosine attached to a ribose sugar and phosphate group.
- In the DNA molecule, adenine always pairs with thymine by two hydrogen bonds and guanine pairs with cytosine by three hydrogen bonds.
- Cytosine, one of the four nucleotides, is a key building block of DNA and RNA.
- The base pairing rules are adenine with thymine and cytosine with guanine, which are crucial in maintaining the stability and functionality of the DNA molecule.
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Meaning 3
A general-purpose programing language closely associated with the UNIX operating system.
Classification
Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents.
Examples
- The program was written in C and compiled on a UNIX system to ensure maximum portability.
- C is a general-purpose programming language that provides low-level memory management.
- The student had to rewrite the module in C, as the original code was too inefficient.
- He was proficient in several programming languages, including C and Java.
- Part of the software was written in C, while the rest was in assembler.
Hypernyms
Meaning 4
(music) the keynote of the scale of C major.
Classification
Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents.
Examples
- The piano sonata began with a dramatic C, resonating through the concert hall.
- In music theory, the note C is the tonic of the C major scale.
- The composer chose to write the symphony in C, finding the key both elegant and powerful.
- The C above middle C is often used as a reference pitch for tuning instruments.
- The chord progression resolved to a calm C, bringing the piece to a satisfying close.
Hypernyms
Meaning 5
The speed at which light travels in a vacuum; the constancy and universality of the speed of light is recognized by defining it to be exactly 299,792,458 meters per second.
Classification
Nouns denoting time and temporal relations.
Examples
- The speed of light in a vacuum is approximately 3 × 10^8 meters per second.
- To simplify complex calculations, the exact value of c is now defined to be 299,792,458 meters per second.
- The consistent value of c across all observations and measurements has been well-documented in physics.
- The constancy of c enables it to serve as a fundamental physical constant in scientific formulas and theories.
- In a vacuum, photons always travel at speed c, a fundamental characteristic of light as an electromagnetic wave.
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Meaning 6
A degree on the centigrade scale of temperature.
Classification
Nouns denoting quantities and units of measure.
Examples
- The oven had been set at 180 c to preheat it before cooking.
- Her car's dashboard display read 38 c, so she rolled down the window to let in some fresh air.
- Yesterday the outside temperature rose to a high of 35 c by the end of the afternoon.
- Check to see that the lab freezer has stayed below 18 c before thawing out any frozen cultures.
- Medical teams around the country sent aid in temperatures often higher than 42 c with over a 95 per cent chance of certain hot streak.
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Meaning 7
A vitamin found in fresh fruits (especially citrus fruits) and vegetables; prevents scurvy.
Classification
Nouns denoting substances.
Examples
- The doctor recommended taking a supplement of vitamin C to boost the immune system during the winter months.
- Freshly squeezed orange juice is an excellent source of vitamin C, which is essential for healthy skin and bones.
- Eating a diet rich in vitamin C can help to prevent scurvy, a disease caused by a lack of this essential nutrient.
- Vitamin C is also found in leafy green vegetables like spinach and kale, making them a nutritious addition to salads.
- The health benefits of vitamin C include reducing inflammation and fighting off infections, making it a popular ingredient in cold remedies.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Meaning 8
Ten 10s.
Classification
Nouns denoting quantities and units of measure.
Examples
- The letter C is the third letter of the alphabet, consisting of Ten 10s in its Roman numeral equivalent.
- A student scored 10 out of 10, or C tens, on a multiple-choice test with 10 questions.
- In a game of Math Bingo, the caller announced "C tens, the Roman numeral for one hundred" as the next challenge.
- Borrowing from chemistry notation, a mathematician used C to denote Ten 10s, or one hundred, in a complex equation.
- When counting in Roman numerals, decimal C represents Ten 10s, or the number one hundred in modern numerals.
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Meaning 9
A unit of electrical charge equal to the amount of charge transferred by a current of 1 ampere in 1 second.
Classification
Nouns denoting quantities and units of measure.
Examples
- The electric charge of one coulomb, denoted by the symbol C, is the amount of electric charge that flows through a cross-sectional area of a conductor in one second when the electric current is one ampere.
- The cathode typically carries a negative charge in the coulomb range, hence the need for careful handling during experiment setup.
- It is also essential to note that not all electrolytic capacitors, commonly called e-caps or electrolytics, have a positive charge or coulomb in every application.
- In 225 of his works, Volta defined the electric charge, Q, on a capacitor to be equal to Q = C·V where V is the electric potential in volt applied in an electric circuit.
- If Q in the previous example were set to the unit C, we could solve the equation for V to be V = Q/C where C is the capacitance in the circuit.
Synonyms
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Meaning 10
Street names for cocaine.
Classification
Nouns denoting man-made objects.
Examples
- He was caught selling C on the corner of 5th and Main.
- The addict spent all her money on C and now she's broke.
- C is the nickname the kids in the city use for the white stuff.
- Undercover cops infiltrated the gang and caught them selling C to minors.
- Dealers make a killing off of C in this part of town.
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Meaning 11
An abundant nonmetallic tetravalent element occurring in three allotropic forms: amorphous carbon and graphite and diamond; occurs in all organic compounds.
Classification
Nouns denoting substances.
Examples
- Carbon is a fundamental element of all living organisms because it can form a wide variety of stable compounds.
- Graphite and diamond are two of the most common forms of carbon found in nature.
- Carbon is a very abundant element that can be found in all living things as well as many rocks and minerals.
- The properties of carbon make it an essential element in the formation of the molecular structures of all living things.
- Carbon is a key element in the study of chemistry because it can be combined with other elements to form many different compounds.
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Meaning 12
The 3rd letter of the Roman alphabet.
Classification
Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents.
Examples
- The alphabet's third letter, C, is the first letter of Canada.
- The child's eyes widened as she learned the sound of the letter C.
- The word "cat" starts with the letter C, which is also the third letter of the alphabet.
- The teacher held up a flashcard with the letter C on it and asked the student to read it aloud.
- The capital letter C is often used to represent the first letter of a person's first name.