Corsair noun [ French corsaire (cf. Italian corsare , corsale , Pr. corsari ), Late Latin corsarius , from Latin cursus a running, course, whence Spanish corso cruise, corsa cruise, coasting voyage, corsear to cruise against the enemy, to pirate, corsario cruising, a privateer authorized to cruise against the enemy. See Course .]
1. A pirate; one who cruises about without authorization from any government, to seize booty on sea or land.

2. A piratical vessel.

Barbary corsairs . . . infested the coast of the Mediterranean.
Prescott.

Corsair noun (Zoology) A Californian market fish ( Sebastichthys rosaceus ).

Corsak noun (Zoology) A small foxlike mammal ( Cynalopex corsac ), found in Central Asia. [ Written also corsac .]

Corse noun [ Old French cors , French corps . See Corpse .]
1. A living body or its bulk. [ Obsolete]

For he was strong, and of so mighty corse
As ever wielded spear in warlike hand.
Spenser.

2. A corpse; the dead body of a human being. [ Archaic or Poetic]

Set down the corse ; or, by Saint Paul,
I'll make a corse of him that disobeys.
Shak.

Corselet noun [ French, dim. of Old French cors . French corps , body. See Corse .]
1. Armor for the body, as, the body breastplate and backpiece taken together; -- also, used for the entire suit of the day, including breastplate and backpiece, tasset and headpiece.

2. (Zoology) The thorax of an insect.

Corsepresent noun (Engl.Law) An offering made to the church at the interment of a dead body. Blackstone.

Corset noun [ French, dim. of Old French cors , French corps , body. See Corse .]
1. In the Middle Ages, a gown or basque of which the body was close fitting, worn by both men and women.

2. An article of dress inclosing the chest and waist worn (chiefly by women) to support the body or to modify its shape; stays.

Corset transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Corseted ; present participle & verbal noun Corseting .] To inclose in corsets.

Corslet noun A corselet. [ Obsolete] Hakluyt.

Corsned noun [ Anglo-Saxon corsn...d .] (AS. Laws) The morsel of execration; a species of ordeal consisting in the eating of a piece of bread consecrated by imprecation. If the suspected person ate it freely, he was pronounced innocent; but if it stuck in his throat, it was considered as a proof of his guilt. Burril.

Cortége noun [ French, from Italian corteggio train, from corte court. See Court .] A train of attendants; a procession.

Cortes noun plural [ Spanish & Portuguese , from corte court.] The legislative assembly, composed of nobility, clergy, and representatives of cities, which in Spain and in Portugal answers, in some measure, to the Parliament of Great Britain.

Cortes Geraes [ Portuguese ] See Legislature , Portugal .

Cortex noun ; plural Cortices (-t...-s...z). [ Latin , bark. Confer Cork .]
1. Bark, as of a tree; hence, an outer covering.

2. (Medicine) Bark; rind; specifically, cinchona bark.

3. (Anat.) The outer or superficial part of an organ; as, the cortex or gray exterior substance of the brain.

Cortical adjective [ Latin cortex bark: confer French cortical .] Belonging to, or consisting of, bark or rind; resembling bark or rind; external; outer; superficial; as, the cortical substance of the kidney.

Corticate adjective [ Latin corticatus .] Having a special outer covering of a nature unlike the interior part.

Corticifer noun (Zoology) One of the Gorgoniacea; -- so called because the fleshy part surrounds a solid axis, like a bark.

Corticiferous adjective [ Latin cortex , corticis , bark -- -ferous : confer French corticif...re .]
1. Producing bark or something that resembling that resembles bark.

2. (Zoology) Having a barklike c...nenchyms.

Corticiform adjective [ Latin cortex , corticis , bark + -form : confer French corticiforme .] Resembling, or having the form of, bark or rind.

Corticine noun [ French, from Latin cortex , corticis , bark.] A material for carpeting or floor covering, made of ground cork and caoutchouc or India rubber.

Corticose adjective [ Latin corticosus .] Abounding in bark; resembling bark; barky.

Corticous adjective Relating to, or resembling, bark; corticose.

Cortile noun [ Italian , from corte court.] An open internal courtyard inclosed by the walls of a large dwelling house or other large and stately building.

Corundum (ko*rŭn"dŭm) noun ; plural Corundums (- dŭmz). [ Also corindon .] [ From Hind. kurand corundum stone.] (Min.) The earth alumina, as found native in a crystalline state, including sapphire , which is the fine blue variety; the oriental ruby , or red sapphire; the oriental amethyst , or purple sapphire; and adamantine spar , the hair-brown variety. It is the hardest substance found native, next to the diamond.

» The name corundum is sometimes restricted to the non-transparent or coarser kinds. Emery is a dark-colored granular variety, usually admixed with magnetic iron ore.

Coruscant adjective [ Latin coruscans , present participle See Coruscate .] Glittering in flashes; flashing. Howell.

Coruscate intransitive verb [ Latin coruscare to flash, vibrate.] To glitter in flashes; to flash.

Syn. -- To glisten; gleam; sparkle; radiate.

Coruscation noun [ Latin coruscatio : confer French coruscattion .]
1. A sudden flash or play of light.

A very vivid but exceeding short-lived splender, not to call ...t a little coruscation .
Boyle.

2. A flash of intellectual brilliancy.

He might have illuminated his times with the incessant cor......cations of his genius.
I. Taylor.

Syn. -- Flash; glitter; blaze; gleam; sparkle.

Corve noun See Corf .

Corvee noun [ French corvée , from Late Latin corvada , corrogata , from Latin corrogare to entreat together; cor- + rogare to ask.] (Feudal Law) An obligation to perform certain services, as the repair of roads, for the lord or sovereign.

Corven (k?r"v e n), obsolete past participle of Carve . Chaucer.

Corvet noun [ French corvette , from Portuguese corveta or Spanish corbeta , from Latin corbita a slow-sailing ship of burden, fr, corbis basket. Confer Corbeil .] (Nautical) A war vessel, ranking next below a frigate, and having usually only one tier of guns; -- called in the United States navy a sloop of war .

Corvetto noun (Min.) A curvet. Peacham.

Corvine adjective [ Latin corvinus , from corvus crow.] Of or pertaining to the crow; crowlike.

Corvorant noun See Cormorant .

Corybant noun ; plural English Corybants (-b...nts), oftener Latin Corybantes (-b...n"t...z). [ Latin Corybas , Greek .............] One of the priests of Cybele in Phrygia. The rites of the Corybants were accompanied by wild music, dancing, etc.

Corybantiasm noun [ Greek ............ a corybantic frenzy.] (Medicine) A kind of frenzy in which the patient is tormented by fantastic visions and want of sleep. Dunglison.

Corybantic adjective [ Greek ............, from ............ a Corybant.] Of, pertaining to, or resembling, the Corybantes or their rites; frantic; frenzied; as, a corybantic dance.

Corymb noun [ Latin corymbus cluster of flowers, Greek .............] (Botany) (a) A flat-topped or convex cluster of flowers, each on its own footstalk, and arising from different points of a common axis, the outermost blossoms expanding first, as in the hawthorn. (b) Any flattish flower cluster, whatever be the order of blooming, or a similar shaped cluster of fruit.

Corymbed adjective (Botany) Corymbose.

Corymbiferous adjective [ Latin corymbifer ; corymbus a cluster of flowers + ferre to bear... confer French corimbif...re .] (Botany) Bearing corymbs of flowers or fruit.

Corymbose adjective (Botany) Consisting of corymbs, or resembling them in form. [ Written also corymbous .]

Corymbosely adverb In corymbs.

Coryphée (ko`re`fa") noun [ French] (Drama) A ballet dancer.

Coryphene noun [ New Latin coryphena , from Greek koryfh` head, summit, peak: confer French coryphène .] (Zoology) A fish of the genus Coryphæna . See Dolphin . (2)

Corypheus noun ; plural English Corypheuses (-ĕz), Latin Coryphei (-f..."...). [ Latin coryphaeus , from Greek ........., from koryfh` head.] (Gr. Antiq.) The conductor, chief, or leader of the dramatic chorus; hence, the chief or leader of a party or interest.

That noted corypheus [ Dr. John Owen] of the Independent faction.
South.

Coryphodon noun [ Greek koryfh` head, peak + ............, ........., tooth.] (Palen.) A genus of extinct mammals from the eocene tertiary of Europe and America. Its species varied in size between the tapir and rhinoceros, and were allied to those animals, but had short, plantigrade, five-toed feet, like the elephant.

Coryphodont adjective (Paleon.) Pertaining to, or resembling, the genus Coryphodon .

Coryphænoid (kŏr`ĭ*fē"noid) adjective [ New Latin coryphaena + -oid .] (Zoology) Belonging to, or like, the genus Coryphæna . See Dolphin .

Coryza noun [ New Latin , from Greek ............ catarh.] (Medicine) Nasal catarrh.

Coscinomancy noun [ Greek ............ sieve + -mancy .] Divination by means of a suspended sieve.

Coscoroba noun [ Native name.] (Zoology) A large, white, South American duck, of the genus Cascoroba , resembling a swan.