Choke 
1. To block up or obstruct by clogging. 
2. To cut off air. 
3. To restrict flow. 
4. Electrical coil that adds resistance or impedance to the flow of current in an AC circuit. 

Choker 
Shoulder that is meant to stay higher than the subgrade when the final grading is completed. 

Choose in Possession 
Property, such as furniture, which is held by an individual. 

Chop Saw 
Platform mounted electrical circular saw that is hinged to permit the front of the saw to be raised and lowered for cutting through the item placed on the platform. 

Chord 
1. Principal horizontal member in a rigid framework. 
2. A straight line joining any two points on an arc, curve or circumference. 
3. Main structural member of a roof truss. 

Chose in Action 
Claim or debt that may be recovered by instituting a lawsuit. 

Chroma 
Intensity of color or purity 

Chrome-Plated 
Chrome plating is often used on bath items because chrome resists water and corrosion. 

Chuck 
Adjustable, clamp-like device, as on a drill or lathe, by which the tool or work to be turned is held. 

Chuck, Combination 
The adjustable, clamp-like device, as on the end of a drill or lathe, by which the tool or work to be turned is held, the combination chuck has three jaws that move simultaneously to lock the item into place. 

Chuck, Independent 
A lathe chuck, which has four independently moving, jaws to enable the item to be exactly center with the use of a dial indicator. 

Chuck, Universal 
A lathe chuck, which has three simultaneously moving, jaws that are shaped to permit gripping the item from both the inside and the outside. 

Chute 
An inclined or vertical metal trough or passage down which something may be slid or dropped, such as concrete from a truck to the forms. 

Cinder 
Ashes from burning coal or wood. 

Cinder Block 
Block, which is used in construction and made of ash and cement. 

Cinder Fill 
Cinders used below the basement and around the foundation to promote drainage. 

Cinquefoil 
A circular design made of five converging lobes, giving the appearance of a flower with petals 

Cipolin 
Italian marble with alternating streaks or layers of color, often green and white. 

Circa 
Approximate date. 

Circle 
A plane figure bounded by a single curved line every point of which is equally distant from the point at the center of the figure. A circle shaped plate, which hold a transit telescope. 

Circle Cutter 
This tool with a center shaft in which a drill bit is mounted with an adjustable cutter blade mounted on an adjustable arm perpendicular to the center shaft is used to cut a wide range of diameters. The speed of the cutting must be closely controlled with the rotating cutter blade being an off-center out of balance mass, which is difficult to guide. The center shaft is mounted in a drill motor and the cutter scribes a circle on the work and cuts its way through the work as the center shaft rotates. The cutting blade is often carbide tipped to cut through a wide variety of materials. 

Circlehead Window 
Half oval window, which is usually small and placed over a doorway to serve a decorative purpose. Some windows may be hinged at either end to permit opening for ventilation. 

Circuit 
Arrangement of electrical conductors that allow the flow of electrical current. A complete or partial path for the flow of electrical current; any hookup or wiring that is connected into that path, such as radio, television, etc. 

Circuit Breaker 
An electric fuse that activates and deactivates a circuit; such as the interruption of an electrical circuit when the current exceeds a safe limit. 

Circuit Tester 
A small lamp, used to check for live current, which will glow if the current is active in the electrical receptacle into which it is inserted 

Circuit Vent 
Plumbing drainage system vertical vent, which is run from the last, two traps on a horizontal drain line to the main vent stack of a building drainage system. 

Circuit Voltage 
Voltage in an electrical circuit. 

Circular Measure 
A system of measuring circles in portions, of the entire circle, such as radians, degrees, minutes or seconds. 

Circular Mils (cm) 
Area of an electrical conductor measured in thousandths of an inch. 

Circular Saw 
Portable power saw which has a circular, toothed blade and a handle with a trigger switch. A platform, which is adjustable for depth of cut or angularity, holds the work to be cut. 

Circular Stairs 
A spiral of stairs with threads that curve around a central point. 

Circulate 
To move in a circle, circuit, or course and then return to the point of origin. 

Circulation 
Pattern of free movement around from place to place, as with air in ventilating. 

Circumference 
The line bounding a circle, a rounded surface or an area suggesting a circle. The outer perimeter of a circle. 

Circumscribe 
To trace a line around, encircle, or encompass an object. 

Cistern 
Rainwater storage tank, sometimes underground. Also a rarely used term for the water closet in old fashioned bathrooms. 

City Plan 
Large scale map of an urban area detailing land use, which is essential for projecting the growth and development of the urban area. 

Civil Action 
Legal proceeding instituted, by one party, to exercise a right in a disagreement between individuals or businesses. 

Civil Court 
State court where civil disagreements are decided by a judge or jury. 

Civil Engineering 
Specialization in the design of structures; buildings, bridges, etc. 

Civil Law 
Law involving non-criminal issues such as breach of contract, libel, accidents, etc. 

Clad 
A layer of some other metal or of an alloy bonded to it, such as clad steel, rubber cladding on a metal pipe, or metal cladding on non-resistant metal. Costs may be lowered by cladding or the performance may be improved. 

Claim 
To demand or ask for something as rightfully belonging or due. A right or title to possession of something 

Clamp 
Device that clasps or fastens things together as for bracing parts. 

Clamp, Adjustable 
Clamp having a screw thread that permits the jaws to firmly grasp materials of various sizes. The screw thread is turned, moving the jaws of the clamp against the item being held. 

Clamp and Step Block 
A stepped block used to support one end of a horizontal lever which is pivoted off-center along its length, on a bolt held in a slot on the work table with the other end of the lever laid on the work, with the stepped block end of the lever on the proper step to hold the lever horizontal. Placing the long leg of the lever on the stepped block gives mechanical advantage to clamping the work in place. Tightening of the nut on the bolt places force on the step and on the work and holds the work firmly. Step block allows for adjustment to fit over and hold different thickness, since thicker material would be placed under the section of the block that has the largest cutout. 

Clamp, C 
C shaped metal clamp that has an adjustable threaded screw that bridges the open part of the C and clamps onto a surface. 

Clamp, Corner 
Clamp that is specifically designed to hold members that are joined at an angle, in place. 

Clamping Time 
Quantity of time required to hold two members together with clamping pressure applied to the joint between them. This duration is determined by the curing time of the adhesives used in bonding. 

Clamshell 
Soil excavation machinery with a bucket attachment that can be closed to hold in a load of soil and then open to dump it. 

Clapboard 
Siding, consisting of long, beveled, overlapping horizontal boards, usually cedar, which are usually tapered in thickness, with the thicker lower edge of one board overlapping the thinner top edge of the board below. 

Clasp Nail 
U-shaped, heavy-duty staple. 

Class Action 
Lawsuit brought by one or more persons of a large group for benefit of all members of that group. 

Class M Buildings 
Classification by the National Frame Builders Association of farm buildings, which are used for livestock, machinery storage, etc. 

Classified Property Tax 
Tax rate that varies depending on the usage of the property in question. 

Clastic 
Rock that consists of fragments of older rocks.

Claw
Two-tined curved end on a bar or hammer head, which is used to grip and pull. 

Claw Hammer 
Hammer with one end of the head forked and curved like a claw to pull out nails. 

Clay 
Firm, finely ground earth which is produced by the chemical decomposition of rocks or the deposit of fine rock particles in water and is used in the manufacture of brick, pottery and other ceramics due to its plasticity and ability to be molded when wet but drying hard. 

Clay Masonry 
Natural clay brick, which has different, grade classifications. Grade SW for floors; Grade NW for floors, Grade LB or LBX is for structural load bearing. 

Clay Pipe 
Gravity rated, not designed for more pressure than that which is exerted by fluid flowing by natural gravity, clay drain pipes and fittings. 

Clay Stone 
Rock consisting of hardened clay; hard concretionary body found in clay deposits. 

Clay Tile 
Tile made of clay, which can be curved to form a cylinder, or flattened for floor tile.