8-letter words that end in a
- calisaya — the bark of any of several tropical trees of the rubiaceous genus Cinchona, esp C. calisaya, from which quinine is extracted
- calvaria — the top part of the skull of vertebrates
- calyptra — a membranous hood covering the spore-bearing capsule of mosses and liverworts
- camassia — Any of the genus Camassia of flowering plants, the camases.
- cambiata — a melodic ornamental tone following a principal tone by a skip, usually of a third above or below, and progressing by a step.
- cambodia — a country in SE Asia: became part of French Indochina in 1887; achieved self-government in 1949 and independence in 1953; civil war (1970–74) ended in victory for the Khmer Rouge, who renamed the country Kampuchea (1975) and carried out extreme-radical political and economic reforms resulting in a considerable reduction of the population; Vietnamese forces ousted the Khmer Rouge in 1979 and set up a pro-Vietnamese government who reverted (1981) to the name Cambodia; after Vietnamese withdrawal in 1989 a peace settlement with exiled factions was followed in 1993 by the adoption of a democratic monarchist constitution restoring Prince Sihanouk to the throne. The country contains the central plains of the Mekong River and the Cardamom Mountains in the SW. Official language: Khmer; French is also widely spoken. Currency: riel. Capital: Phnom Penh. Pop: 15 205 539 (2013 est). Area: 181 000 sq km (69 895 sq miles)
- cambogia — gamboge (def 1).
- camelina — The plant Camelina sativa, sometimes cultivated for oilseed.
- camellia — A camellia is a large bush that has shiny leaves and large white, pink, or red flowers similar to a rose.
- campagna — a low-lying plain surrounding Rome, Italy: once fertile, it deteriorated to malarial marshes; but has since been reclaimed. Area: about 2000 sq km (800 sq miles)
- campania — a region of SW Italy: includes the islands of Capri and Ischia. Chief town: Naples. Pop: 5 725 098 (2003 est). Area: 13 595 sq km (5248 sq miles)
- canberra — the capital of Australia, in Australian Capital Territory: founded in 1913 as a planned capital. Pop: 345 257 (2008)
- canicula — Sirius, the Dog Star
- capibara — a South American tailless rodent, Hydrochaeris hydrochaeris, living along the banks of rivers and lakes, having partly webbed feet: the largest living rodent.
- capicola — A traditional Neapolitan-Italian cold cut made from pork shoulder or neck and dry-cured whole.
- capitula — Biology. any globose or knoblike part, as a flower head or the head of a bone.
- capoeira — a movement discipline combining martial art and dance, which originated among African slaves in 19th-century Brazil
- caponata — (in Sicilian cookery) a dish of fried seasoned aubergine and other vegetables, served as an appetizer
- capybara — the largest rodent: a pig-sized amphibious hystricomorph, Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris, resembling a guinea pig and inhabiting river banks in Central and South America: family Hydrochoeridae
- caracara — any of various large carrion-eating diurnal birds of prey of the genera Caracara, Polyborus, etc, of S North, Central, and South America, having long legs and naked faces: family Falconidae (falcons)
- caragana — any of various shrubs and small trees with golden flowers of the genus Caragana and of the family Fabaceae, native to Asia and east Europe and widely planted in North America as windbreaks
- carinula — a small carina.
- carlotta — a feminine name
- carmania — a province of the ancient Persian empire, on the Gulf of Oman.
- carnauba — a Brazilian fan palm, Copernicia cerifera
- carniola — a region of N Slovenia: a former duchy and crownland of Austria (1335–1919); divided between Yugoslavia and Italy in 1919; part of Yugoslavia (1947–92)
- carolina — a former English colony on the E coast of North America, first established in 1663: divided in 1729 into North and South Carolina, which are often referred to as the Carolinas
- carpalia — any of the bones of the wrist.
- carranza — Venustiano [be-noos-tyah-naw] /ˌbɛ nusˈtyɑ nɔ/ (Show IPA), 1859–1920, Mexican revolutionary and political leader: president 1915–20.
- casanova — Giovanni Jacopo (dʒoˈvanni ˈjaːkopo). 1725–98, Italian adventurer noted for his Mémoires, a vivid account of his sexual adventures and of contemporary society
- castalia — a spring on Mount Parnassus: in ancient Greece sacred to Apollo and the Muses and believed to be a source of inspiration
- castilla — Ramón [rah-mawn] /rɑˈmɔn/ (Show IPA), 1797–1867, Peruvian general and statesman: president of Peru 1845–51 and 1855–62.
- cat flea — any of numerous small, wingless bloodsucking insects of the order Siphonaptera, parasitic upon mammals and birds and noted for their ability to leap.
- catalufa — any of several bigeyes, as Pristigenys serrula (popeye catalufa) found in the Pacific Ocean.
- caterina — a female given name, form of Catherine.
- cathedra — a bishop's throne
- cathisma — a short hymn used as a response
- cattleya — any tropical American orchid of the genus Cattleya, cultivated for their purplish-pink or white showy flowers
- caucasia — a region in SW Russia, Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan, between the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea: contains the Caucasus Mountains, dividing it into Ciscaucasia in the north and Transcaucasia in the south; one of the most complex ethnic areas in the world, with over 50 different peoples
- caulonia — a town in S Calabria, in S Italy: ruins of ancient Achaean colony.
- cavatina — a solo song resembling a simple aria
- cecropia — A fast-growing tropical American tree, typically among the first to colonize a cleared area. Many cecropias have a symbiotic relationship with ants.
- cercaria — one of the larval forms of trematode worms. It has a short forked tail and resembles an immature adult
- chalukya — a dynasty of central India, ruling a.d. c500–753, and restored a.d. 973–1190.
- changhua — city in W Taiwan: pop. 186,000
- changsha — a port in SE China, capital of Hunan province, on the Xiang River. Pop: 2 051 000 (2005 est)
- chaqueta — a heavy jacket associated with South American cowboys
- charanga — a type of orchestra used in performing traditional Cuban music
- charisma — You say that someone has charisma when they can attract, influence, and inspire people by their personal qualities.
- chartula — charta (def 2).