|
| saboteur |
n. person who commits sabotage |
| saccharine |
adj. very sweet; too sweet |
| sacrilegious |
desecrating; profane |
| sacrosanct |
adj. considered too important to be changed, argued about, etc |
| sadistic |
adj. of or showing sadism |
| saga |
n. long story of heroic deeds, esp of Icelandic or Norwegian heroes , |
| sagacious |
adj. showing wisdom and good judgement |
| sage |
n. very wise man |
| salacious |
adj. (of speech, books, pictures, etc) treating sexual activity, nudity, etc in an obscene way; indecent; lewd , |
| salient |
adj. most noticeable or important; main |
| saline |
adj. containing salt; salty |
| sallow |
adj. (of a person's skin or complexion) yellowish |
| salubrious |
adj. (esp of the climate) health-giving |
| salutary |
adj. having a good effect |
| salvage |
n. rescue of a damaged ship or its cargo; rescue of property from damage caused by fire, floods, etc |
| sanctimonious |
adj. showing that one feels morally better than other people |
| sanction |
n. permission or approval for an action, a change, etc |
| sanctuary |
n. sacred place, eg a church, temple or mosque , |
| sanguinary |
adj. with much bloodshed; bloody |
| sanguine |
adj. ~ (about sth/that...) hopeful; optimistic |
| sap |
n. liquid in a plant that carries food to all its parts |
| sarcasm |
n. bitter, esp ironic, remarks intended to wound sb's feelings |
| sardonic |
adj. expressing scorn, usu in a grimly humorous way; mocking |
| sartorial |
adj. of (usu men's) clothes or a way of dressing |
| sate |
satisfy to the full; cloy |
| satellite |
n. natural body in space orbiting round a larger body, esp a planet |
| satiate |
v. provide (sb) with so much of sth that he wants no more |
| satire |
n. attacking foolish or wicked behaviour by making fun of it, often by using sarcasm and parody |
| satirical |
adj. containing or using satire |
| saturate |
v. ~ sth make sth very wet; soak sth |
| saturnine |
adj. (of a person or his appearance) gloomy |
| satyr |
n. god of the woods, half man and half goat |
| saunter |
v. walk in a leisurely way; stroll |
| savant |
n. person of great learning |
| savor |
enjoy; have a distinctive flavor, smell, or quality |
| savory |
n. herb of the mint family used in cooking |
| scabbard |
n. cover for the blade of a sword, dagger or bayonet; sheath . |
| scad |
a great quantity |
| scaffold |
n. frame made of long metal tubes put up next to a building so that builders, painters, etc can work on it, or to support a platform |
| scale |
n. any of the thin overlapping plates of hard material covering the skin of many fish and reptiles |
| scanty |
adj. small in size or amount; hardly large enough |
| scapegoat |
n. person who is blamed or punished for the wrongdoing of sb else |
| scavenge |
v. ~ (of an animal or a bird) search for decaying flesh as food; use decaying flesh for food |
| scenario |
n. written outline of a film, play, etc with details of the scenes and plot |
| schematic |
adj. in the form of a diagram or chart |
| scheme |
n. ~ plan for doing or organizing sth |
| schism |
n. strong disagreement, esp in a religious organization over doctrine, in which one group stops recognizing the authority of the other |
| scholarly |
adj. showing the learning, care and attention typical of a scholar |
| scintilla |
n. not a scintilla of sth (fml ) not the slightest amount of sth |
| scintillate |
v. give off sparks; sparkle |
| scion |
n. young member of a family, esp a noble one , |
| scoff |
v. I, Ipr] ~ speak contemptuously (about or to sb/sth); jeer or mock |
| scorch |
v. burn or discolour (a surface) by dry heat |
| score |
n. number of points, goals, etc made by a player or team in a game, or gained in a competition, etc |
| scotch |
adj. of Scottish people |
| scourge |
n. whip for flogging people |
| scowl |
n. bad-tempered or angry look on the face |
| scrap |
n. C] small, usu unwanted, piece; fragment |
| scrappy |
adj. made up of bits and pieces; not well organized; not complete |
| scraps |
[ scrap: ] a small piece of something larger; fragment |
| screech |
v. I, Ipr, Ip, Tn, Tn.pr, Tn.p] ~ (out) (at sb) give a harsh high-pitched cry; call out (sth) in such a way |
| scrimmage |
n. confused struggle or fight; tussle |
| scruple |
n. feeling that prevents one from doing or allowing sth that one thinks may be wrong |
| scrupulous |
adj. extremely careful and thorough; paying great attention to details |
| scrutinize |
examine closely and critically |
| scuffle |
n. confused struggle between people who are close together |
| scurrilous |
adj. abusive and insulting, esp in a crude or obscene way |
| scurry |
v. run with short quick steps |
| scurvy |
n. disease of the blood caused by a lack of vitamin C in the diet |
| scuttle |
v. run with short quick steps |
| seamy |
adj. unattractive andsordid |
| sear |
v. scorch or burn (a surface) |
| season |
n. part of the year distinguished according to its particular type of weather, esp one of the four traditional periods into which the year is divided, ie spring, summer, autumn and winter |
| seasonable |
adj. suitable for the time of year |
| seasonal |
adj. happening during a particular season; varying with the seasons |
| seasoned |
[ season: ] one of the four equal periods into which the year is divided by the equinoxes and solstices, resulting from the apparent movement of the sun north and south of the equator during the course of the earth's orbit around it. |
| secession |
n. ~ (fml ) (instance of) seceding |
| seclusion |
n. secluding or being secluded |
| secrete |
v. (of an organ) produce (a substance, usu liquid) either as waste material or for use within the body |
| sect |
n. group of people who share (esp religious) beliefs or opinions which differ from those of most people |
| sectarian |
adj. of a sect or sects |
| secular |
adj. not concerned with spiritual or religious affairs; worldly |
| sedate |
adj. calm and dignified; composed |
| sedative |
n. drug or medicine that sedates |
| sedentary |
adj. done sitting down |
| sedition |
n. words or actions intended to make people rebel against the authority of the State |
| seduce |
v. tempt to have sexual intercourse |
| sedulous |
adj. showing much hard work, steady effort or care |
| seedy |
adj. shabby-looking; disreputable |
| seemly |
/ adj (dated or fml ) proper and suitable by the standards of polite society |
| seep |
v. ~ through into sth/out (of sth) (of liquids) flow slowly and in small quantities through a substance |
| seethe |
v. bubble and froth as if boiling |
| seine |
net for catching fish |
| seismic |
adj. of earthquakes |
| selective |
adj. using or based on selection |
| self-indulgence |
n. |
| self-righteous |
adj. showing in a smug way that one believes that what one does, thinks, etc is right |
| semblance |
n. ~ of sth appearance of being sth; likeness to sth |
| seminal |
adj. of seed or semen |
| seminary |
n. college for training priests or rabbis |
| senility |
n. state of being senile |
| sensitization |
[ sensitize: ] to make or become sensitive |
| sensual |
= adj of, suggesting, enjoying or giving physical (often sexual) pleasure |
| sensuous |
adj. affecting, noticed by or giving pleasure to the senses |
| sententious |
adj. expressing pompous moral judgements |
| sentient |
adj. capable of perceiving or feeling things |
| sentimental |
adj. of or concerning the emotions, rather than the reason |
| sentinel |
n. sentry |
| septic |
adj. caused by or causing infection with harmful bacteria |
| sepulcher |
[ sepulchre: ] a burial vault, tomb, or grave |
| sequester |
v. ~ sb/oneself (from sth) keep sb/oneself away or apart from other people; seclude |
| sere |
being dried and withered |
| serendipity |
n. making pleasant and unexpected discoveries entirely by chance |
| serenity |
the quality or state of being shining bright and steady |
| serpentine |
adj. twisting and curving like a snake |
| serrated |
adj. having notches on the edge like a saw; having a toothed edge |
| servile |
adj. too ready to obey others; lacking independence |
| servitude |
n. condition of being forced to work for others and having no freedom |
| sever |
v. ~ sth (from sth) divide or break or separate sth by cutting |
| severance |
n. cutting or being cut; discontinuation |
| severity |
n. quality of being severe |
| sextant |
n. instrument used for measuring the altitude of the sun, eg in order to determine the position of one's ship , |
| shack |
n. roughly built shed, hut or house |
| shackle |
n. either of a pair of metal rings linked by a chain, used for fastening a prisoner's wrists or ankles together |
| shade |
n. ~ (place where there is) comparative darkness and often coolness caused by sth blocking direct light or heat, esp of the sun |
| sham |
v. pretend (sth); feign |
| shambles |
n. scene of complete disorder; muddle; mess |
| Shangri-la |
a remote or imaginary utopia |
| shard |
n. broken piece of pottery, glass, etc |
| shaving |
[ shave: ] [also intr] to remove (the beard, hair, etc.) from (the face, head, or body) by scraping the skin with a razor |
| sheaf |
n. bundle of stalks of corn, barley, etc tied together after reaping |
| shear |
v. cut the wool off (a sheep) with shears |
| sheathe |
v. put (sth) into a sheath |
| shed |
n. one-storey building used for storing things, sheltering animals, vehicles, etc or as a workshop |
| sheer |
adj. complete; thorough; utter |
| sherbet |
refreshing drink of weak sweet fruit-juice |
| shift |
v. ~ (sth/sb/oneself) (from.../to...); ~ (sth/sb/oneself) (about/around) (cause sth/sb/oneself to) change or move from one position or direction to another |
| shimmer |
v. shine with a soft light that seems to waver |
| shirk |
v. avoid doing (work, one's duty, etc) through laziness, cowardice, etc |
| shoddy |
adj. of poor quality or badly made |
| shoot |
v. ~ (sth) (at sb/sth); ~ sth (from sth); ~ sth (off) fire (a gun or some other weapon); fire (a bullet, an arrow, etc) at sb/sth |
| shove |
v. push roughly |
| shrew |
n. small mouse-like animal that feeds on insects |
| shrewd |
adj. having or showing good judgement and common sense; astute |
| shrivel |
v. ~ (sth) (up) (cause sth to) shrink and wrinkle from heat, cold or dryness |
| shudder |
v. ~ (with sth) shiver violently with cold, fear, etc; tremble |
| shuffle |
v. walk without lifting the feet completely clear of the ground |
| shun |
v. keep away from (sth/sb); avoid |
| shunt |
v. move (a railway locomotive, wagons, etc) from one track to another |
| shyster |
n. unscrupulous and dishonest person, esp a lawyer |
| sibling |
n. any one of two or more people with the same parents; brother or sister |
| sibylline |
adj. spoken by or characteristic of a sibyl; mysteriously prophetic |
| sidereal |
adj. of the stars or measured by them |
| sidetrack |
to distract or be distracted from a main subject or topic |
| sift |
v. put (sth) through a sieve |
| significant |
adj. having a meaning, esp one that is immediately obvious |
| silt |
n. sand, mud, etc carried by flowing water and left at the mouth of a river, in a harbour, etc |
| simian |
adj. n (of or like a) monkey or ape |
| simile |
n. comparison of one thing with another, eg `as brave as a lion', `a face like a mask' |
| simper |
v. smile in a foolish, affected way |
| simplistic |
adj. making difficult problems, issues, ideas, etcseem much simpler than they really are; over-simplifying |
| simulate |
v. pretend to have or feel |
| sinecure |
n. position that requires no work or responsibility, but gives the holder prestige or money |
| sinewy |
adj. having strong sinews; tough; muscular |
| singular |
adj. of the form used when speaking about one person or thing |
| sinister |
adj. suggesting evil, or that sth bad may happen |
| sinuous |
adj. having many curves and twists; winding |
| siren |
n. device that makes a long loud sound as a signal or warning |
| skeptic |
= sceptic |
| skiff |
n. small light boat for rowing or sculling, usu by one person , |
| skim |
v. remove cream, scum, etc from the surface of (a liquid) |
| skimp |
v. ~ use or provide less than enough of (what is needed) |
| skinflint |
n. miser |
| skirmish |
n. fight between small groups of soldiers, ships, etc, esp one that is not planned |
| skittish |
adj. lively and playful; difficult to control |
| skulduggery |
n. deception and planning of evil acts; trickery |
| skulk |
v. hide or move around as if one is ashamed or trying to hide, esp when one is planning sth bad |
| slack |
adj. not tight or tense; loose |
| slacken |
v. become slack |
| slag |
n. waste matter that remains after metal has been extracted from ore by smelting |
| slake |
v. satisfy |
| slander |
n. false statement intended to damage sb's reputation |
| slap |
v. strike (sb/sth) with the palm of the hand or with sth flat; smack |
| slapdash |
adj. adv in a careless and hasty way |
| slaughter |
n. the killing of animals, esp for food |
| slavish |
adj. lacking in independence or originality |
| sleazy |
adj. (infml ) (esp of a place) dirty and not respectable; sordid |
| sledge |
n. vehicle with long narrow strips of wood, metal, etc instead of wheels, for travelling over ice and snow |
| sleek |
adj. smooth and glossy |
| sleeper |
n. person who sleeps in the specified way |
| sleigh |
n. sledge, esp one drawn by a horse |
| sleight |
n. ,sleight of `hand great skill in using the hands in performing conjuring tricks, etc |
| slew |
pt of slay |
| slick |
adj. done smoothly and efficiently, apparently without effort |
| slight |
adj. not serious or important; small |
| slink |
v. move as if one feels guilty or ashamed, or does not want to be seen |
| slipshod |
adj. not done or not doing things carefully; careless |
| slither |
v. slide or slip unsteadily |
| sloth |
n. laziness; idleness ; |
| slough |
n. swamp; marsh ; |
| slovenly |
adj. careless, untidy, dirty, etc in appearance, dress or habits |
| sluggard |
n. lazy slow-moving person |
| sluggish |
adj. slow-moving; not alert or lively; lethargic |
| sluice |
n. sliding gate or other device for controlling the flow of water out of or into a canal, lake, lock, etc |
| slur |
v. run (sounds, words) into each other so that they are indistinct |
| sly |
adj. (often derog ) acting or done in a secret, often cunning and deceitful, way |
| smart |
adj. bright and new-looking; well-dressed; neat |
| smattering |
n. ~ slight knowledge, esp of a language |
| smear |
v. ~ sth on/over sth/sb; ~ sth/sb with sth spread a greasy or sticky substance, eg paint, on sth/sb |
| smelt |
v. heat and melt in order to obtain the metal it contains |
| smirk |
n. silly or self-satisfied smile |
| smolder |
= smoulder |
| smother |
v. die from lack of air, or from not being able to breathe; suffocate |
| smudge |
n. dirty or blurred mark, oftencaused by rubbing |
| smug |
adj. (usu derog ) too pleased with or proud of oneself, one's achievements, etc; self-satisfied |
| sneak |
v. ~ (to sb) (Brit infml derog , ) (used esp by children ) tell an adult about the faults, wrongdoings, etc of another child |
| snicker |
v. laugh in a suppressed, esp unpleasant, way; snigger |
| snip |
v. ~ (at) sth cut sth sharply (esp with scissors or shears) in short quick strokes |
| snivel |
v. (derog ) cry and sniff in a miserable, usu self-pitying, way |
| snub |
v. treat (sb) coldly, rudely or with contempt, esp by paying no attention (to him) |
| snuffle |
v. make sniffing noises |
| soar |
v. go up high in the air quickly |
| sober |
adj. with one's actions and thoughts not affected by alcohol |
| sobriety |
n. quality or state of being sober |
| sodden |
adj. soaked through; very wet |
| sojourn |
v. stay (with sb) in a place for a time |
| solace |
n. (thing that gives) comfort or relief (from pain, trouble, distress, etc) |
| solder |
n. soft mixture of metals used, when melted, for joining harder metals, wires, etc together |
| solecism |
n. mistake in the use of language, esp one that shows sb to be foreign or of low social class , |
| solemnity |
n. state or quality of being solemn; seriousness |
| solicit |
v. ~ (for sth); ~ (sth) (from sb) (fml ) ask (sb) for (eg money, help, votes) earnestly; try to obtain (sth) |
| solicitor |
n. lawyer who prepares legal documents (eg for the sale of land or buildings), advises clients on legal matters, and speaks for them in the lower courts |
| solicitous |
adj. ~ (fml ) very concerned and anxious about (sb's welfare, comfort, etc) |
| soliloquy |
n. speaking one's thoughts aloud, esp in a play when a character does this without another character being present on stage |
| solitude |
n. being alone without companions; solitary state |
| solstice |
n. either of the two times of the year at which the sun is furthest North or South of the equator |
| soluble |
adj. ~ that can be dissolved |
| solvent |
adj. having enough money to pay one's debts; not in debt |
| somatic |
pertaining to the body; physical |
| somber |
of a dismal or depressing character:MELANCHOLY |
| somnambulist |
n. person who does this; sleep-walker ; |
| somnolent |
adj. almost asleep; sleepy; drowsy |
| sonic |
adj. relating to sound, sound-waves or the speed of sound |
| sonnet |
n. type of poem containing 14 lines, each of 10 syllables, and with a formal pattern of rhymes |
| sonorous |
adj. having a full deep sound |
| soothsayer |
n. fortune-teller; prophet |
| sophist |
n. person who uses clever but false arguments intended to deceive |
| sophisticated |
adj. having or showing much worldly experience and knowledge of fashionable life |
| sophistication |
n. quality of being sophisticated |
| sophistry |
n. use of sophisms |
| sophomoric |
conceited and overconfident of knowledge but poorly informed and immature |
| soporific |
n, adj causing sleep |
| sordid |
adj. (of conditions, places, etc) dirty and unpleasant; squalid |
| sound |
adj. in good condition; not hurt, diseased, injured or damaged |
| sour |
adj. having a sharp taste (like that of vinegar, a lemon or unripe fruit) |
| sovereign |
adj. (of power) without limit; highest |
| sovereignty |
n. independent sovereign power |
| sow |
n. fully grown female pig . |
| spangle |
n. tiny piece of shining metal or plastic used for decoration on a dress, etc, esp in large numbers |
| spare |
adj. in addition to what is usu needed or used; kept in reserve for use when needed |
| sparse |
adj. not dense, thick or crowded; thinly scattered |
| Spartan |
adj. (of conditions) simple and harsh; without luxury or comforts |
| spasmodic |
adj. occurring or done at irregular intervals (usu for short periods at a time); not continuous or regular |
| spat |
pt, pp of spit1 |
| spate |
n. sudden fast rush |
| spatial |
adj. of, concerning or existing in space |
| spatula |
n. tool with a wide flat blunt blade used for mixing and spreading, esp in cooking and painting |
| spawn |
n. eggs of fish, shellfish and frogs, toads, etc |
| specious |
adj. seeming rightor true but actually wrong or false |
| speck |
n. very small spot or stain; tiny particle |
| spectral |
adj. of or like a spectre(1) |
| spectrum |
n. (usu sing ) image of a band of colours as seen in a rainbow (and usu described as red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet), formed by a ray of light that has passed through a prism |
| speechless |
adj. unable to speak, esp because of strong feeling |
| spendthrift |
n. person who spends money extravagantly and wastefully |
| sphinx-like |
|
| spin |
v. ~ sth (round) make sth turn round and round rapidly |
| splice |
v. join (two ends of rope) by weaving the strands of one into the strands of the other |
| spoilsport |
(informal) |
| spontaneity |
impulsiveness; absence of premeditation |
| spoof |
n. ~ (of/on sth) humorous imitation or parody |
| spoonerism |
n. result of changing round, esp accidentally, the initial sounds of two or more words when speaking, eg well-boiled icicle for well-oiled bicycle well-oiled bicycle well-boiled icicle |
| sporadic |
adj. happening or seen only occasionally or in a few places; occurring irregularly |
| sportive |
adj. playful |
| sprightly |
adj. lively and full of energy |
| sprout |
v. ~ (from sth) begin to grow or appear; put out leaves, shoots, etc |
| spruce |
adj. tidy and clean in appearance; smart ; |
| spry |
adj. lively and active |
| spurious |
adj. not genuine or authentic; false or fake |
| spurn |
v. reject or refuse scornfully or contemptuously |
| squabble |
v. ~ (about/over sth) quarrel noisily (as children do), esp over unimportant matters |
| squalid |
adj. very dirty and unpleasant (esp because of neglect or poverty) |
| squalor |
n. squalid state |
| squander |
v. ~ sth waste (time, money, etc); use sth wastefully |
| squash |
v. press or squeeze (sb/sth) flat or into a pulp; crush |
| squat |
v. ~ (down) (of people) sit on one's heels or on the ground with the knees drawn up under or close to the body; crouch |
| squeamish |
adj. having a delicate stomach and easily made sick |
| squelch |
v. make a sucking sound as when feet are lifted from thick sticky mud |
| staccato |
adj. adv (to be played) with each successive note short, clear anddetached; not smooth(ly) |
| stagnant |
adj. not flowing and therefore dirty and smelling unpleasant; still and stale |
| staid |
adj. (of people, their appearance, behaviour, tastes, etc) serious, dull and old-fashioned; conservative |
| stalemate |
n. position of the pieces in the game of chess in which the player whose move it is cannot move without putting his king in check |
| stalwart |
adj. (of a person) strong and sturdy |
| stamina |
n. ability to endure much physical or mental strain; long-lasting energy and resilience; staying-power |
| stammer |
v. speak with sudden pauses and a tendency to repeat rapidly the same sound or syllable (because of a speech defect or from fear, excitement, etc) |
| stamp |
v. ~ sth put (one's foot) down heavily on (the ground, etc); flatten (sth) by doing this |
| stampede |
n. sudden rush of frightened animals |
| stanch |
v. stop the flow of (esp blood) |
| standstill |
n. halt; stop |
| stanza |
n. group of lines forming a unit in some types of poem; verse of poetry |
| start |
n. beginning of a journey, an activity, a plan, a race, etc; process or act of starting |
| stately |
adj. dignified; imposing; grand |
| static |
adj. not moving or changing; stationary |
| statute |
n. law passed by Parliament or a similar law-making body and written down formally |
| statutory |
adjfixed, done or required by statute |
| steadfast |
adj. ~ (fml usu approv , ) firm and not changing or yielding; constant |
| stealth |
n. acting or behaving in a quiet or secret way |
| steep |
adj. (of a slope, stairs, etc) rising or falling sharply, not gradually |
| stellar |
adj. of a star or stars |
| stem |
n. main central part of a plant, bush or tree coming up from the roots, from which the leaves or flowers grow |
| stench |
n. very unpleasant smell |
| stentorian |
adj. (of a voice) loud and powerful |
| stereotype |
n. image,idea, character, etc that has become fixed or standardizedin a conventional form without individuality |
| sterile |
adj. not producing or not able to produce seeds, young or children |
| stickler |
n. ~ for sth person who thinks that a certain goal is very important and tries to make other people aim at it |
| stifle |
v. feel or make unable to breathe (easily) because of lack of fresh air; suffocate |
| stigma |
n. mark of shame or disgrace; shameful feeling or reputation |
| stilted |
adj. (of a manner of talking, writing, behaving, etc) stiff and unnatural; artificial |
| stink |
v. (infml ) ~ (of sth) have a very unpleasant and offensive smell |
| stint |
v. ~ on sth; ~ sb/oneself (usu in negative sentences ) restrict, limit sb/oneself to a small amount of (esp food) |
| stipend |
n. official income (esp of a clergyman); salary ; |
| stipple |
v. paint, draw or engrave in small dots (not in lines, etc) |
| stipulate |
v. state (sth) clearly and firmly as a requirement |
| stock |
n. store of goods available for sale, distribution or use, in a shop, warehouse, etc |
| stockade |
n. line or wall of strong upright posts, built as a defence |
| stodgy |
adj. (infml derog , ) (of food) heavy, solid and difficult to digest |
| stoic |
n. person who has great self-control and who endures pain, discomfort or misfortune without complaining or showing signs of feeling it , |
| stoke |
v. ~ sth (with sth) put (coal or some other fuel) on the fire of a furnace, an engine, etc |
| stolid |
adj. (of a person) not easily excited; showing little or no emotion or interest |
| stoop |
v. ~ (down) bend forward and down |
| stout |
adj. strong and thick |
| straggle |
v. grow or spread in an irregular or untidy manner |
| strangle |
v. kill by squeezing or gripping the throat tightly; throttle |
| stratagem |
n. trick, plan or scheme to deceive sb (esp an enemy) |
| stratified |
[ stratify: ] to form or be formed in layers or strata |
| stratum |
n. any of a series of horizontal layers, esp of rock in the earth's crust |
| strew |
v. ~ A (on/over B); ~ B with A scatter sth (over a surface); cover (a surface) with scattered things; sprinkle |
| striated |
adj. marked with stripes, lines or furrows |
| stricture |
n. (fml ) severe criticism or condemnation |
| strident |
adj. loud and harsh; shrill |
| stringent |
adj. that must be obeyed; strict or severe |
| strut |
n. rod or bar placed in a framework to strengthen and brace it |
| studied |
adj. carefully considered; intentional; deliberate |
| studious |
adj. spending a lot of time studying |
| stultify |
v. (fml ) cause (sth) to be ineffective or seem absurd; negate |
| stumble |
v. ~ strike one's foot against sth and almost fall |
| stump |
n. part of a tree left in the ground after the rest has fallen or been cut down |
| stun |
v. make (a person or an animal) unconscious by a blow, esp to the head |
| stupefy |
make numb; stun; amaze |
| stupor |
n. condition of being dazed or nearly unconscious caused by shock, drugs, alcohol, etc |
| sturdy |
adj. strong and solid |
| stygian |
adj. very dark; gloomy |
| stymie |
n. situation on the green in which an opponent's ball is between one's own ball and the hole |
| suavity |
[ suave: ] |
| subaltern |
n. any officer in the army below the rank of captain |
| subdue |
v. bring under control by force; defeat |
| subjective |
adj. existing in the mind and not produced by things outside the mind |
| subjugate |
v. gain controlof (a country, etc); subdue; conquer ; |
| sublimate |
v. express (instinctual urges, esp sexual ones) in more socially acceptable ways |
| sublime |
adj. of the greatest, most admirable kind; causing awe and reverence |
| subliminal |
adj. being perceivedor affecting the mind without one being aware of it |
| submerge |
v. go under the surface of a liquid, the sea, etc |
| submissive |
adj. willing to yield to the authority of others; obedient |
| subordinate |
adj. ~ (to sb) lower in rank or position |
| suborn |
v. use bribery or some other means to persuade (sb) to do sth illegal, esp tell lies in a court of law |
| subpoena |
n. written order requiring a person to appear in a lawcourt |
| subsequent |
adj. later; following |
| subservient |
adj. ~ (often derog ) giving too much respect, obedience, etc; submissive |
| subside |
v. sink to a lower or to the normal level |
| subsidiary |
adj. 1~ connected to but smaller, of less importance,etc than sth else; subordinate |
| subsidy |
n. money paid, esp by a government, to help an industry, to support the arts, to keep prices down, etc |
| subsistence |
n. subsisting |
| substantial |
adj. large in amount; considerable |
| substantiate |
v. give facts to support (a claim, statement, etc); prove |
| substantive |
adj. genuine or actual; real |
| subsume |
v. ~ sth (fml ) include sth in a particular group, class, etc or under a rule |
| subterfuge |
n. trick or excuse, esp one used to avoid difficulties, blame, failure, etc |
| subtlety |
n. quality of being subtle |
| subversive |
adj. ~ trying or likely to weaken or destroy a political system, an accepted belief, etc |
| succinct |
adj. expressedbriefly and clearly; concise |
| succor |
to go to the aid of:RELIEVE |
| succulent |
adj. (of fruit and meat) juicy and delicious |
| succumb |
v. ~ (fml ) stop resisting (temptation, illness, attack, etc); yield |
| suckle |
v. feed with milk from the breast or udder |
| suffocate |
v. die as a result of not being able to breathe |
| suffragist |
advocate of voting rights (for women) |
| suffuse |
v. ~ sth (esp of colour or moisture) spread all over sth |
| suitor |
n. man courting a woman |
| sullen |
adj. silent, bad-tempered and gloomy |
| sully |
v. (fml or rhet usu fig , ) make (sth) dirty; stain; ruin or destroy (sb's reputation, etc) |
| sultry |
adj. (of the weather, air, etc) oppressively hot and humid |
| summation |
n. summing-up; summary |
| sumptuous |
adj. looking expensive and splendid |
| sunder |
v. ~ sth/sb (fml or rhet ) separate sth/sb, esp by force or for ever |
| sundry |
adj. various |
| superannuated |
adj. old and barely fit for work or use |
| supercilious |
adj. thinking or showing that one thinks one is better than other people; arrogant and disdainful |
| supererogatory |
superfluous; more than needed or demanded |
| superficial |
adj. of or on the surface only |
| superfluous |
adj. more than is needed or wanted |
| superimpose |
v. ~ sth put sth on top of sth else, esp so that what is underneath can still be seen, heard, etc |
| supernumerary |
adj. in excess of the normal number; extra |
| supersede |
v. take the place of be introduced so as to be used instead of (sth/sb) |
| supine |
adj. lying flat on the back,face upwards |
| supplant |
v. take the place of (sb/sth); replace |
| supple |
adj. bent or bending easily; not stiff; flexible |
| suppliant |
n, adj (person) asking humbly for sth |
| supplicant |
n. person who supplicates; suppliant |
| supplicate |
v. ~ sth (fml ) ask (sb) humbly or pleadingly for sth |
| supposition |
n. supposing |
| supposititious |
assumed; counterfeit; hypothetical |
| suppress |
v. put an end to (sth), esp by force; crush |
| surfeit |
n. ~ (of sth) too much of sth, esp of food and drink |
| surge |
v. move forward in or like waves |
| surly |
adj. bad-tempered and unfriendly |
| surmise |
v. suppose (sth) without having evidence that makes it certain; guess |
| surmount |
v. deal with (a difficulty, etc); overcome |
| surpass |
v. ~ sb/sth (in sth) (fml ) do or be better than sb/sth; exceed sb/sth |
| surreptitious |
adj. done or acting secretly or stealthily |
| surrogate |
n. ~ (fml ) person or thing that acts or is used instead of another; substitute |
| surveillance |
n. careful watch kept on sb suspected of doing wrong |
| susceptible |
adj. ~ to sth easily influenced or harmed by sth |
| suspend |
v. ~ sth (fml ) hang sth up |
| suspense |
n. feeling of tenseness, worry, etc about what may happen |
| sustain |
v. bear (weight) without breaking or falling |
| sustenance |
n. food and drink; nourishment |
| suture |
n. stitch or stitches made in sewing up a wound, esp following an operation , |
| swagger |
v. walk or behave in a proud or boastful way |
| swamp |
n. soft wet land; marsh ; |
| swarm |
n. large number of insects, birds, etc moving around together, esp bees following a queen bee |
| swarthy |
adj. dark or dark-skinned |
| swathe |
n. strip of grass or other plants cut by a mower, scythe, etc |
| sway |
v. move or lean slowly from side to side |
| swear |
v. ~ (at sb/sth) use rude or blasphemous words in anger, surprise, etc; curse |
| swear-word |
n. rude or blasphemous word |
| swell |
v. ~(to sth); ~ (sth) (up) (with sth) (cause sth to) becomelarger or bulge outwards, eg because of pressure from inside |
| swelter |
v. be uncomfortably hot; suffer from the heat |
| swerve |
v. change direction suddenly |
| swill |
v. ~ sth (out/down) (esp Brit) rinse or flush sth by pouring large amounts of water, etc into, over or through it |
| swindler |
n. person who swindles |
| swipe |
v. (infml ) ~ (at) sth/sb (try to) hit sth/sb with a swinging or reckless blow |
| sybarite |
n. person who is very fond of luxury and comfort |
| sycophant |
n. person who tries to gain people's favour by insincerely flattering them and always agreeing with them |
| syllogism |
n. form of reasoning in which a conclusion is drawn from two statements, eg All men must die; I am a man; therefore I must die |
| sylvan |
=> silvan |
| symbiosis |
n. relationship between two species, organisms,etc that live close together and depend on each other in various ways |
| symmetry |
n. exact match in size and shape between the two halves of sth |
| synchronous |
similary timed; simultaneous with |
| synoptic |
adj. of or forming a synopsis |
| synthesis |
n. combining of separate parts, elements, etc to form a complex whole |
| synthetic |
adj. made by synthesis( |
