NSF nationals vocabulary 26 Flashcards
Sphinx
An imaginary creature with a head of a man and lion body
Spew
To vomit or eject the contents of
Spin
A short ride in a car, a rapid twist of the body
Splayed
Spread out or expanded
Sporadic
Happening at irregular times or intervals
Squall
Violent winds, sudden loud cry
Squalor
Filth and misery
Stanch
To stop the flow of a liquid
Statuesque
Having the resemblance of a statue, full of dignity and grace
Sterling
Highest quality, British currency
Stiletto
A dagger with a tapering blade
Stilted
Artificially formal, crutches
Stint
To be frugal, time spent doing something
Strident
Insisting on being heard, loud and harsh
Stringent
Severe or harsh rules or laws
Sub-rosa
Secretly or confidentially
Subterfuge
Deceit in order to achieve a goal
Subverting
To cause the downfall or overthrowing of
Succumb
To give way to superior force
Sugarplum
A small sugary candy
Sully
To soil, stain or tarnish the reputation of
Superciliously
With a sneering face
Supersede
To take the power of or authority of
Supplant
To take the place or position of
Suppliant
Someone who humbly prays for something
Supplication
The act of humbly praying
Supply side
The theory that concerns the reduction of taxes
Surcease
To stop from an action
Surfeit
The state of being more than full
Surge
A very strong wave or rush
Surmise
To guess without evidence or proof
Surreptitious
Done with a hidden aim or motive
Surrogate
A person that acts on behalf of another
Swan song
A final effort or performance
Symbiosis
A cooperation between two species
Symposium
A discussion of some topic before an audience
Synchronous
Occurring at the same time
Synthetic
A substance made by synthesis to imitate a real product
Taciturn
Very silent in manner
Tactile
Able to touch or tangible
Tailored
Having simple designs
Talk turkey
To talk frankly
Tantamount
Being essentially equal to
Tarry
Like tar or pitch
Tauten
To make tense or tightly drawn
Tectonic
Relating to the plates on the earth’s surface
Telegenic
Having qualities that televise well
Teleological
Related to teleology
Temporal
Related to time or present time
Tenacious
Very adhesive or sticky
