S-1 Flashcards
saboteur
one who commits sabotage; destroyer of property (Eg: Members of the Resistance acted as saboteurs- blowing up train lines to prevent supplies from reaching the )
saccharine
cloyingly sweet (Eg: She tried to ingratiate herself- speaking sweetly and smiling a saccharine smile. )
sacrilegious
desecrating; profane (Eg: His stealing of the altar cloth was a very sacrilegious act. )
sacrosanct
most sacred; inviolable (Eg: The brash insurance salesman invaded the sacrosanct privacy of the office of the president of the )
sadistic
inclined to cruelty (Eg: If we are to improve conditions in this prison- we must first get rid of the sadistic warden. )
saga
Scandinavian myth; any legend (Eg: This is a saga of the sea and the men who risk their lives on it. )
sagacious
keen; shrewd; having insight (Eg: He is much too sagacious to be fooled by a trick like that. )
sage
person celebrated for wisdom (Eg: Hearing tales of a mysterious Master of All Knowledge who lived in the hills of Tibet- Sandy was possessed )
salacious
lascivious; lustful (Eg: Chaucer’s monk is not pious but salacious- a teller of lewd tales and ribald jests. )
salient
prominent (Eg: One of the salient features of that newspaper is its excellent editorial page. )
saline
salty (Eg: The slightly saline taste of this mineral water is pleasant. )
sallow
yellowish; sickly in color (Eg: We were disturbed by his sallow complexion- which was due to jaundice. )
salubrious
healthful (Eg: Many people with hay fever move to more salubrious sections of the country during the months of August )
salutary
tending to improve; beneficial; wholesome (Eg: The punishment had a salutary effect on the boy- as he became a model student. )
salvage
rescue from loss (Eg: All attempts to salvage the wrecked ship failed. )
sanctimonious
displaying ostentatious or hypocritical devoutness (Eg: You do not have to be so sanctimonious to prove that you are devout. )
sanction
approve; ratify (Eg: Nothing will convince me to sanction the engagement of my daughter to such a worthless young man. )
sanguinary
bloody (Eg: The battle of lwo Jina was unexpectedly sanguinary with many casualties. )
sanguine
cheerful; hopeful (Eg: Let us not be too sanguine about the outcome; something could go wrong. )
sap
diminish; undermine (Eg: The element kryptonite had an unhealthy effect on Superman: it sapped his strength. )
sarcasm
scornful remarks- stinging rebuke (Eg: His feelings were hurt by the sarcasm of his supposed friends. )
sardonic
disdainful; sarcastic; cynical (Eg: The sardonic humor of nightclub comedians who satirize or ridicule patrons in the audience strikes some )
sartorial
pertaining to tailors (Eg: He was as famous for the sartorial splendor of his attire as he was for his acting. )
sate
satisfy to the full; cloy (Eg: Its hunger sated- the lion dozed. )
satellite
small body revolving around a larger one (Eg: During the first few years of the Space Age- hundreds of satellites were launched by Russia and the United )
satiate
surfeit; satisfy fully (Eg: The guests- having eaten until they were satiated- now listened inattentively to the speakers. )
satire
form of literature in which irony- sarcasm- and ridicule are employed to attack vice and folly (Eg: Gulliver’s Travels- which is regarded by many as a tale for children- is actually a bitter satire attacking )
satirical
mocking (Eg: The humor of cartoonists Gary Trudeau often is satirical; though the comments of the Doonesbury )
saturate
soak (Eg: Their clothes were saturated by the rain. )
saturnine
gloomy (Eg: Do not be misled by his saturnine countenance; he is not as gloomy as he looks. )
satyr
half-human- half-bestial being in the court of Dionysus- portrayed as wanton and cunning (Eg: He was like a satyr in his lustful conduct. )
saunter
stroll slowly (Eg: As we sauntered through the park- we stopped frequently to admire the spring flowers. )
savant
scholar (Eg: Our faculty includes many worldfamous savants. )
savor
enjoy; have a distinctive flavor- smell- or quality (Eg: Relishing his triumph- Costner especially savored the chagrin of the critics who had predicted his failure. )
savory
tasty; pleasing- attractive- or agreeable (Eg: Julia Child’s recipes enable amateur chefs to create savory delicacies for their guests. )
scabbard
case for a sword blade; sheath (Eg: The drill master told the recruit to wipe the blood from his sword before slipping it back into the scabbard. )
scad
a great quantity (Eg: Refusing Dave’s offer to lend him a shirt- Phil replied- ‘‘No- thanks: I’ve got scads of clothes.’’ )
scaffold
temporary platform for workers; bracing framework; platform for execution (Eg: Before painting the house- the workers put up a scaffold to allow them to work on the second story. )
scale
climb up; ascend (Eg: To locate a book on the top shelf of the stacks- Lee had to scale an exceptionally rickety ladder. )
scanty
meager; insufficient (Eg: Thinking his helping of food was scanty- Oliver Twist asked for more. )
scapegoat
someone who bears the blame for others (Eg: After the Challenger disaster- NASA searched for scapegoats on whom they could cast the blame. )
scavenge
hunt through discarded materials for usable items; search- especially for food (Eg: If you need car parts that the dealers no longer stock- try scavenging for odd bits and pieces at the auto )
scenario
plot outline; screenplay; opera libretto (Eg: Scaramouche startled the other actors in the commedia troupe when he suddenly departed from their )
schematic
relating to an outline or diagram; using a system of symbols (Eg: In working out the solution to an analytical logic question- you may find it helpful to construct a simple )
schism
division; split (Eg: Let us not widen the schism by further bickering. )
scintilla
shred; least bit (Eg: You have not produced a scintilla of evidence to support your argument. )
scintillate
sparkle; flash (Eg: I enjoy her dinner parties because the food is excellent and the conversation scintillates. )
scoff
mock; ridicule (Eg: He scoffed at dentists until he had his first toothache. )
scotch
stamp out; thwart; hinder (Eg: Heather tried to scotch the rumor that she had stolen her best friend’s fiance. )
scourge
lash; whip; severe punishment (Eg: )
scruple
fret about; hesitate- for ethical reasons (Eg: Fearing that her husband had become involved in an affair- she did not scruple to read his diary. )
scrupulous
conscientious; extremely thorough (Eg: I can recommend him for a position of responsibility for I have found him a very scrupulous young man. )
scrutinize
examine closely and critically (Eg: Searching for flaws- the sergeant scrutinized every detail of the private’s uniform. )
scuffle
struggle confusedly; move off in a confused hurry. (Eg: The twins briefly scuffled- wrestling to see which of them would get the toy. When their big brother yelled- )
scurrilous
obscene; indecent (Eg: Your scurrilous remarks are especially offensive because they are untrue. )
scurry
move briskly (Eg: The White Rabbit had to scurry to get to his appointment on time. )
scurvy
despicable; contemptible (Eg: Peter Pan sneered at Captain Hook and his scurvy crew. )
scuttle
sink (Eg: The sailors decided to scuttle their vessel rather than surrender it to the enemy. )
seamy
sordid; unwholesome (Eg: In the Godfather- Michael Corleone is unwilling to expose his wife and children to the seamy side of his )
sear
char or burn; brand (Eg: Accidentally brushing against the hot grill- she seared her hand badly. )
seasoned
experienced (Eg: Though pleased with her new batch of rookies- the basketball coach wished she had a few more seasoned )
secession
withdrawal (Eg: The secession of the Southern states provided Lincoln with his first major problem after his inauguration. )
seclusion
isolation; solitude (Eg: One moment she loved crowds; the next- she sought seclusion. )
secrete
hide away or cache; produce and release a substance into an organism. (Eg: The pack rat secretes odds and ends in its nest; the pancreas secretes insulin in the islets of Langerhans. )
sectarian
narrow-minded; limited in scope (Eg: As university chaplain- she sought to address universal religious issues and not limit herself to mere )
secular
worldly; not pertaining to church matters; temporal (Eg: The church leaders decided not interfere in secular matters. )
sedate
composed; grave (Eg: The parents were worried because they felt their son was too quiet and sedate. )
sedentary
requiring sitting (Eg: Because he had a sedentary occupation- he decided to visit a gymnasium weekly. )
sedition
resistance to authority; insubordination (Eg: His words- though not treasonous in themselves- were calculated to arouse thoughts of sedition. )
sedulous
diligent (Eg: The young woman was so sedulous that she received a commendation for her hard work. )
seedy
run-down; decrepit; disreputable (Eg: I would rather stay in dormitory lodgings in a decent youth hostel than have a room of my own in a seedy )
seemly
proper; appropriate (Eg: Lady Bracknell did not think it was seemly for Ernest to lack a proper family; no baby abandoned on a )
seep
ooze; trickle (Eg: During the rainstorm- water seeped through the crack in the basement wall and damaged the floor boards. )
seethe
be disturbed; boil (Eg: The nation was seething with discontent as the nobleman continued their arrogant ways. )
seine
net for catching fish (Eg: When the shad run during the spring- you may see fishermen with seines along the banks of our coastal )
seismic
pertaining to earthquakes (Eg: The Richter scale is a measurement of seismic disturbances. )
semblance
outward appearance; guise (Eg: Although this book has a semblance of wisdom and scholarship- a careful examination will reveal many )
seminal
germinal; influencing future developments; related to seed or semen (Eg: Although Freud has generally been regarded as a seminal thinker who shaped the course of psychology- his )
seminary
school for training future ministers; secondary school- especially for young women (Eg: Sure of his priestly vocation- Terrence planned to pursue his theological training at the local Roman )
senility
old age; feeble mindedness of old age (Eg: Most of the decisions are being made by the junior members of the company because of the senility of the )
sensual
devoted to the pleasures of the senses; carnal; voluptous (Eg: I cannot understand what caused him to drop his sensual way of life and become so ascetic. )
sensuous
pertaining to the physical senses; operating through the senses (Eg: He was stimulated by the sights- sounds and smells about him; he was enjoying his sensuous experience. )
sententious
terse; concise; aphoristic (Eg: After reading so many redundant speeches- I find his sententious style particulary pleasing. )
sentinel
sentry; lookout (Eg: Though camped in enemy territory- Bledsoe ignored the elementary precaution of posting sentinels around )
septic
putrid; producing putrefaction (Eg: The hospital was in such a filthy state that we were afraid that many of the patients would suffer from )
sepulcher
tomb (Eg: Annabel Lee was buried in a sepulcher by the sea. )
sequester
retire from public life; segregate; seclude (Eg: Although he had hoped for a long time to sequester himself in a small community- he never was able to )
sere
parched; dry (Eg: After the unseasonably dry winter the Berkeley hills looked dusty and sere. )
serendipity
gift for finding valuable or desirable things by accident; accidental good fortune or luck (Eg: Many scientific discoveries are a matter of serendipity: Newton was not sitting there thinking about gravity )
serenity
calmness; placidity (Eg: The serenity of the sleepy town was shattered by a tremendous explosion. )
serpentine
winding; twisting (Eg: The car swerved at every curve in the serpentine road. )
serrated
having a sawtoothed edge (Eg: The beech tree is one of many plants that have serrated leaves. )
servile
slavish; cringing (Eg: Constantly fawning on his employer- humble Uriah Heap was a servile creature. )
servitude
slavery; compulsory labor (Eg: )
severance
division; partition; separation (Eg: The severance of church and state is a basic principle of our government. )
severity
harshness; plainness (Eg: The newspapers disapproved of the severity of the sentence. )
sextant
navigation tool used to determine a ship’s latitude and longitude (Eg: Given a clear night- with the aid of his sextant and compass- he could keep the ship safely on course. )
shackle
chain; fetter (Eg: The criminal’s ankles were shackled to prevent his escape. )
sham
pretend (Eg: He shammed sickness to get out of going to school. )
shambles
slaughterhouse; scene of carnage (Eg: By the time the police arrived- the room was a shambles. )
shard
fragment- generally of pottery (Eg: The archaeologist assigned several students the task of reassembling earthenware vessels from the shards )
sheaf
bundle of stalks of grain; any bundle of things tied together (Eg: The lawyer picked up a sheaf of papers as he rose to question the witness. )
sheathe
place into a case (Eg: As soon as he recognized the approaching men- he sheathed his dagger and hailed them as friends. )
sherbet
flavored dessert ice (Eg: I prefer raspberry sherbet to ice cream since it is less fattening. )
shimmer
glimmer intermittently (Eg: The moonlight shimmered on the water as the moon broke through the clouds for a moment. )
shirk
avoid (responsibility- work- etc.); malinger (Eg: Brian has a strong sense of duty; he would never shirk any responsibility. )
shoddy
sham; not genuine; inferior (Eg: You will never get the public to buy such shoddy material. )
shrew
scolding woman (Eg: No one wanted to marry Shakespeare’s Kate because she was a shrew. )
shrewd
clever; astute (Eg: A shrewd investor- he took clever advantage of the fluctuations of the stock market. )
shun
keep away from (Eg: )
shunt
turn aside; divert; sidetrack (Eg: If the switchman failed to shunt the Silver Streak onto a side track- the train would plow right into Union )
shyster
lawyer using questionable methods. (Eg: On L.A. Law- respectable attorney Brackman was horrified to learn that his newly discovered half brother )
sibling
brother or sister (Eg: We may not enjoy being siblings- but we cannot forget that we still belong to the same family. )
sibylline
prophetic; oracular (Eg: Until their destruction by fire in 83 B.C.- the sibylline books were often consulted by the Romans. )
sidereal
relating to the stars (Eg: Although hampered by optical and mechanical flaws- the orbiting Hubble space telescope has relayed )
silt
sediment deposited by running water (Eg: The harbor channel must be dredged annually to remove the silt. )
simian
monkeylike (Eg: Lemurs are nocturnal mammals and have many simian characteristics- although they are less intelligent )
simile
comparison of one thing with another- using the word like or as (Eg: ‘‘My love is like a red- red rose’’ is a simile. )
simper
smirk; smile affectedly (Eg: Complimented on her appearance- Stella self-consciously simpered. )
simplistic
oversimplified (Eg: Though Jack’s solution dealt adequately with one aspect of the problem- it was simplistic in failing to )
simulate
feign (Eg: He simulated insanity in order to avoid punishment for his crime. )
sinecure
well-paid position with little responsibility (Eg: My job is no sinecure; I work long hours and have much responsibility. )
sinewy
tough; strong and firm (Eg: The steak was too sinewy to chew )
singular
unique; extraordinary; odd (Eg: Though the young man tried to understand Father William’s singular behavior- he still found it odd that the )
sinister
evil (Eg: We must defeat the sinister forces that seek our downfall. )
sinuous
winding; bending in and out; not morally honest (Eg: The snake moved in a sinuous manner. )
skeptic
doubter; person who suspends judgment until he has examined the evidence supporting a (Eg: point of view. )
skiff
small- light sailboat or rowboat (Eg: Tom dreamed of owning an ocean-going yacht but had to settle for a skiff he could sail in the bay. )
skimp
provide scantily; live very economically (Eg: They were forced to skimp on necessities in order to make their limited supplies last the winter. )
skinflint
miser (Eg: The old skinflint refused to give her a raise. )
skirmish
minor fight (Eg: Custer’s troops expected they might run into a skirmish or two on maneuvers; they did not expect to face a )
skittish
lively; frisky (Eg: She is as skittish as a kitten playing with a piece of string. )
skulduggery
dishonest behavior (Eg: The investigation into municipal corruption turned up new instances of skulduggery daily. )
skulk
move furtively and secretly (Eg: He skulked through the less fashionable sections of the city in order to avoid meeting any of his former )
slacken
slow up; loosen (Eg: As they passed the finish line- the runners slackened their pace. )
slag
residue from smelting metal; dross; waste matter (Eg: The blast furnace had a special opening at the bottom to allow the workers to remove the worthless slag. )
slake
quench; sate (Eg: When we reached the oasis- we were able to slake our thirst. )
slander
defamation; utterance of false and malicious statements (Eg: Unless you can prove your allegations- your remarks constitute slander. )
slapdash
haphazard; careless; sloppy (Eg: From the number of typos and misspellings I’ve found on it- it’s clear that Mario proofread the report in a )
sleazy
flimsy; unsubstantial (Eg: This is a sleazy fabric; it will not wear well. )
sleeper
something originally of little value or importance that in time becomes very valuable (Eg: Unnoticed by the critics at its publication- the eventual Pulitzer Prize winner was a classic sleeper. )
sleight
dexterity (Eg: The magician amazed the audience with his sleight of hand. )
slight
insult to one’s dignity; snub (Eg: Hypersensitive and ready to take offense at any discourtesy- Bertha was always on the lookout for real or )
slither
slip or slide (Eg: During the recent ice storm- many people slithered down this hill as they walked to the station. )
sloth
laziness (Eg: Such sloth in a young person is deplorable; go to work! )
sloth
slow-moving tree-dwelling mammal (Eg: Note how well the somewhat greenish coat of the sloth enables it to blend in with its arboreal )
slough
cast off (Eg: Each spring- the snake sloughs off its skin. )
slovenly
untidy; slipshod (Eg: Such slovenly work habits will never produce good products. )
sluggard
lazy person (Eg: ‘‘You are a sluggard- a drone- a parasite-‘’ the angry father shouted at his lazy son. )
sluggish
slow; lazy; lethargic (Eg: After two nights without sleep- she felt sluggish and incapable of exertion. )
sluice
artificial channel for directing or controlling the flow of water (Eg: In times of drought- this sluice enables farmers to obtain water for irrigation. )
slur
insult to one’s character or reputation; slander (Eg: Polls revealed that the front-runner’s standing had been damaged by the slurs and innuendoes circulated by )
smattering
slight knowledge (Eg: I don’t know whether it is better to be ignorant of a subject or to have a mere smattering of information )
smirk
conceited smile (Eg: Wipe that smirk off your face! )
smolder
burn without flame; be liable to break out at any moment (Eg: The rags smoldered for hours before they burst into flame. )
snicker
half-stifled laugh (Eg: The boy could not suppress a snicker when the teacher sat on the tack. )
snivel
run at the nose; snuffle; whine (Eg: Don’t you come sniveling to me complaining about your big brother. )
sobriety
moderation (especially regarding indulgence in alcohol); seriousness (Eg: Neither drunkards nor comics are noted for sobriety. )
sodden
soaked; dull- as if from drink (Eg: He set his sodden overcoat near the radiator to dry. )
sojourn
temporary stay (Eg: After his sojourn in Florida- he began to long for the colder climate of his native New England home. )
solace
comfort in trouble (Eg: I hope you will find solace in the thought that all of us share your loss. )
solder
repair or make whole by using a metal alloy (Eg: The plumber fixed the leak in the pipes by soldering a couple of joints from which water had been oozing. )
solecism
construction that is flagrantly incorrect grammatically (Eg: I must give this paper a failing mark because it contains many solecisms. )
solemnity
seriousness; gravity (Eg: The minister was concerned that nothing should disturb the solemnity of the marriage service. )
solicit
request earnestly; seek (Eg: Knowing she needed to have a solid majority for the budget to pass- the mayor telephoned all the members )
