S words Flashcards
saccharine
overly sweet or agreeable
sagacity
the quality of having or showing keen mental discernment and good judgment; shrewd.
salchow
a jump in figure skating with a backward takeoff from the backward inside edge of one skate to the backward outside edge of the other, with one or more full turns in the air.
salmagundi
A general mixture.
sapling
A young tree, especially one with a slender trunk.
SARS
A virulently infectious disease caused by a coronavirus.
sate
to satisfy (an appetite or desire) fully, gratify
scalable
able to be changed in size or scale.
schatzi
sweetheart, darling.
score
the written form of a piece of music
scry
foretell the future using a crystal ball or other reflective object or surface
seamy
sordid and disreputable.
sect
a small group united by a religious belief
sectarian
denoting or concerning a sect or sects.
seditious
inciting or causing people to rebel against the authority of a state or monarch.
sedulous
(of a person or action) showing dedication and diligence.
serene
calm, peaceful, tranquil
shard
a piece of broken ceramic, metal, glass, or rock, typically having sharp edges.
shellfish
an aquatic shelled mollusk (e.g., an oyster or cockle) or a crustacean (e.g., a crab or shrimp), especially one that is edible.
shoat
A young, newly weaned, pig.
shrift
Confession, esp. to a priest.
shrive
Hear the confession of, assign penance to, and absolve (someone).
sibilant
(of a speech sound) sounded with a hissing effect, for example s, sh.
sibilate
utter with a hissing sound.
Singapore Sling
a cocktail made from gin and cherry brandy
sinuous
curvy; graceful in movement, undulating
skeptical
doubtful
slovenly
messy and dirty.
smite
Strike with a blow
sobriquet
a person’s nickname.
sodden
saturated with liquid, especially water; soaked through.
SoHo
South of Houston
solemn
serious
solfège
an exercise in singing using solmization syllables
soluble
capable of being dissolved
sparge
moisten by sprinkling, especially with water in brewing.
spartan
sternly disciplined and severely simple, austere, ascetic
spinster
an unmarried woman, typically an older woman beyond the usual age for marriage.
splayfoot
A broad, flat foot, especially one turned outward.
spontaneous
impulsive, not planned
spurious
not being what it purports to be; false or fake.
spurn
to reject with scorn, repudiate
squall
A sudden violent gust of wind or a localized storm, especially one bringing rain, snow, or sleet; or (of a baby or small child) cry noisily and continuously.
squalor
filth; misery
squander
to waste; to spend foolishly [note: don’t confuse with squalor!!]
squawking
(of a bird) make a loud, harsh noise.
squelch
A soft sucking sound made when pressure is applied to liquid or mud.
st
Expressing a sudden desire for silence
stagnate
to lie motionless
stanch
to check or stop the flowing of (often blood)
stasis
balance; motionless, stagnation
staunch
loyal and committed in attitude.
steadfast
firm, sure
stereochemistry
the branch of chemistry concerned with the three-dimensional arrangement of atoms and molecules and the effect of this on chemical reactions.
stirrup
Devices use to hold the feet in place of either horseriders or women during gynecological examinations
stolid
unemotional; not easily excited
strenuous
requiring or using great exertion.
strident
loud and harsh; grating.
strop
a device, typically a strip of leather, for sharpening straight razors.
subdue
overcome, quieten, or bring under control (a feeling or person).
subpoena
a writ ordering a person to attend a court.
subtle
difficult to detect or understand
succinct
(especially of something written or spoken) briefly and clearly expressed.
suffuse
gradually spread through or over.
sundowner
a person with dementia who becomes increasingly irritable or difficult as the day progresses
sunscald
damage to plant tissue, especially bark or fruit, caused by exposure to excessive sunlight.
superficial
existing or occurring at or on the surface.
superfluous
extra; beyond what is required, extraneous, extrinsic
superordinate
a thing that represents a superior order or category within a system of classification.
suppress
to hold back, subdue, inhibit
surly
rude, unpleasant, brusque
surreptitious
done secretly, sneaky, furtive
sustain
to support, keep alive, prolong
svelte
(of a person) slender and elegant.
swagger
Walk or behave in a very confident and typically arrogant or aggressive way; or denoting a coat or jacket cut with a loose flare from the shoulders.
swat
hit or crush (something, esp. an insect) with a sharp blow from a flat object.
syncopate
To displace the beats or accents in (music or a rhythm) so that strong beats become weak and vice versa; or to shorten (a word) by dropping sounds or letters in the middle, as in symbology for symbolology.
