Word List 33 Flashcards
serrate
notched or toothed on the edge; specifically, having marginal teeth pointing forward or toward the apex
to make or make with serrations
e.g. a serrate leaf
a serrated knife
serried
crowed or pressed together; compact
marked by ridges ; serrate
e.g. The crowd collected in a serried mass.
the serried contours of the mountains
serviceable
helpful, useful
fit for use; also, pf adequate quality
e.g. a serviceable design
her serviceable but not exceptional voice
servile
of or befitting a slave or a menial position
meanly or cravenly submissive; abject
e.g. maintain a servile attitude around people with money
shale
a soft kind of rock that splits easily into flat pieces
sham
a trick that deludes; hoax cheap falseness; hypocrisy a person who shams also to act in a way that is meant to trick or deceive
e.g. the hollowness, the sham, the silliness of the empty pageant
street vendors selling sham designer bags to gullible tourists
shamming illness to avoid work
shambles
slaughterhouse
a place of mass slaughter or bloodshed
a scene or a state or great destruction; wreckage
a scene or a state of great disorder or confusion
e.g. The battlefield became a shambles.
The city was a shambles after the bombing.
an economy in shambles
shaving
something shaved off
e.g. wood shavings
shear
to cut or clip (as hair or wool) from someone or something; also, to cut something from
to deprive of something as if by cutting
to subject to a shear force
e.g. shear the lawn / shear the sheep
lives shorn of any hope
sheer
to deviate from a course; swerve
to cause to sheer
of very thin or transparent texture; diaphanous
unqualified, utter
viewing or acting in dissociation from all else
marked by great and continuous steepness
e.g. The cruise ship sheered to the northwest, putting it safely out of the path of the hurricane.
sheer joy/ignorance
in terms of sheer numbers
a sheer drop to the sea
shelve
to place on a shelf
to remove from active service; to put off or aside
e.g. books shelved according to categories
shelve a project
shifty
full of or ready with expedients; resourceful
given to deception, evasion, or fraud; tricky
e.g. shifty politicians making deals to channel federal funds into their districts
shifty practices such as turning back the odometers on used cars
shiftless
lacking in resourcefulness; inefficient
lacking in ambition or incentive; lazy
e.g. shiftless spongers who never thought to do anything for themselves
shingle
a small thin piece of building material
a small signboard (hang out one’s shingle)
shipshape
trim, tidy
e.g. Everything had to be shipshape before we could sell the house.
shirk
to go stealthily; sneak
to evade the performance of an obligation
avoid, evade
e.g. too conscientious to shirk his duty
shirk from doing his duty
shoal
shallow
shallow; a sandbank or sandbar that makes the water shallow
a large group of number; crowd
e.g. Shoal waters of the bay meant that our ship had to be moored a considerable distance from shore.
a shoal of fish
shoddy
cheaply imitative; vulgarly pretentious
hastily or poorly done; inferior
shabby, disreputable
e.g. shoddy merchandise/workmanship
shoddy business deals
shopworn
faded, soiled, or otherwise impaired by remaining too long in a store
stale from excessive use or familiarity
worn-out
e.g. the shopworn suggestion to job applicants to “just be yourself”
shopworn cliches
shrewd
severe, hard; sharp, piercing
marked by clever discerning awareness and hardheaded acumen
given to wily and artful ways or dealing
e.g. a shrewd knock/wind
shrewd common sense
a shrewd operator
shriek
to utter a sharp shrill sound
to cry out in a high-pitched voice; screech
to suggest such a cry (as by vividness of expression)
e.g. birds shrieking in the tree
Neon colors shrieked for attention.
shroud
something that covers, screens, or guards
to cut off from view; obscure
to veil under another appearance
e.g. under a shroud of secrecy
trees shrouded by fog / an idea shrouded by uncertainty
shroud the decision in a series of formalities
shuck
shell, husk
something of little value (oft. pl.)
e.g. It doesn’t matter shucks to her what anyone else earns.
shudder
to tremble convulsively; shiver, quiver
also
e.g. A shudder ran through him as he stepped outside into the snow.
shun
to avoid deliberately and especially habitually
e.g. shuns publicity
shunt
to turn off to one side; shift
to provide with or divert by means of a electrical or surgical shunt
shuttle
to travel back and forth
e.g. shunted aside
shunted the missiles from shelter to shelter
shunted between the two towns
sibilant
having, containing, or producing the sound of or a sound resembling that of the s or the sh in sash
e.g. the sibilant hiss of a snake
sibyl
prophetess
fortune-teller
sidereal
of, relating to, or expressed in relation to stars or constellations; astral
sidestep
bypass, evade
to move out of the way of; avoid
e.g. She sidestepped the reporter’s questions.
sidestepping the real issue
siege
a military blockade of a city or fortified place to compel it to surrender
a persistent or serious attack (as of illness)
sill
the shelf at the bottom of a window frame
a piece of wood, metal, or stone at the bottom of a door frame
the part of the frame of a car that is directly under its doors
silt
sand, soil, mud, etc., that is carried by flowing water and that sinks to the bottom of a river, pond, etc.
to become choked or obstructed with silt (oft. used with up)
e.g. The entrance to the creek had silted shut.
simper
to smile in a silly manner
to say with a simper
e.g. He simpered and smirked while he talked to the boss.
simpered an apology
sinecure
an office or position that requires little or no work and that usually provides an income
sinew
tendon
solid resilient strength; power
the chief supporting force; mainstay (oft. pl.)
e.g. cutting through bone and sinew
The justices displayed great intellectual depth and sinew in writing their opinion on this case.
provide the sinews of better living
singe
to burn superficially or lightly; scorch; especially, to remove the hair, down, or fuzz from usually by passing rapidly over a flame
singularity
peculiarity
a point or region of infinite mass density at which space and time are infinitely distorted by gravitational forces and which is held to be the final state of matter falling into a black hole
e.g. People could not understand the singularity of his imagination.
a college professor with singularities of dress and speech that have long endeared him to his students
sinuous
of a serpentine or wavy form; winding
marked by strong lithe movements
intricate, complex
e.g. The river flowed in a sinuous path through the lush valley.
sketchy
of the nature of a sketch; roughly outlined
wanting in completeness, clearness, or substance; slight, superficial
questionable, iffy
e.g. only a sketchy idea of how it works
skew
to take an oblique course
to look askance
to distort especially from a true value or symmetrical form
set, placed, or running obliquely; slanting
not symmetrical
e.g. accused of skewing the facts to fit their theory
skewing the rules in their favor
skewer
a pin of wood or metal for fastening meat to keep it in form while roasting or to hold small pieces of meat or vegetables for broiling
any of various things shaped or used like a skewer
to fasten or pierce with or as if with a skewer
to criticize or ridicule sharply and effectively
e.g. Satirists occupy a perilous position - to skewer dogma and cant, and to antagonize the establishment while needing its protection.
skiff
any of various small boats; especially, a flat-bottomed rowboat
skim
to remove (as film or scum) from the surface of a liquid
to read, study, or examine superficially and rapidly
embezzle
e.g. skimming money from employee pension plans
skimp
skimpy
to give insufficient or barely sufficient attention or effort to or funds for
to save by or as if by skimping
e.g. a dieter complaining about skimp meals that were served at the fat farm
skimp and save to afford a vacation
skinflint
a person who would save, gain, or extort money by any means; miser
e.g. The team’s owner is a skinflint whose penny-pinching ways keeps the team from acquiring any real talent.
skirmish
a minor fight in war usually incidental to larger movements
a brisk preliminary verbal conflict
a minor dispute or contest
e.g. skirmishes breaking out between rebel groups
Violent skirmishes with the enemy continue despite talks of peace.
skirt
to form or run along the border or edge of; border
to avoid especially because of difficulty or fear of controversy
to evade or miss by a narrow margin
e.g. The mayor skirted the issue by saying that a committee was looking into the problem.
skirt around the question
skirt the disaster
slack
not using due diligence, care, or dispatch; negligent
characterized by slowness, sluggishness, or lack of energy
not tight or taut; wanting in activity
to shirk or evade work or duty
e.g. a slack pace/oven/rope
slack muscles / slack supervision
a slack market / a slack piece of work
slag
the dross or scoria of a metal
slake
satisfy, quench
e.g. A harrowing experience while mountain climbing has largely slaked my desire for high adventure.
slander
to utter slander against; defame
a false and defamatory oral statement about a person
slant
to turn or incline from a level; slope
to interpret or present in line white a special interest; angle; especially, to maliciously or dishonestly distort or falsify
a slanting direction, line, plane, or thing
a peculiar or personal point of view or attitude
e.g. stories slanted toward youth
They deliberately slanted the story to make themselves look good.
The Democratic slant extends to those receiving unemployment benefits.
slate
a type of rock that splits easily into thin layers
a written or unwritten record
a list of candidates for nomination or election
to designate for a specified purpose or action; schedule
e.g. start over with a clean slate
slated to direct the play
slew
to turn about a fixed point or an axis
to cause to skid; veer
a large number
e.g. slew a car around the turn
a slew of work to do on this project
slick
having a smooth surface; slippery
having surface plausibility or appeal; glossy
based on stereotype; trite
characterized by subtlety or nimble wit; clever; especially, wily
deft, skillful
e.g. slick wet roads / slick advertising
slick stories soon forgotten
a slick swindler / a slick ballplayer
slight
lacking in strength or substance; flimsy, frail
deficient in weight, solidity, or importance; trivial
small of its kind or in amount
to treat as slight or unimportant; make light of
a humiliating discourtesy
e.g. a slight chance
slight a guest / slight your work
refused to respond to their petty slights
slippage
- slip
a loss in transmission of power; also, the difference between theoretical and actual output (as of power)
slipshod
careless, slovenly
e.g. a slipshod job
sloth
disinclination to action or labor; indolence
spiritual apathy and inactivity
e.g. a youth inclined more toward sloth than athletics
slouch
an awkward fellow; lout
one that is unimpressive; especially, a lazy or incompetent person (oft. in negative constructions)
a gait or posture characterized by an ungainly stooping of the head and shoulders or excessive relaxation of body muscles
to walk, stand, or sit with a slouch
droop; to go or move slowly or reluctantly
e.g. no slouch at cooking
walk with a slouch
slouch into the room / slouch her shoulders
slouch over the books
slough
a place of deep mud or mire
a state of moral degradation or spiritual dejection
to engulf in a slough; to plod through mud
the cast-off skin of a snake
to cast off skin
to get rid of or discard as irksome, objectionable, or disadvantageous (oft. used with off)
e.g. slough off a bad habit
sluggard
a habitually lazy person
sluice
an artificial passage for water fitted with a valve or gate for stopping or regulating flow
to wash with or in water running through or from a sluice; to drench with a sudden flow; flush
e.g. He sluiced the gutter with lots of water in order to make sure they were clear.
slumber
to sleep lightly; doze; also, sleep
to be in a torpid, slothful, or negligent state
also
e.g. a toddler looking so innocent and peaceful in slumber
slumberous
heavy with sleep; sleepy
inducing slumber; soporific
e.g. the slumberous murmur of the wind in the trees
slur
an insulting or disparaging remark or innuendo; aspersion
a shaming or degrading effect; stain, stigma
a blurred spot in printed matter; smudge
to cast aspersions on; disparage
to make indistinct; obscure
to slide or slip over without due mention, consideration, or emphasis
e.g. slur his reputation
slur over certain facts
slurp
to make a sucking noise while eating or drinking
e.g. slurp the soup directly from the bowl
smarmy
revealing or marked by a smug, ingratiating, or false earnestness
of low sleazy taste or quality
e.g. a tone of smarmy self-satisfaction
smarmy eroticism
smattering
superficial piecemeal knowledge
a small scattered number or amount
e.g. a smattering of carpentry, house painting, and bricklaying
a smattering of spectators
smudge
to make a smudge on
to make indistinct; blur
e.g. smudge the writing
his face smudged with grease
smug
trim or smart in dress; spruce
scrupulously clean, neat, or correct; tidy
highly self-satisfied
e.g. too smug about his own success
snare
trap
e.g. people caught in the snare of drug addiction
snarl
to cause to become knotted and intertwined; tangle
to make excessively complicated
also
e.g. traffic snarls
sneer
to smile or laugh with facial contortions that express scorn or contempt
to speak or write in a scornfully jeering manner
also
e.g. In high school the crowd would invariably sneer every time they passed the hapless nerds.
look at him with a sneer of disgust
snide
false, counterfeit
unworthy of esteem; low
slyly disparaging; insinuating
e.g. a snide trick to get her to sell her antiques for practically nothing
snide remarks
snip
a small piece that is snipped off; fragment, bit
to cut or cut off; specifically, to clip suddenly or by bits
e.g. snipping pictures out of magazines
snitch
one who snitches; tattletale
inform, tattle
to take by stealth; pilfer
snowdrift
a hill of snow that is formed by wind
snub
to check or stop with a cutting retort; rebuke to restrain the action of; suppress to treat with contempt or neglect to extinguish by snubbing slighting
e.g. snub a vibration
snub an old acquaintance
snub out a cigarette
He tolerated the snubs from his in-laws because the holidays come but once a year, thankfully.
snug
snuggle, nestle
fitting closely and comfortably
marked by cordiality and secure privacy
affording a degree of comfort and ease
e.g. snug down for bed
a snug coat/cottage/haven/hideout
a snug income
sober
marked by sedate or gravely or earnestly thoughtful character or demeanor
unhurried, calm
e.g. a sober, hardworking farmer
a sober look at drug abuse
sobriety
- sober
e. g. the sobriety of the situation
sock
to hit, strike, or apply forcefully
e.g. kept socking the punching bag until exhausted
an area socked by a blizzard
sod
turf; also, the grass- and forb-covered surface of the ground
one’s native land
sodden
dull or expressionless especially from continued indulgence in alcoholic beverages
torpid, sluggish
heavy with or as if with moisture or water
e.g. sodden minds
eyes peering out between strands of sodden hair
solace
to give comfort to in grief or misfortune; console
amuse
allay, soothe
also
e.g. solace grief
Her presence was a great solace for me.
The kind words brought a little solace to the grieving widow.
solder
a metal or metallic alloy used when melted to join metallic surfaces
something that unites
to unite or make whole by or as if by solder
e.g. a friendship soldered by common interest
solicit
to make petition to; entreat to urge (as one's cause) strongly to entice or lure especially into evil to try to obtain by usually urgent requests or pleas
e.g. soliciting aid from the minister
solicit the committee for funding
solicitous
manifesting or expressing concerns
full of concerns or fears; apprehensive
meticulously careful
full of desire
e.g. a solicitous inquiry about his health
solicitous about the future
solicitude
the state of being concerned and anxious
attentive care and protectiveness; also, an attitude of earnest concern or attention
a cause of care or concern (oft. pl.)
e.g. He expressed solicitude for my health.
a growing solicitude over the possible results of the criminal investigation
solidarity
unity that produces or is based on community of interests, objectives, and standards
solitary
being, living, or going alone or without companions
unfrequented, desolate
one who lives or seeks or live a solitary life; recluse
solitary confinement in prison
e.g. a solitary walk along the beach
a solitary seashore
solitude
seclusion
a lonely place
e.g. work on her novel in solitude
enjoy the peace and solitude of the woods
solvent
able to pay all legal debts
e.g. He cannot stay solvent after losing his business.
somatic
of, relating to, or affecting the body especially as distinguished from the germplasm or the psyche
of or relating to the wall of the body; parietal
e.g. a somatic disorder that was once thought to be “all in the patient’s head”
somber
so shaded as to be dark and gloomy
of a serious mien; grave
melancholy
e.g. Her death put us in a somber mood.
a somber portrait of life on the streets
a somber suit
sonata
an instrumental musical composition typically of three or four movements in contrasting forms and keys
sonnet
a poem made up of 14 lines that rhyme in a fixed pattern
soot
a black substance that is formed when something (such as wood or coal) is burned
sop
(dialect) a piece of food dipped or steeped in a liquid
a conciliatory or propitiatory bribe, gift, or gesture
e.g. As a sop to the teachers’ union for supporting his reelection campaign, the mayor promised to push for the abolition of the residency requirement.
sophism
an argument apparently correct in form but actually invalid; especially, such an argument used to deceive
subtly deceptive reasoning or argumentation; sophistry
