Sabotage (noun)
a deliberate and underhanded effort to
defeat or do harm to an endeavor.
To sabotage his friend’s
grades, John’s roommate accused him of cheating on a Philosophy exam.
Sacred (adjective)
regarded with particular reverence or
respect.
In 1772, von Colloredo retained
Wolfgang as concertmaster at a token salary. In this capacity Mozart composed a
large number of sacred and secular works.
to make safe, to protect.
Putin's tough stand was seen by
analysts as an attempt to protect Russian interests in Iraq -- Moscow
wants to safeguard its
multi-billion dollar debt payments and contracts signed with Baghdad in existence before the war.
Sail (verb)
to move swiftly through the water through
the use of boat.
Thorvaldsen Eriksson, son of
Erik the Red, sailed from Greenland to the New World
which he had been told about by his brother Leif.
Salivate (verb)
to produce an abnormal flow of saliva–the
result of secretion of water in the mouth.
Pavlov noticed that the dogs in
his laboratory salivated not only when they ate their food, but also before they had taken
a bite.
Sanctioned by
(verb)
adhering to beliefs or practices approved
by authority or tradition.
Many same-sex couples
participate in their own ceremonies, sanctioned by their friends, families and
spiritual communities.
Sanctuary (noun)
a sacred or holy place; the state of being
protected or safeguarded, as from danger or hardship.
William Faulkner’s written
description of the gardens would later be revised for the closing of his novel Sanctuary.
Sanitation
(noun)
the act or process of being readily kept in
cleanliness.
Nearly three-fifths of the 4.8
billion people in developing ountries lack basic sanitation, almost a
third have no access to clean water, a quarter lack adequate housing, and a
fifth lack access to modern health services.
Satire (noun)
a work, as a novel or play, that exposes
folly by the use of humor or irony.
Political satire, found in
newspapers across the US,
aims at prominent leaders such as the president, governors, and leaders of
congress.
Savage (verb)
so intense as to cause extreme suffering.
During the early 1940's, Germany created
many savage labor camps
which were not liberated by the allies until 1945.
Scarce (adjective)
not enough to meet a demand or requirement.
Recently, wind power has become
an appealing alternative to fossil based fuels, especially in countries with scarce petroleum and
ample wind.
Scarecrow (noun)
an object usually suggesting a human figure
that is set up to scare birds.
Some farmers put up scarecrows to keep crows
from invading their cornfields.
Scatter (verb)
to cause to separate and go in various
directions.
Immigrants who have recently
moved into the United States
are scattered among the 50
states.
Scavenger (noun)
an organism that feeds habitually on
garbage or dead and putrefying flesh.
New research casts T-Rex
dinosaurs as little more than a scavenger, hunting out the kills of other
carnivores and stealing them.
Scenario (noun)
a sequence of events especially when
imagined; especially: an account or synopsis of a possible course of action or
events.
NASA is likely to launch its
first space shuttle since the Columbia tragedy in the first three months of
next year that scenario would mean a one year stand down after the Feb. 1 Columbia crash,
compared to a nearly three year wait following the 1986 Challenger accident.
Score (musical)
an arrangement of music for a specific
performance medium.
In 1971, she wrote the original
screenplay and musical score for the film Georgia, Georgia, and was both author and
executive producer of a five-part television miniseries "Three Way
Choice."
Scrabble (noun)
a repeated scratching or clawing.
Three fossil skulls recovered
from the windswept scrabble of Ethiopia's
dry and barren Afar rift valley lend archaeological credence to the theory that
modern humans evolved in Africa before
spreading around the world.
Scribble (verb)
to write hastily or carelessly without
regard to legibility of thought.
Check the meaning of unfamiliar
words if they seem to be key words. In that case, if the author uses them more
than once, scribble a brief definition at the bottom of the page or at the end of the
essay.
Scrutiny (noun)
the act of examining carefully.
Despite this fact, the mission
had to pass scrutiny from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration for
violations of the space agency's "planetary protection" rules.
Searing (adverb)
at a manner of having damage by or as if by
fire.
As a large group of Keota’s
warriors traveling with their families passed the crater of Kilauea Volcano,
there was a sudden explosive eruption of searing hot ash and gas.
Seaweed (noun)
a mass of growth of marine plants
Many types of seaweed and other
plants that do not appear to be green also have chlorophyll and therefore can convert
the sun's energy into food.
Secretion (noun)
a product of secretion, i.e. saliva, from
an animal or plant.
It is here that the final
process of digestion and nutrient absorption takes place from the two gallons
of food, liquid and digestive secretions processed each day.
Secular (adjective)
not religious in subject matter, form, or
use.
Mozart composed a large number
of sacred and secular works.
Secured (verb)
to render certain.
Adams helped draft
the Declaration of Independence, secured its unanimous adoption in Congress,
and wrote his wife on July 3, 1776, that "the most memorable Epoch in the
History of America has begun."
Sediment (noun)
the matter that settles to the bottom of a
liquid; material deposited by water, wind, or glaciers
The rover, Opportunity,
and its sister rover, Spirit, which was launched earlier this month, will act
as robotic geologists during their three months of exploration. They will send
back images of sediment and mineral deposits that can help scientists determine whether there
was ever enough water on Mars to sustain life.
Seek out (verb)
to strive toward a goal; to try to find.
As effective as the methods I am
about to outline in this lecture are, you are still advised to seek out for yourself
other or even devise new methods to help your flexibility.
Segregation
(noun)
the policy or practice of excluding a
minority group from full freedom or participation in a society.
On December 5, 1955, five days
after Montgomery
civil rights activist Rosa Parks refused to obey the city's rules mandating segregation on buses,
black residents launched a bus boycott.
Selective (adjective)
able to recognize small differences or draw
fine distinctions.
Sir Francis Galton, a cousin of
Charles Darwin, was interested in the measurement of intelligence because he
wanted to increase it through selective breeding.
Self-esteem
(noun)
a sense of one’s own dignity or worth.
Face refers to the respect that
an individual has for him or herself, and maintaining "self-esteem" in
public or in private situations.
Semi aquatic
(adjective)
frequently but not living completely in
water.
As penguins adapted to marine
life, their wings changed to flippers and their feathers to a waterproof
covering, hence suiting the birds to a semi aquatic existence.
Sensation (noun)
the capacity for or an act of responding to
a stimulus.
Cognitive Psychology is
concerned with mental processes and their effects on human behavior and focuses
on phenomena such as: sensation, perception, motor control, attention, memory, learning, language,
reasoning, problem solving, and decision making.
Sentinel (noun)
something or someone that watches over.
When feeding in a field, crows
usually post a sentinel on a lofty perch to sound a warning if any danger should approach.
Serendipitous
(adjective)
characterized by the faculty of finding
valuable or agreeable things not sought for.
Until modern methods of oil
prospecting were put into place, most oil strikes were serendipitous.
Set apart (verb)
to make noticeable or different.
But every metro area that’s set apart geographically
— a Houston, a Denver,
and a Burlington, Vermont qualifies as a city-state too.
Settle (verb)
to take up permanent residence in a certain
area
After this incident, the
colonists decided to return to reenland rather than settle in Vinland.
Severely (adjective)
with a gloomy, harsh manner or appearance.
The hot weather in Palm Springs had severely tired the bicyclists.
Sexist (adjective)
having prejudice or discrimination,
especially against women, on the grounds of sex.
On the other hand, there are
those who decry marriage as a sexist and patriarchal institution that
should be avoided at all costs.
Shack (noun)
a room or similar enclosed structure for a
particular person or use.
They're getting people [as
contestants] who watch the show already, not someone from a shack in Kampala.
Shadow (verb)
to shelter, especially from light.
Some scientists have speculated
that the polar regions of the moon might have areas that are permanently shadowed, hence
permanently cold.
Shaft (noun)
a vertical or inclined opening of uniform
and limited cross section made for finding or mining ore, raising water, or
ventilating underground workings (as in a cave).
Josiah Hornblower came over with
the engine to assemble and install it at the mine, where Schuyler hoped to use
it to pump water from the shafts.
Sharpen (verb)
to give a sharp edge to; to improve the
intellect of someone.
A student who doubles his
reading speed sharpens his mind, hence becoming more mentally efficient.
Sharply (adverb)
Chimpanzees require massive regimented
teaching sequences contrived by humans to acquire quite rudimentary abilities.
These contrasts sharply with human children, who pick
up thousands of words spontaneously, combine them in structured sequences where
every word has a determinate role.
Shatter (verb)
to cause the complete ruin or wreckage of;
to split into fragments by a blow.
By sailing into the New World, Christopher Columbus shattered the belief that the world was flat.
Shoaling (adjective)
referring to an area of shallow water.
Consequently, as the tsunami's
speed diminishes as it travels into shallower water, its height grows. Because
of this shoaling effect, a
tsunami, imperceptible at sea, may grow to be several meters or more in height
near the coast.
Shortchange
(verb)
to give less than the correct amount of
change; to deprive of or give less than due
Emotionally and physically
depleted caregivers may shortchange their own needs, risking burnout, poor
health and depression.
Short-haul
(adjective)
transporting or carrying someone or
something over a relatively short distance.
Due to the popularity of trains
in European cities, airlines are halting or reducing short-haul service and
focusing more on the longer runs.
Showcasing
(adjective)
presenting, especially attractively, to the
general attention of someone.
Denver, showcasing its snowcapped
Rocky Mountains and lush vegetation, is one of
the most beautiful cities for this time of the year.
Shrink (verb)
to reduce in size by or as if by drawing
together.
The neutron star continues to shrink until it
finally becomes a black hole.
Shroud (verb)
to cut off from view: obscure.
Fog shrouded parts of the California coast between San
Francisco and Los Angeles.
Sideshow (noun)
an incidental diversion or spectacle.
As irritating as they are, the
subsidies, which mostly take the form of government loans, are a sideshow to the main
contest, as Bombardier and Embracer jockey for position in a market that, while
stagnant today, is expected to explode with demand.
Siege (noun)
a military blockade of a city or fortified
place to compel it to surrender.
Rebels pulled out of the city
Friday after a four day siege by artillery and rockets, and after fighting that
left an estimated 500 civilians dead.
Signature (adjective)
describing a tune, musical number, or sound
effect or in television a characteristic used to identify a program,
entertainer, or orchestra.
The film widely regarded as Wood
Allen’s best, with Diane Keaton’s signature role, “Annie Hall,” plays at 7:30 p.m.
at the Academy of
Motion Pictures and
Sciences.
Sizzling (adjective)
marked by much heat.
In July, the Sahara Desert
is characterized by sizzling days and sultry nights.
Skepticism
(noun)
a lack of conviction or certainty.
His continued skepticism, however,
shaped his subsequent theological studies at Crosier Theological Seminary in Chester, Pennsylvania,
and at Boston University, where he received a
doctorate in systematic theology in 1955.
Skim (verb)
to pass quickly and lightly through.
Part of maintaining a pool is to
skim the surface
daily for leaves, drowned insects, and other forms of debris.
Skyward (adverb)
moving toward the sky; going in an upward
direction.
After the countdown, the space
shuttle explosively launched itself skyward and ultimately reached speeds of 25,000 miles per hours
while in orbit.
Slab (noun)
a relatively long, straight, rigid piece of
metal or other solid. material.
There are many different types
of avalanches, but the one that worries us the most is the slab avalanche, in
which a mass of cohesive snow releases as a unit.
Slant (verb)
to move from true vertical or horizontal.
In the Sierra
Nevada mountain range, trees growing at altitudes of at least 9,000 feet slant away from the
prevailing Northern winds.
Slender (adjective)
having little flesh or fat on the body.
Running five miles day helps to
create a slender body.
Slightly (adverb)
with little significance; moderately.
Temperature variations on
Mercury are the most extreme in the solar system ranging from 90 K to 700 K. The
temperature on Venus is slightly hotter but very stable.
Slip (verb)
to shift or be shifted out of place.
Around the margins of the Pacific Ocean, for example, denser oceanic plates slip under
continental plates in a process known as seduction.
Slump (noun)
a period of poor or losing play by a team
or individual.
Derek Jeter and Alfonso Soriano
continued their slumps at the top of the order, going a combined 0 for 8.
Smack (verb)
to strike so as to produce a sharp slap or
blow.
At some point in the geological
future a large chunk of rock and ice will smack into Earth and destroy life as
we know it.
Smashing (verb)
to deliver a powerful blow suddenly and
sharply so as to cause something to split into fragments.
Michael A’ Hearn will lead a
team that's planning to find out what's inside comet Temple 1 by smashing into it with a
771 pound
copper "hammer" the biggest they could loft into space.
Smattering
(noun)
a small scattered number or amount
Even though only a smattering of digital
programming is currently available, digital televisions will eventually become
the norm, as surely as color replaced black and white.
Sober (adjective)
marked by sedate or gravely or earnestly
thoughtful character or demeanor.
It is almost certain that Earth
will one day be hit by an asteroid large enough to exterminate a large
percentage of our planet's life.
Societal (adjective)
relating to society.
Over the past 30 years, same-sex
couples have sought societal recognition of their families.
Sociological
(adjective)
relating to the systematic study of the
development, structure, interaction, and collective.
behavior of organized groups of
human beings Sociological research influences the way we think about work
and organizational life, and enables us to discover new knowledge.
Sodomy (noun)
copulation with a member of the same sex or
with an animal; non-coital and especially anal or oral copulation with a member
of the opposite sex.
Issues still before the court
which could be decided Thursday include a Texas ban on sodomy.
Solidarity
(noun)
an identity or coincidence of interests,
purposes, or sympathies among the members of a group.
This outcome is a reflection of
strong sense of solidarity within the corporate peasant community, also apparent in the
tendency for almost every man to remain within his village over his lifetime.
Soil (noun)
the upper layer of earth that may be dug or
plowed and in which plants grow.
The volcanic soil in Hawaii is fertile, and
the warm climate makes it possible to grow crops all year around.
Solder (verb)
to become united or repaired by or as if by
a metal or metallic alloy used when melted to join metallic surfaces;
especially: an alloy of lead and tin so used.
Responsible for generating all
images on your monitor, the graphics subsystem ships in PCs either as a
removable expansion board or as a chip soldered permanently to the motherboard.
Sooth (verb)
to bring comfort, solace, or reassurance to.
A rise in lodging and housing
costs pushed underlying U.S.
inflation up in May at the fastest rate in nine months, the government said on
Tuesday in a report that soothed
deflation fears.
Soothsayer
(noun)
a person who predicts the future by
magical, intuitive, or more rational means.
An agitated Montezuma demanded
that his soothsayers explain the
meaning of these dire signs and was told that they prophesied the destruction of his kingdom.
Sophisticated
(adjective)
experienced in the ways of the world;
lacking natural simplicity.
Even today's most sophisticated forecast
models cannot peg mountain convection well enough to assess how it might
trigger storm complexes downstream.
Soundness (noun)
the condition of being free from defects or
flaws.
To cure means to restore to
health, soundness, or normality.
Span (verb)
a specific length of time characterized by
the occurrence of certain conditions or events.
His career spans nearly all
types of popular music from jazz to rock to dance and all genres between.
Spark (noun)
a hot glowing particle struck from a larger
mass.
If fires are always suppressed,
dense underbrush soon becomes so abundant that a simple spark can start a
fire within minutes.
Spawned (verb)
to give rise to a particular development;
to cause to come into existence.
A growing trend toward emphasis
on neural aspects of various cognitive processes has spawned what is
referred to as the Cognitive Neuropsychology track, with students studying
jointly in cognitive and in clinical neuropsychology.
Specialized
(adjective)
designed or fitted to one particular
purpose or occupation.
One should look for an entry
level job, gain experience through internships, and watch for opportunities of specialized training or
advanced education.
Specimen (noun)
one that is representative of a group or
class.
The live Western
Diamondback rattlesnake on display in this aquarium is a perfect specimen for us to
examine in today’s biology class.
Speck (noun)
a small discoloration or spot especially
from stain or decay; a very small amount.
The other, a composite of four
wide angle images, shows the moon as a speck just as it sets below the Martian
horizon.
Spec (abbreviation)
short for specification.
From CPUs to RAM to optical
storage, we'll break down the jargon--and tell you which specs are most
important to your purchase.
Spectacular
(adjective)
an impressive exhibition.
Their eruptions are typically
characterized by the relatively quiet outflow of very fluid lava and by
sometimes spectacular lava fountains.
Spectrum (noun)
a continuous range or sequence.
She continues to produce a wide spectrum of music and
is truly a musical treasure.
Speculation
(noun)
the act or process of thinking, reasoning,
or theorizing.
Many speculations exist about
the origin and composition of dark matter.
Speedily (adverb)
at a high rate of speed.
Anxious to finish since it was
the last day of class; the students speedily completed the exam.
Spell (noun)
a rather short period.
A spell of freezing
weather before the onset of winter is usually enough to kill any remaining
mosquitoes or larvae.
Spike (noun)
an usually high and sharply defined maximum
In cores from Antarctica and Greenland, researchers have pinpointed the beginning of
atomic bomb testing in the mid 1950s. They have also identified spike representing
fallout from stepped up atmospheric testing that took place just prior to the
1963 Test Ban Treaty, which allowed for underground tests only.
Splendid (adjective)
particularly excellent.
When he returned to Salzburg he was given the position of court organist
(1779) and produced a splendid series of church works, including the famous Coronation Mass.
Splotch (noun)
a blend of the word spot and blotch; a
small area visibly different (as in color, finish, or material) from the
surrounding area.
Prior to joining the
Smithsonian, Langley
had spent many years documenting the cyclic appearance of dark splotches on the sun now
referred to as sunspots and had traveled across the world to observe total
solar eclipses.
Spontaneously
(adverb)
on impulse without a prior plan.
This contrasts sharply with
human children, who pick up thousands of words spontaneously.
Sprawling (adjective)
to spread or grow outward.
The rising costs of housing in Los Angeles have caused a sprawling metropolis of
interconnected cities in the inland areas of Southern
California.
Spread out
(verb)
to extend over a wide area.
The temperature will drop in the
envelope as well, as the particles become so spread out that they no
longer are colliding enough to create tremendous heat.
Springboard
(noun)
a point of departure; a jumping-off place.
A degree in psychology is an
excellent springboard for entering the world of business, industry, and
organizations.
Squeeze (verb)
to extract liquid by applying pressure.
When venom is squeezed out of the
gland by muscles, it enters the fang through an opening at the upper end.
Stability (noun)
reliability in withstanding pressure,
force, or stress.
Some soil and rock types are
more prone to land sliding than others, and landowners should determine the
inherent geologic stability of their property before beginning construction activities.
Stack up (verb)
to add up; to measure up.
The trick to the principle of
the three red flags is to recognize when these events are beginning to stack up and work
against you.
Stake (noun)
at issue : in jeopardy
Primary and secondary schools
have a stake because, to create
diverse classrooms, some of the nation's 15,000 districts use race in setting
attendance policies and school boundaries.
Stance (noun)
intellectual or emotional attitude.
Japan has been one
of the few developed countries willing to engage directly with Myanmar and the
aid warning is being seen as a significant toughening of its stance.
Stand with
(verb)
to be united with; to bring or come
together into a united whole.
Sitting Bull and the Sioux
realized they could not defeat the army alone, and they must stand with other tribes.
Standardize
(verb)
to bring into conformity with a standard.
Traditionally diamonds and
gemstones were weighed against these seeds until the system was standardized, and one carat
was fixed at 0.2 grams.
Starch (noun)
a white odorless tasteless granular or
powdery complex carbohydrate that is the chief storage form of carbohydrates in
plants is an important foodstuff, and is used also in adhesives and sizes, in
laundering, and in pharmacy and medicine.
Starch and cellulose
are complex carbohydrates is an important foodstuff
Startlingly
(adverb)
causing momentary fright, surprise, or
astonishment.
The aftermath of the battle,
with thousands of dead soldiers spread along the landscape, reflected a startlingly realistic
picture of the horrors of war.
Starvation
(noun)
the act of going for an extended period of
time without food.
Anorexia nervosa is a pattern of
self starvation and is most
common among well educated girls who experience a lot of pressure to be thin.
Statesman (noun)
a person actively involved in the
principles or art of government.
In addition to being a great statesman, Thomas
Jefferson is also known for his scientific works and inventions.
Static (adjective)
showing little change.
The political atmosphere of this
country is far from being static.
Statistically
(adverb)
of, or relating to, or employing the
principles of statistics
Possible causative agents for
brain cancer in firefighters include vinyl chloride, acrylonitrile and
formaldehyde. Studies show an elevated (but so far not statistically significant)
risk of lymphatic and hematopoietic cancers for most firefighters.
Status (noun)
the level of credit or respect at which a
person or thing is regarded by others.
Someone once remarked "a
language is a dialect with an army," meaning that only the identity of a
modern state can give a form of speech that status.
Steadier (adjective)
consistently reliable, especially in the
face of external pressures.
There has been a steadier increase in
crime in the inner cities this year than that of previous years.
Steeple (noun)
a tall structure usually having a small
spire at the top and surmounting a church tower.
With at least 2,500 supporters
crammed into a brick lined town square, the steeple of a Unitarian church behind
him, the former Vermont governor pledged to speak ''for a new
American century and a new
generation of Americans.''
Steer (verb)
to control the course of.
What they may not remember is
that this was the war that steered the United States to center stage as a
world power.
Stem (noun)
the main body or stalk of a plant.
Like other rodents, the gerbil
lives in semiarid regions and prefers to eat the roots and stems of a variety
of plants.
Stepchild (noun)
a child of one's wife or husband by a
former marriage.
Remote sensing, a stepchild of the space
age, is prying out many of Earth’s innermost secrets.
Stepped-up
(adjective)
to become greater in number, amount, or
intensity.
Scientists have identified a
spike representing fallout from stepped-up atmospheric testing that took place
just prior to the 1963 Test Ban Treaty, which allowed for underground tests
only.
Stifling (adjective)
oppressive due to a lack of fresh air.
Due to noxious smog, there is a stifling heat in the Inland Empire during the summer.
Stigmata (noun)
bodily marks or pains resembling the wounds
of the crucified Christ and sometimes accompanying religious ecstasy.
St. Francis is depicted wearing
a brown habit worn by Franciscan Monks and by the stigmata over the
heart.
Stimulate (verb)
to arouse to action; to elicit a strong
emotional response from.
Studies have proven that using
one’s vocal cords stimulates natural memory.
Stipulate (verb)
to demand an express term in an agreement
-- used with for.
The General has stipulated that there
will be no weapons after 72 hours," said the spokesman for the
international force, Colonel Gerard Dubois. "Weapons that remain in Bunya
will be confiscated," he told reporters in Bunya.
Stock (noun)
the original as a person, race, language,
or animal from which others derive: source.
The low cost technology
pioneered by Seahorse Ireland
could be transferred to poorer parts of the world where seahorse stocks are fast
becoming depleted.
Strenuous (adjective)
marked by vigorous physical exertion;
requiring great effort.
As an individual gets older, he
starts to lose his ability to perform strenuous activities such as running or
swimming.
Stretching
(verb)
pull an object in different directions
Increasing body heat also
reduces the risk of muscular damage when stretching that can happen to 'cold' muscles.
Striated (verb)
to mark with a line or band of different
color or texture.
To the east of the Amargosa
Range is the Amargosa Desert, striated by the wide washes of the Amargosa
River which intermittently flows south from Beatty, Nevada, through Death Valley
Junction, curving to the west and then north to enter Death Valley.
Strife (noun)
a state of disagreement and disharmony.
The late 1780's were years of
great strife on the Island of Hawaii. Kamehameha, who later became the
first king of the Hawaiian Islands, was at war
with his rival Keoua.
Strike (noun)
to set upon with violence force.
More important, the records
allow researchers to predict the impact of significant events from volcanic
eruptions to global warming that could strike us today.
Strip (verb)
to remove clothing, covering, or surface
matter from; to deprive of possessions.
But the Economic Policy
Institute (EPI) says the new rules would strip overtime from millions of other
middle-income jobholders.
Stroke (noun)
sudden diminution or loss of consciousness,
sensation, and voluntary motion caused by rupture or obstruction (as by a clot)
of an artery of the brain.
Insufficient angiogenesis can
occur following stroke.
Stumble (verb)
to make an error.
Too many job seekers stumble through
interviews as if the questions are coming out of left field.
Subdivisions
(noun)
one of the parts into which something is
divided.
Another way of identifying the
thesis is to ask, "What is the unifying principle of this essay"? Or
"What idea does everything in this essay talk about"? Or "Under
what single main statement could all the subdivisions fit"?
Subdue (verb)
to make or become less severe or extreme.
Intent on using the land for
raising cattle and growing crops, early pioneers did not subdue nature’s
rawness.
Subliminal
(adjective)
existing or functioning outside the area of
conscious awareness.
In 1957, a controversy
developed in the United
States over subliminal stimuli in
which a movie theater over a period of six weeks flashed messages for1/3,000 of
a second: “Hungry? Eat popcorn!” A sixty percent increase in the sale of
popcorn was reported.
Submerged (adjective)
being beneath the surface or the bottom of
a liquid
The most distinguished feature
of the Atlantic is the mid-ocean ridge, a gigantic submerged mountain range
larger in area than the Alps and the Himalayas
combined.
Subsequent
(adjective)
following something else in time.
His continued skepticism,
however, shaped his subsequent theological studies at Crosier Theological Seminary in Chester, Pennsylvania,
and at Boston University, where he received a
doctorate in systematic theology in 1955.
Subside (verb)
to become less active or intense
When large areas of the sea
floor elevate or subside, a tsunami can be created.
Subsidy (noun)
a grant by a government to a private person
or company to assist an enterprise deemed advantageous to the public.
The rivalry involves two of the
best-run companies in the hemisphere, yet each side protests that the other
doesn't play fair because it relies on taxpayer subsidies.
Subsistent
(noun)
the minimum as of food and shelter
necessary to support life.
Subsistent farming, in
which a family is completely self-reliant, has decreased rapidly since the
advent of the industrial revolution.
Substitute for
(verb)
one that takes the place of another; to
give up in return for something else.
Although these maps are valuable
for the general location of unstable areas, they can not be substituted for a careful on
site investigation.
Subtle (adjective)
so slight as to be difficult to notice or
appreciate.
The subtle differences
indicating the onset of a flu or cold may be difficult to distinguish.
Sue (verb)
to institute or subject to legal
proceedings.
Even if a murder suspect is
found innocent of all charges in a criminal court, he or she may be sued in a civil
court for a large sum of money.
Suffocating
(adjective)
so powerful as to stop the breathing of.
In 1912, Garret Morgan invented
what is now called a gas mask; the then called “Safety Hood and Smoke
Protector” contained enough air to allow someone to stay in a room full of suffocating gases and
smoke from fifteen to twenty minutes.
Sugary (adjective)
having or suggesting the taste of sugar.
The digestive system changes the
large carbohydrates in mashed potatoes into sugary glucose.
Suicidal (adjective)
having the tendency to take one’s own life
voluntarily and intentionally.
People with Multiple Personality
Disorder may experience any of the following: depression, mood swings, suicidal tendencies,
and sleep disorders.
Sum up (verb)
to recapitulate the salient facts of.
There are four types of
politeness strategies, described by Brown and Levinson, that sum up human
"politeness" behavior: Bald On Record, Negative Politeness, Positive
Politeness, and Off-Record-Indirect Strategy.
Summon (verb)
to demand to appear, come, or assemble.
Summoned by von
Colloredo to Vienna
in 1781, he was dismissed after a series of arguments.
Superimpose
(verb)
to place or lay over or above something.
With conventional
two-dimensional X-ray pictures, things at different depths are superimposed, causing
potential confusion to the viewer.
Supernatural
(adjective)
of or relating to an order of existence
beyond the visible observable universe; especially of or relating to God or a
god, demigod, spirit, or devil.
But in spite of their supernatural powers, many
gods, goddesses, and heroes of mythology have human characteristics.
Supersonic
(adjective)
of, being, or relating to speeds from one
to five times the speed of sound in air.
The idea of a supersonic passenger
plane gained momentum in the 1950s, after Chuck Yeager's 1947 blast through the
sound barrier.
Superstition
(noun)
irrational fear of the unknown.
Due to events which sometimes
cannot be explained, ommunities have developed superstitions which have
been passed from one generation to the next.
Suppress (verb)
to hold something in check.
If fires are always suppressed, dense
underbrush soon becomes so abundant that a simple spark can start a fire within
minutes.
Supremacy (noun)
the condition or fact of being dominant.
After Admiral Nelson won a
victory at Trafalgar, Spain
in 1805, England
established a naval supremacy that would last for 100 hundred years.
Surpass (verb)
to be greater or better than; to go beyond
the limits of.
The Grand Canyon, a long narrow gorge in
Arizona, surpasses in its
enormity and beauty any other geological wonder in the United States.
Surrender (verb)
to undergo capture, defeat, or ruin.
As the battles continued, many
of Sitting Bull's followers surrendered.
Surveillance
(noun)
close watch kept over someone or something
as by a detective.
The Pentagon is developing an
urban surveillance system that
would use computers and thousands of cameras to track record and analyze the
movement of every vehicle in a foreign city.
Survey (verb)
to look over; to view broadly or from a
height.
Before a person reads a book, he
should survey the chapter,
the title, headings, and subheadings, captions under pictures, harts, graphs or
maps.
Sustaining
(adjective)
to keep in a condition of good repair,
efficiency, or use.
An abundant supply of water on
the Moon would make establishment of a self sustaining lunar colony
much more feasible and less expensive than presently thought.
Sustenance
(noun)
the means to support life.
During the early colonial years
in America,
many people traveled on horseback and relied on corn for sustenance.
Swallowing
(noun)
the act of causing food to pass from the
mouth into the stomach.
Our larynxes are low in our
throats, and our vocal tracts have a sharp right angle bend that creates two
independently modifiable resonant cavities which is physiological design
to making
breathing, swallowing, and chewing less efficient.
Swamp (noun)
a usually low-lying area of waterlogged
ground and standing water.
All lakes undergo an aging
process, in which a crystal clear lake becomes a swamp full of plant
growth called algae.
Swell (verb)
to make or become greater or larger.
The wind generated swell one sees at a California beach, for
example, spawned by a storm out in the Pacific and rhythmically rolling in, one
wave after another, might have a period of about 10 seconds and a wave length
of 150 m.
Sweeping (adjective)
marked by wholesale and indiscriminate
inclusion: extensive.
In a victory for President Bush,
both houses of Congress approved sweeping Medicare legislation early Friday to
give seniors a prescription drug benefit while creating a broad new role for
private insurance in the government run program.
Switch (noun)
device for making and breaking the
connection in an electrical circuit.
In several famous and
controversial demonstrations, chimpanzees have been taught to use some hand
signs based on American Sign Language, to manipulate colored switches or tokens, and
to understand some spoken commands.
Symbiotic (adjective)
the intimate living together of two
dissimilar organisms in a mutually beneficial relationship; a cooperative
relationship.
Giraffes have a symbiotic relationship
with tickbirds. These small birds ride on the giraffe's back, eating pesky
insects off of its skin. In return for food, the birds serve as an early
warning signal, alerting giraffes to any approaching predators with a loud
chirp.
Sympathetic
(adjective)
cognizant of and comprehending the needs,
problems, and views of others.
The latter, at first sympathetic to the
Mozart’s, later became irritated by Wolfgang's prolonged absences and stubborn
ways.
Synthesize
(verb)
to combine and adapt in order to attain a
particular effect.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., synthesized ideas drawn
from many different cultural traditions. Born in Atlanta on January 15, 1929, King's roots
were in the African American Baptist church.
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