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All Words Glossary Glossary of British Terms beginning with letter S Browse the British Glossary A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z  sabre noun  A light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point. A modern fencing sword modeled after the sabre. verb (sabr, ing) (transitive): To hit with a sabre.       sanitary towel noun  A pad of cotton or other absorbent material worn by women to absorb the menstrual flow.       sarky adjective  sarcastic       savoury adjective  British spelling of savory       say verb (says, saying, said) To pronounce Please your name slowly and clearly. To recite Martha, will you grace? To communicate, either verbally or in writing He said he would be here tomorrow. To indicate in a written form The sign says it's 50 kilometres to Paris.       scandal noun  (theology) Religious discredit; an act or behaviour which brings a religion into discredit. (theology) Something which hinders acceptance of religious ideas or behaviour; a stumbling-block or offense. Damage to personal reputation. The incident brought considerable to his family. An incident or event that brings disgrace, or damages the reputation of the persons or organization involved. Their affair was reported as a by most tabloids. Moral outrage; offence to decency. When their behaviour was made public it caused a great . Defamatory talk; gossip. According to village , they weren't even married.       scarper verb  (British slang) To run away; to flee; to escape.       scat noun  (biology) Animal excrement; dung. (music, jazz) scat singing, Scat singing. (slang) Heroin. (slang, obsolete) Whiskey. verb (scats, scatting, scatted, scatted) (colloquial) To leave quickly (often used in the imperative). Here comes the principal; we'd better . Scat! Go on! Get out of here! (music, jazz) To sing an improvised melody, melodic solo using nonsense syllables, often imitative of other musical instruments. (rfv-sense) (colloquial) Impromptu race. "Do you want a scat down the harbour?". (rfv-sense) Demolish. "What happened to the old shed? I scat it down.".       sceptre noun  an ornamental staff held by a ruling monarch as a symbol of power       school noun  (context, US, Canada) An institution dedicated to teaching and learning; an educational institution. Our children attend a public in our neighborhood. ''Harvard University is a famous American postsecondary . An educational institution providing primary and secondary education, prior to tertiary education (college or university). Within a larger educational institution, an organizational unit, such as a department or institute, which is dedicated to a specific subject area. We are enrolled in the same university, but I attend the School of Economics and my brother is in the School of Music. (italbrac, considered collectively) The followers of a particular doctrine; a particular way of thinking or particular doctrine; a school of thought. These economists belong to the monetarist . A group of fish or a group of marine mammals such as porpoises, dolphins, or whales. The divers encountered a huge of mackerel. The time during which classes are attended or in session in an educational institution. I'll see you after .       Scone proper noun  A village north of Perth in Scotland; the coronation site of Scottish kings until 1651       scop noun  A poet or minstrel in Anglo-Saxon England.       scout noun  (dated) A swift sailing boat. (archaic) A projecting rock. A person sent out to gain and bring in tidings; especially, one employed in war to gain information of the movements and condition of an enemy. A college student's or undergraduate's servant; -- so called in Oxford, England; at Cambridge called a gyp; and at Dublin, a skip. A fielder in a game for practice. The act of scouting or reconnoitering. A member of the Boy Scouts of America or Girl Scouts of the United States. A member of any number of youth organizations affiliated with the World Organization of the w:Scouting, Scouting Movement or based on the Boy Scouts, founded by Lord Robert Baden Powell. A person who assesses and/or recruits others; especially, one who identifies promising talent on behalf of a sports team. verb (scouts, scouting, scouted) (obsolete) To reject with contempt, as something absurd; to treat with ridicule; to flout; as, to scout an idea or an apology. To explore a wide terrain, as on a search.       screed noun  A long discourse or harangue. A tool, usually a long strip of wood or other material, for producing a smooth, flat surface on, for example, a concrete floor or a plaster wall. A smooth flat layer of concrete or similar material. verb  to produce a smooth flat layer of concrete or similar material. to use a screed (tool).       screwed verb  participle of screw adjective  In a lot of trouble (vulgar, slang) To become shagged or fucked They found out about our betrayal, so now we're .       scullery noun (sculleries) (formerly) A small room, next to a kitchen, where wash up, washing up and other domestic chores are done.       scuttle noun  A container like an open bucket (usually to hold and carry coal). verb to scuttle (scuttled, scuttling) (transitive) To deliberately sink a ship or boat by order of the commander, rather than by enemy action.       secateurs noun  (context, mostly, UK) small, handheld pruning shears       second noun (rfc-level, Noun at L4+ not in L3 Ety section) The SI unit of time, defined as the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of radiation corresponding to the transition between two hyperfine levels of caesium-133 in a ground state at a temperature of absolute zero and at rest; one-sixtieth of a minute. A unit of angle equal to one-sixtieth of a minute of arc or one part in 3600 of a degree. A short, indeterminate amount of time. I'll be there in a . (context, usually in the plural) A manufactured item that, though still usable, fails to meet quality control standards. They were discounted because they contained blemishes, nicks or were otherwise factory seconds. The attendant of a contestant in a duel or box, boxing match, who must be ready to take over if the contestant drops out. In the case of a duel, the seconds may also fight each other at 90° to the other contestants. One who agrees in addition, or such a motion, as required in certain meetings to pass judgement etc. If we want the motion to pass, we will need a . Another chance to achieve what should have been done the first time, usually indicating success this time around. (See second-guess.) The second gear of an engine. (baseball) second base, Second base. verb  (transitive) To agree as a second person to (a proposal), usually to reach a necessary quorum of two. I the motion.       sell noun  An easy task. 1922: What a for Lena! - w:Katherine Mansfield, Katherine Mansfield, The Doll's House (Selected Stories, Oxford World's Classics paperback 2002, 354) verb (sells, selling, sold, sold) To agree to transfer goods or provide services in exchange for money. (professional wrestling slang) In professional wrestling, to pretend that an opponent's blows or maneuvers are causing legitimate injury; to act. (idiom) To promote a particular viewpoint; to manipulate towards a desired end. I don't know what she was selling when she pretended she liked him.       send verb (sends, sending, sent) (transitive) To make something (such as an object or message) go from one place to another. To a message. To a letter. (slang, dated) To excite, delight, or thrill (someone). 1947, w:Robertson Davies, Robertson Davies, w:The Diary of Samuel Marchbanks, The Diary of Samuel Marchbanks, Clarke, Irwin & Co., page 183, :The train had an excellent whistle which sent me, just as Sinatra sends the bobby-sockers. 1957, w:Sam Cooke, Sam Cooke, w:You Send Me, "You Send Me", :Darling you me / I know you me 1991, w:P.M. Dawn, P.M. Dawn, w:Set Adrift on Memory Bliss, "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss", :Baby you me 1998 November 2, Rabid Dog's Saliva <[email protected]>, "Re: BiWoman? wants hot girl-girl sex!", torfree.personals, Usenet, :I just can't help it. you me babe!       sepulchre noun  A burial chamber.       serviette noun  (context, Commonwealth) A table napkin.       shamble verb (shambl, es) To walk while shuffling or dragging the feet. I wasn't too impressed with the fellow, when he shambled in unenthusiastically and an hour late.       sheepfold noun  A fold for keeping sheep.       sheer noun  (nautical) The curve of the main deck or gunwale from bow to stern. (nautical) An abrupt swerve from the course of a ship. verb  (nautical) To swerve from a course. To shear. (rare/archaic?) adjective (er, more) (context, textiles) Very thin or transparent. Her light, dress caught everyone's attention. pure, Pure; unmixed; being only what it seems to be. I think it is genius to invent such a thing. This poem is nonsense. Straight up and down; vertical; perpendicular. It was a drop of 180 feet. adverb  Clean, clean; quite; at once.       shiralee noun  burden, load (colloquial) (obsolete) A type of swag shaped roughly like a leg of mutton when rolled up, carried over the shoulder usually with some other load on the chest to balance it. (Reference: w:D'Arcy Niland, D'Arcy Niland in the Aboriginalities section of w:The Bulletin, The Bulletin magazine, 27 September 1957. Quoted by Bill Wannan, Australian Folklore, Lansdowne Press, 1970, reprint 1979 ISBN 0-7018-1309-1, under "Shiralee", page 475.)       shoot noun  The bud of a plant. A photography session. (professional wrestling slang) In professional wrestling, an event that is unscripted or legitimate. verb (shoots, shooting, shot, shot, or rarely shotten) To fire one or more shots. The man, in a desperate bid for freedom, grabbed his gun and started shooting anyone he could. To hit with a shot. He was shot by a police officer. To move very quickly and suddenly. After an initial lag, the experimental group's scores shot past the control group's scores in the fourth week. To photograph. To blame a messenger for the contents of the message. Please don't the messenger. (professional wrestling) In professional wrestling, to deviate from kayfabe, either intentionally or accidentally; to actually connect with unchoreographed fighting blows and maneuvers, or speak one's mind (instead of an agreed-to script). (surveying) To measure the distance and direction to (a point). (sports) To make the stated score. In my round of golf yesterday I shot a 76.       shop assistant noun  An employee in a shop.       short noun  A short circuit. (baseball) shortstop Jones smashes a grounder between third and . verb  (transitive) To cause a short circuit adjective  Having a small distance from one end or edge to another, either horizontally or vertically dimensions. A word or phrase that can be said or written in less time to represent another word or phrase. "Tater" is for "potato". (context, of a person) With less height (cricket, of a ball) that bounced relatively far from the batsman (cricket, of a fielder or fielding position) relatively close to the batsman adverb  (cricket) of a cricket ball, to bounce relatively far from the batsman so that it bounces higher than normal; opposite of full       shout noun  A loud burst of voice or voices; a vehement and sudden outcry, especially of a multitudes expressing joy, triumph, exultation, or animated courage. (Australia) (slang) a round of drinks in a pub, the turn to pay the shot or scot: Whose shout?! (Australia) (slang) an emergency services call. verb  (intransitive) To utter a sudden and loud outcry, as in joy, triumph, or exultation, or to attract attention, to animate soldiers, etc. (transitive) To utter with a shout; to cry; -- sometimes with out; as, to shout, or to shout out, a man's name. To treat with shouts or clamor. To buy food or drinks for others. I'll you all a drink. (Internet) To enter a text message (for example, email) in upper case.       silencer noun  An attachment to a gun that reduce the sound it emits       silk noun  (uncountable) A fine fiber excreted by the silkworm or other arthropod (such as a spider). The thread was barely visible. (uncountable) A fine, soft cloth woven from silk fibers. I had a small square of , but it wasn't enough to make what I wanted. The gown worn by a Senior (i.e. Queen's/King's) Counsel (colloquial) a Senior (i.e. Queen's/King's) Counsel       simoleon noun , often misspelled as samoleon, semoleon, or somoleon (U. S. slang): One dollar. That'll cost you five simoleons.       singsong noun  A piece of verse with a simple, song-like rhythm. An informal gathering at which songs are sung; a singing session. We gathered round the campfire for a little . adjective  Like a piece of singsong; simple and melodic, varying in pitch (of tone of voice etc.)       sister noun  a woman or girl who has the same parents as another person; a female sibling. My little is an annoying pest. a female member of a religious community; a nun. a senior or supervisory nurse, often in a hospital. any woman or girl with whom a bond is felt through common membership of a race, profession, religion or organization, such as feminism. Connie was very close to her friend Judy and considered her to be her . 1985, w:Eurythmics, Eurythmics and w:Aretha Franklin, Aretha Franklin, Who"s Zoomin' Who?: :song title Sisters Are Doin" It for Themselves (slang) a black woman (informal) a form of address to a woman What"s up, ? (context, attributively) Of or relating to an entity that has a special or affectionate relationship with another publication city verb  (context, transitive, construction) To strengthen (a supporting beam) by fastening a second beam alongside it. I"m trying to correct my sagging floor by sistering the joists.       sjambok noun  A stout whip, especially made of rhinoceros or hippopotamus hide. 1963: Foppl stood holding a or cattle whip of giraffe hide, tapping the handle against his leg in a steady, syncopated figure. " Thomas Pynchon, V. 1989: If dialogue is ever to have a chance, South Africans must find a way to turn away from violence in all its forms " the brutal violence of the " United States Policy Toward South Africa: Hearings Before the Subcommittee on African Affairs by United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Foreign Relations. Subcommittee on African Affairs: p.333 2006 Police arrested almost 40 locals yeasterday after a crowd took part in illegal marches and refused to disperse. The locals were armed with sticks, sjamboks and other weapons. - Weekend Argus May 13/14 2006 p.1.       skerrick noun  A very small amount or portion, particularly used in the negative and chiefly in British and Australian English. 2007, Kennedy Warne, Blue Haven, National Geographic (April 2007), 74, : "And all I can think is that they're seeing a crumb, a of what it once was".       skilful adjective  possessing skill, skilled.       skirting verb  (present participle of, skirt)       skittle noun  one of the wooden targets used in skittles verb (skittl, ing) To play skittles. To beat comprehensively. To use as a recreational drug a certain over-the-counter cough medication that is taken orally and whose tablets are said to resemble w:Skittles (confectionery), Skittles.       skulk verb  to conceal oneself; to hide       slavey noun  a maid, maidservant       slim noun  (slang) cocaine, Cocaine; white lady. verb to slim To lose weight in order to achieve slimness adjective  slender, Slender; thin in an attractive way.       slip noun  An act or instance of slipping. A women's undergarment worn under a skirt or dress. A small piece of paper. A berth for a boat or ship. A mistake or error (slip of the tongue.) (uncountable) In ceramics, a thin, slippery mix of clay and water. (cricket) Any of several fielding positions to the off side of the wicket keeper, designed to catch the ball after being deflected from the bat; a fielder in that position (See first slip, second slip, third slip, fourth slip and fifth slip.) The difference between the speed of a rotating magnetic field and the speed of its rotor. verb (slip, p, ing) (intransitive) To lose one's traction on a slippery surface; to slide due to a lack of friction. (intransitive) To err. (transitive) To pass (a note, etc.) 1883, w:Robert Louis Stevenson, Robert Louis Stevenson, w:Treasure Island, Treasure Island : We slipped along the hedges, noiseless and swift...       slippy adjective  slippery       slob noun (slobs) informal, disapproving a lazy and slovenly person. a derogatory term used to insult a lazy, obese person.       slur noun  An insult or slight. a racial (music) A set of notes that are played legato, without separate articulation. (music) The symbol indicating a legato passage, written as an arc over the slurred notes. verb (slur, r, ing) To insult or slight. To run together; to articulate poorly. He slurs his speech when he is drunk. (music) To play legato or without separate articulation.       smacking verb  (present participle of, smack Verb, smack)       small beer noun  Beer with a low alcoholic content (British) Something that is of relatively little importance. The income from gold plated widgets is compared to the income from the standard ones.       smoker noun  A person who smokes tobacco habitually. A smoking car on a train An informal social gathering for men only A vent in the deep ocean floor from which a plume of superheated seawater, rich in minerals, erupts An illicit boxing match; see w:Battle Royal (boxing) A device that releases smoke intended to distract bees (also more specifically called a bee smoker) An apparatus for smoke, smoking food       sneak noun  A mean, sneaking fellow. (obsolete),(cricket) A ball bowled so as to roll along the ground; a daisy-cutter verb (sneaks, sneaking, sneaked or snuck) To creep or steal (away or about) privately; to come or go meanly, as a person afraid or ashamed to be seen; as, to sneak away from company. To hide, especially in a mean or cowardly manner.       snip noun  The act of snipping; cutting a small amount off of something. A low price, a bargain That wholesale lot on eBay was a at $10 A small amount of something; a pinch. the snip A euphemism for a vasectomy verb (snipp, ing) To gently cut off with short sharp actions (usually with scissors). I don't want you to take much hair off, just snip my mullet off.       snug noun  small, comfortable back room in a pub verb (snugs, snugging, snugged) To make secure or snug. To snuggle or nestle. adjective  comfortable; cosy, cozy close fitting       soak noun  An immersion in water etc. "After the climb, I had a nice long in a bath." (cattag2, Slang, UK) A drunkard. verb  (intransitive) To be saturated with liquid by being immersed in it. I'm going to in the bath for a couple of hours. (transitive) To immerse in liquid to the point of saturation or thorough permeation. "Soak the beans overnight before cooking." (intransitive) To penetrate or permeate by saturation. The water soaked into my shoes and gave me wet feet. (transitive) To allow (especially a liquid) to be absorbed; to take in, receive. (usually + up) I soaked up all the knowledge I could at university.       sort noun  A general type. (informal) A person. This guy's a decent sort. An act of sorting. I had a sort of my cupboard (computing) An algorithm for sorting a list of items into a particular order. verb  (transitive) To separate according to certain criterion, criteria. (transitive) To arrange into some order, especially numerically, alphabetically or chronologically.       spanner noun (wikipedia, spanner, spanner (hand tool)) A hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts. Pass me that , Jake; there's just one more nut to screw in. (Weapon) A hand tool shaped like a small crank handle, for winding the spring of a wheel lock on a musket. Quotations 1786, Fig. 10. The spanner for spanning or winding up the spring of the wheel lock. &mdash; Francis Grose, A Treatise on Ancient Armour and Weapons, page xvi. (idiom) (UK) A problem, dilemma or obstacle; something unexpected or troublesome Half way through the production of Macbeth, the director found that the stage was smaller than he expected. This really threw a in the works. (context, UK, mildly, derogatory) A stupid or unintelligent person; one prone to making mistakes, especially in language. You , Rodney! I wanted a Chinese, not an Indian!       speak noun  language, jargon, or terminology used uniquely in a particular environment or group. Corporate speak; IT speak verb (speaks or archaic, speaketh, speaking, spoke or archaic, spake, spoken) (intransitive) To communicate with one's voice, to say words out loud. I was so surprised I couldn't . You're speaking too fast. (intransitive) To have a conversation. It's been ages since we've spoken. (context, by extension) To communicate or converse by some means other than orally, such as writing or facial expressions. He spoke of it in his diary Speak to me only with your eyes. I just spoke with them on IRC. Actions louder than words. (intransitive) To deliver a message to a group; to deliver a speech. This evening I shall on the topic of correct English usage. (transitive) To be able to communicate in a language. I was so surprised that I couldn't a word. He speaks Mandarin fluently.       speaker noun  one who speaks A native English speaker. loudspeaker (politics) the chair or presiding officer of certain legislative bodies, such as the U.K. House of Commons or the U.S. House of Representatives one who makes a speech to an audience The company hired a motivational speaker to boost morale.       Spence proper noun SAMPA: /"spE.ns/ Short form of the male given name Spencer.       spin noun  circular, Circular motion. (physics) A quantum angular momentum associated with subatomic particles, which also creates a magnetic moment. A favourable comment or interpretation intended to bias opinion on an otherwise unpleasant situation. (cricket) rotation, Rotation of the ball as it flies through the air; sideways movement of the ball as it bounces. A condition of flight where a stalled aircraft is simultaneously pitching, yawing and rolling in a spinning motion. verb (spins, spinning, spun or span, spun) To turn around quickly. To present, describe, or interpret, or to introduce a bias or slant so as to give something a favorable or advantageous appearance. 2006. In every administration there will be spokesmen and public affairs officers who try to spin the news to make the president look good. But this administration is trying to spin scientific data and muzzle scientists toward that end. &mdash; The Washington Post Editorial, The Politics of Science, Thursday, February 9, 2006; Page A22 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/08/AR2006020801991.html. (context, cricket, of a bowler) To make the ball move sideways when it bounces on the pitch. (context, cricket, of a ball) To move sideways when bouncing. adjective  (cricket) Describing a spin bowler, or his style of bowling.       spinner noun  A conical cover at the center of some aircraft propellers. (Obsolete) Coin thrower in a game of two-up. (cricket) a spin bowler. (context, fishing) a type of lure consisting of wire, a rotating blade, a weighted body, and one or more hooks.       Spirit proper noun  (Holy) : in Christian theology, the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity, the three aspects of God The name given to a Mars exploration rover launched June 10, 2003. See w:MER-A, wikipedia entry       spiv noun  (context, UK, dated) a smartly dressed person who trades in illicit, black-market or stolen goods (context, UK, dated) a flashy con artist, often homeless, who lives by his wits (context, UK, dated) in Scotland Yard usage, a low and common thief (context, UK, dated) a slacker; one who shirks responsibility       spivvy adjective (spivv, y) Of, related to, or resembling a spiv; flashy but often also seedy.       splint noun  A narrow strip of wood split or peeled off of a larger piece. (medicine) A device to immobilize a body part. 1900 But it so happened that I had a man in the hospital at the time, and going there to see about him the day before the opening of the Inquiry, I saw in the white men's ward that little chap tossing on his back, with his arm in splints, and quite light-headed. Joseph Conrad, Lord Jim, http://etext.virginia.edu/etcbin/ot2www-pubeng?specfile=/texts/english/modeng/publicsearch/modengpub.o2w&act=surround&offset=172793065&tag=Conrad,+Joseph,+1857-1924:+Lord+Jim,+1899-1900&query=splints&id=ConLord Chapter 5. A dental device applied consequent to undergoing orthodontia. A segment of armor. 1819 The fore-part of his thighs, where the folds of his mantle permitted them to be seen, were also covered with linked mail; the knees and feet were defended by splints , or thin plates of steel, ingeniously jointed upon each other; and mail hose, reaching from the ankle to the knee, effectually protected the legs, and completed the rider's defensive armour. " Walter Scott, Ivanhoe, http://etext.virginia.edu/etcbin/ot2www-pubeng?specfile=/texts/english/modeng/publicsearch/modengpub.o2w&act=surround&offset=555538796&tag=Scott,+Walter:+Ivanhoe.+A+Romance,+1819&query=defended+by+splints&id=ScoIvan Chapter 1. A bone found on either side of the horse's cannon bone verb  To apply a splint. To support one's abdomen with hands or a pillow before attempting to cough.       spout noun (plual: spouts) a tube through which liquid is poured or discharged a stream of liquid the mixture of air and water thrown up from the blowhole of a whale verb to spout (spouted, spouted) to gush forth in a stream to speak tediously and at length       squash noun (es, -) A game much like rackets, played in a walled court with soft rubber balls and bats like tennis rackets. (botany) A plant and its fruit of the genus Cucurbita, or gourd kind. Note: The species are much confused. The long-neck squash is called Cucurbita verrucosa, the Barbary or China squash, C. moschata, and the great winter squash, C. maxima, but the distinctions are not clear. A soft drink made of citrus fruits and soda water. (context, obsolete, zoo) A muskrat, short form of musquash. (obsolete) Something soft and easily crushed; especially, an unripe pod of peas. Not yet old enough for a man, nor young enough for a boy; as a squash is before 't is a peascod. --Shak. (obsolete) Hence, something unripe or soft; -- used in contempt. This squash, this gentleman. --Shak. (obsolete) A sudden fall of a heavy, soft body; also, a shock of soft bodies. My fall was stopped by a terrible . --Swift verb (squash, es) (transitive) To beat or press into pulp or a flat mass; to crush.       squib noun  A small firework that burns with a fizzing noise. A similar device used to ignite a rocket etc. (Film special effects) A small explosive used to replicate a bullet hitting a surface. (dated) A short piece of witty writing; a lampoon. In a legal casebook, a short summary of a case placed between more fully cited cases. (archaic) An unimportant, paltry, or mean-spirited person. verb (squib, b, ed) To make a sound such as a small explosion. A w:Snider-Enfield, Snider squibbed in the jungle.       stall noun  (countable) A compartment for a single animal in a stable or cattle shed. (countable) A small open-fronted shop. A very small room used for a shower or a toilet. Rabbit eases from the king-size bed, goes into their bathroom with its rose-colored one-piece Fiberglas tub and shower stall, and urinates into the toilet of a matching rose porcelain. - "Rabbit at Rest", by John Updike (countable) A seat in a theatre close to and (about) level with the stage. (aeronautics) loss, Loss of lift due to an airfoil's critical angle of attack being exceeded. verb  (intransitive) To come to a standstill. (intransitive) (aeronautics) To exceed the critical angle of attack, resulting in total loss of lift.       stand noun  A device to hold something upright or aloft. He set the music upon the and began to play. The platform on which a witness testifies in court; the witness stand or witness box. She took the and quietly answered questions. A resolute, unwavering position; firm opinion; action for a purpose in the face of opposition. They took a firm against copyright infringement. A particular grove or other group of trees. This of pines is older than the one next to it. (forestry) A contiguous group of trees sufficiently uniform in age-class distribution, composition, and structure, and growing on a site of sufficiently uniform quality, to be a distinguishable unit. A small building, booth, or stage, as in a bandstand or hamburger stand. A designated spot where someone or something may stand or wait: taxi stand. (cricket) A partnership. verb (stands, standing, stood, stood or archaic standen) (intransitive) To be upright, support oneself on the feet in an erect position. Here I stand, wondering what to do next. (intransitive) To rise to one's feet; to stand up. Stand up, walk to the refrigerator, and get your own snack. (intransitive) To remain motionless. Do not leave your car standing in the road. (context, cricket, intransitive) To act as an umpire. (intransitive) To undergo; withstand; hold up. The works of Shakespeare have stood the test of time. (transitive) To tolerate. I can't stand when people don't read the instructions. I can't her. (intransitive) To place in an upright or standing position. He stood the broom in a corner and took a break. (context, UK, intransitive) To seek election He is standing for election to the local council       station noun  A place where a vehicle (especially a train) may stop. The next is Esperanza. A place where one stands or stays in order to perform a task. From my at the front door, I greeted every visitor. Area of a restaurant allocated to one waiter or waitress. A military base. She had a boyfriend at the . A place used for broadcasting radio or television. I used to work at a radio . A broadcasting entity. I used to listen to that radio . (Australia & NZ) A very large sheep or cattle farm There was movement at the , for the word had passed around, that the colt from old Regret had got away (A. B. Patterson, poet) verb (transitive) To put in place to perform a task. The host stationed me at the front door to greet visitors. To put in place to perform military duty. They stationed me overseas just as fighting broke out.       step noun (plural: steps) An advance or movement made from one foot to the other; a pace. A rest, or one of a set of rests, for the foot in ascending or descending, as a stair, or a rung of a ladder. running board where passengers step to get on and off the bus - the driver must have a clear view of the step in order to prevent accidents. The breadth of every single or stair should be never less than one foot. - Sir H. Wotton The space passed over by one movement of the foot in walking or running; as, one step is generally about three feet, but may be more or less. Used also figuratively of any kind of progress; as, he improved step by step, or by steps. To derive two or three general principles of motion from phenomena, and afterwards to tell us how the properties and actions of all corporeal things follow from those manifest principles, would be a very great in philosophy. - Isaac Newton A small space or distance; as, it is but a . A print of the foot; a footstep; a footprint; track. Gait; manner of walking; as, the approach of a man is often known by his step. Proceeding; measure; action; an act. The reputation of a man depends on the first steps he makes in the world. - Alexander Pope Beware of desperate steps. The darkest day, Live till to-morrow, will have passed away. - William Cowper I have lately taken steps . . . to relieve the old gentleman's distresses. - G. W. Cable (plural): Walk; passage. Conduct my steps to find the fatal tree. - John Dryden (plural): A portable framework of stairs, much used indoors in reaching to a high position (nautical) In general, a framing in wood or iron which is intended to receive an upright shaft; specif., a block of wood, or a solid platform upon the keelson, supporting the heel of the mast. (Machines): One of a series of offsets, or parts, resembling the steps of stairs, as one of the series of parts of a cone pulley on which the belt runs (Machines): A bearing in which the lower extremity of a spindle or a vertical shaft revolves. (music) The interval between two contiguous degrees of the scale. Usage note: The word tone is often used as the name of this interval; but there is evident incongruity in using tone for indicating the interval between tones. As the word scale is derived from the Italian scala, a ladder, the intervals may well be called steps. (Kinematics): A change of position effected by a motion of translation. - W. K. Clifford verb (step, p, ing) (intransitive) To move the foot in walking; to advance or recede by raising and moving one of the feet to another resting place, or by moving both feet in succession. (intransitive) To walk; to go on foot; esp., to walk a little distance; as, to step to one of the neighbors. (intransitive) To walk slowly, gravely, or resolutely. Home the swain retreats, His flock before him stepping to the fold. - Thomson? (intransitive)(figuratively) To move mentally; to go in imagination. They are stepping almost three thousand years back into the remotest antiquity. - w:Alexander Pope, Alexander Pope (transitive) To set, as the foot. (transitive) (nautical) To fix the foot of (a mast) in its step; to erect.       Stick proper noun Stick&reg; Chapman Stick&reg; or The Stick&reg;, electric musical instrument devise, devised by Emmett Chapman.       stickybeak noun  (Australian) An inquisitive person; a Nosey Parker verb to stickybeak (Australian) to pry or to snoop       sticky wicket noun  (cricket) a pitch that has become wet because of rain and therefore on which the ball bounces unpredictably a difficult or unpredictable situation       Stinger noun (wikipedia, FIM-92 Stinger) a portable infra-red homing surface-to-air missile       stink noun  A strong bad smell. (informal) A complaint or objection. If you don't make a stink about the problem, nothing will be done. (in plural stinks; slang) Chemistry (as a subject taught in school) (slang) (New Zeland) A failure or unfortunate event. The concert was stink. verb (stinks, stinking, stank, stunk) (intransitive) To have a strong bad smell. (intransitive) (informal) To be greatly inferior; to perform badly. That movie stinks. I didn't even stay for the end. (intransitive) To give an impression of dishonesty or untruth. Something stinks about the politician's excuses.       stirk noun  (dated) a yearling cow       stoker noun  A person who stokes, especially one on a steamship who stokes coal in the boilers A device that feeds coal into a furnace etc automatically       store noun  A place where items may be accumulated or routinely kept. This building used to be a for old tires. A supply held in storage. We have a large of beer, in case we're snowed in. (context, mainly North American) A place where items may be purchased. I need to get some milk from the grocery . (context, computing, archaic) Memory. The main of 1000 36-bit words seemed large at the time. verb (stor, ing) (transitive) To keep (something) while not in use, generally in a place meant for that purpose. I'll these books in the attic. (context, transitive, computing) Write (something) into memory or registers. This operation stores the result on the stack. (intransitive) To remain in good condition while stored. I don't think that kind of cheese will well in the refrigerator.       storey noun  A floor or level of a building. For superstitious reasons, many buildings number their 13th as 14, bypassing 13 entirely.       stour adjective  strong; hardy stern harsh       street noun  A paved part of road, usually in a village or a town. A road as above but including the sidewalks (pavements) and buildings. The people who live in such a road, as a neighborhood.       sub noun  a submarine a sandwich made on a long bun; submarine sandwich We can get subs at that deli. (US, informal) A substitute. With the score 4 to 1, they brought in subs. She worked as a until she got her teaching certificate. verb (sub, b, ing) (US, informal) To substitute for. (US, informal) To work as a substitute teacher, especially in primary and secondary education.       subscription noun  the purchase of a series of things (such as performances or publications) an agreement to be given access to an online system the formal acceptance of something, especially when verified with a signature the signing of one's name the collection of money from subscribers; the money so collected       subway noun  (italbrac, North American) underground railway. (italbrac, New York City, New York, USA) The proper name of the Heavy Rail transit system - regardless of elevation. (italbrac, Newark, New Jersey, USA) The proper name of the Light Rail transit system (British) underground walkway, tunnel for pedestrians. (In the USA, this definition applies to pedestrian underpass.)       sump noun  A hollow or pit into which liquid drains, such as a cesspool, cesspit or sink. The lowest part of a mine shaft into which water drains. (automotive) The crankcase or oil reservoir of an internal combustion engine. (nautical) The pit at the lowest point in a circulation, circulating or drainage system. (FM 55-501)       sundowner noun  (obsolete) A wandering traveller/worker (such as a swagman) who arrived at a farm too late in the day to do any work, but still partook of their hospitality. 1846: C. P. Hodgson, Reminiscences of Australia 1868: Thomas E. Spencer, The Song of the Sundowner http://oldpoetry.com/poetry/28271 (nautical) A harsh disciplinarian sea captain typified by requiring all hands on board by sundown. http://www.tpub.com/content/administration/12966/css/12966_381.htm 1985: Ronald H. Spector, Eagle Against the Sun : Arrogant, aloof, and suspicious, a "," or strict disciplinarian, King inspired respect in many but affection in few. (Medicine) (Colloquial) A patient, usually demented, who tends to become agitated in the evening. 1977: Jules Hymen Masserman, Current Psychiatric Therapies, page 179. : These patients may improve by day only to relapse at night (nocturnal delirium or sundowner's syndrome). 1989: William H. Reid, The Treatment of Psychiatric Disorders: Revised for the DSM III R., Page 71. http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0876305362 : They generally occur in the evening or at night in the form of "sundowner" syndrome, as a result of diminished sensory input and social isolation and/or exposure to an unfamiliar environment (e.g., the hospital). 2007: Dennis Fiely, Dark Ages: For the elderly fighting mental or physical problems, life takes a frightening turn when nighttime comes. The Columbus Dispatch, Wednesday, February 07, 2007. http://www.dispatch.com/dispatch/contentbe/dispatch/2007/02/07/20070207-B1-00.html : "Sundowner's syndrome" refers to changes in mood and behavior that begin near dusk. A cocktail consumed at sunset, or to signify the end of the day. A cocktail party in the early evening. 1918: Robert Valentine Dolbey, Sketches of the East Africa Campaign, page 117. : The cocktail, the universal "sherry and bitters" and will have to be retained. 2005: Franz Wisner, Honeymoon With My Brother: A Memoir, page 243. : Per custom, we capped our drives with a cocktail party at a scenic vantage point. 2005: Edward M. Bruner, Culture on Tour: Ethnographies of Travel, page 83. : The Sundowner is basically a cocktail party with a buffet on a riverbank in the bush.       suss verb (susses, sussing, sussed) To discover, infer or figure out something (often used with out.) To study or size up something. adjective  (context, Australian, UK, colloquial) Suspicious.       swag noun  A burglar's or thief's booty; boodle. a bushmans' possessions tied up in a blanket and carried over the shoulder on a long stick. handouts, freebies or giveaways, such as those handed out at conventions. (The backronym "Stuff We All Get" has been suggested for this meaning, but it is probably not the etymology.) a wild guess or ballpark estimate (The backronyms "Stupid Wild Ass Guess" and "Scientific Wild Ass Guess" have been suggested for this meaning, but it is probably not the etymology but rather a backronym.) I can take a at the answer, but it may not be right. a loop of draped fabric       Swede proper noun (plural Swedes) A person from Sweden or of Swedish descent.       sweep noun  The person who steers a dragon boat. A person who stands at the stern of a surf boat, steering with a steering oar and commanding the crew. A chimney sweep. A search (typically for bugs electronic listening devices). (cricket) A batsman's shot, played from a kneeling position with a swinging horizontal bat. A lottery, usually on the results of a sporting event, where players win if their randomly chosen team wins. Jim will win fifty dollars in the office if Japan wins the World Cup. A flow of water parallel to shore caused by wave action at an ocean beach or at a point or headland. verb (sweeps, sweeping, swept) (transitive) To clean (a floor, etc) using a broom or brush. (intransitive) To move through an (horizontal) arc or similar long stroke. 2005, w:Plato, Plato, Sophist. Translation by Lesley Brown. w:Stephanus pagination, 236d. : has the course of the argument so accustomed you to agreeing that you were swept by it into a ready assent? (transitive) To search (a place) methodically. (cricket) To play a sweep shot. (curling) To brush the ice in front of a moving stone, causing it to travel farther and to curl less. (transitive) (ergative) To move something in a particular motion, as a broom       sweetie noun  A sweetheart. A fruit that is a crossbreed between a grapefruit and a pomelo, originating in Israel. (slang) A sweet. Can I get a box of sweeties for being a good boy?       swill noun  a mixture of solid and liquid food scraps fed to pigs etc; especially kitchen waste for this purpose any disgusting or distasteful liquid I cannot believe anyone could drink this . a large quantity of liquid drunk at one swallow He took a of his drink and tried to think of words. (context, Ultimate Frisbee) A badly-thrown pass http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budweiser_%28Anheuser-Busch%29, Budweiser, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utica_Club, Utica club, Piels or other cheap beer. verb to swill to eat or drink greedily or to excess to wash something by flooding with water       swinge noun  (archaic) A swinging blow. verb (swinge, ed) (obsolete) To singe. (archaic) To lash. (archaic) To strike hard. Aphra Behn (1640-89) The Feigned Courtesans. This edition: (The plays of) Aphra Behn. Oxford University press 2000. p.233. ISBN 0192834517 :Sir Feeble: Tis jelousy, the old worm that bites. To Sir Cautious Whom is it that you suspect. :Sir Cautious: Alas I know not whom to suspect, I would I did; but if you discover him, I would him. adjective  Forcible, huge, daunting (of taxation, job-cuts, damages etc)       swink noun  (archaic) toil, work, drudgery 1963: Dead on this homecoming cue Jack came home, his hands sheerfree of salesman"s , ready for Enderby. " Anthony Burgess, Inside Mr. Enderby verb (swinks, swinking, swank or swonk or swinked or swinkt, swonken or swinked or swinkt) (archaic) to labour, to work hard 1922: And on this board were frightful swords and knives that are made in a great cavern by swinking demons out of white flames that they fix in the horns of buffalos and stags that there abound marvellously. " James Joyce, Ulysses       swish noun (plural: swishes) A short rustling, hissing or whistling sound, often made by friction. (basketball) A successful basketball shot that does not touch the rim or backboard. An effeminate male homosexual. verb  To make a rustling sound while moving. "She swishes the comb through her hair." (basketball) To make a shot, as a perfect swish. adjective  (colloquial) sophisticated; fashionable; smooth. This restaurant looks very &mdash; it even has linen tablecloths. effeminate.       switchback noun  a zigzag path or road on a steep hill a hairpin bend (British) (dated?) a roller coaster       swither verb  (Scots and dialects) To be indecisive or in a state of confusion; to dither.       scatty adjective ((compar): scattier, (superl): scattiest) (slang) (Chiefly British): Scatterbrained; flighty.       single noun  A 45rpm vinyl record with one song on side A and one on side B. A popular song released and sold (on any format) nominally on its own though usually has at least one extra track. One who is not married. He went to the party, hoping to meet some friendly singles there. (cricket) A score of one run. (baseball) A hit in baseball where the batter advances to first base. A bill valued at $1. I don't have any singles, so you'll have to make change. verb (singl, ing) To identify or select one member of a group from the others; generally used with out, either to single out or to (something) out. Eddie singled out his favorite marble from the bag. Evonne always wondered why Ernest had singled her out of the group of giggling girls she hung around with. (baseball) To get a hit that advances the batter exactly one base. Pedro singled in the bottom of the eighth inning, which, if converted to a run, would put the team back into contention. adjective  Not accompanied by anything else. Can you give me a reason not to leave right now? Not divided in parts. The potatoes left the spoon and landed in a big lump on the plate. Designed for the use of only one. a room Designed for a single use; not reusable. the anti-aircraft rocket is fired from a single use launch platform. Not married. Josh put down that he was a male on the dating website. (botany) Having only one rank or row of petals.       skate noun  A metallic runner with a frame shaped to fit the sole of a shoe, -- made to be fastened under the foot, and used for moving rapidly on ice. abbreviated form of ice skate or roller skate The act of skateboarding There's time for a quick skate before dinner. The act of roller skating Let's skate in the park. The act of ice skating The boys had a skate every morning when the lake was frozen. verb (skat, ing) To move along a surface (ice or ground) using skates. To skateboard       skint adjective  (slang) penniless, poor, impecunious, broke (Cockney rhyming slang boracic lint - Skint)       slope noun (wikipedia, Slope, Slope (mathematics)) An area of ground that tends evenly upward or downward. I had to climb a small to get to the site. The degree to which a surface tends upward or downward. The road has a very sharp downward at that point. (mathematics) The ratio of the vertical and horizontal distances between two points on a line; zero if the line is horizontal, infinite if it is vertical. The of this line is 0.5 (mathematics) The slope of the line tangent to a curve at a given point. The of a parabola increases linearly with x. (vulgar, highly offensive) A person of Chinese or other East Asian descent.       snog noun  A passionate kiss. verb (snogs, snogging, snogged, snogged) (context, UK, slang) To kiss passionately.       spot noun  A stain or disfigure, disfiguring mark. I have tried everything, and I can"t get this out. A pimple or pustule. That morning, I saw that a had come up on my chin. A round or irregular patch on the surface of a thing having a different color, texture etc. and generally round in shape. The leopard is noted for the spots of color in its fur. A small amount or quantity. Would you like to come round on Sunday for a of lunch? A particular location or area. I like to eat lunch in a pleasant outside. A bright lamp; a spotlight. A brief advertisement or program segment on television. Did you see the on the news about the shoelace factory? verb (spot, t, ing) (transitive) To see, find; to pick out, notice, locate or identify. Try to the differences between these two entries. (finance) To loan a small amount of money to someone. I"ll you ten dollars for lunch. To stain; to leave a spot. Hard water will if it is left on a surface. (rfv-sense) To remove, or attempt to remove, a stain. I spotted the carpet where the child dropped spaghetti. (context, gymnastics, dance, weightlifting) To support or assist a maneuver, or to be prepared to assist if safety dictates. I can"t do a back handspring unless somebody spots me. (dance) To keep the head and eyes pointing in a single direction while turning. 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