san·dhi ['san-dē, 'sän-, 'sən-] -n

  1. modification of the sound of a morpheme (as a word or affix) conditioned by syntactic context in which it is uttered (as pronunciation of -edas d in glazedand as t in pacedor occurrence of ain a cowand of anin an old cow)

sand·hill crane ['sand-,hil-] -n

  1. a crane ( Grus canadensis) of No. America and Siberia that has a red crown and is chiefly bluish gray tinged with a sandy yellow

sand·hog ['sand-,hȯg, -,häg] -n

  1. a laborer who works in a caisson in driving underwater tunnels

San·di·nis·ta [,san-də-'nēs-tə, ,sän-] -n

  1. a member of a military and political coalition holding power in Nicaragua from 1979 to 1990

sand lance -n

  1. any of several small elongate marine bony fishes (genus Ammodytesof the family Ammodytidae) that associate in large schools and remain buried in sandy beaches at ebb tide called also sand eel sand launce

sand lily -n

  1. a western U.S. low-growing spring herb ( Leucocrinum montanum) of the lily family with narrow linear leaves and fragrant white salverform flowers

sand·lot ['san(d)-,lät] -n, adj

  1. a vacant lot esp. when used for usu. unorganized sports

sand·man ['san(d)-,man] -n

  1. a genie in folklore who makes children sleepy by sprinkling sand in their eyes often used to personify sleep
    • trying to fight off the sandman

sand myrtle -n

  1. a usu. low-branching evergreen southeastern U.S. shrub ( Leiophyllum buxifolium) of the heath family

sand·paint·ing ['san(d)-,pān-tiŋ] -n

  1. a ceremonial design (as of the Navajo Indians) made usu. of colored sands on a flat surface
  2. the art of creating such designs

sand·pa·per [-,pā-pər] -n, adj

  1. paper covered on one side with abrasive material (as sand) glued fast and used for smoothing and polishing

sandpaper -vt

  1. to rub with or as if with sandpaper

sand·pile ['san(d)-,pī(-ə)l] -n

  1. a pile of sand
  2. sand for children to play in

sand·pip·er [-,pī-pər] -n

  1. any of various small shorebirds (family Scolopacidae, the sandpiper family) distinguished from the related plovers chiefly by the longer and soft-tipped bill

sand·pit [-,pit] -n

  1. sandbox

sand·shoe [-,shü] -n

  1. tennis shoe

sand·soap ['san(d)-,sōp] -n

  1. a gritty soap for heavy cleaning

sand·spur [-,spər] -n

  1. sandbur

sand·stone [-,stōn] -n

  1. a sedimentary rock consisting of usu. quartz sand united by some cement (as silica or calcium carbonate)

sand·storm [-,stȯrm] -n

  1. a windstorm (as in a desert) driving clouds of sand before it

sand table -n

  1. a table holding sand for children to mold
  2. a table bearing a relief model of a terrain built to scale for study or demonstration esp. of military tactics

sand trap -n

  1. an artificial hazard on a golf course consisting of a depression containing sand

sand verbena -n

  1. any of various western No. American trailing or low-growing herbs (genus Abronia) of the four-o'clock family with flowers like the verbena

sand·wich ['san(d)-,wich, 'sam-; dial 'saŋ-] -n

  1. two or more slices of bread or a split roll having a filling in between
  2. one slice of bread covered with food
  3. something resembling a sandwich
  4. composite structural material consisting of layers often of high-strength facings bonded to a low strength central core

sandwich -vt

  1. to make into or as if into a sandwich
  2. to insert or enclose between usu. two things of another quality or character
  3. to make a place for often used with in or between

sandwich board -n

  1. two usu. hinged boards designed for hanging from the shoulders with one board before and one behind and used esp. for advertising or picketing

sandwich coin -n

  1. a clad coin

sandwich generation -n

  1. a generation of people who are caring for their aging parents while supporting their own children

sandwich man -n

  1. one who wears a sandwich board

sand·worm ['san(d)-,wərm] -n

  1. : any of various sand-dwelling polychaete worms: as
  2. any of several large burrowing worms (esp. genus Nereis) often used as bait
  3. lugworm

sand·wort ['san(d)-,wərt, -,wȯrt] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Arenaria) of low tufted herbs of the pink family growing usu. in dry sandy regions

sandy ['san-dē] -adj, n

  1. consisting of or containing sand : full of sand
  2. sprinkled with sand
  3. of the color sand

sane ['sān] -adj, adv, n

  1. proceeding from a sound mind : rational
  2. mentally sound
  3. able to anticipate and appraise the effect of one's actions
  4. healthy in body

San·for·ized ['san-fə-,rīzd] -trademark

  1. used for fabrics that are preshrunk by a mechanical process

sang ['siŋ] -vb, adj

(variant of sing)

  1. to produce musical tones by means of the voice
  2. to utter words in musical tones and with musical inflections and modulations
  3. to deliver songs as a trained or professional singer
  4. to make a shrill whining or whistling sound
  5. to relate or celebrate something in verse
  6. to compose poetry
  7. to create in or through words a feeling or sense of song
    • prose that sing s
  8. to produce musical or harmonious sounds
    • birds sing ing
  9. buzz, ring
  10. to make a cry : call
  11. to give information or evidence
  12. to utter with musical inflections
  13. to interpret in musical tones produced by the voice
  14. to relate or celebrate in verse
  15. chant, intone
  16. to bring or accompany to a place or state by singing
    • sing s the child to sleep
  17. a session of group singing

san·ga·ree [,saŋ-gə-'rē] -n

  1. a sweetened iced drink of wine or sometimes of ale, beer, or liquor garnished with nutmeg
  2. sangria

sang·froid ['säⁿ-'f(r)wä] -n

  1. self-possession or imperturbability esp. under strain

San·gio·vese [,sän-jō-'vā-zā, -'vēz, -'vēs] -n

  1. a dry red Italian wine made from a single variety of red grape
  2. a similar wine made elsewhere

San·greal ['san-'grāl, 'saŋ-] -n

  1. grail

san·gria [saŋ-'grē-ə, san-] -n

  1. a usu. iced punch made of red wine, fruit juice, and soda water

san·gui·nar·ia [,saŋ-gwə-'ner-ē-ə] -n

  1. bloodroot
  2. the rhizome and roots of a bloodroot or an extract of these having expectorant, emetic, and antimicrobial properties

san·gui·nary ['saŋ-gwə-,ner-ē] -adj, adv

  1. bloodthirsty, murderous
    • sanguinary hatred
  2. attended by bloodshed : bloody
    • this bitter and sanguinary war -- T. H. D. Mahoney
  3. consisting of blood
    • a sanguinary stream

san·guine ['saŋ-gwən] -adj, adv, n

  1. bloodred
  2. consisting of or relating to blood
  3. bloodthirsty, sanguinary
  4. ruddy
  5. having blood as the predominating bodily humor
  6. having the bodily conformation and temperament held characteristic of such predominance and marked by sturdiness, high color, and cheerfulness
  7. confident, optimistic

sanguine -n

  1. a moderate to strong red

san·guin·e·ous [san-'gwi-nē-əs, saŋ-] -adj

  1. bloodred
  2. of, relating to, or involving bloodshed : bloodthirsty
  3. of, relating to, or containing blood

San·he·drin [san-'he-drən, sän-; san-'hē-, 'sa-nə-] -n

  1. the supreme council and tribunal of the Jews during postexilic times headed by a High Priest and having religious, civil, and criminal jurisdiction

san·i·cle ['sa-ni-kəl] -n

  1. any of several plants sometimes held to have healing powers
  2. a plant (genus Sanicula) of the carrot family with a root used in folk medicine as an anodyne or astringent

san·i·tar·i·an [,sa-nə-'ter-ē-ən] -n

  1. a specialist in sanitary science and public health
    • milk sanitarian

san·i·tar·i·um [,sa-nə-'ter-ē-əm] -n

  1. sanatorium

san·i·tary ['sa-nə-,ter-ē] -adj, adv

  1. of or relating to health
    • sanitary measures
  2. of, relating to, or used in the disposal esp. of domestic waterborne waste
    • a sanitary sewer system
  3. characterized by or readily kept in cleanliness
    • sanitary packages

sanitary landfill -n

  1. landfill

sanitary napkin -n

  1. a disposable absorbent pad used (as during menstruation) to absorb the uterine flow

sanitary ware -n

  1. ceramic plumbing fixtures (as sinks, lavatories, or toilet bowls)

san·i·tate ['sa-nə-,tāt] -vt

  1. to make sanitary esp. by providing with sanitary appliances or facilities

san·i·ta·tion [,sa-nə-'tā-shən] -n

  1. the act or process of making sanitary
  2. the promotion of hygiene and prevention of disease by maintenance of sanitary conditions (as by removal of sewage and trash) often used attributively
    • a sanitation truck
    • sanitation workers

san·i·tize ['sa-nə-,tīz] -vt, n

  1. to make sanitary (as by cleaning or sterilizing)
  2. to make more acceptable by removing unpleasant or undesired features
    • attempts to sanitize historical accounts

san·i·to·ri·um [,sa-nə-'tȯr-ē-əm] -n

  1. sanatorium

san·i·ty ['sa-nə-tē] -n

  1. the quality or state of being sane
  2. soundness or health of mind

San Ja·cin·to Day [,san-jə-'sin-tə-, -hə-,sin-] -n

  1. April 21 observed as a legal holiday in Texas in commemoration of the battle of San Jacinto in 1836 by which independence from Mexico was won

San Jo·se scale [,sa-nə-'zā-, ,san-(h)ō-] -n

  1. a scale insect ( Quadraspidiotus perniciosus) prob. of Asian origin that is naturalized in the U.S. and is destructive to fruit trees

sank ['siŋk] -vb, adj

(variant of sink)

  1. to go to the bottom : submerge
  2. to become partly buried (as in mud)
  3. to become engulfed
  4. to fall or drop to a lower place or level
  5. to flow at a lower depth or level
  6. to burn with lower intensity
  7. to fall to a lower pitch or volume
    • his voice sank to a whisper
  8. to subside gradually : settle
  9. to disappear from view
  10. to slope gradually : dip
  11. to soak or become absorbed : penetrate
  12. to become impressively known or felt
    • the lesson had sunk in
  13. to become deeply absorbed
    • sank into reverie
  14. to go downward in quality, state, or condition
  15. to grow less in amount or worth
  16. to fall or drop slowly for lack of strength
  17. to become depressed
  18. to fail in health or strength
  19. fail
  20. to cause to sink
    • sink a battleship
  21. to force down esp. below the earth's surface
  22. to cause (something) to penetrate
  23. immerse, absorb
    • he sank himself into his studies
  24. to dig or bore (a well or shaft) in the earth : excavate
  25. to form by cutting or excising
    • sink words in stone
  26. to cast down or bring to a low condition or state : overwhelm, defeat
  27. to lower in standing or reputation : abase
  28. to lessen in value or amount
  29. to lower or soften (the voice) in speaking
  30. restrain, suppress
    • sink s her pride and approaches the despised neighbor -- Richard Harrison
  31. to pay off (as a debt) : liquidate
  32. invest
  33. drop
    • sink a putt
    • sink a jump shot
  34. to drink down completely
  35. a pool or pit for the deposit of waste or sewage : cesspool
  36. a ditch or tunnel for carrying off sewage : sewer
  37. a stationary basin connected with a drain and usu. a water supply for washing and drainage
  38. a place where vice, corruption, or evil collects
  39. sump
  40. a depression in the land surface
  41. one having a saline lake with no outlet
  42. sinkhole
  43. : a body or process that acts as a storage device or disposal mechanism: as
  44. heat sink
  45. a device that collects or dissipates energy (as radiation)
  46. a reactant with or absorber of a substance
    • forests are a sink for carbon dioxide

San·khya ['säŋ-kyə] -n

  1. an orthodox Hindu philosophy teaching salvation through knowledge of the dualism of matter and souls

sann hemp ['sən-, 'sän-] -n

  1. sunn

san·nup ['sa-nəp] -n

  1. a married male American Indian

sann·ya·si [(,)sən-'yä-sē] -n

  1. a Hindu mendicant ascetic

sans ['sanz] -prep

  1. without
    • my love to thee is sound, sans crack or flaw -- Shak.
  2. sans serif

sans·cu·lotte [,sanz-ku̇-'lät, -kyu̇-] -n, adj

  1. an extreme radical republican in France at the time of the French Revolution
  2. a radical or violent extremist in politics

san·sei [,sän-'sā, 'sän-,] -n

  1. a son or daughter of nisei parents who is born and educated in America and esp. in the U.S.

san·se·vie·ria [,san(t)-sə-'vir-ē-ə] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Sansevieria) of tropical perennial herbs of the agave family with showy mottled sword-shaped leaves usu. yielding a strong fiber

San·skrit ['san-,skrit, 'san(t)-skrət] -n, adj

  1. an ancient Indo-Aryan language that is the classical language of India and of Hinduism
  2. classical Sanskrit together with the older Vedic and various later modifications of classical Sanskrit

sans ser·if [san-'ser-əf, 'sanz-] -n

  1. a letter or typeface with no serifs

San·ta Ana [,san-tə-'a-nə] -n

  1. a strong hot dry foehn wind from the north, northeast, or east in southern California

San·ta Claus ['san-tə-,klȯz also 'san-tē-] -n

  1. a plump white-bearded and red-suited old man in modern folklore who delivers presents to good children at Christmastime called also Santa

San·ta Ger·tru·dis [,san-tə-(,)gər-'trü-dəs] -n

  1. any of a U.S. breed of red beef cattle developed from a Brahman-shorthorn cross and valued for their hardiness in hot climates

San·te·ria [,san-tə-'rē-ə, ,sän-] -n

  1. a religion practiced orig. in Cuba in which Yoruba deities are identified with Roman Catholic saints

san·tims ['sän-,tims] -n

  1. see lats at

san·tir [san-'tir] -n

  1. a Persian dulcimer

san·to ['sän-(,)tō] -n

  1. a painted or carved wooden image of a saint common esp. in Mexico and the southwestern U.S.

san·to·li·na [,san-tə-'lē-nə] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Santolina) of aromatic Mediterranean composite subshrubs that have dissected evergreen leaves and clustered flower heads lacking ray flowers

san·to·nin ['san-tə-nən, san-'tä-nən] -n

  1. a poisonous slightly bitter crystalline compound C 15H 18O 3found esp. in the unopened flower heads of several artemisias (esp. Artemisia maritima) and used as an anthelmintic

sap ['sap] -n, adj

  1. the fluid part of a plant
  2. a watery solution that circulates through a plant's vascular system
  3. a body fluid (as blood) essential to life, health, or vigor
  4. bodily health and vigor
  5. a foolish gullible person
  6. blackjack, bludgeon
  7. to drain or deprive of sap
  8. to knock out with a sap
  9. to proceed by digging a sap
  10. to subvert by digging or eroding the substratum or foundation : undermine
  11. to gradually diminish the supply or intensity of
    • sapped her strength
  12. to weaken or exhaust the energy or vitality of
    • the illness sapped him of his stamina
  13. to operate against or pierce by a sap
  14. the extension of a trench to a point beneath an enemy's fortifications

sap green -n

  1. a strong yellow green

sap·head ['sap-,hed] -n, adj

  1. a weak-minded stupid person : sap

sa·phe·nous [sə-'fē-nəs, 'sa-fə-nəs] -adj

  1. of, relating to, associated with, or being either of the two chief superficial veins of the leg
    • saphenous nerve

sap·id ['sa-pəd] -adj, n

  1. having flavor : flavorful
  2. agreeable to the mind

sa·pi·ence ['sā-pē-ən(t)s, 'sa-] -n

  1. wisdom, sagacity

sa·pi·ens ['sa-pē-ənz, 'sā-, -,enz] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or being recent humans ( Homo sapiens) as distinguished from various fossil hominids

sa·pi·ent ['sā-pē-ənt, 'sa-] -adj, adv

  1. possessing or expressing great sagacity

sap·ling ['sa-pliŋ, -plən] -n

  1. a young tree
  2. one not over four inches in diameter at breast height
  3. youth

sap·o·dil·la [,sa-pə-'di-lə, -'dē-yə] -n

  1. a tropical American evergreen tree ( Manilkara zapotasyn. Achras zapotaof the family Sapotaceae, the sapodilla family) with hard reddish wood, a latex that yields chicle, and a rough-skinned brownish fruit with sweet flesh
  2. its fruit

sa·po·ge·nin [,sa-pə-'je-nən, sə-'pä-jə-nən] -n

  1. a nonsugar portion of a saponin that is typically obtained by hydrolysis, has either a complex terpenoid or a steroidal structure, and in the latter case forms a practicable starting point in the synthesis of steroid hormones

sap·o·na·ceous [,sa-pə-'nā-shəs] -adj, n

  1. resembling or having the qualities of soap

sa·pon·i·fy [sə-'pä-nə-,fī] -vb, adj, n

  1. to convert (as fat) into soap
  2. to hydrolyze (a fat) with alkali to form a soap and glycerol
  3. to undergo saponifying

sa·po·nin ['sa-pə-nən, sə-'pō-] -n

  1. any of various mostly toxic glucosides that occur in plants (as soapwort or soapbark) and are characterized by the property of producing a soapy lather
  2. a hygroscopic amorphous saponin mixture used esp. as a foaming and emulsifying agent and detergent

sap·o·nite ['sa-pə-,nīt] -n

  1. a hydrous magnesium aluminum silicate occurring in soft soapy amorphous masses and filling veins and cavities (as in serpentine)

sa·po·te [sə-'pō-tē] -n

  1. : any of several roundish or ovoid sweet soft-fleshed fruits of Mexican and Central American trees: as
  2. the green- or yellow-skinned fruit of a tree ( Casimiroa edulis) of the rue family with white or yellow flesh
  3. the green-skinned fruit of a persimmon ( Diospyros digyna) with brown or blackish flesh
  4. the coarse brown-skinned fruit of a tree ( Pouteria sapotasyn. Calocarpum sapota) of the sapodilla family with orange or reddish flesh

sap·per ['sa-pər] -n

  1. a military specialist in field fortification work (as sapping)
  2. a military demolitions specialist

sap·phic ['sa-fik] -adj

  1. of or relating to the Greek lyric poet Sappho
  2. of, relating to, or consisting of a 4-line strophe made up of chiefly trochaic and dactylic feet
  3. lesbian

sapphic -n

  1. a verse having the metrical pattern of one of the first three lines of a sapphic strophe
  2. a sapphic strophe

sap·phire ['sa-,fīr] -n, adj

  1. a gem variety of corundum in transparent or translucent crystals of a color other than red
  2. one of a transparent rich blue
  3. a gem of such corundum
  4. a deep purplish-blue color

sap·phi·rine ['sa-fə-,rīn, 'sa-,fīr-,ēn, sa-'fī-rən] -adj

  1. made of sapphire
  2. resembling sapphire esp. in color

sap·phism ['sa-,fi-zəm] -n

  1. lesbianism

sap·pi·ness ['sa-pē-nəs] -n

  1. the state of being full of or smelling of sap
  2. the quality or state of being sappy : foolishness

sap·py ['sa-pē] -adj

  1. abounding with sap
  2. resembling or consisting largely of sapwood
  3. overly sweet or sentimental
  4. lacking in good sense : silly

sapr- -comb form

  1. dead or decaying organic matter
    • sapro phyte
  2. decay : putrefaction
    • sapro genic

sap·ro·gen·ic [,sa-prə-'je-nik] -adj, n

  1. of, causing, or resulting from putrefaction

sap·ro·lite ['sa-prə-,līt] -n

  1. disintegrated rock that lies in its original place

sa·proph·a·gous [sa-'prä-fə-gəs] -adj

  1. feeding on decaying matter

sap·ro·phyte ['sa-prə-,fīt] -n

  1. a saprophytic organism

sap·ro·phyt·ic [,sa-prə-'fi-tik] -adj, adv

  1. obtaining food by absorbing dissolved organic material
  2. obtaining nourishment from the products of organic breakdown and decay
    • saprophytic fungi

sap·ro·zo·ic [,sa-prə-'zō-ik] -adj

  1. saprophytic used of animals (as protozoans)

sap·sa·go [sap-'sā-(,)gō, 'sap-sə-,gō] -n

  1. a very hard green skim-milk cheese flavored with the powdered leaves of an aromatic European legume ( Trigonella caerulea)

sap·suck·er ['sap-,sə-kər] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Sphyrapicus) of No. American woodpeckers that drill holes in trees in order to obtain sap and insects for food

sap·wood [-,wu̇d] -n

  1. the younger softer living or physiologically active outer portion of wood that lies between the cambium and the heartwood and is more permeable, less durable, and usu. lighter in color than the heartwood

sa·quin·a·vir [sə-'kwi-nə-,vir] -n

  1. a protease inhibitor C 38H 50N 6O 5that is administered in the form of its methylated sulfonic salt esp. in combination with other antiretroviral agents to treat HIV infection

SAR -abbr

  1. search and rescue

sar·a·band ['sa-rə-,band] -n

  1. a stately court dance of the 17th and 18th centuries resembling the minuet
  2. the music for the saraband in slow triple time with accent on the second beat

Sar·a·cen ['sa-rə-sən] -n, adj

  1. a member of a nomadic people of the deserts between Syria and Arabia
  2. arab

Sa·rah ['ser-ə, 'sā-rə] -n

  1. the wife of Abraham and mother of Isaac
  2. a kinswoman of Tobias married to him

sa·ran [sə-'ran] -n

  1. a tough flexible thermoplastic resin

sarape [sə-'rä-pē, -'ra-] -n

(variant of serape)

  1. a colorful woolen shawl worn over the shoulders esp. by Mexican men

Sar·a·to·ga trunk [,sa-rə-'tō-gə-] -n

  1. a large traveling trunk usu. with a rounded top

sarc- -comb form

  1. flesh
    • sarc oid
  2. striated muscle
    • sarco lemma

sar·casm ['sär-,ka-zəm] -n

  1. a sharp and often satirical or ironic utterance designed to cut or give pain
  2. a mode of satirical wit depending for its effect on bitter, caustic, and often ironic language that is usu. directed against an individual
  3. the use or language of sarcasm

sar·cas·tic [sär-'kas-tik] -adj, adv

  1. having the character of sarcasm
    • sarcastic criticism
  2. given to the use of sarcasm : caustic
    • a sarcastic critic

sarce·net ['sär-snət] -n

  1. a soft silk in plain or twill weaves
  2. a garment made of this

sarcenet -adj

  1. made of sarcenet
  2. soft like sarcenet

sar·coid ['sär-,kȯid] -n

  1. any of various diseases characterized esp. by the formation of nodules in the skin
  2. a nodule characteristic of sarcoid or of sarcoidosis

sar·coid·o·sis [,sär-,kȯi-'dō-səs] -n

  1. a chronic disease of unknown cause that is characterized by the formation of nodules esp. in the lymph nodes, lungs, bones, and skin

sar·co·lem·ma [,sär-kə-'le-mə] -n, adj

  1. the membrane enclosing a striated muscle fiber

sar·co·ma [sär-'kō-mə] -n, adj

  1. a malignant tumor arising in tissue (as connective tissue, bone, cartilage, or striated muscle) of mesodermal origin

sar·co·ma·to·sis [(,)sär-,kō-mə-'tō-səs] -n

  1. a disease characterized by the presence and spread of sarcomas

sar·co·mere ['sär-kə-,mir] -n

  1. any of the repeating structural units of striated muscle fibrils

sar·coph·a·gus [sär-'kä-fə-gəs] -n

  1. a stone coffin
  2. coffin

sar·co·plasm ['sär-kə-,pla-zəm] -n, adj

  1. the cytoplasm of a striated muscle fiber

sarcoplasmic reticulum -n

  1. the specialized endoplasmic reticulum of cardiac muscle and skeletal striated muscle that functions esp. as a storage and release area for calcium

sar·cop·tic mange [(,)sär-'käp-tik-] -n

  1. mange caused by mites (genus Sarcoptes) burrowing in the skin esp. of the head and face

sar·co·some ['sär-kə-,sōm] -n, adj

  1. a mitochondrion of a striated muscle fiber

sard ['särd] -n

  1. a reddish-brown variety of chalcedony sometimes classified as a variety of carnelian

sardar ['sər-,där, sər-'] -n

(variant of sirdar)

  1. a person of high rank (as a hereditary noble) esp. in India
  2. the commander of the Anglo-Egyptian army
  3. one (as a foreman) holding a responsible position esp. in India

sar·dine [sär-'dēn] -n

  1. any of several small or immature fishes of the herring family
  2. the European pilchard ( Sardina pilchardus) esp. when young and of a size suitable for preserving for food
  3. any of various small fishes (as an anchovy) resembling the true sardines or similarly preserved for food

Sar·din·ian [sär-'di-nē-ən, -'din-yən] -n, adj

  1. a native or inhabitant of Sardinia
  2. the Romance language of central and southern Sardinia

sar·don·ic [sär-'dä-nik] -adj, adv

  1. disdainfully or skeptically humorous : derisively mocking
    • a sardonic comment

sar·don·i·cism [sär-'dä-nə-,si-zəm] -n

  1. sardonic quality or humor

sar·don·yx [sär-'dä-niks also 'sär-də-niks] -n

  1. an onyx having parallel layers of sard

sar·gas·so [sär-'ga-(,)sō] -n

  1. gulfweed, sargassum
  2. a mass of floating vegetation and esp. sargassums

sar·gas·sum [sär-'ga-səm] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Sargassum) of brown algae that have a branching thallus with lateral outgrowths differentiated as leafy segments, air bladders, or spore-bearing structures : gulfweed

sarge ['särj] -n

  1. sergeant

sa·ri ['sär-ē] -n

  1. a garment of southern Asian women that consists of several yards of lightweight cloth draped so that one end forms a skirt and the other a head or shoulder covering

sa·rin ['sär-ən, 'ser-; zä-'rēn] -n

  1. an extremely toxic chemical weapon C 4H 10FO 2P that is used as a lethal nerve gas called also GB

sark ['särk] -n

  1. shirt

sa·rod [sə-'rōd] -n

  1. a lute of northern India

sa·rong [sə-'rȯŋ, -'räŋ] -n

  1. a loose garment made of a long strip of cloth wrapped around the body that is worn by men and women chiefly of the Malay Archipelago and the Pacific islands

Sar·pe·don [sär-'pē-dᵊn] -n

  1. a son of Zeus and Europa and king of Lycia killed in the Trojan War

sar·ra·ce·nia [,sa-rə-'sē-nē-ə, -'se-] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Sarracenia) of eastern No. American insectivorous perennial herbs of the pitcher-plant family

SARS ['särz] -n

  1. a severe respiratory illness that is caused by a coronavirus (species Severe acute respiratory syndrome virusof the genus Coronavirus), is transmitted esp. by contact with infectious material (as respiratory droplets or body fluids), and is characterized by fever, headache, body aches, a dry cough, hypoxia, and usu. pneumonia

sar·sa·pa·ril·la [,sas-pə-'ri-lə, ,särs-, -'re-; ,sa-sə-, ,sär-sə-] -n

  1. any of various tropical American greenbriers
  2. the dried roots of a sarsaparilla used esp. as a flavoring
  3. any of various plants (as wild sarsaparilla) that resemble or are used as a substitute for sarsaparilla
  4. a sweetened carbonated beverage flavored with sassafras and oil distilled from a European birch

sarsenet ['sär-snət] -n

(variant of sarcenet)

  1. a soft silk in plain or twill weaves
  2. a garment made of this

sar·to·ri·al [sär-'tȯr-ē-əl, sə(r)-] -adj, adv

  1. of or relating to a tailor or tailored clothes
  2. of or relating to clothes
    • poor sartorial taste

sar·to·ri·us [sär-'tȯr-ē-əs] -n

  1. a muscle that crosses the front of the thigh obliquely, assists in rotating the leg to the cross-legged position in which the knees are spread wide apart, and in humans is the longest muscle

Sar·um ['ser-əm] -adj

  1. of or relating to the Roman rite as modified in Salisbury and used in England, Wales, and Ireland before the Reformation

SASE -abbr

  1. self-addressed stamped envelope

sash ['sash] -n, adj

  1. a band worn about the waist or over one shoulder and used as a dress accessory or the emblem of an honorary or military order
  2. the framework in which panes of glass are set in a window or door
  3. such a framework together with its panes forming a usu. movable part of a window

sa·shay [sa-'shā also sī-] -vi

  1. to make a chasse
  2. walk, glide, go
  3. to strut or move about in an ostentatious or conspicuous manner
  4. to proceed or move in a diagonal or sideways manner

sashay -n

  1. trip, excursion
  2. a square-dance figure in which partners sidestep in a circle around each other with the man moving behind the woman
  3. chasse

sa·shi·mi ['sä-shə-mē, sä-'shē-] -n

  1. a Japanese dish of thinly sliced raw fish

Sask -abbr

  1. Saskatchewan

sas·ka·toon [,sas-kə-'tün] -n

  1. serviceberry
  2. a serviceberry ( Amelanchier alnifolia) chiefly of the northwestern U.S. and western Canada
  3. the fruit of a saskatoon

Sas·quatch ['sas-,kwach, -,kwäch] -n

  1. a hairy creature like a human being reported to exist in the northwestern U.S. and western Canada and said to be a primate between 6 and 15 feet (1.8 and 4.6 meters) tall called also bigfoot

sass ['sas] -n

  1. impudent speech
  2. to talk impudently or disrespectfully to

sas·sa·fras ['sa-sə-,fras] -n

  1. an eastern No. American tree ( Sassafras albidum) of the laurel family having both ovate and lobed aromatic leaves
  2. the carcinogenic dried root bark of the sassafras used formerly as a diaphoretic or flavoring agent

Sas·sa·ni·an [sə-'sā-nē-ən, sa-'sā-] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or having the characteristics of the Sassanid dynasty of ancient Persia or its art or architecture

Sassanian -n

  1. sassanid

Sas·sa·nid [sə-'sä-nəd, -'sa-; 'sa-sə-nəd] -n, adj

  1. a member of a dynasty of Persian kings of the third to seventh centuries

sassy ['sa-sē] -adj

  1. impudent
  2. vigorous, lively
  3. distinctively smart and stylish

sas·tru·ga ['sas-trə-gə, 'säs-; ,sas-'trü-gə, ,säs-] -n

  1. a wavelike ridge of hard snow formed by the wind usu. used in pl.

sat ['sit] -vb

(variant of sit)

  1. to rest on the buttocks or haunches
    • sit in a chair
    often used with down
  2. perch, roost
  3. to occupy a place as a member of an official body
    • sit in Congress
  4. to hold a session : be in session for official business
  5. to cover eggs for hatching : brood
  6. to take a position for having one's portrait painted or for being photographed
  7. to serve as a model
  8. to have one's dwelling place : dwell
  9. to lie or hang relative to a wearer
    • the collar sit s awkwardly
  10. to affect one with or as if with weight
    • the food sat heavily on his stomach
  11. lie, rest
    • a kettle sitting on the stove
  12. to have a location
    • the house sit s well back from the road
  13. to blow from a certain direction
  14. to remain inactive or quiescent
    • the car sit s in the garage
  15. to take an examination
  16. babysit
  17. to please or agree with one used with with and an adverb
    • the decision did not sit well with me
  18. to cause to be seated : place on or in a seat often used with down
  19. to sit on (eggs)
  20. to keep one's seat on
    • sit a horse
  21. to provide seats or seating room for
  22. the manner in which a garment fits
  23. an act or period of sitting

Sat -abbr

  1. Saturday

SAT [,es-,ā-'tē] -trademark

  1. used for a standardized test used to evaluate suitability for college admission

Sa·tan ['sā-tᵊn] -n

  1. the angel who in Jewish belief is commanded by God to tempt humans to sin, to accuse the sinners, and to carry out God's punishment
  2. the rebellious angel who in Christian belief is the adversary of God and lord of evil

sa·tang [sə-'täŋ] -n

  1. see baht at

sa·tan·ic [sə-'ta-nik, sā-] -adj, adv

  1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Satan or satanism
    • satanic pride
    • satanic rites
  2. characterized by extreme cruelty or viciousness

sa·tan·ism ['sā-tə-,ni-zəm] -n

  1. innate wickedness
  2. obsession with or affinity for evil
  3. worship of Satan marked by the travesty of Christian rites

satch·el ['sa-chəl] -n

  1. a small bag often with a shoulder strap

sate ['sit] -vb

(variant of sit)

  1. to rest on the buttocks or haunches
    • sit in a chair
    often used with down
  2. perch, roost
  3. to occupy a place as a member of an official body
    • sit in Congress
  4. to hold a session : be in session for official business
  5. to cover eggs for hatching : brood
  6. to take a position for having one's portrait painted or for being photographed
  7. to serve as a model
  8. to have one's dwelling place : dwell
  9. to lie or hang relative to a wearer
    • the collar sit s awkwardly
  10. to affect one with or as if with weight
    • the food sat heavily on his stomach
  11. lie, rest
    • a kettle sitting on the stove
  12. to have a location
    • the house sit s well back from the road
  13. to blow from a certain direction
  14. to remain inactive or quiescent
    • the car sit s in the garage
  15. to take an examination
  16. babysit
  17. to please or agree with one used with with and an adverb
    • the decision did not sit well with me
  18. to cause to be seated : place on or in a seat often used with down
  19. to sit on (eggs)
  20. to keep one's seat on
    • sit a horse
  21. to provide seats or seating room for
  22. the manner in which a garment fits
  23. an act or period of sitting

sa·teen [sa-'tēn, sə-] -n

  1. a smooth durable lustrous fabric usu. made of cotton in satin weave

sat·el·lite ['sa-tə-,līt] -n, adj

  1. a hired agent or obsequious follower : minion, sycophant
  2. a celestial body orbiting another of larger size
  3. a manufactured object or vehicle intended to orbit the earth, the moon, or another celestial body
  4. someone or something attendant, subordinate, or dependent
  5. a country politically and economically dominated or controlled by another more powerful country
  6. a usu. independent urban community situated near but not immediately adjacent to a large city

satellite dish -n

  1. a microwave dish for receiving usu. television transmissions from an orbiting satellite

satellite DNA -n

  1. a fraction of a eukaryotic organism's DNA that differs in density from most of its DNA as determined by centrifugation, that consists of short repetitive nucleotide sequences, that does not undergo transcription, and that is often found in centromeric regions

sa·tem ['sä-təm] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or constituting an Indo-European language group in which the palatal stops became in prehistoric times palatal or alveolar fricatives

sati [(,)sə-'tē, 'sə-,tē] -n

(variant of suttee)

  1. the act or custom of a Hindu widow willingly being cremated on the funeral pyre of her husband as an indication of her devotion to him
  2. a woman cremated in this way

sa·tia·ble ['sā-shə-bəl] -adj

  1. capable of being appeased or satisfied
    • satiable curiosity

sa·tiate ['sā-sh(ē-)ət] -adj

  1. filled to satiety

sa·ti·ate ['sā-shē-,āt] -vt, n

  1. to satisfy (as a need or desire) fully or to excess

sa·ti·ety [sə-'tī-ə-tē also 'sā-sh(ē-)ə-] -n

  1. the quality or state of being fed or gratified to or beyond capacity : surfeit, fullness
  2. the revulsion or disgust caused by overindulgence or excess

sat·in ['sa-tᵊn] -n

  1. a fabric (as of silk) in satin weave with lustrous face and dull back

satin -adj

  1. made of or covered with satin
  2. suggestive of satin esp. in smooth lustrous appearance or sleekness to touch

sat·in·et [,sa-tə-'net] -n

  1. a thin silk satin or imitation satin
  2. a variation of satin weave used in making satinet

satin stitch -n

  1. an embroidery stitch worked in parallel lines so closely and evenly as to resemble satin

satin weave -n

  1. a weave in which warp threads interlace with filling threads to produce a smooth-faced fabric

sat·in·wood ['sa-tᵊn-,wu̇d] -n

  1. a tree ( Chloroxylon swietenia) of the rue family native to India and Sri Lanka that yields a lustrous yellowish-brown wood
  2. a tree (as the West Indian Zanthoxylum flavumof the rue family) with wood resembling true satinwood
  3. the wood of a satinwood

sat·iny ['sat-nē, 'sa-tᵊn-ē] -adj

  1. having or resembling the soft usu. lustrous smoothness of satin
    • a satiny finish

sat·ire ['sa-,tī(-ə)r] -n

  1. a literary work holding up human vices and follies to ridicule or scorn
  2. trenchant wit, irony, or sarcasm used to expose and discredit vice or folly

sa·tir·ic [sə-'tir-ik] -adj, adv

  1. of, relating to, or constituting satire
    • satiric writers
  2. manifesting or given to satire

sat·i·rise [-,rīz] -vb, adj

(variant of satirize)

  1. to utter or write satire
  2. to censure or ridicule by means of satire

sat·i·rist ['sa-tə-rist] -n

  1. one that satirizes
  2. a writer of satire

sat·i·rize [-,rīz] -vb, adj

  1. to utter or write satire
  2. to censure or ridicule by means of satire

sat·is·fac·tion [,sa-təs-'fak-shən] -n

  1. the payment through penance of the temporal punishment incurred by a sin
  2. reparation for sin that meets the demands of divine justice
  3. fulfillment of a need or want
  4. the quality or state of being satisfied : contentment
  5. a source or means of enjoyment : gratification
  6. compensation for a loss or injury : atonement, restitution
  7. the discharge of a legal obligation or claim
  8. vindication
  9. convinced assurance or certainty
    • proved to the satisfaction of the court

sat·is·fac·to·ry [,sa-təs-'fak-t(ə-)rē] -adj, adv, n

  1. giving satisfaction : adequate
    • a satisfactory performance

sat·is·fi·able ['sa-təs-,fī-ə-bəl] -adj

  1. capable of being satisfied

sat·is·fy ['sa-təs-,fī] -vb, adv

  1. to carry out the terms of (as a contract) : discharge
  2. to meet a financial obligation to
  3. to make reparation to (an injured party) : indemnify
  4. to make happy : please
  5. to gratify to the full : appease
  6. convince
  7. to put an end to (doubt or uncertainty) : dispel
  8. to conform to (as specifications) : be adequate to (an end in view)
  9. to make true by fulfilling a condition
    • values that satisfy an equation
    • satisfy a hypothesis
  10. to be adequate : suffice
  11. please

sa·to·ri [sə-'tȯr-ē, sä-] -n

  1. sudden enlightenment and a state of consciousness attained by intuitive illumination representing the spiritual goal of Zen Buddhism

sa·trap ['sā-,trap also 'sa-,trap or 'sa-trəp] -n

  1. the governor of a province in ancient Persia
  2. ruler
  3. a subordinate official : henchman

sa·tra·py ['sā-trə-pē, 'sa-, -,tra-pē] -n

  1. the territory or jurisdiction of a satrap

sat·su·ma [sat-'sü-mə, 'sat-sə-] -n

  1. any of several cultivated cold-tolerant mandarin trees that bear medium-sized largely seedless fruits with thin smooth skin
  2. the fruit of a satsuma

sat·u·ra·ble ['sach-rə-bəl, 'sa-chə-] -adj

  1. capable of being saturated

sat·u·rant [-rənt] -n

  1. something that saturates

sat·u·rate ['sa-chə-,rāt] -vt, n

  1. to satisfy fully : satiate
  2. to treat, furnish, or charge with something to the point where no more can be absorbed, dissolved, or retained
    • water saturated with salt
  3. to fill completely with something that permeates or pervades
    • book is saturated with Hollywood -- Newgate Callendar
  4. to load to capacity
  5. to cause to combine until there is no further tendency to combine
  6. saturated

saturated -adj

  1. full of moisture : made thoroughly wet
  2. being a solution that is unable to absorb or dissolve any more of a solute at a given temperature and pressure
  3. being an organic compound having no double or triple bonds between carbon atoms
    • saturated fats
  4. having high saturation : pure

sat·u·ra·tion [,sa-chə-'rā-shən] -n

  1. the act of saturating : the state of being saturated
  2. satiety, surfeit
  3. conversion of an unsaturated to a saturated chemical compound (as by hydrogenation)
  4. : a state of maximum impregnation: as
  5. complete infiltration : permeation
  6. the presence in air of the most water possible under existent pressure and temperature
  7. magnetization to the point beyond which a further increase in the intensity of the magnetizing force will produce no further magnetization
  8. chromatic purity : freedom from dilution with white
  9. degree of difference from the gray having the same lightness used of an object color
  10. degree of difference from the achromatic light-source color of the same brightness used of a light-source color
  11. the supplying of a market with as much of a product as it will absorb
  12. an overwhelming concentration of military forces or firepower

Sat·ur·day ['sa-tər-(,)dā, -dē] -n, adv

  1. the seventh day of the week

Saturday night special -n

  1. a cheap easily concealed handgun

Sat·urn ['sa-tərn] -n

  1. a Roman god of agriculture and father by Ops of Jupiter
  2. the planet sixth in order from the sun

sat·ur·na·lia [,sa-tər-'nāl-yə, -'nā-lē-ə] -n pl but sing or pl in constr, adj, adv

  1. the festival of Saturn in ancient Rome beginning on Dec. 17
  2. an unrestrained often licentious celebration : orgy
  3. excess, extravagance

Sa·tur·ni·an [sa-'tər-nē-ən, sə-] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or influenced by the planet Saturn
  2. of or relating to the god Saturn or the golden age of his reign

sa·tur·ni·id [-nē-əd] -n, adj

  1. any of a family (Saturniidae) of usu. large stout strong-winged moths (as a luna moth or a cecropia moth) with hairy bodies

sat·ur·nine ['sa-tər-,nīn] -adj

  1. born under or influenced astrologically by the planet Saturn
  2. cold and steady in mood : slow to act or change
  3. of a gloomy or surly disposition
  4. having a sardonic aspect
    • a saturnine smile

sat·urn·ism ['sa-tər-,ni-zəm] -n

  1. lead poisoning

sa·tya·gra·ha [(,)sə-'tyä-grə-hə, 'sə-tyə-] -n

  1. pressure for social and political reform through friendly passive resistance practiced by M. K. Gandhi and his followers in India

sa·tyr ['sā-tər, chiefly Brit 'sa-] -n, adj

  1. a sylvan deity in Greek mythology having certain characteristics of a horse or goat and fond of Dionysian revelry
  2. a lecherous man
  3. one having satyriasis
  4. any of various satyrid butterflies

sa·ty·ri·a·sis [,sā-tə-'rī-ə-səs, ,sa-] -n

  1. excessive or abnormal sexual craving in the male

sa·ty·rid [sə-'tī-rəd] -n, adj

  1. any of a family (Satyridae) of usu. brown or gray butterflies that feed on grasses as larvae, typically have eyespots on the wings, and have one or more forewing veins swollen basally

satyr play -n

  1. a comic play of ancient Greece burlesquing a mythological subject and having a chorus representing satyrs

sauce ['sȯs, usu 'sas for 4] -n

  1. a condiment or relish for food
  2. a fluid dressing or topping
  3. something that adds zest or piquancy
  4. stewed fruit eaten with other food or as a dessert
  5. pert or impudent language or actions
  6. liquor used with the
  7. to dress with relish or seasoning
  8. to cover or serve with a sauce
  9. to modify the harsh or unpleasant characteristics of
  10. to give zest or piquancy to
  11. to be rude or impudent to

sauce·boat ['sȯs-,bōt] -n

  1. a low boat-shaped pitcher for serving sauces and gravies

sauce·box ['sȯs-,bäks, 'sas-] -n

  1. a saucy impudent person

sauce·pan ['sȯs-,pan, esp Brit -pən] -n

  1. a small deep cooking pan with a handle

sau·cer ['sȯ-sər] -n, adj

  1. a small shallow dish in which a cup is set at table
  2. something resembling a saucer esp. in shape
  3. flying saucer

saucy ['sȯ-sē, 'sa-] -adj, adv, n

  1. served with or having the consistency of sauce
  2. impertinently bold and impudent
  3. amusingly forward and flippant : irrepressible
  4. smart, trim
    • a saucy little hat

sau·er·bra·ten ['sau̇(-ə)r-,brä-tᵊn] -n

  1. oven-roasted or pot-roasted beef marinated before cooking in vinegar with peppercorns, garlic, onions, and bay leaves

sau·er·kraut ['sau̇(-ə)r-,krau̇t] -n

  1. cabbage cut fine and fermented in a brine made of its own juice with salt

sau·ger ['sȯ-gər] -n

  1. a pike perch ( Stizostedion canadense) of Canada and the U.S. similar to the walleye but smaller

saugh ['säk̲, 'sȯk̲] -n

  1. sallow

Sauk ['sȯk] -n

  1. a member of an American Indian people formerly living in what is now Wisconsin

Saul ['sȯl, 'säl] -n

  1. the first king of Israel
  2. the apostle Paul called also Saul of Tarsus

sau·na ['sȯ-nə, 'sau̇-nə] -n

  1. a Finnish steam bath in which the steam is provided by water thrown on hot stones
  2. a bathhouse or room used for such a bath
  3. a dry heat bath
  4. a room or cabinet used for such a bath

saun·ter ['sȯn-tər, 'sän-] -vi, n

  1. to walk about in an idle or leisurely manner : stroll
    • saunter ed slowly down the street

sau·rel [sȯ-'rel] -n

  1. jack mackerel

sau·ri·an ['sȯr-ē-ən] -n, adj

  1. any of a suborder (Sauria) of reptiles including the lizards and in older classifications the crocodiles and various extinct forms (as the dinosaurs and ichthyosaurs) that resemble lizards

saur·is·chi·an [(,)sȯ-'ris-kē-ən] -n, adj

  1. any of an order (Saurischia) of herbivorous or carnivorous dinosaurs that have the pubis of the pelvis typically pointed downward and forward and that include the sauropods and theropods

sau·ro·pod ['sȯr-ə-,päd] -n, adj

  1. any of a suborder (Sauropoda) of quadrupedal herbivorous saurischian dinosaurs (as a brontosaurus) of the Jurassic and Cretaceous having a long neck and tail, small head, and 5-toed limbs on which they tended to walk in a digitigrade fashion

sau·ry ['sȯr-ē] -n

  1. a widely distributed fish ( Scombresox saurus) of temperate waters of the Atlantic that resembles the related needlefishes
  2. a similar widely distributed fish ( C. saira) of temperate waters of the Pacific

sau·sage ['sȯ-sij] -n

  1. a highly seasoned minced meat (as pork) usu. stuffed in casings of prepared animal intestine
  2. a link or patty of sausage

sau·te [sȯ-'tā, sō-] -n, adj

  1. a sauteed dish

saute -vt

  1. to fry in a small amount of fat

sau·ternes [sō-'tərn, sȯ-, -'tern] -n

  1. a full-bodied sweet white wine from the Bordeaux region of France
  2. a semidry to semisweet American white wine that is a blend of several grapes

sau·vi·gnon blanc [,sō-vēn-'yōⁿ-'bläⁿ] -n

  1. a dry white wine made from a grape orig. grown in Bordeaux and the Loire valley

sav·age ['sa-vij] -adj, adv, n

  1. not domesticated or under human control : untamed
    • savage beasts
  2. lacking the restraints normal to civilized human beings : fierce, ferocious
    • a savage criminal
  3. wild, uncultivated
    • seldom have I seen such savage scenery -- Douglas Carruthers
  4. boorish, rude
    • the savage bad manners of most motorists -- M. P. O'Connor
  5. malicious
  6. lacking complex or advanced culture : uncivilized
    • a savage country

savage -n

  1. a person belonging to a primitive society
  2. a brutal person
  3. a rude or unmannerly person
  4. to attack or treat brutally

sav·age·ry ['sa-vij-rē, -vi-jə-] -n

  1. the quality of being savage
  2. an act of cruelty or violence
  3. an uncivilized state

sav·ag·ism ['sa-vi-,ji-zəm] -n

  1. savagery

sa·van·na [sə-'va-nə] -n

  1. a treeless plain esp. in Florida
  2. a tropical or subtropical grassland (as of eastern Africa or northern So. America) containing scattered trees and drought-resistant undergrowth
  3. a temperate grassland with scattered trees (as oaks)

sa·vant [sa-'vänt, sə-, -'väⁿ; sə-'vant, 'sa-vənt] -n

  1. a person of learning
  2. one with detailed knowledge in some specialized field (as of science or literature)
  3. idiot savant

sav·a·rin ['sa-və-rən] -n

  1. a rich yeast cake baked in a ring mold and soaked in a rum or kirsch syrup

sa·vate [sə-'vät, sa-, -'vat] -n

  1. a form of boxing in which blows are delivered with either the hands or the feet

save ['sāv] -vb, adj, n

  1. to deliver from sin
  2. to rescue or deliver from danger or harm
  3. to preserve or guard from injury, destruction, or loss
  4. to store (data) in a computer or on a storage device (as a floppy disk or CD)
  5. to put aside as a store or reserve : accumulate
    • saving money for emergencies
  6. to spend less by
    • save 25 percent
  7. to make unnecessary : avoid
    • it save s an hour's driving
  8. to keep from being lost to an opponent
  9. to prevent an opponent from scoring or winning
  10. maintain, preserve
    • save appearances
  11. to rescue or deliver someone
  12. to put aside money
  13. to avoid unnecessary waste or expense : economize
  14. to spend less money
  15. to make a save
  16. a play that prevents an opponent from scoring or winning
  17. the action of a relief pitcher in baseball in successfully protecting a team's lead
  18. official credit for a save
  19. other than : but, except
    • no hope save one
  20. except for the fact that : only used with that
    • of his earlier years little is known, save that he studied violin -- J. N. Burk
  21. but, except used before a word often taken to be the subject of a clause
    • no one knows about it save she

saveall ['sā-,vȯl] -n

  1. something that prevents waste, loss, or damage (as a receptacle for catching waste products for further use)

sav·e·loy ['sa-və-,lȯi] -n

  1. a highly seasoned dry sausage

sav·in ['sa-vən] -n

  1. a Eurasian juniper ( Juniperus sabina) with dark berrylike cones and foliage
  2. red cedar

saving -n

  1. preservation from danger or destruction : deliverance
  2. the act or an instance of economizing
  3. money put by
  4. the excess of income over consumption expenditures often used in pl.
  5. a usu. specified lower cost often used in pl.
    • a saving s of 50 percent
  6. except, save
  7. without disrespect to
  8. except, save

saving grace -n

  1. a redeeming quality or factor

savings account -n

  1. an account (as in a bank) on which interest is usu. paid and from which withdrawals can be made usu. only by presentation of a passbook or by written authorization on a prescribed form

savings and loan association -n

  1. a cooperative association organized to hold savings of members in the form of dividend-bearing shares and to invest chiefly in home mortgage loans called also savings and loan

savings bank -n

  1. a bank organized to hold funds of individual depositors in interest-bearing accounts and to make long-term investments (as in home mortgage loans)

savings bond -n

  1. a nontransferable registered U.S. bond issued in denominations of 50 to 10,000

sav·ior ['sāv-yər also -,yȯr] -n

  1. one that saves from danger or destruction
  2. one who brings salvation
  3. jesus

sa·voir faire [,sav-,wär-'fer] -n

  1. capacity for appropriate action
  2. a polished sureness in social behavior

sa·vor ['sā-vər] -n, adj

  1. the taste or smell of something
  2. a particular flavor or smell
  3. a distinctive quality

savor ['sā-vər-iŋ, 'sāv-riŋ] -vb, n

  1. to have a specified smell or quality : smack
  2. to give flavor to : season
  3. to have experience of : taste
  4. to taste or smell with pleasure : relish
  5. to delight in : enjoy
    • savor ing the moment

sa·vory ['sā-və-rē, 'sāv-rē] -adj, adv, n

  1. : having savor: as
  2. piquantly pleasant to the mind
    • a savory triumph
  3. morally exemplary : edifying
  4. pleasing to the sense of taste esp. by reason of effective seasoning
  5. pungently flavorful without sweetness

savory -n

  1. a dish of stimulating flavor served usu. at the end of dinner but sometimes as an appetizer

sa·vo·ry ['sā-və-rē, 'sāv-rē] -n

  1. : either of two aromatic mints:
  2. summer savory
  3. winter savory

Sa·voy·ard [sə-'vȯi-,ärd, ,sa-,vȯi-'ärd, ,sav-,wä-'yär(d)] -n

  1. a devotee, performer, or producer of the comic operas of W. S. Gilbert and A. S. Sullivan

sa·voy cabbage [sə-'vȯi-, 'sa-,vȯi-] -n

  1. a cabbage with compact heads of wrinkled and curled leaves

sav·vy ['sa-vē] -vb

  1. understand

savvy -n

  1. practical know-how
    • political savvy
  2. having or showing perception, comprehension, or shrewdness esp. in practical matters

saw ['sē] -vb, adj

(variant of see)

  1. to perceive by the eye
  2. to perceive or detect as if by sight
  3. to have experience of : undergo
    • see army service
  4. to come to know : discover
  5. to be the setting or time of
    • the last fifty years have seen a sweeping revolution in science -- Barry Commoner
  6. to form a mental picture of : visualize
    • can still see her as she was years ago
  7. to perceive the meaning or importance of : understand
  8. to be aware of : recognize
    • see s only our faults
  9. to imagine as a possibility : suppose
    • couldn't see him as a crook
  10. examine, watch
    • want to see how she handles the problem
  11. read
  12. to read of
  13. to attend as a spectator
    • see a play
  14. to take care of : provide for
    • had enough money to see us through
  15. to make sure
    • see that order is kept
  16. to regard as : judge
  17. to prefer to have
    • I'll see him hanged first
    • I'll see you dead before I accept your terms
  18. to find acceptable or attractive
    • can't understand what he see s in her
  19. to call on : visit
  20. to keep company with esp. in courtship or dating
    • had been see ing each other for a year
  21. to grant an interview to : receive
    • the president will see you now
  22. accompany, escort
    • see the guests to the door
  23. to meet (a bet) in poker or to equal the bet of (a player) : call
  24. to give or pay attention
  25. to look about
  26. to have the power of sight
  27. to apprehend objects by sight
  28. to perceive objects as if by sight
  29. to grasp something mentally
  30. to acknowledge or consider something being pointed out
    • see, I told you it would rain
  31. to make investigation or inquiry
  32. cathedra
  33. a cathedral town
  34. a seat of a bishop's office, power, or authority
  35. the authority or jurisdiction of a bishop

saw·bones ['sȯ-,bōnz] -n

  1. physician, surgeon

saw·buck ['sȯ-,bək] -n

  1. a 10-dollar bill
  2. sawhorse
  3. one with X-shaped ends

saw·dust ['sȯ-(,)dəst] -n

  1. fine particles (as of wood) made by a saw in cutting

sawedoff ['sȯd-,ȯf] -adj

  1. having an end sawed off
    • a sawedoff shotgun
  2. of less than average height

saw·fish ['sȯ-,fish] -n

  1. any of a family (Pristidae) of large elongate rays that resemble sharks but have a long flattened snout with a row of serrate structures along each edge and that live in tropical and subtropical shallow seas and in or near the mouths of rivers

saw·fly [-,flī] -n

  1. any of numerous hymenopterous insects (superfamily Tenthredinoidea and esp. family Tenthredinidae) with the female usu. having a sawlike ovipositor and with the larva resembling a plant-feeding caterpillar

saw grass -n

  1. any of various sedges (as of the genus Cladium) having the edges of the leaves set with minute sharp teeth

saw·horse ['sȯ-,hȯrs] -n

  1. a frame on which wood is laid for sawing by hand : horse

saw·log [-,lȯg, -,läg] -n

  1. a log of suitable size for sawing into lumber

saw·mill [-,mil] -n

  1. a mill or machine for sawing logs

saw palmetto -n

  1. any of several shrubby palms chiefly of the southern U.S. and West Indies that have spiny-toothed petioles
  2. a common palm ( Serenoa repens) of the southeastern U.S. with a usu. creeping stem
  3. a preparation derived from the berrylike fruit of a saw palmetto ( Serenoa repens) that is held to have a therapeutic effect on the prostate gland and is used in dietary supplements and herbal remedies

saw set -n

  1. an instrument used to set the teeth of saws

saw·tim·ber ['sȯ-,tim-bər] -n

  1. timber suitable for sawing into lumber

saw·tooth [-,tüth] -adj

  1. having serrations : arranged or having parts arranged like the teeth of a saw
    • a sawtooth roof

sawtoothed [-'tütht] -adj

  1. having teeth like those of a saw
    • a sawtoothed shark
  2. sawtooth

sawwhet owl ['sȯ-,hwet-, -,wet-] -n

  1. a very small harsh-voiced No. American owl ( Aegolius acadicus) that is largely dark brown above and chestnut streaked with white beneath called also saw-whet

saw·yer ['sȯ-yər, 'sȯi-ər] -n

  1. one that saws
  2. any of several large longicorn beetles whose larvae bore large holes in timber or dead wood
  3. a tree fast in the bed of a stream with its branches projecting to the surface and bobbing up and down with the current

sax ['saks] -n

  1. saxophone

sax·horn ['saks-,hȯrn] -n

  1. any of a group of valved brass instruments ranging from soprano to bass and characterized by a conical tube, oval shape, and cup-shaped mouthpiece

sax·ic·o·lous [sak-'si-kə-ləs] -adj

  1. inhabiting or growing among rocks
    • saxicolous lichens

sax·i·frage ['sak-sə-frij, -,frāj] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Saxifragaof the family Saxifragaceae, the saxifrage family) of chiefly perennial herbs with showy pentamerous flowers and often with basal tufted leaves

sax·i·tox·in [,sak-sə-'täk-sən] -n

  1. a potent nonprotein neurotoxin C 10H 17N 7O 42HCl that originates esp. in dinoflagellates (genus Gonyaulax) found in red tides and that sometimes occurs in and renders toxic normally edible mollusks which feed on them

Sax·on ['sak-sən] -n, adj

  1. a member of a Germanic people that entered and conquered England with the Angles and Jutes in the fifth century a.d.and merged with them to form the Anglo-Saxon people
  2. an Englishman or lowlander as distinguished from a Welshman, Irishman, or Highlander
  3. a native or inhabitant of Saxony
  4. the Germanic language or dialect of any of the Saxon peoples
  5. the Germanic element in the English language esp. as distinguished from the French and Latin

sax·o·ny ['sak-s(ə-)nē] -n

  1. a fine soft woolen fabric
  2. a fine closely twisted knitting yarn
  3. a Wilton jacquard carpet

sax·o·phone ['sak-sə-,fōn] -n, adj

  1. one of a group of single-reed woodwind instruments ranging from soprano to bass and characterized by a conical metal tube and finger keys

sax·tu·ba ['saks-,tü-bə, -,tyü-] -n

  1. a bass saxhorn

say ['sā, Southern also 'se] -vb, n

  1. to express in words : state
  2. to state as opinion or belief : declare
  3. utter, pronounce
  4. recite, repeat
    • say your prayers
  5. indicate, show
    • the clock say s five minutes after twelve
  6. to give expression to : communicate
    • a glance that said all that was necessary
  7. suppose, assume
    • let's say you're right
  8. to express oneself : speak
  9. something that is said : statement
  10. an expression of opinion
    • had my say
  11. a right or power to influence action or decision
  12. the authority to make final decisions
  13. about, approximately
    • the property is worth, say, four million dollars
  14. for example : as
    • if we compress any gas, say oxygen

say·able ['sā-ə-bəl, 'se-] -adj

  1. capable of being said
  2. capable of being spoken effectively or easily
    • readings in sayable Chinese -- Linguistic Reporter

say·est ['sā, Southern also 'se] -vb, n

(variant of say)

  1. to express in words : state
  2. to state as opinion or belief : declare
  3. utter, pronounce
  4. recite, repeat
    • say your prayers
  5. indicate, show
    • the clock say s five minutes after twelve
  6. to give expression to : communicate
    • a glance that said all that was necessary
  7. suppose, assume
    • let's say you're right
  8. to express oneself : speak
  9. something that is said : statement
  10. an expression of opinion
    • had my say
  11. a right or power to influence action or decision
  12. the authority to make final decisions
  13. about, approximately
    • the property is worth, say, four million dollars
  14. for example : as
    • if we compress any gas, say oxygen

saying -n

  1. something said
  2. adage

sa·yo·na·ra [,sī-ə-'när-ə, ,sä-yə-] -n

  1. good-bye

sayso ['sā-(,)sō, 'se-] -n

  1. one's unsupported assertion or assurance
  2. an authoritative pronouncement
    • left the hospital on the sayso of his doctor
  3. a right of final decision : say
    • has the ultimate sayso on what will be taught

say·yid ['sī-yəd, 'sā-; 'sīd, 'sād] -n

  1. an Islamic chief or leader
  2. lord, sir used as a courtesy title for a Muslim of rank or lineage