schizoid
schizoid: adj. & n. --adj. (of a person or personality etc.) tending to or resembling schizophrenia or a schizophrenic, but usu. without delusions. --n. a schizoid person.

similar
similar: adj.
1 like, alike.
2 (often foll. by to) having a resemblance.
3 of the same kind, nature, or amount.
4 Geom. shaped alike. øøsimilarity n. (pl. -ies). similarly adv. [F similaire or med.L similaris f. L similis like]

shebang
shebang: n. US sl.
1 a matter or affair (esp. the whole shebang).
2 a shed or hut. [19th c.: orig. unkn.]

spectrophotometer
spectrophotometer: n. an instrument for measuring and recording the intensity of light in various parts of the spectrum. øøspectrophotometric adj. spectrophotometry n.

spelling
spelling: n.
1 the process or activity of writing or naming the letters of a word etc.
2 the way a word is spelled.
3 the ability to spell (his spelling is weak). øspelling-bee a spelling competition.

surfactant
surfactant: n. a substance which reduces surface tension. [surface- active]

seaworthy
seaworthy: adj. (esp. of a ship) fit to put to sea. øøseaworthiness n.

smitten
smitten: past part. of SMITE.

sympathetic
sympathetic: adj. & n. --adj.
1 of, showing, or expressing sympathy.
2 due to sympathy.
3 likeable or capable of evoking sympathy.
4 (of a person) friendly and cooperative.
5 (foll. by to) inclined to favour (a proposal etc.) (was most sympathetic to the idea).
6 (of a landscape etc.) that touches the feelings by association etc.
7 (of a pain etc.) caused by a pain or injury to someone else or in another part of the body.
8 (of a sound, resonance, or string) sounding by a vibration communicated from another vibrating object.
9 a designating the part of the nervous system consisting of nerves leaving the thoracic and lumbar regions of the spinal cord and connecting with the nerve cells in or near the viscera (see PARASYMPATHETIC ). b (of a nerve or ganglion) belonging to this system. --n.
1 a sympathetic nerve.
2 the sympathetic system. øsympathetic magic a type of magic that seeks to achieve an effect by performing an associated action or using an associated thing. øøsympathetically adv. [SYMPATHY, after pathetic]

swanky
swanky: adj. (swankier, swankiest.
1 marked by swank; ostentatiously smart or showy.
2 (of a person) inclined to swank; boastful. øøswankily adv. swankiness n.

smoker
smoker: n.
1 a person or thing that smokes, esp. a person who habitually smokes tobacco.
2 a compartment on a train, in which smoking is allowed.
3 esp. US an informal social gathering of men. øsmoker's cough an ailment caused by excessive smoking.

social
social: adj. & n. --adj.
1 of or relating to society or its organization.
2 concerned with the mutual relations of human beings or of classes of human beings.
3 living in organized communities; unfitted for a solitary life (man is a social animal).
4 a needing companionship; gregarious, interdependent. b cooperative; practising the division of labour.
5 existing only as a member of a compound organism.
6 a (of insects) living together in organized communities. b (of birds) nesting near each other in communities.
7 (of plants) growing thickly together and monopolizing the ground they grow on. --n. a social gathering, esp. one organized by a club, congregation, etc. øsocial anthropology the comparative study of peoples through their culture and kinship systems. social climber derog. a person anxious to gain a higher social status. social contract (or compact) an agreement to cooperate for social benefits, e.g. by sacrificing some individual freedom for State protection. social credit the economic theory that the profits of industry should be distributed to the general public. social democracy a socialist system achieved by democratic means. social democrat a person who advocates social democracy. social order the network of human relationships in society. social realism the expression of social or political views in art. social science a the scientific study of human society and social relationships. b a branch of this (e.g. politics or economics). social scientist a student of or expert in the social sciences. social secretary a person who makes arrangements for the social activities of a person or organization. social security State assistance to those lacking in economic security and welfare, e.g. the aged and the unemployed. social service philanthropic activity. social services services provided by the State for the community, esp. education, health, and housing. social war hist. a war fought between allies. social work work of benefit to those in need of help or welfare, esp. done by specially trained personnel. social worker a person trained to do social work. øøsociality n. socially adv. [F social or L socialis allied f. socius friend]

seasonal
seasonal: adj. of, depending on, or varying with the season. øseasonal affective disorder a depressive state associated with late autumn and winter and thought to be caused by a lack of light. øøseasonality n. seasonally adv.

storage
storage: n.
1 a the storing of goods etc. b a particular method of storing or the space available for it.
2 the cost of storing.
3 the electronic retention of data in a computer etc. østorage battery (or cell) a battery (or cell) for storing electricity. storage heater Brit. an electric heater accumulating heat outside peak hours for later release.

slinky
slinky: adj. (slinkier, slinkiest.
1 stealthy.
2 (of a garment) close-fitting and flowing, sinuous.
3 gracefully slender. øøslinkily adv. slinkiness n.

strung
strung: past and past part. of STRING.

samoan
Samoan: n. & adj. --n.
1 a native of Samoa, a group of islands in the Pacific.
2 the language of this people. --adj. of or relating to Samoa or its people or language. [Samoa]

snorkel
snorkel: n. & v. (also schnorkel) --n.
1 a breathing-tube for an underwater swimmer.
2 a device for supplying air to a submerged submarine. --v.intr. (snorkelled, snorkelling; US snorkeled, snorkeling) use a snorkel. øøsnorkeller n. [G Schnorchel]

spurious
spurious: adj.
1 not genuine, not being what it purports to be, not proceeding from the pretended source (a spurious excuse).
2 having an outward similarity of form or function only.
3 (of offspring) illegitimate. øøspuriously adv. spuriousness n. [L spurius false]

solvent
solvent: adj. & n. --adj.
1 able to dissolve or form a solution with something.
2 having enough money to meet one's liabilities. --n.
1 a solvent liquid etc.
2 a dissolving or weakening agent. øøsolvency n. (in sense 2).

splice
splice: v. & n. --v.tr.
1 join the ends of (ropes) by interweaving strands.
2 join (pieces of timber, magnetic tape, film, etc.) in an overlapping position.
3 (esp. as spliced adj.) colloq. join in marriage. --n. a joint consisting of two ropes, pieces of wood, film, etc., made by splicing, e.g. the handle and blade of a cricket bat. øsplice the main brace Naut. hist. issue an extra tot of rum. øøsplicer n. [prob. f. MDu. splissen, of uncert. orig.]

stringed
stringed: adj. (of musical instruments) having strings (also in comb.: twelve-stringed guitar).

supplement
supplement: n. & v. --n.
1 a thing or part added to remedy deficiencies (dietary supplement).
2 a part added to a book etc. to provide further information.
3 a separate section, esp. a colour magazine, added to a newspaper or periodical.
4 Geom. the amount by which an angle is less than 180Û (cf. COMPLEMENT). --v.tr. provide a supplement for. øøsupplemental adj. supplementally adv. supplementation n. [ME f. L supplementum (as SUB-, plere fill)]

schizophrenia
schizophrenia: n. a mental disease marked by a breakdown in the relation between thoughts, feelings, and actions, frequently accompanied by delusions and retreat from social life. øøschizophrenic adj. & n. [mod.L f. Gk skhizo to split + phren mind]

settlement
settlement: n.
1 the act or an instance of settling; the process of being settled.
2 a the colonization of a region. b a place or area occupied by settlers. c a small village.
3 a a political or financial etc. agreement. b an arrangement ending a dispute.
4 a the terms on which property is given to a person. b a deed stating these. c the amount of property given. d = marriage settlement.
5 the process of settling an account.
6 subsidence of a wall, house, soil, etc.

speciation
speciation: n. Biol. the formation of a new species in the course of evolution.

sweeper
sweeper: n.
1 a person who cleans by sweeping.
2 a device for sweeping carpets etc.
3 Football a defensive player positioned close to the goalkeeper.

sooth
sooth: n. archaic truth, fact. øin sooth really, truly. [OE soth (orig. adj., = true) f. Gmc]

substitution
school
sweepback
sweepback: n. the angle at which an aircraft's wing is set back from a position at right angles to the body.

standing
standing: n. & adj. --n.
1 esteem or repute, esp. high; status, position (people of high standing; is of no standing).
2 duration (a dispute of long standing).
3 length of service, membership, etc. --adj.
1 that stands, upright.
2 a established, permanent (a standing rule). b not made, raised, etc., for the occasion (a standing army).
3 (of a jump, start, race, etc.) performed from rest or from a standing position.
4 (of water) stagnant.
5 (of corn) unreaped.
6 (of a stallion) that stands at stud.
7 Printing (formerly, of type) not yet distributed after use. øall standin.
1 Naut. without time to lower the sails.
2 taken by surprise. in good standing fully paid-up as a member etc. leave a person standing make far more rapid progress than he or she. standing committee see COMMITTEE . standing joke an object of permanent ridicule. standing order an instruction to a banker to make regular payments, or to a newsagent etc. for a regular supply of a periodical etc. standing orders the rules governing the manner in which all business shall be conducted in a parliament, council, society, etc. standing ovation a rousing ovation conferred by an audience risen from their seats. standing rigging rigging which is fixed in position. standing-room space to stand in. standing wave Physics the vibration of a system in which some particular points remain fixed while others between them vibrate with the maximum amplitude (cf. travelling wave).

saccade
saccade: n. a brief rapid movement of the eye between fixation points. øøsaccadic adj. [F, = violent pull, f. OF saquer, sachier pull]