saccate - having a sac (baglike part in a plant or an animal) or the shape of a sac: Freshwater angelfish are saccate for the first few days of their life; during this time, they derive nourishment from the sac and need no additional food. Also: saccated (saccate). [sacculus, sacculi, m. - small bag]
consecrate - to make sacred, holy, or venerable: Lincoln
said that the men who died at Gettysburg had already consecrated the
ground there. Also: consecratedness, consecrater, consecration,
consecrative, consecrator, consecratory. [consecro, consecrare,
consecravi, consecratus - to consecrate; consecratio,
consecrationis, f. - consecration]
sagacious - having or showing an acute mind or judgment: “Unlike you, most people are neither magnanimous nor sagacious,” she said in obvious jest. Also: sagaciousness, sagacity, sage (wise; a wise man). [saga, sagae, f. - wise woman, prophetess; sagacitas, sagacitatis, f. - keenness of mind or senses]
sagittate - shaped like an arrowhead: Not every sagittate stone is an Indian artifact; one must be able to discern signs of human craftsmanship. Also: sagittal (of, pertaining to, or resembling an arrow or arrowhead), Sagittarian (person born under the ninth sign of the zodiac), Sagittarius (constellation between Scorpius and Capricorn; ninth sign of the zodiac), sagittary (a bow-bearing centaur), sagittiform. [sagittarius, sagittaria, sagittarium - archer; sagittifer, sagittifera, sagittiferum - arrow-bearing]
assail - 1) to attack physically with vigor or violence; 2) to attack with arguments, criticisms, questions, doubts, abuse: Woefully lacking in personal and professional merit, he managed to get himself elected by assailing his opponent with innuendos. Also: assailable, assailableness, assailant, assailer, assailment, unassailable, unassailableness, unassailing. salient - 1) standing out from the rest, prominent: Among the salient features of Twain’s Huck Finn is the use of dialect. 2) projecting outward; 3) leaping, jumping. Also: salience, saliency (salience). [saltus, saltus, m. - a leap, leaping] unassailable - 1) safe from attack: Bill Clinton demonstrated that one does not have to have an unassailable reputation to be elected President. 2) undeniable, indisputable. Also. unassailableness, unassailing.
saltatory - 1) having to do with, characterized by, or adapted for jumping or dancing: Rabbits, frogs, and kangaroos use saltatory locomotion to get from place to place. 2) proceeding by abrupt movements. Also: saltant (dancing, leaping), saltate (to leap; dance), saltation (a leaping), saltational, saltationism (theory that evolution proceeds by abrupt transformations), saltationist, saltatorial (saltatory, 1). [saltatio, saltationis, f. - dance, dancing; saltator, saltatoris, m. - dancer; saltatorius, saltatoria, saltatorium - of or pertaining to dancing; saltatrix, saltatricis, f. - female dancer]
salubrious - promoting health, healthful: Some people are convinced of the salubrious effects of magnetic therapy and therapeutic touch; skeptics, on the other hand, citing an absence of scientific evidence, invoke coincidence or the placebo effect as possible explanations for alleged cures. Also: salubriousness, salubrity. [salubritas, salubritatis, f. - healthfulness; healthiness]
sanction - (n.) 1. approval; 2. a provision of a law stating a penalty for noncompliance or a reward for compliance; the penalty or reward; (v.) 1. to approve; 2. to impose a penalty on: From time to time the NCAA sanctions member teams for recruitment violations; such a sanction can mean a reduction of athletic scholarships or exclusion from post-season play. Also: sanctify (to make holy), sanctifiable, sanctifiableness, sanctification (act of making holy), sanctifier, sanctimonious (making a hypocritical show of holiness), sanctimony (pretended holiness), santionable, sanctioner, sanctionless, sanctitude (holiness), sanctity (holiness), sanctuary (a sacred place; the part of a church around the altar). [sanctimonia, sanctimoniae, f. - sanctity; sanctio, sanctionis, f. - a confirmation; declaration of a penalty; sanctitas, sanctitatis, f. - sanctity; sanctitudo, sanctitudinis, f. - sanctity; sanctor, sanctoris, m. - an establisher; sanctus, sancta, sanctum - consecrated, sacred, holy]
consanguinity - blood relationship: Although they suspected that consanguinity did not legally excuse the harboring of criminals, they could not bring themselves to deny lodging to their son or to disclose his whereabouts to the police. Also: consanguine (consanguineous), consanguineal (consanguineous), consanguineous (descended from the same ancestor, related by blood). [consanguineus, consanguinea, consanguineum - related by blood; consanguineus, consanguinei, m. - brother; consanguinea, consanguineae, f. - sister; consanguinitas, consanguinitatis, f. - relationship by blood] sanguine - 1. naturally cheerful; optimistic: Sanguine types live longer, and they are spared the expense of antidepressant medications. 2. ruddy, having a healthy red color. Also: sanguinariness, sanguinary (bloody; bloodthirsty), sanguineous (bloody; sanguine; bloodthirsty), sanguinity (the quality of being sanguine), sanguinolent (bloody), sanguivorous (feeding on blood). [sanguinans, sanguinantis - bloodthirsty; sanguinarius, sanguinaria, sanguinarium - bloodthirsty; sanguineus, sanguinea, sanguineum - bloody; sanguinolentus, sanguinolenta, sanguinolentum - bloody]
insipid - 1) dull, uninteresting: You may disagree with his
politics, but you're wrong in calling him insipid. 2) without much
taste: Also: insipidity, insipidness, insipience, insipience
(lack of wisdom, foolishness, stupidity). [sapio, sapire, sapivi
- to taste (of); to be wise]
sapid - 1. having taste or flavor; 2. having an agreeable taste or flavor; 3. pleasing to the mind: The new teacher was lauded for her keen intellect and sapid personality. Also: sapidity, sapidness, sapor (flavor), saporific (producing taste or flavor), saporosity, saporous (having flavor or taste). [sapor, saporis, m. - taste] savant - a learned man; scholar: Not everyone who graduates from college is a savant. [sapiens, sapientis - wise, knowing; sapientia, sapientiae, f. - good taste; wisdom]
satiate - 1) to feed or supply with more than enough; to surfeit: To be habitually satiated is to invite ennui, an unenviable state to be sure. 2) to feed or satisfy fully. Also: sate (to satiate), satiability, satiable, satiableness, satiation, satiety (the state of satiation). [satietas, satietatis, f. - abundance; satis - enough]
insatiable - unable to be satisfied: His appetite for science fiction was apparently insatiable: twenty years and two hundred books later, he still looked forward eagerly to the next sci-fi book. Also: insatiability, insatiableness, insatiate (insatiable), insatiateness, satiable, satiability, satiableness, satiate (to supply in excess so as to disgust; to satisfy completely), satiation, satiety (the state of being satisfied). [insatiabilis, insatiabile - unable to be satisfied, insatiable; insatietas, insatietatis, f. - insatiability]
satire - 1. the use of irony or sarcasm to expose or ridicule folly: Saturday Night Live and Mad TV use ample doses of satire to criticize aspects of American society that the directors consider foolish. 2 - a literary form which uses irony or ridicule to expose or deride folly. Also: satiric (of or pertaining to satire), satirical (satiric), satiricalness, satirist (one who writes satires or uses satire), satirize (to attack with irony), satirizer. [satura, saturae, f. - satire; saturitas, saturitatis, f. - satiety]
prescience - apparent knowledge of things before they take place: Some cases of prescience are attributable to coincidence or chance, others to perspicacity. Also: prescient (having or appearing to have knowledge of things before they happen). [praescio, praescire, praescivi, praescitus - to know beforehand]
ascribe - to attribute: The astronauts ascribed the success
of their mission to all the men and women who had designed, built,
launched, and guided their spaceship. Also: ascribable
(attributable), ascription (act of ascribing; words that
ascribe), ascriptive. [ascribo, ascribere, ascripsi, ascriptus
- to add in writing; to enroll; to assign]
scrupulous - 1. having a strict regard for what it right; 2. very careful or exact; punctilious; 3. troubled with moral doubts: The young man became so scrupulous that he had to seek professional counseling. Also: scruple (uneasiness about doing something; doubt or hesitation regarding what one ought to do), scrupleless, scrupulosity, scrupulousness, unscrupulous (not concerned about morality; unprincipled). [scrupeus, scrupea, scrupeum - sharp, rough; scruposus, scruposa, scruposum - of sharp stones; rugged; scrupulosus, scrupulosa, scrupulosum - full of sharp stones; rough; scrupus, scrupi, m. - a sharp stone; anxiety, uneasiness]
inscrutable - that cannot be understood even by means of careful investigation; incomprehensible: Instead of trying to answer the central question of theodicy (i.e., how can an all-good and all-powerful God permit physical and moral evil?), some say simply that the mind of God is inscrutable. Also: inscrutability, inscrutableness, scrutable (able to be understood by investigation), scrutator (one who investigates), scrutinize (to examine carefully), scrutinizer, scrutiny (a thorough investigation, careful examination). [scrutator, scrutatoris, m. - an investigator]
escutcheon - 1) a shieldlike surface on which a coat of arms is depicted: Who on his high horse doesn't have a blot or two on his escutcheon? 2) a protective plate around a keyhole. Also: escutcheoned (having a coat of arms; painted or imprinted with a coat of arms)
assess - 1) to estimate the value of (something) for taxation:
Although their house had been assessed for over $100,000, it sold for
under $90,000. 2) to estimate the merit, significance, importance
of; to evaluate. Also: assessable, assessment, assessor, assessorial,
assessorship. [adsideo, adsidere, adsedi, adsessum - to sit
near; adsessus, adsessus, m. - sitting near; adsessor,
adsessoris, m. - assistant]
disseminate - to scatter far and wide; promulgate; broadcast: A
corollary to Eric Hoffer's The True Believer might be that the
most unreasonable, least demonstrable ideas about religion, race, and
nation are the ones most passionately disseminated. Also: disseminative,
disseminative, disseminator. [dissimino, disseminare, disseminavi,
disseminatus -
sempiternal - everlasting; eternal: Desert animals emerge each night from their underground homes to resume their hunt for food in a sempiternal struggle for the preservation of the species. [sempiternus, sempiterna, sempiternum - everlasting]
senescent- growing old; aging: It is said that the senescent Roman Empire lacked the energy to sustain itself. Also: senile (showing physical or mental deterioration as a result of old age), senility. [senectus, senectutis, f. - old age; seneo, senere - to be old; senesco, senescere, senui - to grow old; senilis, senile - of an old man; senium, seni, n. - old age] senility - mental deterioration that often accompanies old age: It is natural for people in their 50's and 60's to wonder if their transient forgetfulness is indicative of incipient senility. Also: senile. [senilis, senile - of an old man, aged; senile]
sententious - 1) expressing much in a few words; 2) speaking or writing as if one were a judge deciding a case; 3) full of or fond of using maxims or proverbs: Tired of his "words of wisdom," she called him "a sententious old coot" and left the room. Also: sententiosity, sententiousness. [sententiosus, sententiosa, sententiosum - meaningful; pithy]
consensus - 1) general agreement in opinion; majority of opinion: The final arbiter of grammatical correctness in English is said to be the consensus of educated men. But who will decide which men are educated? Also: consensual (made binding by mutual consent), consentaneous (agreeing; unanimous), consentaneity, consentaneousness, consentience (concurrence), consentient (agreeing). [consensio, consensionis, f. - agreement, consent; consensus, consensus, m. - agreement, unanimity; consentaneus, consentanea, consentaneum - agreeing; suitable; consentio, consentire, consensi, consensus - to agree] presentiment - a feeling that something is about to happen; a
sense of approaching misfortune: Most presentiments do not come to
pass; we hear only about the few that, by coincidence, do. [praesentio,
praesentire, preasensi, praesensus - to feel beforehand]
sepulcher - tomb, burial place: The large, ancient sepulchers along the Appian Way, which were constructed by Roman patricians so that they might be seen and admired by all passers-by, have become unsightly ruins devoid of names. Also: sepulchral (of or pertaining to a tomb or to burial), sepulture (burial). [sepulcralis, sepulcrale - of a tomb; sepultura, sepulturae, f. - burial, funeral]
executrix - a woman named in a will to carry out the provisions of the will: The elderly couple named their eldest daughter as executrix of their will. Also: execute, executable, execution, executional, executioner, executive, executiveness, executor, executorial, executorship, executory. [exsecutio, exsecutionis, f. - accomplishment; exsequiae, exsequiarum, f. - funeral procession; exsequialis, exsequiale - belong to a funeral procession; exsequor, exsequi, exsecutus - to follow (a corpse) to the grave; to carry out, execute; sequax, sequacis - following, attending]
serpentine - 1) resembling the form or movement of a snake; 2) winding: During their stay in San Francisco, many tourists make it a point to see the famous serpentine section of Lombard Street. 3) cunning, treacherous. Also: serpent, serpentarium (place where snakes are kept for exhibition).
conservative - tending to keep things as they are, to oppose
change: In American politics, Republicans are generally more
conservative than Democrats. Also: conservatism,
conservativeness. [conservo, conservare, conservavi, conservatus -
to keep (safe), preserve; conservatio, conservationis, f. -
preservation]
serf - a servant whose servitude is attached to an estate
rather than to a person: Most feudal masters gave their serfs a small
house, some adjoining land, and a few animals. In return the serfs had
to work on the master's land. Also: serfdom.
sextant - instrument used by navigators to measure the altitude of celestial bodies in order to determine longitude and latitude: The use of the sextant has been replaced by a more accurate method for determining location: the application of the Doppler effect to radio signals transmitted by satellites. [sextans, sextantis, m. - a sixth part]
desiccate - (tr.) 1) to dry thoroughly; 2) to preserve food by drying: Before leaving for four days of backpacking in the mountains, they desiccated apricots, peaches, bananas, and apples. (intr.) 3) to become thoroughly dry. Also: desiccant (a drying agent), desiccation, desiccator (an apparatus for drying food). [siccitas, siccitatis, f. - dryness; siccus, sicca, siccum - dry]
sidereal - determined by or pertaining to the stars: For star lovers, there is nothing comparable to the sidereal splendor visible from a mountain top on a clear night. [sidereus, siderea, sidereum - of the stars]
assignation - 1) an appointment, especially a clandestine
meeting of lovers; rendezvous: Only the lovers knew the time and
place of the assignation. 2) an assigning or being assigned. [adsignatio,
adsignationis, f. - assigning, assignment]
sylvan - 1) of or characteristic of the woods; 2) living or
found in the woods: The house had a beautiful interior, and its
sylvan setting made it all the more attractive. [silvanus,
silvana, silvanum - pertaining to a woods]
simian - 1. of, pertaining to, or characteristic of an ape or a monkey: A lemur has a simian body and tail, but its face resembles that of a fox.
assimilate - to absorb; to digest, literally and figuratively;
to incorporate: The great American experiment involves the attempt of
a single society to assimilate a vast number of immigrants from all
around the world. Also: assimilable, assimilability, assimilation,
assimilationism (the policy of encouraging the assimilation of
peoples of all nations and ethnic backgrounds), assimilationist,
assimilative, assimilativeness, assimilator, assimilatory. [adsimilo,
adsimilare, adsimilavi, adsimilatus - to make like, copy, imitate; adsimilis,
adsimile - like, similar (to)]
simultaneity - the quality or fact of occurring at the same time; simultaneousness: The simultaneity of the rapturous fireworks display and (unknown to him until hours later) his mother's death left a mark of ambivalence on subsequent moments of ecstasy.
sinecure - any office providing an income but requiring little
or no work: The only work he ever did in his life was to accumulate
sinecures. [cura, curae, f. - care, concern]
sinister - 1) evil; wicked: She was the victim of a
sinister plot to separate her from her millions. 2) threatening.
sinuous - having many curves or bends; winding: In the Rockies, it may take an hour or more to reach a destination that is less than thirty miles away, because mountain roads are often steep and sinuous. Also: sinuosity, sinuousness, sinus (a bend, curve). [sinuo, sinuare, sinuavi, sinuatus - to curve, bend, wind; sinus, sinus, m. - a curve, fold]
asocial - not social; characterized by avoidance of social
contact: People with asocial behavior don't make good club members.
[socialis, sociale - allied; conjugal; social]
solarium - a glassed-in room or porch where people can sit or
lie in the sun: To be able to use their new solarium after sunset,
they will have shades installed. [solaris, solare -
pertaining to the sun, solar]
solemnity - 1. impressiveness, gravity, seriousness; 2. (often plural: solemnities) a serious, formal observance or ceremony): The solemnities began with a formal procession into the cathedral. Also: solemn (serious; sacred), solemnify (to make solemn), solemnize (to observe with ceremonies), solemnization, solemnizer. [solemne, solemnis, n. - a religious ceremony, feast]
insouciant - free from worry or anxiety, carefree: In the fairy tale "Hans in Luck," the insouciant Hans agrees to one disadvantageous exchange after another, thinking all the while what a lucky person he is. Also: insouciance. [sollicitatio, sollicitationis, f. - a vaxation; an instigation; sollicitudo, sollicitudinis, f. - uneasiness, anxiety; sollicitus, sollicita, sollicitum - agitated, disturbed]
solicitude - care, concern, anxiety: Mother Teresa’s solicitude for the poor of India was brought to the attention of people around the world. Also: solicitous, solicitudinous. [sollicito, sollicitare, sollicitavi, sollicitatus - to move, shake, agitate, disquiet; sollicitus, sollicita, sollicitum - thoroughly moved, troubled, disturbed]
soliloquy - speech made by an actor or actress when he or she
is alone on the stage: Authors use the soliloquy in order to disclose
a character's thoughts to the audience but not to the other characters
in the play. Also: soliloquist (one who soliloquizes), soliloquize
(to talk to oneself; deliver a soliloquy). [loquor, loqui, locutus
sum - to speak, talk]
absolve - to declare free from guilt or sin: According to
the Chandler Act of 1938, a person, by declaring bankruptcy and
fulfilling certain conditions, may be absolved of unpaid debts and given
a new start. Also: absolution, absolvable, absolvent (alsolving),
absolver. [absolvo, absolvere, absolvi, absolutus - to set
free; to acquit; absolutio, absolutionis, f. - acquittal]
sonorous - 1) producing or capable of producing sound of a deep, resonant quality; 2) full, loud, deep, rich (said of sound): No other musical instrument can produce sounds that rival the sonorous tones of a large pipe organ. Also: sonorant (a voiced sound less sonorous than a vowel, such as l, m, and w), sonority, sonorousness. [sono, sonare, sonui, sonitus - make a sound; sonor, sonoris, m. - noise, sound; sonus, soni, m. - noise, sound]
dissonance - clashing, inharmonious sound; discord: Criticized by the director for contributing more than his share to the dissonance in the band's rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner," young Oliver was heard to say sotto voce that real musicians like Stravinsky and Schönberg would have appreciated his efforts. Also: dissonant. [dissonus, dissona, dissunum - dissonant, discordant]
sordid - 1. mean, morally base. 2. dirty, filthy, squalid: If people in mansions and people in sordid housing projects ever truly became friends, surely the latter residences would disappear. Also: sordidness. [sordeo, sordere - to be dirty; sordes, sordis, f. - dirt; sordesco, sordescere - to get dirty; sordidatus, sordidata, sordidatum - wearing dirty clothes]
sororal - of or pertaining to a sister: He had an uncommon dependence on his sister, and she, for her part, never missed a chance to fill his ear with sororal advice. Also: sorority.
disperse - (trans.) to drive or scatter in various directions; (intrans.) to move apart in different directions: Only when the police arrived in large numbers did the hundreds of fans, who by this time had torn down the visitors' goal and removed large patches of turf from the field, disperse. Also: dispersant (something that disperses), dispersibility, dispersible, dispersion, dispersive, dispersiveness. [dispergo, dispergere, dispersi, dispersus - to scatter] sparse - spread thinly; not dense; meager, scanty: The athletic director announced that the university was forced to raise football ticket prices because of sparse attendance at home games. Also: sparseness, sparsity.
expatiate - to expand or enlarge in speaking or writing (with upon): Unable to expatiate upon the announced theme, John digressed in order to achieve the required number of words. Also: expatiation, expatiator. [exspatior, exspatiari, exspatiatus sum - to deviate from the course, to wander]
specious - seemingly sound or logical, but not actually so: Specious logic is the handmaid of uncontrolled emotion. Also: speciosity, speciousness. [speciosus, speciosa, speciosum - beautiful, splendid; pretended, specious]
specter - apparition; ghost: At the beginning of the play, Hamlet is visited by the specter of his deceased father.
despair - (v.) to lose hope: As long as there is life, there is hope; to despair utterly is to give up on life. (n.) loss of hope. [despero, desperare, desperavi, desperatus - to have no hope, give up, despair]
aspirant - a person who is ambitious for a position or seeks
an honor, etc.: Cheerleader tryouts were scheduled for Saturday at 9
a.m., and all aspirants were asked to arrive at least 15 minutes early. Also:
aspiration (a strong desire or ambition), aspirational, aspire
(to seek to become), aspirer. [aspiro, aspirare, aspiravi,
aspiratus - to breathe on; to assist; to strive for; aspiratio,
aspirationis, f. - breathing on; rough breathing]
despoil - to rob, plunder; to strip of possessions: At the end of the Thirty Years War, Germany found itself despoiled and severely depopulated. Also: despoiler, despoilment, despoliation. [spoliatio, spoliationis, f. - a plundering, robbing; spoliator, spoliatoris, m. - plunderer, robber; spoliatrix, spoliatricis, f. - female plunderer; spolium, spoli, n. - skin, hide] spoliation - 1) a plundering: Rape, murder, and spoliation by undisciplined troops were apparently commonplace in the Thirty Years War. 2) a damaging, spoiling. Also: despoil (to rob, plunder), despoiler, despoilment, despoliation, spoliate (to plunder, rob, despoil), spoliator. [spoliatio, spoliationis, f. - a robbing, plundering, stripping; spoliator, spoliatoris, m. - robber, plunderer; spolium, spoli, n. - hide or skin stripped from an animal; weapons stripped from a man; plunder taken from an enemy]
despondent - profoundly dejected or discouraged: Although envied by the townspeople for his riches and his grace, Edwin Arlington Robinson's Richard Cory, despondent, "went home and put a bullet through his head." Also: despond (to be depressed, lose heart), despondence, despondency (despondence). [despondeo, despondere, despondi, desponsus - to promise, pledge; w/ animos - to lose heart]
spontaneity - the quality or fact of coming from a natural tendency or desire, without effort or planning: The applause was moderate at best and devoid of spontaneity. Also: spontaneous, spontaneousness.
stagnant - 1. not flowing; 2. stale or foul from standing: Most animals seem to be able to drink stagnant water with impunity; most humans cannot. Also: stagnancy, stagnate (to cease to flow; to be or become foul from standing), stagnation. [stagnum, stagni, n. - standing water]
constituent - 1) a necessary part; 2) any voter represented by
a particular elected official: Congressmen must be aware of the needs
and concerns of their constituents if they hope to be reelected.
Also: constituency (the voters represented by a particular
elected official). [constituo, constituere, constitui, constitutus
- to set up, decide; to determine] statutory - 1) of, pertaining to, or having the nature of a statute; 2) prescribed or authorized by statute; 3) (of an offense) legally punishable: Statutory rape is defined as sexual intercourse with a substantially younger person who is under an age specified by law. Also: statutable (legally punishable; permitted by statute), statute (a law enacted by the legislature; permanent rule of an organization).
stellar - 1) of, pertaining to, or like a star or stars; 2)
outstanding: The teacher praised Matthew for his stellar
accomplishments in the Foreign Language Festival. 3) principal, most
important.
stipend - 1) salary: For his services to the state, he was awarded an annual stipend of $80,000. 2) a scholarship or fellowship. Also: stipendiary (adj., having to do with a stipend; receiving a stipend, paying a stipend; n., a person who receives a stipend). [stipendiarius, stipendiaria, stipendiarium - taxable]
stately - dignified; imposing: He reminded everyone of
Lincoln: tall, bearded, stately, irreproachable. Also: stateliness. stature - 1) the height of a
person; 2) physical, mental, or moral level of attainment: Popular
perception of the moral stature of celebrities may have less to do with
reality than with appearance. [statura, staturae, f. -
stature, height]
stolid - not easily moved emotionally; unemotional, impassive: Theirs was a stolid existence, in which neither joy nor sorrow readily found abode, let alone expression. Also: stolidity.
strepitous - noisy: Many older people would characterize much popular music as strepitous, period. Also: strepitant (strepitous). [strepitus, strepitus, m. - a loud noise, clash, rattle; strepo, strepere, strepui - to make a noise; to clatter, rattle]
strident - 1. making a harsh noise; 2. having a shrill quality: The strident, almost incessant cries of a multitude of male peacocks hastened my departure from the zoo. Also: stridency. [strido, stridere - cf. strideo; stridor, stridoris, m. - a harsh noise; a shrill or creaking sound; stridulus, stridula, stridulum - creaking; grating]
astringent - (adj.) 1) constricting or contracting; 2) harsh, caustic; 3) stern, severe. (n.) substance that constricts the canals or tissues of the body: Astringents have been used to reduce swelling in the mucous membranes of inflamed alimentary, nasal, and urinary passages. Also: astringe (to compress, constrict), astringency.
stultify - 1) to cause to appear foolish; 2) to render futile, worthless, or ineffectual: In the presidential debates of 2000, the condescending sighs and gestures of the Democratic candidate, Al Gore, stultified his superior knowledge and experience. Also: stultification, stultifier. [stultus, stulta, stultum - foolish, silly, stupid]
assuage - 1) to make milder, relieve (pain, sorrow): Time assuages grief. 2) to satisfy, relieve (hunger, thirst); 3) to calm (passion, fear). Also: assuager, assuagement. [suavitas, suavitatis, f. - sweetness, pleasantness] suave - smooth, agreeable, polite: Trying to be suave, the poor fellow managed only to evoke the ridicule of his friends. Also: suaveness, suavity. [suavitas, suavitatis, f. - sweetness, pleasantness, agreeableness; suavitudo, suavitudinis, f. - sweetness, pleasantness]
suborn - to bribe or otherwise illegally induce a person to commit a crime: The fact that the defendant had been suborned seemed to have little effect on the jury, which took less than an hour to find him guilty. Also: subornation, subornative, suborner. [sub (prep. w/ acc. and abl.) - under; orno, ornare, ornavi, ornatus - to furnish, supply; to decorate]
subsequent - following in time: Her first poem brought a polite rejection letter as did scores of subsequent poems; then one day a letter arrived that caused all frustration to vanish instantly: an acceptance letter from Harper’s. Also: subsequence. [sub (prep. w/ acc. & abl.) - under; sequor, sequi, secutus sum - to follow]
subsidy - a grant of money from one government to another or from a government to a private enterprise, a university, a charitable agency, or the like: Colleges and universities depend on federal subsidies for much of their research. Also: subsidiary (giving support; being in a subordinate relationship), subsidiariness, subsidize, subsidization, subsidizer. [subsidiarius, subsidiaria, subsidiarium - in reserve; of a reserve; subsido, subsidere, subsedi, subsessus - to sink down; to remain; to lie in ambush]
subvention - 1) money given to support some cause, organization, or institution: An anonymous subvention enabled the school to raise faculty salaries to a competitive level. 2) the providing of such assistance. Also: subvene (to come as a support or a remedy), subventionary. [sub (prep. w/ acc. and abl.) - under; venio, venire, veni, ventus - to come]
succedent - following, subsequent: When a genetic mutation makes an individual better equipped for survival than other members of its species, it is more likely than the others to survive and to pass its genes to succedent generations. [successio, successionis, f. - taking the place of another, succeeding; successor, successoris, m. - successor, follower; successus, successus, m. - an advance, approach]
succinct - concise, expressed in few words: When writing, don’t be verbose; be as succinct as your purpose allows. Also: succinctness. [cingo, cingere, cinxi, cinctus - to surround; to bind with a belt or girdle, gird]
sudoriferous - secreting or causing sweat: The sudoriferous effect of stress on people has made deodorants a multi-billion dollar product. Also: sudoriferousness, sudorific (causing sweat). [sudarium, sudari, n. - handkerchief; sudo, sudare, sudavi, sudatus - to sweat, perspire]
suffrage - 1) the right to vote: Women’s suffrage became a constitutional right with the passage of the 19th Amendment in 1920. 2) a prayer, especially of intercession; 3) a supporting vote. Also: suffragette (woman who advocates the right of women to vote), suffragist (a person, male or female, who advocates the right of women to vote). [suffragatio, suffragationis, f. - a voting in support of; support; suffragator, suffragatoris, m. - a supporting voter; suffragor, suffragari, suffragatus - to vote for; to support]
entity - an individual thing that exists: Who can comprehend, or even imagine, all the entities of mind and matter?
consumptive - (adj.) 1) consuming, wasteful: Our
consumptive society desperately needs to recycle, but not all of us do.
2) of or pertaining to tuberculosis; (n.) a person who has tuberculosis.
Also: consumption (consuming; being consumed; tuberculosis). [consumo,
consumere, consumpsi, consumptus - to spend; to use up; to waste; consumptio,
consumptionis, f. - a wasting, consumption]
supercilious - arrogant; haughty and contemptuous; disdainful: A supercilious man has only one unpaid advocate, himself; of course, mutatis mutandis, this applies to women, too.
superfluous - more than enough: If you were constructing an artificial language, like Esperanto, you would restrict the rules of grammar to a necessary few and avoid superfluous words, i.e., synonyms. Also: superfluity, superfluousness. [superfluus, superflua, superfluum - overflowing; superfluous]
supernal - having to do with the heavens or the sky; heavenly; celestial: Many religions tell of gods and goddesses who leave their supernal dwellings in order to associate with humans on earth.
insuperable - that cannot be overcome: The lack of pitching depth proved to be an insuperable obstacle in the second half of the season. Also: insuperability, superability, superable (that can be overcome). [insuperabilis, insuperabile - insurmountable, unconquerable; superabilis, superabile - conquerable, surmountable]
supranational - outside or beyond national limitations: The European Union, with its single currency, is a significant step in a supranational direction. Also: supranationalism, supranationality (the state of being supranational).
insurgent - rebellious, rising in revolt: The insurgent
forces have fought their way across the river and now pose an immediate
threat to the palace. Also: insurgence (a rising in revolt),
insurgency (the quality or state of being insurgent). [insurgo,
insurgere, insurrexi, insurrectus - to rise up; to gather force] resurgence - the act of rising again; a rising again: The
resurgence of classical styles in literature, art, and architecture in
17th- and 18th-century Europe and America is called Neoclassicism. Also:
resurge, resurgent. [resurgo, resurgere, resurrexi,
resurrectus - to rise again, appear again] |
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