Sluice (n): sloos
A sluice is a passage that carries a current of water and has a barrier, called a sluice gate, which can be opened and closed to control the flow of water
The sluice gates are lifted by chains on old fashioned rollers
Smattering (n): smat-er-ing
A smattering of something is a very small amount of it = slight knowledge
At least a smattering of French and German is required for this job
Sobriety (n): suh-brahy-i-tee
Sobriety is the state of being sober rather than drunk = soberness
Sobriquet (n): soh-bruh-key
A sobriquet is a humorous name that people give someone or something = nickname
From his staff he earned the sobriquet `Mumbles'
Sojourn (n): soh-jurn (1305)
A sojourn is a short stay in a place that is not your home
I went to my uncle’s place for a sojourn
Solace (n): sol-is
Solace is a feeling of comfort that makes you feel less sad = comfort
I hope you will find solace in the thought that all of us share your loss
Solecism (n): sol-uh-siz-uhm
Something that is not considered polite behaviour
The billionaire’s only son was accussed of social solecism
Soliloquy (n): suh-lil-uh-kwee
A soliloquy is a speech in a play in which an actor or actress speaks to himself or herself and to the audience, rather than to another actor = talking to oneself
The soliloquy is a device by the dramatist to reveal a character’s innermost thoughts and emotions
Solstice (n): sol-stis
The summer solstice is the day of the year with the most hours of daylight, and the winter solstice is the day of the year with the fewest hours of daylight
Somnambulist (n): som-nam-byuh-liz-uhm, suhm- (1310)
If you are somnolent, you feel sleepy = sleepwalker
He was walking more like a somnambulist than a person fully awake
Sophist (n): sof-ist
A teacher of philosophy; quibbler; employer of fallacious
reasoning
Sophistication (n): suh-fis-ti-key-shuhn
The sophistication of machines or methods is their quality of being more advanced or complex than others = artificiality, unnaturalness
Given the sophistication of modern machines, there is little that cannot be successfully washed at home
Sophistry (n): sof-uh-stree
Sophistry is the practice of using clever arguments that sound convincing but are in fact false
Instead of advancing valid arguments, he tried to overwhelm his audience with a flood of sophistries
Soporific (n): sop-uh-rif-ik
Something that is soporific makes you feel sleepy = sleep producer
The professor’s soporfic voice made it difficult to stay awake in the lecture
Soupcon (n): soop-sawn (1315)
A very small amount of something = suggestion, hint, taste
Spangle (n): spang-guhl
Spangles are small pieces of shiny metal or plastic which are used to decorate clothing or hair
The city skyline was spangled with lights
Spate (n): speyt
A spate of things, especially unpleasant things, is a large number of them that happen or appear within a short period of time = series
Police are investigating a spate of burglaries in the locality
Spatula (n): spach-uh-luh
A spatula is an object like a knife with a wide, flat blade Spatulas are used in cooking
Using a spatula, transfer charlotte to a large serving platter
Spectrum (n): spek-truhm
The spectrum is the range of different colours which is produced when light passes through a glass prism or through a drop of water A rainbow shows the colours in the spectrum
The visible protion of the spectrum includes red at one end and violet at the other
Spoonerism (n): spoo-nuh-riz-uhm (1320)
A spoonerism is a mistake made by a speaker in which the first sounds of two words are changed over, often with a humorous result, for example when someone says `wrong load' instead of `long road'
When he said ‘wrong load’ instead of ‘long road’, he was guilty of spoonerism
Spume (n): spyoom
froth or foam, especially that found on waves
Stalemate (n): steyl-meyt
Stalemate is a situation in which neither side in an argument or contest can win or in which no progress is possible = deadlock
President Bush has ended the stalemate over moves to cut the country's budget deficit
Stamina (n): stam-uh-nuh
Stamina is the physical or mental energy needed to do a tiring activity for a long time
I doubt that she has the stamina to run the full distance of the marathon race
Statute (n): stach-oot
A statute is a rule or law which has been made by a government or other organization and formally written down = law
The new statute covers the care for, bringing up and protection of children
Stein (n): stahyn (1325)
A tall cup for drinking beer, often decorated and with a lid
Stickler (n): stik-ler
A person who insists on a certain quality or type of behaviour
Lucy was a stickler for perfection and everything had to be exactly right
Stigma (n): stig-muh
If something has a stigma attached to it, people think it is something to be ashamed of = token of disgrace
There’s still a social stigma attached to AIDS
Stint (n): stint
A stint is a period of time which you spend doing a particular job or activity or working in a particular place
He performed his daily stint cheerfully and willingly
Stipend (n): stahy-pend
A stipend is a sum of money that is paid regularly, especially to a magistrate or a member of the clergy, as a salary or for their living expenses
There is a nominal stipend for this position
Stoic (n): stoh-ik (1330)
A person who can endure pain or hardship without showing his feelings or complaining
Although the contenstants were desperate to win the contest, they pretended to be stoical about the outcome
Stratagem (n): strat-uh-juhm
A stratagem is a plan that is intended to achieve a particular effect, often by deceiving people = ploy, deceptive scheme
Trade discounts may be used as a competitive stratagem to secure customer loyalty
Stratum (n): strey-tuhm
A stratum of society is a group of people in it who are similar in their education, income, or social status = layer of earth's surface, layer of society
It was an enormous task that affected every stratum of society
Stricture (n): strik-cher
You can use strictures to refer to severe criticism or disapproval of something = critical comments, severe and adverse criticism
The Government remained unmoved by the strictures on its handling of the crisis
Strut (n): struht
Someone who struts walks in a proud way, with their head held high and their chest out, as if they are very important
The boys strutted around, trying to get the attention of the group of girls that was nearby
Stupor (n): stoo-per (1335)
Someone who is in a stupor is almost unconscious and is unable to act or think normally, especially as a result of drink or drugs
He fell back onto the sofa in a drunken stupor
Suavity (n): swah-vi-tee
Urbanity; polish
Subaltern (n): suhb-awl-tern
A subaltern is any commissioned officer in the army below the rank of captain = subordinate
The captain treated his subaltern in a very good fashion
Subsidiary (n): suhb-sid-ee-er-ee
A subsidiary or a subsidiary company is a company which is part of a larger and more important company
Hindustan Lever limited is previously subsidiary of Unilever company
Subsidy (n): suhb-si-dee
A subsidy is money that is paid by a government or other authority in order to help an industry or business, or to pay for a public service = direct financial aid by government, etc
The government provides hefty subsidy on LPG
Subsistence (n): suhb-sis-tuhns (1340)
Subsistence is the condition of just having enough food or money to stay alive = livelihood
Many of the families are forced to live at the subsistence level
Subterfuge (n): suhb-ter-fyooj
Subterfuge is a trick or a dishonest way of getting what you want = deception, artifice, ploy
Most people can see right through that type of subterfuge
Subtlety (n): suht-l-tee
Subtleties are very small details or differences which are not obvious = nicety, cunning, guile, delicacy
The subtlety of his remarks was unnoticed by most of his audience
Succor (n): suhk-er
Assistance and support in times of hardship and distress
The government and the locals are giving succour to the plane-crash victims
Summation (n): suh-mey-shuhn
A summation is a summary of what someone has said or done = summary
A summation of the balance sheet reveals that the company actually made profits last year
Superfluity (n): oo-per-floo-i-tee (1345)
If there is a superfluity of something, there is more of it than is needed = excess, overabundance
The city has a superfluity of five-star hotels
Supernumerary (n): soo-per-noo-muh-rer-ee
A person or thing in excess of what is necessary
Even the supernumerary staff was handsomely paid by the director
Supposition (n): suhp-uh-zish-uhn
A supposition is an idea or statement which someone believes or assumes to be true, although they may have no evidence for it
His version of events is pure supposition
Surcease (n): sur-sees
Cessation = stopping
Surfeit (n): sur-fit
A surfeit of something is an amount which is too large = surplus, profusion
India has surfeit of cheap labor
Surmise (n): ser-mahyz (1350)
If you surmise that something is true, you guess it from the available evidence, although you do not know for certain = guess
Archaeologists have surmised that the artifacts belong to prehistoric times
