Saga (n): sah-guh
A saga is a long story, account, or sequence of events
This is a saga of the sea and the men who risk their lives on it
Salutatory (n): suh-loo-tuh-tawr-ee
A salutary experience is good for you, even though it may seem difficult or unpleasant at first
Salvage (n): sal-vij
If something is salvaged, someone manages to save it, for example from a ship that has sunk, or from a building that has been damaged
They managed to salvage only a few of their belongings in the fire
Salver (n): sal-ver
A salver is a flat object, usually made of silver, on which things are carried = tray
The winners received a salver and cheque for £300
Sangfroid (n): Fr sahn-frwa (1255)
A person’s sang-froid is their ability to remain calm in a dangerous or difficult situation = composure, level-headedness
His sangfroid was admirable in the face of the great crisis
Sarcophagus (n): sahr-kof-uh-guhs
A sarcophagus is a large decorative container in which a dead body was placed in ancient times = stone coffin
Satellite (n): sat-l-ahyt
A satellite is an object which has been sent into space in order to collect information or to be part of a communications system Satellites move continually round the earth or around another planet
The rocket launched two communications satellites
Satiety (n): suh-tahy-i-tee
A condition of being full; glutted state; repletion
Satire (n): sat-ahyuhr
Satire is the use of humour or exaggeration in order to show how foolish or wicked some people's behaviour or ideas are
‘Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron’ is a satire on games played in political circles
Satrap (n): sey-tra (1260)
a provincial governor in the ancient Persian empire
Nancy gripped the strap of her beach bag
Satyr (n): sey-trap
In classical mythology a satyr is a creature that is half man and half goat
It involved two satyrs and a woman and was very obscene indeed
Savant (n): sa-vahnt
A savant is a person of great learning or natural ability
The opinion of the savants on the composition of the lunar surface is not as united as it appears
Savoir faire (n): sav-wahr-fair
Savoir-faire is the confidence and ability to do the appropriate thing in a social situation = tact, poise
He was full of jocularity and savoir-faire
Scapegoat (n): skeyp-goht
If you say that someone is made a scapegoat for something bad that has happened, you mean that people blame them and may punish them for it although it may not be their fault
After the Challenger disaster, NASA searched for scapegoats on whom they could cast the blame
Scavenger (n): skav-in-jer (1265)
An animal or other organism that feeds on dead organic matter
Schism (n): siz-uhm
When there is a schism, a group or organization divides into two groups as a result of differences in thinking and beliefs = division, split
Let us not widen the schism by further bickering
Scintilla (n): sin-til-uh]
If you say that there is not a scintilla of evidence, hope, or doubt about something, you are emphasizing that there is none at all = least bit
There’s not a scintilla of truth in whatever he has just said
Sciolism (n): sahy-uh-liz-uhm
superficial knowledge
Scion (n): sahy-uhn
A scion of a rich or famous family is one of its younger or more recent members = offspring
He was the scion of a noble and highly educated family
Scourge (n): skurj (1270)
A scourge is something that causes a lot of trouble or suffering to a group of people = misfortune
Drugs are a scourge that is devastating our society
Screed (n): skreed
A long speech or piece of writing
Scullion (n): skuhl-yuhn
A servant assigned the most menial kitchen tasks
Secession (n): si-sesh-uhn
The secession of a region or group from the country or larger group to which it belongs is the action of formally becoming separate = withdrawal
In the referendum, the people voted for secession from their mother country
Sedition (n): si-dish-uhn
Sedition is speech, writing, or behaviour intended to encourage people to fight against or oppose the government
Government officials charged him with sedition
Seine (n): seyn (1275)
A net for catching fish
Semblance (n): sem-bluhns
If there is a semblance of a particular condition or quality, it appears to exist, even though this may be a false impression = outward appearance, guise
After the war, life returned to a semblance of normality
Senility (n): si-nil-i-tee
If old people become senile, they become confused, can no longer remember things, and are unable to look after themselves = dotage
The old man was forced to resign after showing unmistakable signs of senility
Sepulchre (n): sep-uhl-ker
A sepulchre is a building or room in which a dead person is buried = grave, tomb, crypt
The sepulchre of Emperor Akbar is at Fatehpur Sikri
Seraph (n): ser-uhf
In the Bible, a seraph is a kind of angel
Serendipity (n): ser-uhn-dip-i-tee (1280)
Serendipity is the luck some people have in finding or creating interesting or valuable things by chance
Many scientific discoveries are a matter of serendipity
Serenity (n): suh-ren-i-tee
Someone or something that is serene is calm and quiet
I had a wonderful feeling of peace and serenity when I saw my child
Severance (n): sev-er-uhns
Severance from a person or group, or the severance of a connection, involves the ending of a relationship or connection = division, partition, separation
The severance of diplomatic ties between the two countries resulted in decreased trade activity
Shambles (n): sham-buhl
If a place, event, or situation is a shambles or is in a shambles, everything is in disorder = mess, slaughterhouse, scene of carnage
The economy is in a shambles
Shard (n): shahrd
Shards are pieces of broken glass, pottery, or metal
fragment, generally of pottery
The archaeologist assigned several students the task of reassembling earthenware vessels from the shards he had brought back from the expedition
Sheaf (n): sheef (1285)
A sheaf of papers is a number of them held or fastened together
He took out a sheaf of papers and leafed through them
Sherbet (n): shur-bit
Sherbet is like ice cream but made with fruit juice, sugar, and water = flavored dessert ice
We two glasses of lemon sherbet
Shibboleth (n): shib-uh-lith
If you describe an idea or belief as a shibboleth, you mean that it is thought important by a group of people but may be old-fashioned or wrong = watchword, slogan
It is time to go beyond the shibboleth that conventional forces cannot deter
Shoal (n): shohl
A small hill on the bottom of the sea that can be dangerous for boats
The ship was stranded on a shoal and had to be pulled off by tugs
Silt (n): silt
Silt is fine sand, soil, or mud which is carried along by a river
The lake was almost solid with silt and vegetation
Simile (n): sim-uh-lee (1290)
A simile is an expression which describes a person or thing as being similar to someone or something else For example, the sentences `She runs like a deer' and `He's as white as a sheet' contain similes
Similitude (n): si-mil-i-tood
The quality or state of being similar
Sirocco (n): suh-rok-oh
Africa to southern Europe
Sinecure (n): sahy-ni-kyoor, sin-i-
A sinecure is a job for which you receive payment but which does not involve much work or responsibility
Most people look for sinecure jobs
Sluggard (n): sluhg-erd
A lazy, sluggish person
Skeptic (n): skep-tik (1295)
A sceptic is a person who has doubts about things that other people believe = doubter
In this matter, I am a skeptic; I want proof
Skulduggery (n): skuhl-duhg-uh-ree
Skulduggery is behaviour in which someone acts in a dishonest way in order to achieve their aim
There’s so much skullduggery in politics these days that you don’t know who to vote for
Slander (n): slan-der
Slander is an untrue spoken statement about someone which is intended to damage their reputation Compare libel = defamation
North Korea has been a target of threats and slanders from the major western powers
Slattern (n): slat-ern
A dirty, untidy woman
Sleight (n): slahyt
Sleight of hand is the deceiving of someone in a skilful way = skill, dexterity
The sleight of the acrobat’s movements amazed us all
Sloth (n): slawth (1300)
Sloth is laziness, especially with regard to work = idleness, laziness
He admitted a lack of motivation and a feeling of sloth
