doing what one has been doing and leave, go to bed, etc. (Figura- tive.) sign off on something to sign a paper, indicating that one has fin- ished with something or agrees with the state of something. sign on to announce the beginning of a broadcast transmission. sign on the dotted line to place one’s signature on a contract or other important paper. sign one’s own death warrant to do something that ensures the fail- ure of one’s endeavors. sign out to indicate in writing that one is leaving or going out tem- porarily. sign someone in to record that someone has arrived somewhere and at what time by recording the information on a paper or a list. sign someone out (of someplace ) to make a record of someone’s departure from someplace. sign someone up (for something ) to record the agreement of some- one to participate in something. sign someone up (with someone or something ) to record the agree- ment of someone to join a group of people or an organization. sign something away to sign a paper in which one gives away one’s rights to something. sign something in to record that something has been received at a particular time by recording the information on a paper or a list. sign something out (of someplace ) to make a record of the borrowing of something from someplace. sign something over (to someone ) to sign a paper granting the rights to or ownership of something to a specific person. sign up (for something ) to record one’s agreement to participate in something. signal ["sIg n@l] 1. n. something that conveys a message by affect- ing one of the senses; a sound, light, movement, etc., that conveys a message. 2. n. the waves sent by a radio or television transmitter. 3. tv. to indicate something. (The object can be a clause with that U.) signal to someone to do something [for someone] to give someone a command or instruction using a signal. signature ["sIg n@ tS#] n. a person’s name, handwritten by the person. signed ["saInd] adj. marked with someone’s signature. signed, sealed, and delivered formally and officially signed; [for a formal document to be] exe- cuted. significance [sIg "nIf @ k@ns] n. importance; meaning. (No plural.) significant [sIg "nIf @ k@nt] adj. important; having meaning. (Adv: significantly.) signify ["sIg n@ faI] tv. to mean something; to indicate something; to be a sign of something. (The object can be a clause with that U.) sign off on something 556 08 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 556 TLFeBOOK silence ["saI l@ns] 1. n. absolute quiet; the absence of all sound. (No plural.) 2. n. the absence of comments about something. (No plural.) 3. tv. to cause someone to be quiet; to cause someone to stop talking or to stop making noise. silent ["saI l@nt] 1. adj. quiet; not speaking or making noise; done without making noise. (Adv: silently.) 2. adj. [of a (spelling) let- ter] not pronounced; not repre- senting a sound. (Adv: silently.) silk ["sIlk] 1. n. a smooth, fine thread that is created by a silk- worm when making its cocoon. (No plural.) 2. n. cloth woven from Q. (Plural only for types and instances.) 3. adj. made of W. → make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear silkworm ["sIlk w#m] n. a creature that makes a cocoon of silk. silky ["sIl ki] adj. like silk; soft and smooth; [of cloth] soft and shim- mering. (Adv: silkily. Comp: silkier; sup: silkiest.) sill ["sIl] n. the bottom ledge of a window or door frame. → windowsill silly ["sIl i] adj. foolish; not sensible. (Comp: sillier; sup: silliest.) silly season the time of year, usu- ally in the summer, when there is a lack of important news and news- papers contain articles about unimportant or trivial things instead. silver ["sIl v#] 1. n. a bright, white, valuable metallic element, which in its pure form is soft and easily shaped. (No plural.) 2. n. coins, rather than paper money. (From a time when major U.S. coins were made of Q. No plural.) 3. adj. made of Q. → born with a silver spoon in one’s mouth silverware ["sIl v# wEr] 1. n. eat- ing or serving utensils that are made from or plated with silver. (No plural.) 2. n. knives, forks, and spoons made of steel, nickel, or metals other than silver. (No plural.) silvery ["sIl v@ ri] adj. looking like silver. similar ["sIm @ l#] adj. resembling something else, but not exactly the same. (Adv: similarly.) similarity [sIm @ "lEr I ti] n. a way or an aspect in which someone or something is like or resembles someone or something else. simmer ["sIm #] 1. tv. to boil something gently; to cook some- thing at or just below its boiling point. 2. iv. to boil gently; to cook at or just below the boiling point. 3. iv. to be angry without letting other people know that one is angry. (Figurative on W.) 4. iv. [for a situation] to be currently somewhat calm but progressing toward violence. simple ["sIm p@l] 1. adj. easy; not complicated; not complex. (Adv: simply. Comp: simpler; sup: sim- plest.) 2. adj. plain; not compli- cated; not fancy. (Adv: simply. Comp: simpler; sup: simplest.) simplicity [sIm "plIs I ti] n. the quality of being simple or not complicated. (No plural.) simplify ["sIm pl@ faI] tv. to make something simpler; to make some- simplify 557 08 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 557 TLFeBOOK thing easier to do or understand; to make something clearer. simplistic [sIm "plIs tIk] adj. too simple; having been simplified too much. (Adv: simplistically [ Ik li ].) simply ["sIm pli] 1. adv. easily; without difficulty. 2. adv. merely; only. 3. adv. absolutely; com- pletely; very. simulate ["sIm j@ let] tv. to show the nature or effects of something, allowing the observer to learn about it without experiencing it. simulation [sIm j@ "le S@n] 1. n. a demonstration of the nature or effects of an event without anyone really experiencing it. 2. n. some- thing that has been simulated. simultaneous [saI m@l "te ni @s] adj. happening or existing at the same time. (Adv: simultaneously.) sin ["sIn] 1. n. evil; something that is wicked or wrong; an act that is in opposition to a religious or moral principle. (Plural only for types and instances.) 2. iv. to break a religious or moral princi- ple. since ["sIns] 1. conj. from a certain time in the past until now. 2. conj. because. 3. prep. from a certain time in the past until now. 4. adv. from a certain time in the past until now. since time immemorial since a very long time ago. sincere [sIn "sIr] adj. honest; real; genuine; true. (Adv: sincerely. Comp: sincerer; sup: sincerest.) sincerely [sIn "sIr li] 1. adv. hon- estly; really; genuinely; truly. 2. adv. a word used as a polite way to finish a letter, before one’s sig- nature. sincerity [sIn "sEr I ti] n. the qual- ity of being sincere; honesty. (No plural.) sinful ["sIn fUl] 1. adj. full of sin; having committed a sin. (Adv: sinfully.) 2. adj. wicked; bad; evil; leading people into sin. (Adv: sinfully.) sing ["sIN] 1. iv., irreg. to make music with one’s voice, uttering a melody with words. (Past tense: sang; past participle: sung.) 2. tv., irreg. to make music as in Q. sing out to sing more loudly. sing someone’s praises to praise someone highly and enthusiasti- cally. sing something out to sing or announce something loudly. singe ["sIndZ] tv. to burn some- thing slightly; to burn the edge or end of something. single ["sIN g@l] 1. adj. one and only one. (Adv: singly.) 2. adj. individual; meant for one thing or person. (Adv: singly.) 3. adj. not married. (Adv: singly.) 4. adj. hav- ing only one part; not double; not multiple. (Adv: singly.) 5. n. some- thing that is meant for one person. 6. n. a $1 bill. 7. n. someone who is not married. single someone or something out (for something ) to choose or pick someone or something for some- thing; to select an eligible person or thing for something. simplistic 558 08 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 558 TLFeBOOK single-minded ["sIN g@l "maIn dId] adj. having only one purpose. (Adv: single-mindedly.) singular ["sIN gj@ l#] 1. adj. refer- ring to only one person or thing; the opposite of plural. 2. adj. unusual; exceptional; remarkable. (Adv: singularly.) 3. n. the form of a noun that refers to only one per- son or thing; the opposite of plural. sink ["sINk] 1. iv., irreg. to go beneath a surface; to fall beneath a surface. (Past tense: sank or sunk; past participle: sunk.) 2. iv., irreg. to become smaller in number; to decrease. 3. iv., irreg. [for some- one] to collapse or fall to the ground because of weakness, fear, respect, etc. 4. tv., irreg. to cause something to go lower and lower beneath the surface of water or some other liquid. 5. n. a perma- nent hollow bowl or basin, espe- cially in a kitchen or bathroom, for washing dishes, one’s hands or face, etc. → desert a sinking ship → everything but the kitchen sink → leave a sinking ship sink back (into something ) to lean back and relax in something, such as a soft chair. sink down to sink or submerge. sink in(to someone or something ) to penetrate someone or some- thing. (Used figuratively in refer- ence to someone’s brain or thinking.) sink one’s teeth into something 1. to take a bite of some kind of food, usually a special kind of food. 2. to get a chance to do, learn, or control something. sink or swim either fail or succeed. sink something in((to) someone or something ) 1. to drive or push something into someone or some- thing. 2. to invest time or money in someone or something. (Some- times implying that it was wasted.) sinking ["sIN kIN] adj. going further downward into a liquid. sinner ["sIn #] n. someone who sins. sinus ["saI n@s] 1. n. one of a num- ber of spaces inside the bones of the face that are connected to the outside air by way of the nose. 2. the adj. use of Q. sip ["sIp] 1. tv. to drink something a little bit at a time. 2. n. a small drink of something; a little taste of something liquid. siphon and syphon ["saI f@n] n. a tube that has one end in a con- tainer of liquid and, through pres- sure and gravity, pulls the liquid downward into another container placed at a lower level. siphon something (off) to remove liquid from a container by using a siphon. sir ["s#] n. a word used to address a male politely. siren ["saI r@n] n. a device that makes a loud noise of warning, such as that found on police cars, fire trucks, and ambulances. sissy ["sIs i] n. a weak and shy boy; a boy who behaves like a girl. (Derogatory.) sissy 559 08 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 559 TLFeBOOK sister ["sIs t#] 1. n. a female sib- ling; a daughter of one’s mother or father. 2. n. a nun. (Also a term of address. Capitalized when written as a proper noun.) sit ["sIt] 1. iv., irreg. to be in a posi- tion where the upper part of the body is straight, and the buttocks are supported by a chair, a seat, the floor, or some other surface. (Past tense and past participle: sat.) 2. iv., irreg. [for something] to be in a certain position; to be in a place. 3. iv., irreg. [for an ani- mal] to be positioned with the back end resting on a surface. 4. tv., irreg. to make someone sit as in Q in a location. → like a sitting duck sit around to relax sitting; to waste time sitting. sit around ( somewhere ) to sit somewhere and relax or do noth- ing; to sit idly somewhere. sit at someone’s feet to admire someone greatly; to be influenced by someone’s teaching; to be taught by someone. sit back to push oneself back in one’s seat; to lean against the back of one’s seat. sit down to be seated; to sit on something, such as a chair. sit in (for someone ) to act as a sub- stitute for someone. sit in (on something ) to attend something as a visitor; to act as a temporary participant in some- thing. sit on its hands [for an audience] to refuse to applaud. sit on one’s hands to do nothing; to fail to help. sit on the fence not to take sides in a dispute; not to make a clear choice between two possibilities. sit ( something ) out to elect not to participate in something. sit through something to remain seated and in attendance for all of something. sit tight to wait; to wait patiently. (Does not necessarily refer to sit- ting.) sit up 1. to rise from a lying to a sitting position. 2. to sit straighter in one’s seat; to hold one’s posture more upright while seated. sit up and take notice to become alert and pay attention. sit up with someone to remain awake and attend someone throughout the night. site ["saIt] n. a location where something is, or was happening, has happened, or will happen. sitting on a powder keg in a risky or explosive situation; in a situation where something serious or dangerous may happen at any time. sitting target someone or some- thing in a position that is easily attacked. situate ["sIt Su et] tv. to place something; to have or make a place for something. situation [sIt Su "e S@n] n. a condi- tion; the circumstances of an event; a state of affairs. six ["sIks] 6. Go to four. → at sixes and sevens sister 560 08 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 560 TLFeBOOK six of one and half a dozen of the other about the same one way or another. six-pack ["sIks pAk] n. a package of six things, especially six cans of beer or soft drinks. sixteen ["sIks "tin] 16. Go to four. sixteenth ["sIks "tinT] 16th. Go to fourth. sixth ["sIksT] 6th. Go to fourth. sixth sense a supposed power to know or feel things that are not perceptible by the five senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. sixtieth ["sIks ti @T] 60th. Go to fourth. sixty ["sIks ti] 60. Go to forty. sizable ["saIz @ b@l] adj. large; rather large; much. (Adv: sizably.) size ["saIz] 1. n. the degree to which someone or something is large or small. (No plural.) 2. n. one measurement in a series of measurements, used to describe Q of a product one wants, such as an article of clothing, a portion of food or drink, certain hardware, etc. size someone or something up to scrutinize someone or something and form a judgment. sizzle ["sIz @l] 1. n. the hissing noise made when frying fat or fry- ing food in fat. (No plural.) 2. iv. [for fat or cooking oil] to make a hissing noise when it is fried; to sound like fat when it fries. sizzling ["sIz lIN] 1. adj. frying; making the noise that fat does when it is heated. 2. adj. very hot. skate ["sket] 1. n. an ice skate; a roller skate. 2. iv. to move (over a surface) while wearing ice skates or roller skates. → ice skate → roller skate skate on thin ice to be in a risky situation. skater ["sket #] n. someone who ice-skates or roller-skates. skeleton ["skEl @ t@n] 1. n. the bones of a person or an animal, usually connected in their proper arrangement. 2. n. an outline; the basic structure that supports something. (Figurative on Q.) skeleton in the closet a hidden and shocking secret; a secret fact about oneself. skeptic ["skEp tIk] n. someone who doubts faith, claims, theories, or facts; someone who questions the truth of something, especially reli- gion. skeptical ["skEp tI k@l] adj. doubt- ing; questioning; finding some- thing hard to believe. (Adv: skeptically [ Ik li].) skepticism ["skEp t@ sIz @m] n. doubt; the condition of being skeptical; skeptical attitude or behavior. (No plural.) sketch ["skEtS] 1. n. a simple draw- ing; a rough drawing that is quickly made. 2. n. a brief description; an outline. 3. n. a short skit; a very short play that is usually funny. 4. tv. to draw some- one or something roughly and quickly; to make a quick drawing. 5. iv. to draw roughly and quickly. → thumbnail sketch sketch 561 08 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 561 TLFeBOOK sketchy ["skEtS i] adj. not complete; without details. (Adv: sketchily. Comp: sketchier; sup: sketchiest.) ski ["ski] 1. n. one of two long, nar- row, thin strips of wood or plastic used to travel on the surface of snow or water. 2. iv. to move on the surface of snow or water on a pair of Q. skid ["skId] 1. iv. [for a wheel of a vehicle] to continue to move over a surface after the brakes have been applied. 2. iv. to slip forward or sideways while moving. 3. n. a forward or sideways slipping movement as with Q or W. skier ["ski #] n. someone who skis on water or snow. skiing ["ski IN] n. the sport or activ- ity of moving over snow or water on skis. (No plural.) skill ["skIl] n. the ability to do something well, especially because of talent, experience, or practice. skilled ["skIld] adj. having skill; experienced. skillet ["skIl @t] n. a shallow pan used for frying foods. skillful ["skIl fUl] adj. having skill; experienced; able to do something very well. (Adv: skillfully.) skim ["skIm] 1. tv. to remove some- thing from the surface of a liquid. 2. tv. to glide over the surface of something; to go over the surface of something quickly. 3. tv. to scan reading material; to read some- thing quickly. skim over something 1. to glide over the surface of something, without touching it. 2. to read something quickly but not care- fully. skim through something to go through something hastily; to read through something hastily. skin ["skIn] 1. n. the outer covering of humans and most animals; the outer covering of many fruits and vegetables. (Plural only for types and instances.) 2. tv. to remove the skin from something. → all skin and bones → by the skin of one’s teeth → get under someone’s skin → jump out of one’s skin → no skin off someone’s nose → no skin off someone’s teeth → nothing but skin and bones skinny ["skIn i] adj. very thin; with- out much fat. (Comp: skinnier; sup: skinniest.) skip ["skIp] 1. iv. to move so that one takes a step with one foot, hops on that foot, takes a step with the second foot, and then hops on the second foot, repeatedly. 2. tv. to pass someone or something over; to omit something. 3. tv. to avoid attending a school class or other event and go someplace else. skip about and skip around to move in a random order; to be random in doing things. skip around Go to skip about. skip over someone or something Go to skip past someone or something. skip past someone or something and skip over someone or some- thing to pass over someone or something. skip rope to jump over an arc of rope that is passed beneath one’s sketchy 562 08 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 562 TLFeBOOK feet then over one’s head, repeat- edly. skirmish ["sk# mIS] n. a small bat- tle or argument. skirt ["sk#t] 1. n. an item of women’s clothing that wraps around the waist and hangs down, without separate sections for each leg. 2. tv. to move along the edge of something; not to move through the center of something. 3. tv. to evade an issue, topic, or question; to fail to address an issue, topic, or question. skit ["skIt] n. a short performance that is usually funny or that addresses a certain topic. skull ["sk^l] n. the bones of the head; the bones that protect the brain. → get something through someone’s thick skull skunk ["sk^Nk] n. a small animal that has black fur with a white stripe down its back and a bushy tail, and that releases a very bad smell when attacked or frightened. sky ["skaI] n. the space above the earth; the air above the earth. (Sometimes plural.) → (as) high as the sky → out of a clear blue sky → pie in the sky skydive ["skaI daIv] 1. iv. to jump from an airplane, fall through the air, and then open a parachute. (Past tense and past participle: skydived.) 2. n. an instance of jumping from an airplane as in Q. skylight ["skaI laIt] n. a window in the roof or ceiling of a building. The sky’s the limit. There is no limit to the success that can be achieved or the money that can be gained or spent. skyscraper ["skaI skre p#] n. a very tall building. slab ["slAb] n. a thick slice of some- thing; a thick, flat piece of some- thing. slack ["slAk] 1. adj. loose; not tight; not taut. (Adv: slackly. Comp: slacker; sup: slackest.) 2. adj. not strict; relaxed. (Figurative on Q. Adv: slackly. Comp: slacker; sup: slackest.) 3. adj. not active; not busy. (Adv: slackly. Comp: slacker; sup: slackest.) 4. n. looseness; a part of something that is not pulled tight. slack off to be lazy; to work only when absolutely necessary; to wane or decline; to decrease in intensity. slacken ["slAk @n] iv. to reduce, especially in speed or tightness; to become slower or looser. slacks n. pants; trousers. (Treated as plural. Number is expressed with pair(s) of slacks. Also counta- ble. Rarely singular.) slain ["slen] past participle of slay. slam ["slAm] 1. tv. to shut some- thing noisily and with force. 2. tv. to insult or criticize someone or something very strongly. (Infor- mal.) 3. iv. [for something] to shut very noisily and with force. 4. n. a loud and violent closing or crash. slam into someone or something to run into someone or something very forcefully; to crash into someone or something with great force. slam into someone or something 563 08 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 563 TLFeBOOK slam someone or something against someone or something to shove someone or something against someone or something. slander ["slAn d#] 1. n. a spoken or written lie that is meant to hurt someone’s reputation; something false that is said in order to hurt someone’s reputation. (No plural.) 2. tv. to damage someone’s reputa- tion by lying about that person. slanderous ["slAn d# @s] adj. understood or intended to be slan- der. (Adv: slanderously.) slang ["slAN] 1. n. words or expres- sions that are not expected in for- mal, educational, or business settings. (Not usually plural.) 2. the adj. use of Q. slant ["slAnt] 1. n. a slope; an angle. (No plural.) 2. iv. to slope; to angle; to move at an angle; to rise or fall while moving in a cer- tain direction. 3. tv. to cause something to be angled; to cause something to move at an angle. 4. tv. to express something in a way that favors one point of view over another. slap ["slAp] 1. tv. to hit someone or something with one’s open hand; to hit someone or something with something flat. 2. tv. to put some- thing on a surface carelessly and with force. 3. n. a hit with one’s open hand or with something flat. 4. n. the noise made when some- one or something is hit with some- one’s open hand or with some- thing flat. slap in the face an insult; an act that causes disappointment or dis- couragement. slap something on to dress in something hastily. slap something on(to someone or something ) to place something onto someone or something by slapping. slap something together to make up something very quickly. slash ["slAS] 1. tv. to cut something violently with a sharp object, using large, sweeping movements. 2. tv. to reduce numbers or amounts greatly. 3. n. a cut made by a violent movement as in Q; a gash. 4. n. the (/) symbol; the (\) symbol. slate ["slet] 1. n. a rock that splits easily into flat, thin layers. (No plural.) 2. n. a group of candidates offered by a political party in an election. 3. adj. made of Q. → start (off) with a clean slate slaughter ["slO t#] 1. tv. to kill and cut up an animal for food. 2. tv. to kill living creatures ruthlessly. → like a lamb to the slaughter → like lambs to the slaughter slave ["slev] n. someone who is owned by someone else; someone who is the property of someone else. → be a slave to something slavery ["slev (@) ri] n. the owner- ship of slaves. (No plural.) slay ["sle] tv., irreg. to kill someone or some animal; to murder some- one. (Past tense: slew; past partici- ple: slain.) slaying ["sle IN] n. a murder; the killing of someone or some ani- mal. slam someone or something against someone or something 564 08 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 564 TLFeBOOK sleazy ["sli zi] adj. cheap and crude; having a bad reputation. (Adv: sleazily. Comp: sleazier; sup: sleazi- est.) sled ["slEd] 1. n. a flat platform attached to long, thin blades that move easily over snow. 2. iv. to ride somewhere on Q; to play with Q; to travel by Q. sleek ["slik] 1. adj. smooth and shiny. (Especially used to describe hair or fur—of people or ani- mals—that is healthy or well cared for. Adv: sleekly. Comp: sleeker; sup: sleekest.) 2. adj. having neat, smooth lines; stylish. (Adv: sleekly. Comp: sleeker; sup: sleekest.) sleep ["slip] 1. n. the period of rest when the mind is not conscious; the period of rest when the body is not awake. (No plural.) 2. iv., irreg. not to be awake; to rest the body and mind in an unconscious condition. (Past tense and past participle: slept.) 3. tv., irreg. to provide space for a certain num- ber of people to sleep as in W; to have enough space for a certain number of people to sleep as in W. → doze off (to sleep) → lull someone to sleep → not sleep a wink → put someone or some creature to sleep → put someone to sleep sleep in to remain in bed, sleeping past one’s normal time of arising. sleep like a log to sleep very soundly. sleep on something to think about something overnight; to weigh a decision overnight. sleep something off to sleep away the effect of alcohol or drugs. sleep through something to remain sleeping through some event. sleepless ["slip l@s] adj. without sleep; unable to sleep. (Adv: sleep- lessly.) sleepwalk ["slip wOk] iv. to walk while sleeping. sleepwalker ["slip wOk #] n. some- one who walks around while sleeping. sleepy ["slip i] adj. tired; drowsy; needing to sleep. (Adv: sleepily. Comp: sleepier; sup: sleepiest.) sleet ["slit] 1. n. partly frozen rain; partly frozen rain mixed with snow or hail. (No plural.) 2. iv. [for Q] to fall from the sky. sleeve ["sliv] n. the part of an item of clothing that covers the arm. → laugh up one’s sleeve sleeveless ["sliv l@s] adj. without sleeves. (Adv: sleevelessly.) sleigh ["sle] n. a large sled; a plat- form or carriage—usually pulled by horses or dogs—attached to long, metal blades for traveling over snow. slender ["slEn d#] adj. slim; thin, in a pleasant or graceful way. (Adv: slenderly. Comp: slenderer; sup: slenderest.) slept ["slEpt] past tense and past participle of sleep. slew ["slu] 1. past tense of slay. 2. n. a large amount of something. (Informal.) slice ["slaIs] 1. n. a thin, flat piece that is cut from something. 2. n. a part; a portion; a share. 3. tv. to cut a thin, flat piece from some- slice 565 08 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 565 TLFeBOOK . circumstances of an event; a state of affairs. six ["sIks] 6. Go to four. → at sixes and sevens sister 560 08 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 560 TLFeBOOK six of one and half a dozen of the other about. (No plural.) 2. n. a group of candidates offered by a political party in an election. 3. adj. made of Q. → start (off) with a clean slate slaughter ["slO t#] 1. tv. to kill and cut up an animal. types and instances.) 3. adj. made of W. → make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear silkworm ["sIlk w#m] n. a creature that makes a cocoon of silk. silky ["sIl ki] adj. like silk; soft and smooth;