S Set4

sporadic	adj. happening or seen only occasionally or in a few places; occurring irregularly
sportive	adj. playful
sprightly	adj. lively and full of energy
sprout	v. ~ (from sth) begin to grow or appear; put out leaves, shoots, etc
spruce	adj. tidy and clean in appearance; smart ;
spry	adj. lively and active
spurious	adj. not genuine or authentic; false or fake
spurn	v. reject or refuse scornfully or contemptuously
squabble	v. ~ (about/over sth) quarrel noisily (as children do), esp over unimportant matters
squalid	adj. very dirty and unpleasant (esp because of neglect or poverty)
squalor	n. squalid state
squander	v. ~ sth waste (time, money, etc); use sth wastefully
squash	v. press or squeeze (sb/sth) flat or into a pulp; crush
squat	v. ~ (down) (of people) sit on one's heels or on the ground with the knees drawn up under or close to the body; crouch
squeamish	adj. having a delicate stomach and easily made sick
squelch	v. make a sucking sound as when feet are lifted from thick sticky mud
staccato	adj. adv (to be played) with each successive note short, clear anddetached; not smooth(ly)
stagnant	adj. not flowing and therefore dirty and smelling unpleasant; still and stale
staid	adj. (of people, their appearance, behaviour, tastes, etc) serious, dull and old-fashioned; conservative
stalemate	n. position of the pieces in the game of chess in which the player whose move it is cannot move without putting his king in check
stalwart	adj. (of a person) strong and sturdy
stamina	n. ability to endure much physical or mental strain; long-lasting energy and resilience; staying-power
stammer	v. speak with sudden pauses and a tendency to repeat rapidly the same sound or syllable (because of a speech defect or from fear, excitement, etc)
stamp	v. ~ sth put (one's foot) down heavily on (the ground, etc); flatten (sth) by doing this
stampede	n. sudden rush of frightened animals
stanch	v. stop the flow of (esp blood)
standstill	n. halt; stop
stanza	n. group of lines forming a unit in some types of poem; verse of poetry
start	n. beginning of a journey, an activity, a plan, a race, etc; process or act of starting
stately	adj. dignified; imposing; grand
static	adj. not moving or changing; stationary
statute	n. law passed by Parliament or a similar law-making body and written down formally
statutory	adjfixed, done or required by statute
steadfast	adj. ~ (fml usu approv , ) firm and not changing or yielding; constant
stealth	n. acting or behaving in a quiet or secret way
steep	adj. (of a slope, stairs, etc) rising or falling sharply, not gradually
stellar	adj. of a star or stars
stem	n. main central part of a plant, bush or tree coming up from the roots, from which the leaves or flowers grow
stench	n. very unpleasant smell
stentorian	adj. (of a voice) loud and powerful
stereotype	n. image,idea, character, etc that has become fixed or standardizedin a conventional form without individuality
sterile	adj. not producing or not able to produce seeds, young or children
stickler	n. ~ for sth person who thinks that a certain goal is very important and tries to make other people aim at it
stifle	v. feel or make unable to breathe (easily) because of lack of fresh air; suffocate
stigma	n. mark of shame or disgrace; shameful feeling or reputation
stilted	adj. (of a manner of talking, writing, behaving, etc) stiff and unnatural; artificial
stink	v. (infml ) ~ (of sth) have a very unpleasant and offensive smell
stint	v. ~ on sth; ~ sb/oneself (usu in negative sentences ) restrict, limit sb/oneself to a small amount of (esp food)
stipend	n. official income (esp of a clergyman); salary ;
stipple	v. paint, draw or engrave in small dots (not in lines, etc)
stipulate	v. state (sth) clearly and firmly as a requirement
stock	n. store of goods available for sale, distribution or use, in a shop, warehouse, etc
stockade	n. line or wall of strong upright posts, built as a defence
stodgy	adj. (infml derog , ) (of food) heavy, solid and difficult to digest
stoic	n. person who has great self-control and who endures pain, discomfort or misfortune without complaining or showing signs of feeling it ,
stoke	v. ~ sth (with sth) put (coal or some other fuel) on the fire of a furnace, an engine, etc
stolid	adj. (of a person) not easily excited; showing little or no emotion or interest
stoop	v. ~ (down) bend forward and down
stout	adj. strong and thick
straggle	v. grow or spread in an irregular or untidy manner
strangle	v. kill by squeezing or gripping the throat tightly; throttle
stratagem	n. trick, plan or scheme to deceive sb (esp an enemy)
stratified	[ stratify: ] to form or be formed in layers or strata
stratum	n. any of a series of horizontal layers, esp of rock in the earth's crust
strew	v. ~ A (on/over B); ~ B with A scatter sth (over a surface); cover (a surface) with scattered things; sprinkle
striated	adj. marked with stripes, lines or furrows
stricture	n. (fml ) severe criticism or condemnation
strident	adj. loud and harsh; shrill
stringent	adj. that must be obeyed; strict or severe
strut	n. rod or bar placed in a framework to strengthen and brace it
studied	adj. carefully considered; intentional; deliberate
studious	adj. spending a lot of time studying
stultify	v. (fml ) cause (sth) to be ineffective or seem absurd; negate
stumble	v. ~ strike one's foot against sth and almost fall
stump	n. part of a tree left in the ground after the rest has fallen or been cut down
stun	v. make (a person or an animal) unconscious by a blow, esp to the head
stupefy	make numb; stun; amaze
stupor	n. condition of being dazed or nearly unconscious caused by shock, drugs, alcohol, etc
sturdy	adj. strong and solid
stygian	adj. very dark; gloomy
stymie	n. situation on the green in which an opponent's ball is between one's own ball and the hole
suavity	[ suave: ]
subaltern	n. any officer in the army below the rank of captain
subdue	v. bring under control by force; defeat
subjective	adj. existing in the mind and not produced by things outside the mind
subjugate	v. gain controlof (a country, etc); subdue; conquer ;
sublimate	v. express (instinctual urges, esp sexual ones) in more socially acceptable ways
sublime	adj. of the greatest, most admirable kind; causing awe and reverence
subliminal	adj. being perceivedor affecting the mind without one being aware of it
submerge	v. go under the surface of a liquid, the sea, etc
submissive	adj. willing to yield to the authority of others; obedient
subordinate	adj. ~ (to sb) lower in rank or position
suborn	v. use bribery or some other means to persuade (sb) to do sth illegal, esp tell lies in a court of law
subpoena	n. written order requiring a person to appear in a lawcourt
subsequent	adj. later; following
subservient	adj. ~ (often derog ) giving too much respect, obedience, etc; submissive
subside	v. sink to a lower or to the normal level
subsidiary	adj. 1~ connected to but smaller, of less importance,etc than sth else; subordinate
subsidy	n. money paid, esp by a government, to help an industry, to support the arts, to keep prices down, etc
subsistence	n. subsisting