Loading earlier words…
Saprophagan

One of a tribe of beetles which feed upon decaying animal and vegetable substances; a carrion beetle.

Saprophyte

Any plant growing on decayed animal or vegetable matter, as most fungi and some flowering plants with no green color, as the Indian pipe.

Saprophytic

Feeding or growing upon decaying animal or vegetable matter; pertaining to a saprophyte or the saprophytes.

Sapsago

A kind of Swiss cheese, of a greenish color, flavored with melilot.

Sapucaia

A Brazilian tree. See Lecythis, and Monkey-pot.

Sapwood

The alburnum, or part of the wood of any exogenous tree next to the bark, being that portion of the tree through which the sap flows most freely; -- distinguished from heartwood.

Sarabaite

One of certain vagrant or heretical Oriental monks in the early church.

Saraband

A slow Spanish dance of Saracenic origin, to an air in triple time; also, the air itself.

Saracen

Anciently, an Arab; later, a Mussulman; in the Middle Ages, the common term among Christians in Europe for a Mohammedan hostile to the crusaders.

Saraswati

The sakti or wife of Brahma; the Hindoo goddess of learning, music, and poetry.

Sarcasm

A keen, reproachful expression; a satirical remark uttered with some degree of scorn or contempt; a taunt; a gibe; a cutting jest.

Sarcastical Sarcastic

Expressing, or expressed by, sarcasm; characterized by, or of the nature of, sarcasm; given to the use of sarcasm; bitterly satirical; scornfully severe; taunting.

Sarcel

One of the outer pinions or feathers of the wing of a bird, esp. of a hawk.

Sarcelle

The old squaw, or long-tailed duck.

Sarcenet

A species of fine thin silk fabric, used for linings, etc.

Sarcina

A genus of bacteria found in various organic fluids, especially in those those of the stomach, associated with certain diseases. The individual organisms undergo division along two perpendicular partitions, so that multiplication takes place in two directions, giving groups of four cubical cells. Also used adjectively; as, a sarcina micrococcus; a sarcina group.

Sarcle

To weed, or clear of weeds, with a hoe.

Sarcobasis

A fruit consisting of many dry indehiscent cells, which contain but few seeds and cohere about a common style, as in the mallows.

Sarcoblast

A minute yellowish body present in the interior of certain rhizopods.

Sarcocarp

The fleshy part of a stone fruit, situated between the skin, or epicarp, and the stone, or endocarp, as in a peach. See Illust. of Endocarp.

Sarcocolla Sarcocol

A gum resin obtained from certain shrubs of Africa (Penaea), -- formerly thought to cause healing of wounds and ulcers.

Sarcode

A name applied by Dujardin in 1835 to the gelatinous material forming the bodies of the lowest animals; protoplasm.

sarcoderma Sarcoderm

A fleshy covering of a seed, lying between the external and internal integuments. A sarcocarp.

Sarcoid

Resembling flesh, or muscle; composed of sarcode.

Sarcolactic

Relating to muscle and milk; as, sarcolactic acid. See Lactic acid, under Lactic.

Sarcolemma

The very thin transparent and apparently homogeneous sheath which incloses a striated muscular fiber; the myolemma.

Sarcology

That part of anatomy which treats of the soft parts. It includes myology, angiology, neurology, and splanchnology.

Sarcoma

A tumor of fleshy consistence; -- formerly applied to many varieties of tumor, now restricted to a variety of malignant growth made up of cells resembling those of fetal development without any proper intercellular substance.

Sarcomatous

Of or pertaining to sarcoma; resembling sarcoma.

Sarcophaga

A genus of Diptera, including the flesh flies.

Sarcophagan

Any animal which eats flesh, especially any carnivorous marsupial.

Sarcophagus

A species of limestone used among the Greeks for making coffins, which was so called because it consumed within a few weeks the flesh of bodies deposited in it. It is otherwise called lapis Assius, or Assian stone, and is said to have been found at Assos, a city of Lycia.

Sarcophile

A flesh-eating animal, especially any one of the carnivorous marsupials.

Sarcoptes

A genus of parasitic mites including the itch mites.

Sarcoptid

Any species of the genus Sarcoptes and related genera of mites, comprising the itch mites and mange mites. Of or pertaining to the itch mites.

Sarcorhamphi

A division of raptorial birds comprising the vultures.

Sarcosin

A crystalline nitrogenous substance, formed in the decomposition of creatin (one of the constituents of muscle tissue). Chemically, it is methyl glycocoll.

Sarcosis

Abnormal formation of flesh. Sarcoma.

Sarcotic

Producing or promoting the growth of flesh. A sarcotic medicine.

Sarcous

Fleshy; -- applied to the minute structural elements, called sarcous elements, or sarcous disks, of which striated muscular fiber is composed.

Sard

A variety of carnelian, of a rich reddish yellow or brownish red color. See the Note under Chalcedony.

Sardinian

Of or pertaining to the island, kingdom, or people of Sardinia. A native or inhabitant of Sardinia.

Sardius

A precious stone, probably a carnelian, one of which was set in Aaron's breastplate.

Sardonic

Of, pertaining to, or resembling, a kind of linen made at Colchis.

Sardonyx

A variety of onyx consisting of sard and white chalcedony in alternate layers.

Saree

The principal garment of a Hindoo woman. It consists of a long piece of cloth, which is wrapped round the middle of the body, a portion being arranged to hang down in front, and the remainder passed across the bosom over the left shoulder.

Sargassum

A genus of algae including the gulf weed.

Sargo

Any one of several species of sparoid fishes belonging to Sargus, Pomadasys, and related genera; -- called also sar, and saragu.

Sarigue

A small South American opossum (Didelphys opossum), having four white spots on the face.

Sark

To cover with sarking, or thin boards.

Sarking

Thin boards for sheathing, as above the rafters, and under the shingles or slates, and for similar purposes.

Sarmatic Sarmatian

Of or pertaining to Sarmatia, or its inhabitants, the ancestors of the Russians and the Poles.

Sarment

A prostrate filiform stem or runner, as of the strawberry. See Runner.

Sarmentose

Long and filiform, and almost naked, or having only leaves at the joints where it strikes root; as, a sarmentose stem. Bearing sarments; sarmentaceous.

Sarn

A pavement or stepping-stone.

Sarong

A sort of petticoat worn by both sexes in Java and the Malay Archipelago.

Saros

A Chaldean astronomical period or cycle, the length of which has been variously estimated from 3,600 years to 3,600 days, or a little short of 10 years.

Sarplar

A large bale or package of wool, containing eighty tods, or 2,240 pounds, in weight.

Sarplier

A coarse cloth made of hemp, and used for packing goods, etc.

Sarpo

A large toadfish of the Southern United States and the Gulf of Mexico (Batrachus tau, var. pardus).

Sarracenia

A genus of American perennial herbs growing in bogs; the American pitcher plant.

Sarsaparilla

Any plant of several tropical American species of Smilax. The bitter mucilaginous roots of such plants, used in medicine and in sirups for soda, etc.

Sarse

To sift through a sarse.

Sarsen

One of the large sandstone blocks scattered over the English chalk downs; -- called also sarsen stone, and Druid stone.

Sart

An assart, or clearing.

Sartorial

Of or pertaining to a tailor or his work.

Sartorius

A muscle of the thigh, called the tailor's muscle, which arises from the hip bone and is inserted just below the knee. So named because its contraction was supposed to produce the position of the legs assumed by the tailor in sitting.

Sash

To furnish with a sash or sashes; as, to sash a door or a window.

Sashery

A collection of sashes; ornamentation by means of sashes.

Sashoon

A kind of pad worn on the leg under the boot.

Sasin

The Indian antelope (Antilope bezoartica syn. Antilope cervicapra), noted for its beauty and swiftness. It has long, spiral, divergent horns.

Sassabye Sassaby

A large African antelope (Alcelaphus lunata), similar to the hartbeest, but having its horns regularly curved.

Sassafras

An American tree of the Laurel family (Sassafras officinale); also, the bark of the roots, which has an aromatic smell and taste.

Sassarara

A word used to emphasize a statement.

Sasse

A sluice or lock, as in a river, to make it more navigable.

Sassenach

A Saxon; an Englishman; a Lowlander.

Sassoline Sassolin

Native boric acid, found in saline incrustations on the borders of hot springs near Sasso, in the territory of Florence.

Sat

imp. of Sit.

Satan

The grand adversary of man; the Devil, or Prince of darkness; the chief of the fallen angels; the archfiend.

Satanical Satanic

Of or pertaining to Satan; having the qualities of Satan; resembling Satan; extremely malicious or wicked; devilish; infernal.

Satanism

The evil and malicious disposition of Satan; a diabolical spirit.

Satanophany

An incarnation of Satan; a being possessed by a demon.

Satchel

A little sack or bag for carrying papers, books, or small articles of wearing apparel; a hand bag.

Loading more words…