English words starting with S

capable of being switched or changed over from one state, setting, or function to another.

a road or railway that has a series of sharp bends for going up or down a steep hill

A knife with a blade contained inside the handle which springs out when a button or catch on the handle is pressed.

a piece of equipment used to connect telephone calls by plugging cables into sockets, especially in the past.

changed from one thing, state, or course of action to another.

A person or thing that switches, especially a device for making, breaking, or changing the connections in an electrical circuit.

a sudden unexpected change or exchange, especially one that is surprising or deceptive.

A tall North American prairie grass with a panicle of small spikelets, often cultivated for forage and soil conservation.

the act or process of changing from one thing to another, especially suddenly or often.

A complete change from one method, system, or activity to another.

to turn around a central point so that it faces in a different direction

turning or rotating smoothly on a central point or axis

to stir or mix a drink, especially with a swizzle stick.

(of a part of the body) larger than normal, especially because of injury or illness

to feel very excited, emotional, or happy about someone or something

(present participle) to feel very excited, emotional, or happy about someone or something, often in a way that makes you seem silly or weak

To move very quickly and easily through the air, especially down from a height in order to attack

moving rapidly downward through the air, often in a curve

having long, smooth, flowing curves or lines

to move quickly through the air with a soft, rushing sound

a weapon with a long metal blade and a handle, used for thrusting or cutting

a large sea fish with a very long, pointed upper jaw that looks like a sword

The action or skill of fighting with a sword or swords.

a man who is skilled at fighting with a sword, especially in the past.

having made a formal and serious promise, especially in a court of law

a person who is very fond of luxury and pleasure.

devoted to or marked by luxury and pleasure, especially of a sensual kind

a large tree of the maple family, with broad five-pointed leaves and bark that flakes off in patches.

The behavior of trying to please someone important by praising them too much, agreeing with them, and doing things for them, in order to gain some advantage.

a person who praises powerful or rich people in an exaggerated way in order to get their approval or favor.

Behaving in an obsequious way in order to gain advantage from someone powerful or important.

A set of written characters representing all the syllables of a language.

relating to or consisting of a syllable or syllables.

A unit of pronunciation having one vowel sound, with or without surrounding consonants, forming the whole or a part of a word.

an outline or a summary of the main points of a text, lecture, or course of study.

A form of reasoning in which a conclusion is drawn from two given or assumed propositions (premises); a common or middle term is present in the two premises but not in the conclusion.

relating to or using syllogisms, a form of logical reasoning where a conclusion is drawn from two given or assumed propositions.

A slender, graceful woman or girl.

relating to or characteristic of woods or forest regions; rustic.

An organism living in symbiosis.

A relationship between two different living organisms that live close together and depend on each other in particular ways, each getting particular benefits from the other.

an organism living in symbiosis, especially one that is physically and physiologically dependent on its partner.

involving or characterized by a close, long-term relationship between two different organisms that is often beneficial to both.

In a way that involves two different organisms living together and benefiting from each other.

A sign, shape, or object that is used to represent something else, such as a concept, organization, or process.

Relating to or using symbols; serving as a symbol.

Relating to, using, or serving as a symbol; representing something else, often an idea or quality.

In a way that uses or involves symbols to represent ideas, qualities, or feelings.

The use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities, especially in art or literature.

An artist or writer who uses symbols extensively to represent ideas or emotions, especially one associated with the Symbolist movement.

The act of representing something by a symbol or symbols.

To be a symbol of something; to represent something else.

The study or use of symbols.

Having two halves, sides, or parts that match each other exactly in size, shape, and position.

having two halves, parts, or sides that are the same in size and shape.

In a way that has two halves, parts, or sides that are exactly the same in size, shape, and position.

The quality of being made up of exactly similar parts facing each other or around an axis.

feeling or showing concern about someone who is in a bad situation

in a way that shows you understand and care about someone else's suffering or problems

To feel or express sympathy for someone; to share or understand their feelings.

to feel or express sympathy for someone; to share or understand their feelings.

A person who agrees with or supports a particular idea, group, or person, especially one that is not popular or is illegal.

Feelings of pity and sorrow for someone else's misfortune.

(of biological species or populations) occurring within the same geographical area without interbreeding.

relating to or having the form or character of a symphony

a long piece of music for a large orchestra, typically in four movements

A formal meeting at which experts discuss a particular topic.

A physical or mental feature which is regarded as indicating a condition of disease, particularly such a feature that is apparent to the patient.

not showing or experiencing any symptoms of a disease or condition.

serving as a symptom or sign, especially of something undesirable.

in a way that relates to or serves as a symptom of a disease or condition.

The set of symptoms characteristic of a medical condition or disease.

Having or showing no symptoms of disease.

the branch of medical science concerned with the study of symptoms.

A building where Jewish people meet for religious worship and instruction.

The junction between two nerve cells, where impulses pass by diffusion of a neurotransmitter.

Relating to a synapse, the junction between two nerve cells.

To cause to occur or operate at the same time or rate.

a device or system for synchronizing two or more machines or processes.

Relating to or describing a subject as it exists at one point in time, without considering its historical development.

the coincidental occurrence of events and especially psychic events (such as similar thoughts in widely separated persons or a mental image of an unexpected event before it happens) that seem related but are not explained by conventional mechanisms of causality.

Relating to or involving the idea that events are meaningfully related, especially through a supposed principle of synchronicity rather than causality.

the process of causing two or more things to happen, move, or operate at the same time and speed.

to cause to happen or operate at the same time or rate

happening or existing at the same time or rate.

A device or mechanism that causes two or more things to operate or move at the same rate or in exact coordination.

happening or existing at the same time

At the same time or rate; in a way that is synchronized.

the state of happening or existing at the same time or rate.

a type of particle accelerator in which particles are accelerated around a fixed circular path by an electric field and held in that path by an increasing magnetic field.

To shorten a word by omitting one or more sounds or letters from the middle.

(of music or a rhythm) having a temporary displacement of the regular metrical accent, typically by stressing the weak beat.

a temporary displacement of the regular metrical accent in music caused typically by stressing the weak beat.

A temporary loss of consciousness caused by a fall in blood pressure.

Relating to or characterized by syncretism; the amalgamation or attempted amalgamation of different religions, cultures, or schools of thought.

The amalgamation or attempted amalgamation of different religions, cultures, or schools of thought.

relating to or characterized by syncretism; the attempt or tendency to combine or reconcile differing beliefs, schools of thought, or practices.

A person who advocates or participates in syndicalism, a movement that aims to bring industry and government under the control of federations of labor unions, typically through the use of direct action such as general strikes.

a group of individuals or organizations combined to promote a common interest or carry out a business enterprise.

(of a newspaper column, television program, etc.) published or broadcast simultaneously in multiple newspapers, on multiple stations, etc.

the act of selling an article, photograph, television program, etc., to several different newspapers, magazines, or stations for publication or broadcast.

A person or organization that manages the sale of shares, bonds, or other financial products to the public.

A group of symptoms which consistently occur together, or a condition characterized by a set of associated symptoms.

a figure of speech in which a part is made to represent the whole or vice versa.

relating to or using synecdoche, the figure of speech in which a part is made to represent the whole or vice versa.

Relating to or involving synergy; working together cooperatively to produce a combined effect greater than the sum of their separate effects.

The interaction or cooperation of two or more agents to produce a combined effect greater than the sum of their separate effects.

relating to or producing synergy; combined or cooperative action that increases the effectiveness of the participating elements.

in a way that causes two or more things to work together to produce a combined effect greater than the sum of their separate effects

The extra energy, effectiveness, or success achieved by two or more people or things working together, as opposed to working separately.

A condition in which one type of stimulation evokes the sensation of another, such as when hearing a sound produces the visualization of a color.

Relating to or experiencing synesthesia, a condition where one type of stimulation evokes the sensation of another, such as when hearing a sound produces the visualization of a color.

A formal meeting of church officials, especially in the Christian church, to discuss and decide on matters of doctrine, administration, or application.

Relating to or involving the conjunction of celestial bodies, especially the period between successive conjunctions of the same bodies.

a word or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word or phrase in the same language.

having the same or a similar meaning as another word or phrase

In a way that has the same or nearly the same meaning as another word or phrase.

a brief summary or general survey of something, such as the plot of a book, play, or movie.

Presenting a summary or general view of a whole.

Relating to or denoting a viscous fluid that lubricates joints and tendon sheaths.