Thomas Davidson

“ Snake, snāk, n. a serpent—Snakes (Ophidia) form one of the classes of reptiles, in shape limbless and much elongated, embracing tree-snakes, the water-snakes, and the very venomous sea-snakes (Hydrophidæ) , the burrowing-snakes (Typhlopidæ) and the majority, which may be called ground-snakes.—ns. Snake′-bird, a darter: the wryneck; Snake′-eel, a long Mediterranean eel, its tail without a tail-fin.—adj. Snake′-like (Tenn.) , like a snake.—ns. Snake′-root, the popular name of various plants of different genera, whose roots are considered good for snake-bites ”

“ Soap′-test, a test for determining the degree of hardness of water; Soap′-works, a place where soap is made; Soap′wort, a genus of plants, some of the species of which have very beautiful flowers, and the root and leaves of which contain saponin, and hence are sometimes used in washing.—adj. Soap′y, like soap: having the qualities of soap: covered with soap: flattering, or pertaining to flattery. [A.S. sápe; Dut. zeep, Ger. seife.]
Soar, sōr, v.i. to mount into the air: to fly aloft: to rise to a height, also mentally or morally.—n. ”

“ Snuff, snuf, v.i. to draw in air violently and noisily through the nose: to sniff: to smell at anything doubtfully: to take snuff into the nose.—v.t. to draw into the nose: to smell, to examine by smelling.—n. a powdered preparation of tobacco or other substance for snuffing, a pinch of such: a sniff: resentment, huff.—ns. Snuff′-box, a box for snuff; Snuff′-dip′ping, the habit of dipping a wetted stick into snuff and rubbing it on the gums; Snuff′er, one who snuffs; Snuff′iness, state of being snuffy.—v.i. ”

“ Solanum, sō-lā′num, n. a genus of plants of the order Solanaceæ or Solaneæ, the nightshade family—almost all the species containing a poisonous alkaloid, Sol′anine.—adjs. Solanā′ceous, belonging to the Solanaceæ; Sol′anoid, potato-like, said of cancers. [L. solanum, the nightshade.]
Solar, sō′lar, adj. pertaining to the sun: measured by the progress of the sun: produced by the sun.—n. Sōlarisā′tion, exposure to the action of the sun's rays: the effect in photography of over-exposure.—v.t. Sō′larise, to injure by exposing too long to the sun's light in a camera.—v.i. ”

“ Soldier, sōl′jėr, n. a man engaged in military service: a private, as distinguished from an officer: a man of much military experience or of great valour: a soldier-ant, beetle, hermit-crab, &c.: (slang) a red herring.—v.i. to serve as a soldier: to bully: to shirk one's work or duty: (slang) to take a mount on another man's horse.—ns. Sol′dier-crab, a hermit-crab; Sol′diering, the state of being a soldier: the occupation of a soldier.—adjs. Sol′dier-like, Sol′dierly, like a soldier: martial: brave.—ns. Sol′dier-of-for′tune, one ready to serve anywhere for pay or his own advancement ”

“ Soap′berry, the fruit of several species of trees belonging to the genus Sapindus, containing a pulp useful as a substitute for soap in washing; Soap′-boil′er, one whose occupation is to make soap; Soap′-boil′ing, the occupation of making soap; Soap′-bub′ble, a bubble made from soap-suds by blowing through a pipe; Soap′iness; Soap′-lock, a lock of hair brushed apart from the rest: a rowdy; Soap′-pan, a large tank for boiling the ingredients in soap-making; Soap′-plant, a plant the bulb of which makes a thick lather when rubbed on clothes, and is used as soap ”

“ Smoke′lessness; Smō′ker, one who smokes tobacco: a smoking-carriage: one who smoke-dries meat: an evening entertainment at which smoking is permitted; Smoke′-sail, a small sail hoisted between the galley-funnel and the foremast when a vessel rides head to the wind; Smoke′-shade, a scale of tints ranging from 0 to 10, for comparison of different varieties of coal, according to the amount of unburnt carbon in their smoke; Smoke′-stack, an upright pipe through which the combustion-gases from a steam-boiler pass into the open air.—adj. Smoke′-tight, impervious to smoke.—ns. ”

“ Smack, smak, v.t. to strike smartly, to slap loudly: to kiss roughly and noisily.—v.i. to make a sharp noise with, as the lips by separation.—n. a sharp sound: a crack: a hearty kiss.—adv. sharply, straight.—p.adj. Smack′ing, making a sharp, brisk sound, a sharp noise, a smack. ”

“ Smoke′-tree, an ornamental shrub of the cashew family, with long light feathery or cloud-like fruit-stalks; Smoke′-wash′er, an apparatus for removing soot and particles of unburnt carbon from smoke by making it pass through water; Smoke′-wood, the virgin's bower (Clematis Vitalba) , whose porous stems are smoked by boys.—adv. Smō′kily.—ns. Smō′kiness; Smō′king, the act of emitting smoke: the act or habit of drawing into the mouth and emitting the fumes of tobacco by means of a pipe or cigar—a habit of great sedative value: a bantering ”

“ Snow′-ber′ry, a bushy, deciduous shrub, bearing white berries; Snow′-bird, a North American bird of the Finch family, the upper parts lead-colour, the lower parts white.—adj. Snow′-blind, affected with snow-blindness.—ns. Snow′-blind′ness, amblyopia caused by the reflection of light from snow; Snow′-blink, a peculiar reflection arising from fields of snow, like ice-blink; Snow′-boot, a boot made to protect the feet while walking in snow; Snow′-box, a theatrical apparatus for representing a snowfall; Snow′-break, a melting of snow; Snow′-broth, snow and water mixed, any very cold liquid ”

“ Sol′diership, state or quality of being a soldier: military qualities: martial skill; Sol′diery, soldiers collectively: the body of military men; Fresh′water-sol′dier, the Stratiotes aloides, a European aquatic plant with sword-shaped leaves.—Come the old soldier over one, to impose on any one.—Old soldier, a bottle emptied at a sitting: a cigar-stump. [O. Fr. soldier (Fr. soldat) —L. solidus, a piece of money, the pay of a soldier.] ”

“ Solic′itor, one who asks earnestly: one who is legally qualified to act for another in a court of law, esp. a court of equity: a lawyer who prepares deeds, manages cases, instructs counsel in the superior courts, and acts as an advocate in the inferior courts; Solic′itor-gen′eral, in England, the law-officer of the crown next in rank to the attorney-general—in Scotland, to the lord-advocate ”

“ Snail, snāl, n. a term for the species of terrestrial Gasteropoda which have well-formed spiral shells—the more typical snails belonging to the genus Helix, of the family Helicidæ, having the shell of many whorls, globose, depressed, or conical.—ns. Snail′-clov′er, -trē′foil, a species of medic; Snail′-fish, a fish of genus Liparis, sticking to rocks; Snail′-flow′er, a twining bean.—adjs. Snail′-like (Shak.) , in the manner of a snail, slowly; Snail′-paced (Shak.) , as slow-moving as a snail; Snail′-slow, as slow as a snail.—n. ”

“ Socket, sok′et, n. a hollow into which something is inserted, the receptacle of the eye, &c.: a hollow tool for grasping and lifting tools dropped in a well-boring: the hollow of a candlestick: a steel apparatus attached to the saddle to protect thighs and legs.—v.t. to provide with or place in a socket.—n. Sock′et-bolt, a bolt for passing through a thimble placed between the parts connected by the bolt.—p.adj. ”

“ Sō′ber-mind′edness, the state of being sober-minded: freedom from inordinate passion: calmness; Sō′berness; Sō′bersides, a sedate and solemn person.—adj. Sō′ber-suit′ed, dressed in a suit of sad-coloured clothes.—n. Sōbrī′ety, state or habit of being sober: calmness: gravity. ”

“ Sō′da-lime, a mixture of caustic soda and quicklime; Sō′dalite, a mineral composed chiefly of soda, along with silica, alumina, and hydrochloric acid; Sō′da-pā′per, a paper saturated with sodium carbonate; Sō′da-salt, a salt having soda for its base; Sō′da-wa′ter, water containing soda charged with carbonic acid; Sō′dium, a yellowish-white metal, the base of soda. [It. soda—L. solida, firm.] ”

“ Sō′lar-print, a photographic print made in a solar camera from a negative; Sō′lar-sys′tem, the planets and comets which circle round the sun—also called Planetary-system.—Solar flowers, flowers which open and shut daily at certain hours; Solar spots=Sun-spots (see Sun) ; Solar time (see Time) ; Solar year (see Year) . [L. sol, the sun, solaris, pertaining to the sun.]
Solaster, sō-las′tėr, n. the typical genus of Solasteridæ, a family of star-fishes, having more than five rays. [L. sol, the sun, aster, a star.] ”

“ Solidā′go, a genus of composite plants, the goldenrods; Solidare, sol′idār (Shak.) , a small piece of money; Solidar′ity, the being made solid or compact: the being bound: a consolidation or oneness of interests.—adj. Sol′idary, marked by solidarity, jointly responsible.—v.t. Sol′idate, to make solid or firm.—adj. Solid′ifiable.—n. Solidificā′tion, act of making solid or hard.—v.t. Solid′ify, to make solid or compact.—v.i. to grow solid: to harden:—pa.p. solid′ified.—ns. Sol′idism, the doctrine that refers all diseases to alterations of the solid parts of the body ”

“ Slush, slush, n. liquid mud: melting snow: a mixture of grease for lubrication: the refuse of the cook's galley in a ship.—v.t. to apply slush to, to grease: to wash by throwing water upon: to fill spaces in masonry with mortar (with up) : to coat with a mixture of white-lead and lime the bright parts of machinery.—adj. Slush′y. [Cf. Slosh.]
Slut, slut, n. (fem. of Sloven) a dirty, untidy woman: a wench, a jade: a bitch.—adj. Slut′tish, resembling a slut: dirty: careless.—adv. Slut′tishly.—ns. Slut′tishness, Slut′tery. [Scand., Ice. slöttr, a dull fellow—slota, to droop.] ”

“ Socī′ety-verse, poetry light and entertaining, treating of the topics of society so called.—Social science, sociology, esp. the branch treating of the existing institutions of men as members of society, the science which treats of social relations ”

“ Sō′larist, one addicted to solarism; Sōlā′rium, a sun-dial: a place suited to receive the sun's rays—in a hospital or sanatorium; Sō′lar-mī′croscope, an apparatus for projecting upon a screen by means of sunlight an enlarged view of any object—essentially the same as the combination of lenses used in the magic-lantern taken in conjunction with a heliostat; Sō′lar-myth, a myth allegorising the course of the sun, by some mythologists constantly invoked to explain the problems of mythology ”

“ Sole, sōl, n. a genus (Solea) of flat-fish, elongate-oval in form, with flesh firm, white, and excellently flavoured. [Fr. sole—L. solea.]
Sole, sōl, adj. alone: only: being or acting without another: single: (law) unmarried.—advs. ”

“ Sniv′elly, snotty, whining. [A.S. snofel, mucus from the nose; akin to sniff, snuff.]
Snob, snob, n. a vulgar person, esp. one who apes gentility, a tuft-hunter: a shoemaker: a workman who works for lower wages than his fellows, a rat, one who will not join a strike: a townsman, as opposed to a gownsman, in Cambridge slang.—n. ”

“ Slot′ting-machine′, a machine for cutting slots or square grooves in metal. [Slit.]
Slot, slot, n. the track of a deer. [Ice. slóth, track, path; Scot. sleuth, track by the scent.]
Sloth, slōth, or sloth, n. laziness, sluggishness: a sluggish arboreal animal of tropical America, of two genera (Cholœpus, the two-toed sloth, and Bradypus, the three-toed sloth) .—adj. Sloth′ful, given to sloth: inactive: lazy.—adv. ”

“ Smell, smel, v.i. to affect the nose: to have odour: to use the sense of smell.—v.t. to perceive by the nose:—pa.t. and pa.p. smelled or smelt.—n. the quality of bodies which affects the nose: odour: perfume: the sense which perceives this quality.—ns. Smell′er; Smell′-feast, a greedy fellow; Smell′ing, the sense by which smells are perceived; Smell′ing-bott′le, a bottle containing smelling-salts, or the like; Smell′ing-salts, a preparation of ammonium carbonate with lavender, &c., used as a stimulant in faintness, &c. ”

“ Sniff, snif, v.t. to draw in with the breath through the nose.—v.i. to snuff or draw in air sharply through the nose: to snuff.—n. perception of smell: a short sharp inhalation, or the sound made by such.—v.i. Snif′fle, to snuffle.—n. Snif′fler, a slight breeze.—adj. Snif′fy, inclined to be disdainful.—vs.i. Snift, to sniff, snivel; Snift′er, to sniff.—n. a sniff: (pl.) stoppage of the nasal passages in catarrh: (slang) a dram: (U.S.) a severe storm.—n. Snift′ing-valve, an air-valve connecting with a steam-cylinder, as in a condensing engine—also Tail-valve, Blow-valve.—adj. ”

“ Slovak, slō-vak′, adj. pertaining to the Slovaks, a branch of the Slavs in the mountainous districts of N.W. Hungary, their language little more than a dialect of Czech.—n. one of this race, or his language.—adjs. Slovak′ian, Slovak′ish.
Sloven, sluv′n, n. a man carelessly or dirtily dressed:—fem. ”

“ Smift, smift, n. a piece of touchwood, &c., formerly used to ignite the train in blasting.—Also Snuff.
Smight, smīt, v.t. (Spens.) to smite.
Smilax, smī′laks, n. a genus of liliaceous plants, type of the tribe Smilaceæ—the roots of several species yield sarsaparilla.
Smile, smīl, v.i. to express pleasure by the countenance: to express slight contempt: to look joyous: to be favourable.—n. act of smiling: the expression of the features in smiling: favour: (slang) a drink, a treat.—ns. Smī′ler, one who smiles ”

“ Socī′ety, fellowship, companionship: a number of persons associated for a common interest: a community or partnership: the civilised body of mankind, those who are recognised as the leaders in fashionable life, the fashionable world generally: persons who associate: any organised association for purposes literary, scientific, philanthropic, or ecclesiastical ”