NTC''''s Pocket Dictionary of Words and Phrases part 58 docx

sentiments n. a written or spoken
expression of
sentiment. (Treated
as plural.)
separable ["sEp # @ b@l] adj. able to
be separated; able to be divided.
(Adv: separably.)
separate
1.
["sEp r@t] adj. not
together; not joined; apart; single;
individual. (Adv: separately.)
2. ["sEp @ ret] tv. to be between
two or more people or things; to
keep two or more people or things
apart.
3. ["sEp @ ret] tv. to cause
two or more people or things to be
apart.
4. ["sEp @ ret] iv. to break
apart; to divide; to split.
5. ["sEp @
ret
] iv. [for a husband and wife] to
stop living together, often as a trial
before beginning to divorce each
other.
separate
something
out (of
some-

thing
) to remove something out
from something.
separate the men from the boys
to separate the competent from
those who are less competent.
separate the sheep from the
goats
to divide people into two
groups according to whether they
meet a certain standard.
separated ["sEp @ ret Id] adj. [of a
married couple] no longer living
together but not divorced.
separation [sEp @ "re S@n] 1. n. the
state of being separated. (Plural
only for types and instances.)
2. n.
a period of time when two people
who are married no longer live
together but have not yet divorced.
September [sEp "tEm b#] Go to
month.
sequence ["si kw@ns] 1. n. the
order in which a group of people
or things are placed; the order in
which a series of events happen.
2. tv. to put people or things into
Q.
sequester [sI "kwEs t#] tv. to keep

someone apart from other people,
especially to isolate members of a
jury from the public during a trial.
serenade [sEr @ "ned] 1. n. a song
sung to someone; a love song.
2. tv. to sing a romantic song to
someone; to play a romantic piece
of music for someone.
serene [s@ "rin] adj. quiet; calm;
peaceful. (Adv: serenely.)
serenity [s@ "rEn I ti] n. the quality
of being serene. (No plural.)
serial ["sIr i @l] 1. n. a story that is
presented in separate parts.
2. the
adj. use of Q. (Adv: serially.)
series ["sIr iz] 1. n. a group of simi-
lar things that happen or appear
one after the other in a certain
order; a group of similar things
that are arranged in a row.
(Treated as singular.)
2. n. a set of
television programs that is broad-
cast one at a time, usually once per
week.
serious ["sIr i @s] 1. adj. stern; not
humorous or playful. (Adv: seri-
ously.)
2. adj. important; not

minor. (Adv: seriously.)
seriousness ["sIr i @s n@s] n.
importance; gravity; a state of
being
serious Q or W. (No plu-
ral.)
sermon ["s# m@n] 1. n. a speech
about religion or morals, espe-
cially one given by a member of
sentiments
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the clergy. 2. n. a long speech by
someone who is giving advice or
who is scolding someone else.
(Figurative on Q.)
serpent ["s# p@nt] n. a snake.
servant ["s# v@nt] n. someone who
serves a person, the public, or
God, especially someone who is
paid to work for someone else in
that person’s house.
serve ["s#v] 1. tv. to provide some-
one with a service.
2. tv. to bring
(previously ordered) food to
someone, as in a restaurant.
3. tv.
to provide a useful service or

function.
4. iv. to perform military
service.
5. iv. to begin a play in a
sport like tennis by hitting the ball
toward the other player.
→
first come, first served
serve as a guinea pig [for some-
one] to be experimented on; to
allow some sort of test to be per-
formed on one.
serve
someone
right [for an act or
event] to punish someone fairly
(for having done something
wrong).
serve
something
up to distribute or
deliver food for people to eat.
serve time to spend a certain
amount of time in jail.
serve under
someone or something
to carry out one’s responsibility
under the direction or in the
employment of someone.
server ["s# v#] 1. n. a utensil used

to serve certain foods.
2. n. a wait-
ress;
a waiter.
service ["s# vIs] 1. n. the work that
someone does for the benefit of
someone; work done by servants,
clerks, food servers, taxi drivers,
etc. (No plural. See E.)
2. n. the
repair of a machine or device;
maintenance. (No plural.)
3. n.
the benefit provided by a company
or organization that fulfills the
needs of people but does not usu-
ally manufacture products. (This
includes electric service, natural
gas service, telephone service, water
service, sewer service, message serv-
ice, diaper service, lawn-care
service, etc.)
4. n. a religious meet-
ing or ceremony.
5. tv. to repair or
adjust something mechanical or
electronic.
→
out of service
the service n. a military duty; serv-

ing [one’s country in] a military
organization.
services n. work that is done to
help someone, especially the work
done by a professional person.
(Treated as plural, but not counta-
ble.)
serving ["s# vIN] n. the amount of
food or drink that is usually
served to one person.
session ["sE S@n] n. a period of
time during which a meeting is
held or an activity is pursued.
→
in session
→ a rump session
set ["sEt] 1. tv., irreg. to put some-
one or something on a surface; to
place someone or something
somewhere. (Past tense and past
participle:
set.) 2. tv., irreg. to
move someone or something into
a certain position.
3. tv., irreg. to
join the ends of a broken bone and
place them in the proper position.
4. tv., irreg. to determine or estab-
set
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lish a value, a standard, a time, an
amount, etc.
5. tv., irreg. to adjust
a machine so that it works cor-
rectly; to adjust something so that
it will show the correct measure-
ment, time, amount, etc.
6. iv.,
irreg. [for a liquid] to take a cer-
tain shape; to become shaped; [for
concrete or plaster] to get hard.
7. iv., irreg. [for the sun] to drop
below the horizon at night; to sink
out of sight.
8. n. a collection of
related things; a group of things
that are found or belong together.
9. n. the location of the perform-
ing area for a play, TV show, or
movie.
10. adj. ready. (Not
prenominal.)
11. adj. established;
determined in advance; arranged.
→
have
one’s
heart set on

something
→ not set foot
somewhere
→
one’s
heart is set on
something
→ television set
set a trap to adjust and prepare a
trap to catch a person or an ani-
mal.
set foot
somewhere
to go or enter
somewhere. (Often in the nega-
tive.)
set great store by
someone or
something
to have positive expec-
tations for someone or something;
to have high hopes for someone or
something.
set in to begin; to become fixed for
a period of time.
set off (for
something
) to leave for
something or someplace.
set off on

something
to begin on a
journey or expedition.
set
one
(back) on
one’s
feet and
set
one
on
one’s
feet again to
reestablish someone; to help
someone become active and pro-
ductive again.
set
one
back on
one’s
heels to
surprise, shock, or overwhelm
someone.
set
one
on
one’s
feet again Go to
set
one

(back) on
one’s
feet.
set
one’s
heart on
something
to
become determined about some-
thing.
set
one’s
sights on
something
to
select something as one’s goal.
set out (on
something
) to begin a
journey; to begin a project.
set out to
do something
to begin to
do something; to intend to do
something.
set
someone
down (on(to)
some-
thing

) to place a person one is car-
rying or lifting onto something.
set
someone
off 1. to cause some-
one to become very angry; to
ignite someone’s anger.
2. to cause
someone to start talking or lectur-
ing about a particular subject.
set
someone or something
free to
release someone or something; to
allow someone or something to
leave, go away, depart, or escape.
set
someone or something
up to
place someone or something in a
vertical or standing position.
set
someone
straight to make cer-
tain that someone understands
something exactly. (Often said in
anger or domination.)
set
someone
up (for

something
)
1.
to arrange a situation so that
someone is the target of a decep-
tion.
2. to make someone become
part of a joke.
set a trap
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set
someone’s
teeth on edge
1.
[for a sour or bitter taste] to
irritate one’s mouth and make it
feel strange.
2. [for a person or a
noise] to be irritating or get on
someone’s nerves.
set
something
down (on
something
) 1. to place something
on the surface of something.
2. to
write something on paper.

3. to
land an airplane on something.
set
something
down to
something
to blame something on something
else; to regard something as the
cause of something.
set
something
in(to
something
) to
put something into its place.
set
something
off 1. to ignite some-
thing, such as fireworks.
2. to
cause something to begin.
3. to
make something distinct or out-
standing.
set
something
to music to incor-
porate words into a piece of music;
to write a piece of music to incor-
porate a set of words.

set
something
up to arrange the
time and place of a meeting,
appointment, interview, etc.
set
something
up (for
something
)
to arrange something for a partic-
ular time or event.
set
something
(up)on
something
to
place something on the surface of
something.
set the table to arrange a table
with plates, glasses, knives, forks,
etc., for a meal.
set the world on fire to do excit-
ing things that bring fame and
glory to one. (Frequently nega-
tive.)
set type to arrange type for print-
ing, now usually on a computer.
setback ["sEt bAk] n. something
that causes something to change

for the worse.
settle ["sEt @l] 1. tv. to decide
something, especially an argu-
ment; to resolve something.
2. tv.
to pay a bill or account.
3. tv. to
place oneself in a comfortable
position. (Takes a reflexive object.)
4. tv. to occupy land or a town and
live there, often as a pioneer.
5. tv.
to cause something to be calm,
still, or less active.
6. iv. to sink,
especially into the ground or to
the bottom of something.
settle down
1.
to become calm.
2. to get quiet. 3. to abandon a
free lifestyle and take up a more
stable and disciplined one.
settle down
somewhere
to estab-
lish a residence somewhere.
settle in(to
something
) 1. to

become accustomed to something,
such as a new home, job, status,
etc.
2. to get comfortable in some-
thing.
settle
someone
down to make
someone become quiet.
settle (
something
) (out of court)
to end a disagreement and reach
an agreement without having to go
through a court of justice.
settle up with
someone
to pay
someone what one owes; to pay
one one’s share of something.
settlement ["sEt @l m@nt] 1. n. the
establishing of towns or commu-
nities in new areas. (No plural.)
2. n. a town established by people
who have moved to an area where
settlement
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there was no town before. 3. n. an

agreement that ends an argument,
disagreement, or fight.
settler ["sEt l#, "sEt l #] n. a pio-
neer; someone who is one of the
first people to live in a location.
setup ["sEt @p] n. an arrangement;
the way something is arranged or
organized.
seven ["sEv @n] 7. Go to four.
→
at sixes and sevens
seventeen ["sEv @n "tin] 17. Go to
four.
seventeenth [sEv @n "tinT] 17th.
Go to
fourth.
seventh ["sEv @nT] 7th. Go to
fourth.
→
in seventh heaven
seventieth ["sEv @n ti @T] 70th. Go
to
fourth.
seventy ["sEv @n ti] 70. Go to forty.
sever ["sEv #] tv. to cut through
something; to cut something
apart.
sever ties with
someone
to end a

relationship or agreement sud-
denly.
several ["sEv (@) r@l] 1. adj. some; a
few, but not many.
2. n. some peo-
ple or things; a few people or
things. (No plural.)
severe [s@ "vIr] 1. adj. harsh; strict;
not gentle. (Adv: severely. Comp:
severer; sup: severest.)
2. adj.
strong; violent; causing harm; not
mild. (Adv: severely. Comp: sev-
erer; sup: severest.)
severed ["sEv #d] adj. cut off; cut
from; separated.
severity [sI "vEr I ti] n. the quality
of being severe. (No plural.)
sew ["so] 1. tv., irreg. to attach two
pieces of material together or to
attach something to a piece of
material by making stitches using
a needle and thread. (Past tense:
sewed; past participle: sewed or
sewn.) 2. iv., irreg. to attach with
stitches using a needle and thread.
→
get
something
sewed up

sewage ["su IdZ] n. water and
human waste that is carried away
by sewers from homes and busi-
nesses. (No plural.)
sewer
1.
["su #] n. a pipe that car-
ries waste away from homes and
businesses.
2. ["so #] n. someone
who sews.
sewing ["so IN] 1. n. the work that
is done with a needle and thread;
the stitches made in material with
a needle and thread. (No plural.)
2. n. a piece of clothing or mate-
rial that is being sewed. (No plu-
ral.)
3. the adj. use of Q or W.
sewn ["son] a past participle of sew.
sex ["sEks] 1. n. human sexual
responses and activity. (No plu-
ral.)
2. n. copulation; sexual
arousal leading to copulation; the
urge to copulate; the subject of
copulation. (No plural.)
3. n. the
state of being male or female.
4. the adj. use of Q.

→
opposite sex
sexism ["sEks Iz @m] n. the belief
that men are better than women;
discrimination against women
because they are women. (No plu-
ral.)
sexist ["sEk sIst] 1. n. someone,
usually a male, who practices
sex-
ism.
2. the adj. use of Q. (Adv:
sexistly.)
settler
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sexual ["sEk Su @l] 1. adj. of or
about copulation or reproduction
and the associated feelings and
urges. (Adv: sexually.)
2. adj.
requiring two creatures or organ-
isms for reproduction.
sexual intercourse ["sEk Su @l "In
t# kors
] n. copulation; an act
involving the genitals of two peo-
ple for the purpose of creating
pleasure or the production of off-

spring. (No plural. Can be short-
ened to
intercourse.)
sexuality [sEk Su "Al @ ti] n. human
sexual matters and feelings; the
involvement or interest a person
has in sex. (No plural.)
sexually ["sEk Su (@) li] adv. in a
sexual manner; in a way that con-
cerns sex.
sexy ["sEk si] adj. of or about sex
appeal; causing an interest in sex;
sexually exciting. (Comp: sexier;
sup: sexiest.)
shabby ["SAb i] adj. having a messy
appearance; looking run-down or
worn-out. (Adv: shabbily. Comp:
shabbier; sup: shabbiest.)
shack ["SAk] n. a small house, hut,
or shed that has been built quickly
or poorly.
shade ["Sed] 1. n. a place that is not
directly exposed to sunlight
because an object between that
place and the sun blocks the sun-
light. (No plural.)
2. n. a variety of
a color; the lightness or darkness
of a color.
3. n. a slight amount of

a quality.
4. n. a device that can be
rolled down over a window so that
light will not get in or so that peo-
ple cannot see in. (Short for
win-
dow shade
.) 5. tv. to prevent light
from reaching an area; to make
something darker or harder to see
by blocking light.
6. tv. to make
something darker by painting or
drawing on it with a darker color.
→
window shade
shades of
someone or something
reminders of someone or some-
thing; things reminiscent of some-
one or something.
shading ["Sed IN] n. the use of
darker colors in paintings and
drawings to make shadows and
darker areas. (No plural.)
shadow ["SAd o] 1. n. the patch of
shade created by someone or
something blocking light.
2. n. a
slight suggestion; a trace. (Figura-

tive on Q.)
shadow of
itself
Go to shadow of
oneself.
shadow of
oneself
and shadow
of
itself
someone or something
that is not as strong, healthy, full,
or lively as before.
shady ["Se di] 1. adj. in the shade;
blocked from direct exposure to
light; shaded. (Comp: shadier; sup:
shadiest.)
2. adj. not honest;
always making schemes and
deceiving people. (Comp: shadier;
sup: shadiest.)
shaft ["SAft] 1. n. a rod or pole,
such as part of an arrow.
2. n. a
pole that is used as a handle, such
as with an axe or a golf club.
3. n. a
ray [of light].
4. n. a long, narrow
passage, often vertical.

shaggy ["SAg i] adj. covered with
long, thick, messy hair; [of hair]
long, thick, and messy. (Adv: shag-
shaggy
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gily. Comp: shaggier; sup:
shaggiest.)
shaggy-dog story a kind of funny
story that relies on its length and a
sudden, ridiculous ending for its
humor.
shake ["Sek] 1. iv., irreg. [for some-
thing large] to move up and down,
back and forth, or side to side
many times very quickly. (Past
tense:
shook; past participle:
shaken.) 2. iv., irreg. [for someone]
to move as in Q or seem less
secure.
3. tv., irreg. to cause some-
one or something to move up and
down, back and forth, or side to
side many times very quickly.
→
in two shakes of a lamb’s tail
shake hands and shake
some-

one’s
hand to take someone’s
hand and move it up and down as
a greeting or to mark an agree-
ment.
shake in
one’s
boots and quake
in
one’s
boots to be afraid; to
shake from fear.
shake
someone’s
hand Go to shake
hands.
shake
something
down Go to
shake
something
out.
shake
something
out 1. to clean
something of dirt or crumbs by
shaking.
2. and shake
something
down to test something to find

out what the problems are. (Figu-
rative.)
shake
something
up 1. to mix
something by shaking.
2. to upset
an organization or group of people
by some administrative action.
shaken ["Sek @n] 1. Past participle
of
shake. 2. adj. greatly upset; dis-
turbed; bothered.
shaker ["Sek #] n. a small container
that has a few tiny holes on one
end from which salt or pepper or
sometimes other spices, is spread
on food by shaking.
shake-up ["Sek @p] n. a large
change in the arrangement of an
organization, including the move-
ment, firing, or addition of people
who have important jobs.
shaky ["Se ki] 1. adj. shaking a
small amount; not steady. (Comp:
shakier; sup: shakiest.)
2. adj.
risky; not certain; not able to be
relied on. (Comp: shakier; sup:
shakiest.)

shall ["SAl] 1. aux. a form used
with I and we to indicate some-
thing in the future. (Formal. See
also
will and should
do something
.)
2. aux. a form used with you, he,
she, it, they, and names of people
or things to indicate something
one must do, a command, or a
promise. (Formal. See also
will
and should
do something
.) 3. aux. a
verb form used with I and we in
questions that ask the hearer or
reader to decide something con-
cerning the speaker or writer.
(Formal. See also
will and should
do something
.)
shallow ["SAl o] 1. adj. not deep;
having only a small distance from
the top of something to the bot-
tom, especially used to describe
water. (Adv: shallowly. Comp:
shallower; sup: shallowest.)

2. adj.
[of thoughts] trivial; not having
deep, important thoughts. (Figu-
shaggy-dog story
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rative on Q. Adv: shallowly.
Comp: shallower; sup: shallowest.)
shame ["Sem] 1. n. a feeling that
someone has done something
wrong or bad; a bad feeling of
guilt. (No plural.)
2. n. an unfor-
tunate situation. (No plural.)
3. n.
disgrace; loss of honor. (No plu-
ral.)
4. tv. to cause someone to feel
Q.
→
put
someone
to shame
shameful ["Sem fUl] adj. causing or
deserving shame or disgrace.
(Adv: shamefully.)
shameless ["Sem l@s] adj. without
shame, especially when one should
feel shame; not modest. (Adv:

shamelessly.)
shampoo [SAm "pu] 1. n. a liquid
soap used for washing hair. (Plural
only for types and instances.
Plural ends in -s.)
2. n. a washing
of one’s own or someone else’s hair
with Q. (Plural ends in -s.)
3. tv.
to wash someone’s hair with Q.
4. iv. to wash [hair] with Q.
shape ["Sep] 1. n. a form; a figure; a
mass; an object.
2. n. condition; a
state of being—good or bad. (No
plural.)
3. tv. to cause something
to have a certain form; to form
something.
→
in good shape
→ in shape
→ take shape
shape
someone
up 1. to cause
someone to get into good physical
condition.
2. to cause someone to
become productive, efficient,

competent, etc.
shape up 1. to get into good physi-
cal condition.
2. to become pro-
ductive, efficient, competent, etc.
shape up or ship out to either
improve one’s performance or
one’s behavior or quit and leave.
shapeless ["Sep l@s] adj. without a
shape; having no definite form.
(Adv: shapelessly.)
shapely ["Sep li] adj. having an
attractive body; attractive in
shape. (Especially used to describe
women. Comp: shapelier; sup:
shapeliest.)
share ["SEr] 1. n. one person’s part
of something that belongs to more
than one person; a portion.
2. n. a
unit of
stock E; a unit into which
the capital of a company or busi-
ness is divided, and that is owned
by a person or corporation.
3. tv.
to use something together with
another person or other people; to
own something together with
another person or other people.

4. tv. to divide something between
two or among three or more peo-
ple so that each person has a por-
tion of it.
5. iv. to use together
with another person or other peo-
ple; to own together with another
person or other people.
→ the
lion’s share (of
something
)
→
one’s
fair share
share
someone’s
pain to under-
stand and sympathize with some-
one’s pain or emotional
discomfort.
share
someone’s
sorrow to feel
someone else’s emotional pain.
shared ["SErd] adj. belonging to
two or more people; divided
among two or more people.
shark ["Sark] n. a large, dangerous
fish with a pointed fin on its back

and long, sharp teeth.
shark
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sharp ["Sarp] 1. adj. having an edge
that cuts things easily or having a
point that pierces things easily; not
dull. (Adv: sharply. Comp: sharper;
sup: sharpest.)
2. adj. having a
sudden change in direction; turn-
ing at a narrow angle. (Adv:
sharply. Comp: sharper; sup:
sharpest.)
3. adj. intelligent; smart;
able to learn things quickly; aware.
(Adv: sharply. Comp: sharper; sup:
sharpest.)
4. adj. feeling like a
sting, bite, or cut; causing a sting-
ing, biting, or cutting feeling.
(Adv: sharply. Comp: sharper; sup:
sharpest.)
5. adj. distinct; clear;
easily seen or heard. (Adv: sharply.
Comp: sharper; sup: sharpest.)
6.
adj. [of speech or language] bit-
terly negative. (Adv: sharply.

Comp: sharper; sup: sharpest.)
7. adj. slightly higher in tone.
(Comp: sharper; sup: sharpest.)
8. adj. excellent looking. (Adv:
sharply. Comp: sharper; sup:
sharpest.)
9. n. a tone that is half a
step higher than the next lowest
natural tone.
10. adv. exactly at a
stated time.
sharpen ["Sar p@n] tv. to cause
something to become sharp.
→
pencil sharpener
shatter ["SAt #] 1. iv. to break into
many tiny pieces.
2. tv. to break
something into many tiny pieces.
shave ["Sev] 1. tv., irreg. to remove
someone’s or something’s hair
with a sharp blade; to scrape off
hair by moving a razor over the
skin. (Past tense: shaved; past par-
ticiple: shaved or
shaven.) 2. tv.,
irreg. to cut a thin slice from
something.
3. iv., irreg. to move a
razor over one’s skin to remove

hair.
4. n. an instance of removing
hair from the face or body by
using a razor.
→
have a close shave
shaven ["Sev @n] a past participle of
shave.
she ["Si] 1. pron. the third-person
feminine singular pronoun.
(Refers to female persons or crea-
tures. Used as the subject of a sen-
tence or a clause. See also
her,
herself, and hers.) 2. pron. the
third-person feminine singular
pronoun. (Informal. Used to refer
to certain objects, such as ships
and cars.)
3. n. a female.
shear ["SIr] 1. tv., irreg. to cut or
remove something with
shears or
scissors, especially wool from a
sheep. (Past participle: sheared or
shorn.) 2. tv., irreg. to trim a sheep
totally, removing its wool.
shears n. large scissors; a heavy
pair of scissors used for cutting
thick materials. (Treated as plural.

Number is usually expressed with
pair(s) of shears.)
sheath ["SiT] n., irreg. a covering
for the blade of a knife or sword.
(Plural: [
"SiDz].)
she’d ["Sid] 1. cont. she had, where
had is an auxiliary. 2. cont. she
would.
shed ["SEd] 1. n. a small building,
usually used for storage.
2. iv.,
irreg. to release or lose hair, or
skin in the case of a reptile. (Past
tense and past participle: shed.)
3. tv., irreg. [for an animal] to lose
skin or hair.
4. tv., irreg. to release
a fluid, especially tears or blood.
5.
tv., irreg. to rid oneself of a burden
or something embarrassing. (Figu-
sharp
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rative on E.) 6. tv., irreg. to
remove clothing.
shed crocodile tears to shed false
tears; to pretend that one is crying.

sheep ["Sip] n., irreg. an animal
that grows wool on its body and is
raised on farms for its wool and
meat. (Plural: sheep.)
→
separate the sheep from the
goats
→ a wolf in sheep’s clothing
sheepish ["Sip IS] adj. weak; timid;
easily scared; shy; easily embar-
rassed. (Adv: sheepishly.)
sheer ["SIr] 1. adj. complete; utter.
(Comp: sheerer; sup: sheerest.)
2. adj. transparent; very thin; easy
to see through. (Adv: sheerly.
Comp: sheerer; sup: sheerest.)
3. adj. straight up and down; ver-
tical but not slanting or sloping.
(Adv: sheerly. Comp: sheerer; sup:
sheerest.)
sheet ["Sit] 1. n. a large, thin piece
of fabric that is used in pairs on
beds. (People sleep between
sheets.) 2. n. a thin, flat piece of
something, such as paper, metal,
glass, ice, etc., usually rectangular.
shelf ["SElf] n., irreg. a horizontal,
flat piece of wood, metal, etc., that
is put against or attached to a wall
or is found in bookcases or other

furniture. (Plural:
shelves.)
she’ll ["Sil] cont. she will.
shell ["SEl] 1. n. the hard covering
on the outside of seeds, nuts, eggs,
and shellfish.
2. n. an exploding
object that is shot out of a large
gun.
3. tv. to free something from
Q [by removing Q].
4. tv. to
attack people or a place with
shells
as in W.
shellfish ["SEl fIS] 1. n., irreg. an
animal that lives in the water and
has a shell, including clams, crabs,
lobsters, and oysters. (Plural: shell-
fish.)
2. n. the meat of Q. (No plu-
ral.)
shelter ["SEl t#] 1. n. protection
from the weather, danger, or
harm. (No plural.)
2. n. a place or
structure where one can find Q.
3. tv. to protect someone or some-
thing from the weather, danger, or
harm.

sheltered ["SEl t#d] adj. [of an
area] protected, especially from
the weather.
shelve ["SElv] 1. tv. to place some-
thing on a shelf.
2. tv. to delay
something until a later time. (Fig-
urative on Q.)
shelves ["SElvz] plural of shelf.
shelving ["SEl vIN] n. shelves; a set
of shelves. (No plural.)
shepherd ["SEp #d] 1. n. someone
who raises and protects sheep.
2. tv. to guide someone in the way
that a shepherd leads sheep. (Figu-
rative on Q.)
sherbet ["S# b@t] n. a sweet, frozen
dessert usually made of or flavored
with fruit juice. (Plural only for
types and instances.)
sheriff ["SEr If] n. the most impor-
tant officer elected to enforce the
law in a U.S. county.
she’s ["Siz] 1. cont. she is. 2. cont.
she has, where
has is an auxiliary.
shield ["Sild] 1. n. a cover for some-
thing (such as a part of a machine)
that protects someone from being
hurt.

2. n. a large piece of metal or
wood carried in front of the body
shield
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