NTC''''s Pocket Dictionary of Words and Phrases part 63 pdf

sports car ["sports kar] n. a kind
of expensive, stylish, small car,
which can go very fast.
sportsman ["sports m@n] n., irreg.
a man who participates in sports
events or various outdoor activi-
ties. (Plural:
sportsmen.)
sportsmen ["sports m@n] plural of
sportsman.
sporty ["spor ti] adj. stylish; in
fashion. (Adv: sportily. Comp:
sportier; sup: sportiest.)
spot ["spat] 1. n. a part (typically
round) of a surface that is a differ-
ent color from the rest of the sur-
face.
2. n. a mark, as might be left
by blood, paint, food, etc.; a dirty
mark.
3. n. a specific location; a
place; a position.
4. tv. to recog-
nize someone or something; to
happen to see someone or some-
thing.
→
have a soft spot in
one’s
heart
for

someone or something
→ hit the spot
→ in a (tight) spot
→ on the spot
→ rooted to the spot
spotless ["spat l@s] adj. totally
clean; without spots. (Adv: spot-
lessly.)
spotlight ["spat laIt] 1. n. a spot or
disk of strong, bright light.
2. n. a
lamp that produces a circle of
strong, bright light.
3. n. some-
thing that is the focus of public
attention.
4. tv. to place someone
or something in the focus of atten-
tion.
→
steal the spotlight
spouse ["spaUs] n. a husband; a
wife.
spout ["spaUt] 1. n. the opening of
something from which a liquid
comes out.
2. tv. to push out
something, especially a liquid; to
force a liquid out, especially
through a narrow pipe or tube.

3. iv. to flow into, out of, from,
through, down, or onto someone
or something.
sprain ["spren] 1. tv. to twist a joint
in the body in a way that causes
injury or pain.
2. n. a joint that has
been twisted in a way that causes
injury or pain.
sprang ["sprAN] past tense of
spring.
spray ["spre] 1. tv. to direct a
stream of small drops of liquid
onto a surface.
2. tv. to coat a sur-
face with a stream of small drops
of liquid.
3. n. liquid that is
pushed through the air in small
drops, especially under pressure.
spread ["sprEd] 1. iv., irreg. to
move outward; to become longer,
wider, or broader; to extend to a
larger or to the largest area possi-
ble; to expand. (Past tense and
past participle: spread.)
2. iv.,
irreg. to be passed on to many
people.
3. tv., irreg. to pass along

something to many people.
4. tv.,
irreg. to stretch something out; to
cause something to become
longer, wider, or broader.
5. tv.,
irreg. to apply something onto
something else by moving it
around, making an even layer.
spread it on thick Go to lay it on
thick.
spread like wildfire to spread
rapidly and without control.
sports car
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spread
oneself
too thin to do so
many things that one can do none
of them well; to spread one’s
efforts or attention too widely.
spread out to separate and distrib-
ute over a wide area.
spread
something
on(to
some-
thing

) to distribute a coating of
something onto something.
spread
something
out to open,
unfold, or lay something over a
wider area.
spree ["spri] 1. n. a session of wild
drinking, spending, or partying.
2. n. a period of activity and
action.
spring ["sprIN] 1. n. the season of
the year between winter and sum-
mer.
2. n. a natural source of
water from the ground; a place
where water comes out of the
earth.
3. n. a metal coil; a metal
object that is wound in the shape
of a coil.
4. iv., irreg. to jump; to
leap. (Past tense:
sprang or sprung;
past participle: sprung.) 5. iv.,
irreg. [for E] to fail and lose its
elastic property.
6. the adj. use of
Q.
→

no spring chicken
spring up to appear or develop
suddenly; to sprout, as with a
seedling.
sprout ["spraUt] 1. iv. [for a plant]
to bud; [for a plant] to start grow-
ing leaves, flowers, or buds; [for a
plant] to grow from a seed.
2. tv.
to grow something, such as a leaf
or branch.
3. n. new growth; a
new bud, leaf, flower, or stem.
spruce ["sprus] 1. n. a type of pine
tree having short needles.
2. n. the
wood of Q. (No plural.)
spruce
someone or something
up
1.
to tidy up and groom someone
or something.
2. to refurbish or
renew someone or something.
spruce up to make oneself or a
place neat or clean.
sprung ["spr^N] Past participle of
spring; a past tense of spring.
spun ["sp^n] past tense and past

participle of
spin.
spur ["sp#] 1. n. a sharp object
worn on the heel of a boot, used to
make a horse that one is riding go
faster.
2. n. a highway or railroad
track that branches from the main
one.
3. tv. to poke a horse with Q.
→
on the spur of the moment
spy ["spaI] 1. n. someone whose job
is to secretly watch other people,
organizations, or governments in
order to learn information.
2. tv.
to see something; to discover
something by sight; to secretly
watch other people, organizations,
or governments in order to learn
information.
squad ["skwad] n. a group of peo-
ple who work together or who
have been trained together for a
job; a group of 11 soldiers and a
leader who work together.
square ["skwEr] 1. n. a shape made
with four sides that are the same
length and four right angles.

2. n.
a four-sided area in a city sur-
rounded by streets or buildings.
3. n. an L-shaped or T-shaped
tool, used for drawing and meas-
uring right angles.
4. n. a number
square
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that is the product of a number
multiplied by itself.
5. adj. shaped
like Q. (Adv: squarely.)
6. adj.
forming a right angle; forming a
90-degree angle. (Adv: squarely.)
7. adj. [of an area] roughly equal
in size and shape to Q that has
sides of the requested or
demanded length. (Follows the
measurement of length.)
8. adj.
[of an area shaped like Q] having
four sides of a certain length. (A
square inch is the area measured
by a square that is one inch long
and one inch wide. Adv: squarely.)
9. adj. having no debts; having set-

tled all debts.
10. tv. to multiply a
number by itself.
11. tv. to make
something Y.
square deal a fair and honest
transaction; fair treatment. (Infor-
mal.)
square meal n. a meal that is com-
plete and balanced.
a
square peg in a round hole a
misfit; someone who does not
seem to belong in a situation.
square up to
someone or some-
thing
to face someone or some-
thing bravely; to tackle someone
or something.
square up with
someone
to pay
someone what one owes; to pay
one’s share of something to some-
one. (Informal.)
squash
something
down to crush
something down; to pack some-

thing down.
squat ["skwat] 1. iv. to crouch; to
rest, sitting with one’s feet on the
ground and one’s legs bent under
one’s body.
2. adj. shorter or
thicker than normal or expected.
(Adv: squatly. Comp: squatter;
sup: squattest.)
squawk ["skwOk] 1. n. a loud,
harsh noise, especially one made
by a bird.
2. iv. to make a loud,
harsh noise.
squeak ["skwik] 1. n. a short, soft,
high-pitched noise.
2. iv. to make
a short, soft, high-pitched noise.
squeak by (
someone or something
)
1.
to manage just to squeeze past
someone or something.
2. to man-
age just to get past a barrier repre-
sented by a person or thing, such
as a teacher or an examination.
squeak
something

through to
manage just to get something
accepted or approved.
squeak through (
something
) 1. to
manage just to squeeze through an
opening.
2. to manage just to get
past a barrier, such as an examina-
tion or interview.
squeal ["skwil] 1. n. a loud, shrill
noise or cry.
2. iv. to make Q.
squeeze ["skwiz] 1. tv. to press
something with force.
2. tv. to
force the liquid from something
by pressing it.
squeeze
someone or something
up
to press people or things close
together.
squeeze (
themselves
) up [for peo-
ple] to press themselves closely
together.
squint ["skwInt] 1. tv. to close one’s

eyes almost all the way when look-
ing at someone or something.
2. iv.
to have one’s eyes almost closed
because the light is so bright.
square deal
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squirm ["skw#m] iv. to move
around uncomfortably; to writhe.
squirm out (of
something
) 1. to
crawl or wiggle out of something.
2. to escape doing something; to
escape the responsibility for hav-
ing done something.
squirrel ["skw# @l] n. a rodent that
lives in trees and has a large, bushy
tail.
squirt ["skw#t] 1. tv. to force liq-
uid through the air in a stream; to
cause liquid to stream through the
air.
2. tv. to hit someone or some-
thing with a stream of liquid.
3. n.
a short stream of liquid that is sent
through the air.

stab ["stAb] 1. tv. to thrust a
pointed object into someone or
something.
2. n. a thrust of a
pointed object.
3. n. a sharp,
painful feeling.
stab
someone
in the back to
betray someone.
stabilize ["steb @ laIz] 1. tv. to
make something steady; to fix
something in place; to keep some-
thing from moving or changing.
2. iv. to become steady; to be fixed
in place.
stable ["steb @l] 1. adj. unlikely to
fall, move, or shake; steady; firm.
(Adv: stably.)
2. adj. not likely to
change; constant; permanent.
(Adv: stably.)
3. n. a building
where horses are kept.
stack ["stAk] 1. n. an orderly pile of
something; a neat pile of some-
thing.
2. tv. to place things in a
neat, orderly pile; to arrange

things into a neat, orderly pile.
stack
something
up to make a stack
of some things.
stack up [for something] to accu-
mulate, as in stacks. (Often used
in reference to vehicular traffic.)
stadium ["sted i @m] n. a playing
field surrounded by rows of seats
for spectators.
staff ["stAf] 1. n. the workers who
operate and manage an organiza-
tion. (Plural but treat as singular.)
2. n. a large, heavy stick used for
support; a large cane.
3. tv. to pro-
vide something with enough
workers so that a job can be done
properly.
4. tv. [for workers] to
provide services for a task.
stage ["stedZ] 1. n. a period of
development; one part of a pro-
cess.
2. n. the floor, usually raised,
in a theater where performers per-
form.
3. tv. to produce a play at a
theater; to put on a play.

4. tv. to
plan and do something that
attracts public attention.
→
at this stage (of the game)
the stage n. theater; the business of
producing and acting in live the-
ater. (No plural. Treated as singu-
lar.)
stain ["sten] 1. tv. to change or add
to the color of something; to make
something dirty by changing its
color.
2. tv. to coat a wooden sur-
face with a liquid that gives it a
color.
3. tv. to color tissue or an
organism so it can be observed or
identified.
4. iv. [for a substance]
to have the ability to change the
color of something permanently.
5. n. a mark, spot, or flaw. 6. n. a
liquid that is used to give color to
stain
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wood. (Plural only for types and
instances.)

stair ["stEr] n. a step or series of
steps that go from one level to
another. (Usually plural.)
staircase ["stEr kes] n. a set of
stairs that allows one to go from
one level of a building to another;
a stairway.
stairway ["stEr we] n. a set of stairs
that allow one to go from one level
of a building to another; a stair-
case.
stake ["stek] n. a pointed piece of
wood or plastic that is driven into
the ground.
→
burn
someone
at the stake
→ pull up stakes
stake
someone
out (on
someone
)
to assign someone to watch some-
one or to spy on someone.
stake
something
off to mark out
the boundaries of an area of land

with stakes.
stakes n. the amount of money bet
in a game; the amount of risk
involved in some activity. (Treated
as plural, but not countable.)
stale ["stel] adj. no longer fresh.
(Adv: stalely. Comp: staler; sup:
stalest.)
stalk ["stOk] 1. n. the main stem of
a plant, which is connected to the
roots, and from which leaves grow.
2. tv. to pursue or approach an
animal or a person without being
seen or heard.
stalk in(to
someplace
) to stride
into a place, perhaps indignantly.
stalk out of
someplace
to stride
out of a place indignantly.
stall ["stOl] 1. n. a small, enclosed
space.
2. n. a space within a barn
or stable for one animal, especially
a horse.
3. n. a booth in a market,
or in a building with an open wall
in front, where products are sold.

4. iv. [for a vehicle] to stop
because of engine trouble.
5. iv. to
wait a while so that one has more
time; to evade something by tak-
ing extra time.
stall
someone or something
off to
cause someone or something to
wait; to hold someone or some-
thing off; to postpone the action of
someone or something.
stammer
something
out to manage
to say something, but only one
word at a time.
stamp ["stAmp] 1. n. a square of
paper issued by the government
that must be attached to certain
documents to make them official
or to indicate that a fee or tax has
been paid, especially as used for
postage.
2. n. a tool that prints a
design (a picture or words) onto a
surface.
3. n. the design that is
printed onto a surface by W.

4. tv.
to mark an object with W, usually
to make it official or to make an
acknowledgment that a fee has
been paid or that requirements
have been met.
5. tv. to put Q on
an envelope.
6. tv. to hit some-
thing or make something flat by
bringing down one’s foot on it
with force.
7. iv. to walk heavily
somewhere; to walk with heavy
steps.
stampede [stAm "pid] 1. n. a sud-
den rush of frightened horses or
cattle.
2. n. a sudden rush of
stair
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excited, angry, or impatient peo-
ple. (Figurative on Q.)
3. iv. to
rush as part of a large crowd of
people or creatures.
4. tv. to cause
Q or W.

stampede out of
someplace
[for a
crowd of people or creatures] to
move rapidly out of a place, as if
in panic.
stand ["stAnd] 1. iv., irreg. to be in
a normal or typical vertical posi-
tion. (Past tense and past partici-
ple:
stood.) 2. iv., irreg. to be a
particular height when in a verti-
cal position on one’s feet.
3. iv.,
irreg. to be in a particular location.
4. iv., irreg. [for a law] to remain
in force.
5. tv., irreg. to move
someone or something to a verti-
cal position.
6. tv., irreg. to with-
stand something; to endure
something; to put up with some-
thing.
7. n. the position one takes
on an issue.
8. n. a base, frame, or
piece of furniture that supports
something.
9. n. the place where a

witness sits in a court of law.
(Short for
witness stand.)
→
make
someone’s
hair stand on end
→ more than
one
can stand
→ not have a leg to stand on
→ take the stand
→ witness stand
stand around to wait around,
standing; to loiter.
stand aside 1. to step aside; to get
out of the way.
2. to withdraw and
ignore something; to remain pas-
sive while something happens.
stand back (from
someone or
something
) to stand or move well
away and to the rear of someone
or something.
stand by to wait in a state of readi-
ness.
stand corrected to admit that one
has been wrong.

stand down to step down, particu-
larly from the witness stand in a
courtroom.
stand in (for
someone
) to repre-
sent someone; to substitute for
someone.
stand on
one’s
own two feet to
be independent and self-sufficient,
rather than being supported by
someone else.
stand
one’s
ground and hold
one’s
ground to defend and
demand one’s rights; to resist an
attack.
stand out a mile Go to stick out a
mile.
stand out (from
someone or some-
thing
) to be prominent when com-
pared to someone or something.
stand up
1.

to arise from a sitting
or reclining position.
2. to be in a
standing position.
3. to wear well;
to remain sound and intact.
4. [for
a statement] to remain believable.
(Figurative.)
stand up against
someone or
something
to challenge or confront
someone or something.
stand up and be counted to state
one’s support (for someone or
something).
standard ["stAn d#d] 1. n. some-
thing against which something
else is tested or measured; some-
thing that is the basis of a compar-
ison.
2. n. a degree of quality or
excellence.
3. adj. ordinary; con-
standard
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forming to a certain degree or

amount; normal. (Adv:
standardly.)
4. adj. correct and
acceptable according to the formal
rules of a language. (Adv: stan-
dardly.)
standby ["stAnd baI] 1. n. an extra
thing or person, nearby and ready.
(Plural: standbys.)
2. n. a person
traveling
on standby. (Plural:
standbys.)
3. adv. traveling when
one is not able to reserve a seat and
must travel as W.
→
on standby
a standing joke a subject that reg-
ularly and over a period of time
causes amusement whenever it is
mentioned.
standstill ["stAnd "stIl] n. a com-
plete stop; a condition in which
nothing is moving. (No plural
form.)
→
come to a standstill
stank ["stANk] a past tense of stink.
staple ["step @l] 1. n. a small, thin,

U-shaped piece of wire that fas-
tens papers together, or that fas-
tens things to a surface.
2. n. any
one of the most basic foods.
3. tv.
to fasten papers together or to
attach something to something
else with Q.
stapler ["step l#] n. a machine that
drives staples through paper or
into objects.
star ["star] 1. n. a large object in
space, such as the sun, that creates
its own heat and light.
2. n. a
celebrity; a famous entertainer.
3. n. a figure that has five or more
points that radiate from a center
point.
4. n. E used as a mark of a
degree of quality.
5. tv. [for a
movie, play, or television show] to
feature a particular performer.
6. iv. [for a performer] to appear
as a major performer in a movie,
play, or television show.
7. adj.
most outstanding; most excellent;

best.
→
get stars in
one’s
eyes
→ see stars
→ thank
one’s
lucky stars
starch ["startS] 1. n. a white food
substance that is part of potatoes,
rice, and other grains. (Plural only
for types and instances.)
2. n. a
substance used to stiffen cloth.
(Plural only for types and
instances.)
3. n. a food that con-
tains Q.
4. tv. to stiffen fabric or
clothing by coating it with or
soaking it in W.
stare ["stEr] n. a long, direct look at
someone or something with one’s
eyes wide open.
stare (at
someone or something
) to
look directly at someone or some-
thing with one’s eyes wide open, as

though in fear, shock, surprise,
wonder, or stupidity.
stare
someone
down to pressure
someone to capitulate, back down,
or yield by staring.
stare
someone
in the face [for
something] to be very obvious to
someone; [for something] to be
very easy for someone to see or
understand. (Informal.)
start ["start] 1. n. the beginning
point of something; the time or
place where something begins.
2. n. a shock that may bump, jerk,
or jolt the body.
3. tv. to begin a
process; to begin doing some-
thing; to cause something to oper-
standby
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ate, work, or move. 4. tv. to origi-
nate something.
5. iv. to begin a
movement; to begin a journey; to

begin a process; to begin at the
lower limit of something.
6. iv. to
move or jerk suddenly, as though
one were surprised or scared; to be
startled.
→
from start to finish
→ get off to a flying start
→ off to a running start
start from scratch to start from
the beginning; to start from noth-
ing.
start off to begin; to set out on a
journey.
start off (by
doing something
) to
begin a process by doing a partic-
ular thing first.
start off (on
something
) 1. to
begin a series or sequence.
2. to
begin a journey.
start (off) with a clean slate to
start out again; to ignore the past
and start over again.
start out to begin.

start out as
something
to begin
one’s career as something.
start over to begin again.
start
someone
off (on
something
)
to cause someone to begin on a
task or job.
start
something
up to start some-
thing, such as an engine or a
motor.
start up to begin; to begin running,
as with an engine.
startle ["start @l] tv. to cause some-
one to move or jump suddenly
because of fear or surprise.
starvation [star "ve S@n] n. suffer-
ing and possibly death caused by
not having food. (No plural.)
starve ["starv] 1. iv. to die because
of a lack of food; to die because
one does not or cannot eat.
2. tv.
to cause someone or some creature

to die of hunger.
starving ["star vIN] 1. adj. very
hungry.
2. adj. dying from a lack
of food.
stash ["stAS] tv. to hide something
somewhere secretly for future use.
state ["stet] 1. n. the condition that
someone or something is in.
2. n.
the government of a country. (No
plural.)
3. n. a division of govern-
ment within a country or a repub-
lic.
4. the adj. use of W. 5. the adj.
use of E.
6. tv. to express some-
thing; to say something. (The
object can be a clause with
that
U.)
state trooper ["stet "tru p#] n. a
state police officer. (Can be short-
ened to
trooper.)
statement ["stet m@nt] 1. n. some-
thing that is said; something that
is stated.
2. n. a list showing the

status of an account during a
period of time.
stateroom ["stet rum] n. a private
cabin on a ship or train.
static ["stAt Ik] 1. n. the buzzing
noise made when a radio or televi-
sion station is not tuned in prop-
erly or when there is electronic
interference. (No plural.)
2. adj.
[of electricity] not flowing in an
electrical current; tiny electric
sparks as found indoors in cold,
dry weather.
3. adj. not changing;
static
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stable; steady. (Adv: statically
[
Ik li].)
station ["ste S@n] 1. n. the building
or platform where a train or bus
stops to let people on and off.
2. n.
a building where workers in a par-
ticular service work.
3. n. the spe-
cific location where a worker is

assigned to work.
4. n. the build-
ing or offices from which a televi-
sion or radio broadcast is
transmitted.
5. tv. to place some-
one at a location for work; to
assign someone to a location for
work.
→
(as) busy as Grand Central
Station
stationary ["ste S@ nEr i] adj.
remaining in place; not moving;
standing still. (Compare this with
stationery.)
stationery ["ste S@ nEr i] n. writing
paper; writing supplies, including
paper, pen, ink, envelopes, etc.
(No plural. Compare this with
sta-
tionary.
)
statue ["stA tSu] n. a sculpture of
someone or an animal, made of
stone, clay, wood, plaster, etc.
status ["stAt @s] n. someone’s posi-
tion within society or business;
rank.
status quo ["stAt @s "kwo] n. the

way things are; the current state of
affairs. (No plural. Latin for “the
state in which.”)
stay ["ste] 1. iv. to remain in a place
or position; to continue to be in a
place or position.
2. iv. to live in a
place for a while, especially as a
guest.
3. iv. to continue being in a
certain condition; to remain in a
certain condition.
4. n. a visit; a
period of time when one visits
someplace or when one is a guest
someplace; a period of time that
one lives someplace.
stay away (from
someone or
something
) to avoid someone or
something.
stay back (from
something
) to
keep one’s distance from someone
or something.
stay on (after
someone or some-
thing

) Go to linger on (after
some-
one or something
).
stay out (of
something
) 1. to keep
out of something or someplace.
2. to remain uninvolved in some
piece of business.
stay put not to move; to stay where
one is. (Informal.)
stay up (for
something
) to remain
awake and out of bed for some
nighttime event.
steady ["stEd i] 1. adj. not changing
in condition, place, or position;
firm. (Adv: steadily. Comp: stead-
ier; sup: steadiest.)
2. adj. moving
at an even, smooth pace; not mov-
ing in jerks and bursts. (Adv:
steadily. Comp: steadier; sup:
steadiest.)
3. adj. calm; not
excited; not upset. (Adv: steadily.
Comp: steadier; sup: steadiest.)
4. tv. to cause something to be sta-

ble and not changing.
steak ["stek] n. a slice or slab of a
particular meat or fish, eaten as
food. (A
steak is beef unless stated
otherwise.)
steal ["stil] 1. tv., irreg. to take
something that does not belong to
one without paying for it or with-
out permission. (Past tense:
stole;
station
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past participle: stolen.) 2. tv.,
irreg. [in baseball] to reach the
next base before the pitcher
throws the ball to the batter.
steal a base to advance from one
base to another in baseball with-
out the help of a hit or an error.
steal a march (on
someone
) to get
some sort of an advantage over
someone without being noticed.
steal away to sneak away quietly.
steal
someone’s

thunder to lessen
someone’s force or authority. (Not
literal.)
steal the show Go to steal the
spotlight.
steal the spotlight and steal the
show
to give the best perfor-
mance in a show, play, or some
other event.
steam ["stim] 1. n. the gas that
water is changed into when it is
boiled. (No plural.)
2. adj. pow-
ered by Q; containing or using Q.
3. tv. to cook something in Q.
4. tv. to subject someone or some-
thing to Q or very hot water
vapor.
5. iv. to give off Q. 6. iv.
[for food] to cook in Q.
→
blow off steam
→ full steam ahead
→ let off steam
→ steaming (mad)
→ under
one’s
own steam
steam

something
off ((of)
some-
thing
) to loosen and remove some-
thing by an application of steam.
steam
something
out (of
some-
thing
) to remove something from
something else, through an appli-
cation of steam.
steam
something
up to cause
something to be covered with
water vapor due to the presence of
steam.
steam up to become covered with
a film of steam or water vapor.
steamer ["stim #] 1. n. a ship that
is powered by a steam engine.
2. n.
an enclosed pot or pan that uses
steam to cook food.
steaming (mad) very angry; very
mad; very upset.
steel ["stil] 1. n. a very hard sub-

stance made of iron, carbon, and
other metals, used in constructing
tools, machines, and buildings.
(No plural.)
2. adj. made of Q.
steep ["stip] 1. adj. slanted at a
sharp angle, one that is almost
straight up and down. (Adv:
steeply. Comp: steeper; sup: steep-
est.)
2. iv. [for something, such as
tea] to soak in hot liquid for a
period of time.
3. tv. to soak
something in liquid; to immerse
something.
steeple ["stip @l] n. a tower on the
roof of a church or other building,
especially a tower that ends in a
point.
steer ["stIr] 1. tv. to cause some-
thing to go in a certain direction;
to guide someone or something to
go in a certain direction.
2. tv. to
guide someone toward or away
from a course of action. (Figura-
tive on Q.)
3. iv. to aim in a cer-
tain direction.

steering wheel ["stIr IN wil] n. the
wheel that a driver or pilot turns
to control the direction of a vehi-
cle. (Can be shortened to
wheel.)
steering wheel
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