seed (si:d) pl. seeds or seed •n. 1 the part of a flowering plant that typically contains the embryo with its protective coat and stored food and that can develop into a new plant under the proper conditions; fertilized and mature ovule 2 loosely, a) any part, as a bulb, tuber, etc., from which a new plant can grow {a potato seed} b) a small, usually hard, seedlike fruit 3 seeds collectively 4 the source, origin, or beginning of anything {the seeds of revolt} 5 [Archaic] a) descendants; posterity b) ancestry 6 a) in the development of certain lower animals, a form suitable for transplanting, as spat b) the seed-bearing stage or condition {in seed} 7 SPORE (n. 2) 8 sperm or semen 9 something tiny, like a seed; esp., Æ a) a tiny crystal or other particle, as one added to a solution or liquid to start crystallization b) a tiny bubble, as a flaw in glassware Æ 10 Sports a seeded player •vt. 1 to plant with seeds 2 to sow (seeds) 3 to remove the seeds from Æ 4 to inject, fill, or scatter with seeds (see SEED, sense 9a); esp., to sprinkle particles of dry ice, silver iodide, etc. into (clouds) in an attempt to induce rainfall 5 to provide with the means or stimulus for growing or developing 6 Sports a) to distribute the names of the ranking contestants in (the draw for position in a tournament) so that those with the greatest skill are not matched together in the early rounds b) to treat (a player) as a ranking contestant in this way •vi. 1 to form seeds; specif., to become ripe and produce seeds 2 to go to seed; shed seeds 3 to sow seeds go (or run) to seed 1 to shed seeds after the time of flowering or bearing has passed 2 to become weak, useless, unprofitable, etc.; deteriorate seed´ed •adj. seed´less •adj. [ME sede < OE sæd, akin to Ger saat < IE base *sē(i)-, to cast, let fall > L serere, to sow, plant, sator, sower, semen, seed]

seed beetle BEAN WEEVIL

seed coat the outer layer or coating of a seed

seed coral fragments of coral used in ornaments

seed corn corn set aside for planting a new crop

seed fern any of an extinct class (Pteridospermae) of Paleozoic, fernlike cycads that bore naked seeds upon their leaves

seed leaf COTYLEDON

seed money money made available to begin the financing of, or to attract additional funds for, a long-term project

seed oysters oyster spat; very young oysters, esp. at the stage suitable for transplanting

seed pearl a very small pearl, often imperfect

seed plant any plant bearing seeds, as an angiosperm or a gymnosperm

seed shrimp OSTRACOD

seed vessel any fruit, esp. a dry, hollow pod, containing seeds

seedbed (-bed') •n. a bed of soil, usually covered with glass, in which seedlings are grown for transplanting

seedcake (-keik') •n. any cake or cookie containing spicy seeds, as of caraway

seedcase (-keis') •n. SEED VESSEL

seeder (-эr) •n. a person or thing that seeds; specif., a) one that sows or plants seeds b) a device for removing seeds, as from raisins

seedling (-liŋ) •n. 1 a plant grown from a seed, rather than from a cutting, etc. 2 any young plant; esp., a small, young tree

seedpod (-päd') •n. a carpel or pistil, enclosing ovules or seeds in angiosperms

seedsman (si:dz´mэn) pl. -men (-mэn) •n. 1 a sower of seeds 2 a dealer in seeds Also seed´man

seedtime (si:d´taim') •n. the season for sowing seeds

seedy (si:d´i:) seed´i·er, seed´i·est •adj. 1 containing many seeds 2 gone to seed 3 having tiny bubbles: said of glass 4 shabby, run-down, etc. 5 feeling or looking physically bad or low in spirits seed´i·ly •adv. seed´i·ness •n.

seeing (si:´iŋ) •n. 1 the sense or power of sight; vision 2 the act of using the eyes to see •adj. having the sense of sight conj. in view of the fact; considering; inasmuch as

Seeing Eye dog [also s- e- d-] a guide dog, specif. one trained by Seeing Eye, Inc., near Morristown, N.J.

seek (si:k) sought, seek´ing •vt. 1 to try to find; search for; look for 2 to go to; resort to {to seek the woods for peace} 3 a) to try to get or find out by asking or searching {to seek the answer to a question} b) to request; ask for 4 to bend one's efforts toward; aim at; pursue {seeking perfection} 5 to try; attempt: used with an infinitive {to seek to please someone} 6 [Archaic] to explore •vi. 1 to look for someone or something 2 [Archaic] to resort (to) seek´er •n. [ME seken < OE secan, akin to OS sōkian, Ger suchen, ON sœkja < IE base *sāg-, to track down, trace > L sagire, to scent out, perceive]

seel (si:l) •vt. 1 Falconry to sew together the eyelids of (a young hawk) 2 [Obs.] a) to close (the eyes) b) to blind [LME silen < OFr ciller < cil < L cilium, lower eyelid]

seem (si:m) •vi. 1 a) to appear to be; have the look of being {to seem happy} b) to appear; give the impression (usually followed by an infinitive) {he seems to know the facts} c) to have the impression; think (followed by an infinitive) {I seem to have lost it} 2 to appear to exist {there seems no point in going} 3 to be apparently true {it seems he was here} [ME semen, prob. < ON sœma, to conform to (akin to OE seman, to bring to agreement) < IE base *sem- > SAME]

seeming (si:m´iŋ) •adj. that seems real, true, etc. without necessarily being so; apparent {her seeming anger} •n. outward appearance; semblance seem´ing·ly •adv.

seemly (si:m´li:) -li·er, -li·est •adj. 1 pleasing in appearance; fair; handsome 2 suitable, proper, fitting, or becoming, esp. as regards conventional standards of conduct or good taste; decorous •adv. in a seemly manner; properly, fittingly, etc. seem´li·ness •n. [ME semlich < ON sœmiligr < sœmr, fitting < sœma: see SEEM]

seen (si:n) •vt., vi. pp. of SEE¹

seep (si:p) •vi. to leak, drip, or flow out slowly through small openings or pores; ooze •n. 1 a place where water, oil, etc. oozes from the ground to form a pool 2 SEEPAGE seep´y •adj. [ME *sipen < OE sipian, to soak, akin to MLowG sīpen, to drip < IE base *seib-, to run out, drip > SOAP]

seepage (-ij) •n. 1 the act or process of seeping; leakage; oozing 2 liquid that seeps

seer¹ (si:´эr for 1; sir for 2) •n. 1 a person who sees 2 a person with the supposed power to foretell events or a person's destiny; prophet

seer² (si:r, sir) •n. a varying unit of weight used in certain countries of Asia, esp. a unit of weight of India equal to ¹/40 maund or 2.06 lb. (.933 kg) [Hindi sēr]

seeress (sir´is) •n. a woman with the supposed power to foretell events or a person's destiny; prophetess

seersucker (sir´sûk'эr) •n. a light, crinkled fabric of linen, cotton, etc., usually with a striped pattern [Hindi shirshaker < Pers shir u shakar, lit., milk and sugar, also a kind of striped linen cloth]

seesaw (si:´sö') •n. 1 a plank balanced on a support at the middle, used by children at play, who ride the ends so that when one goes up, the other comes down 2 the act of riding a plank in this way 3 any up-and-down or back-and-forth movement or change, as in the lead in a competition •adj. moving up and down or back and forth •vt., vi. to move on or as on a seesaw [redupl. of SAW¹: from the action of sawing]

seethe (si:ð) seethed, seeth´ing •vt. 1 to cook by boiling 2 to soak, steep, or saturate in liquid •vi. 1 to boil or to surge, bubble, or foam as if boiling 2 to be violently agitated or disturbed •n. the act or condition of seething SYN. BOIL¹ [ME sethen < OE sēothan, akin to Ger sieden < IE base *sew-, to cook, boil > Sans hāvayan, (they) stew]

see-through (si:´θru:') •adj. that can be seen through; more or less transparent or translucent {see-through fabric, see-through packages}

Seferis (sэ fer´эs), George (pseud. of Georgios Stylianou Sepheriades) 1900-71; Gr. poet, critic, & diplomat

seg (seg) •n. [Slang] SEGREGATIONIST

segment (seg´mэnt; for v., -ment) •n. 1 any of the parts into which a body is separated or separable; division; section 2 Geom. a) a part of a figure, esp. of a circle or sphere, marked off or made separate by a line or plane, as a part of a circular area bounded by an arc and its chord (see CIRCLE, illus.) b) any of the finite sections of a line 3 Linguis. a phone, or single sound, in the stream of speech 4 Zool. a) METAMERE b) the part of an arthropod appendage between joints •vt., vi. to divide into segments SYN. PART seg´men·tar'y •adj. [L segmentum < secare, to cut: see SAW¹]

segmental (seg ment´ªl) •adj. 1 having the form of a segment of a circle 2 of, like, or made up of a segment or segments seg·men´tal·ly •adv.

segmental phonemes phonemes consisting of sound segments; hence, the vowel, consonant, and semivowel sounds of a language: cf. SUPRASEGMENTAL PHONEMES

segmentation (seg'mэn tei´shэn, -mэn-) •n. 1 a dividing or being divided into segments 2 Biol. the progressive growth and cleavage of a single cell into many others to form a new organism

segmentation cavity BLASTOCOELE

segno (sein´you; It se´nyô) pl. se´gni (-yi:; It, -nyi:) •n. Music a sign; esp., the sign (## or :S:) used at the beginning or end of a repeat [It < L signum, a SIGN]

sego (si:´gou) pl. -gos •n. 1 a perennial bulb plant (Calochortus nuttallii) of the lily family, with trumpet-shaped flowers, found in W North America: in full sego lily 2 its edible bulb [< AmInd (Shoshonean), as in Ute sígo]

Segovia (se gô´vyä; E sэ gou´vi: э), An·drés (än dřes´) c. 1893-1987; Sp. guitarist & composer Segovia (se gô´vyä) city in central Spain: pop. 41,000

segregate (seg´rэ geit'; for adj. & n., usually, -git) •adj. separate; set apart; segregated •vt. -gat'ed, -gat'ing to set apart from others or from the main mass or group; isolate; specif., to impose a system of segregation on (racial groups, social facilities, etc.) •vi. 1 to separate from the main mass and collect together in a new body: said of crystals 2 to separate from others; be segregated 3 Genetics to undergo segregation •n. a segregated person, thing, group, etc. seg´re·gat'ive •adj. [ME segregat < L segregatus, pp. of segregare, to set apart, lit., to set apart from the flock < se-, apart (see SECEDE) + grex (gen. gregis), a flock: see GREGARIOUS]

segregated (seg´rэ geit'id) •adj. Æ conforming to a system that segregates racial groups

segregation (seg'rэ gei´shэn) •n. 1 a segregating or being segregated; specif., the policy or practice of compelling racial groups to live apart from each other, go to separate schools, use separate social facilities, etc. 2 Genetics the separation of allelic genes into different gametes during meiosis so that a particular gamete receives only one member of a pair of characters: see MENDEL'S LAWS [LL segregatio]

segregationist (-ist) •n. a person who favors or practices segregation, esp. racial segregation •adj. of, like, or favoring segregation or segregationists

segue (seg´wei, sei´gwei) -gued, -gue·ing •vi. to continue without break (to or into the next part) •n. an immediate transition from one part to another, as in music [It, 3d pers. sing., pres. indic., of seguire, to follow < VL sequere, for L sequi: see SEQUENT]

seguidilla (seg'э di:l´yэ, sei'gэ-; -di:´yэ) •n. 1 a fast Spanish dance, to the accompaniment of castanets 2 the music for this dance, in ¾ time 3 a stanza of four to seven short lines, partly assonant, with a distinctive rhythm, orig. sung to this music [Sp < seguida, a following < seguir, to follow < VL sequere: see SEGUE]

sei (whale) (sei) a rorqual (Balaenoptera borealis) with a light-gray or bluish back, found in all seas [Norw seihval < sei, coalfish + hval, whale: from its arrival at fishing grounds with the coalfish]

seicento (se chen´tô) •n. the 17th cent., as a period in Italian art and literature [It, short for mil seicento, one thousand six hundred]

seiche (seish) •n. a natural, standing wave in the water of a lake, bay, etc., caused by changes in atmospheric pressure, seismic disturbances, winds, waves, tides, etc.: it continues after the generating force stops [< Swiss-Fr]

seidel (zaid´ªl, said´-) pl. -dels •n.or -del a large beer mug, sometimes with a hinged lid [Ger < MHG sidelin < L situla, bucket, dim. < sinum, large drinking vessel with bulging sides]

Seidlitz powders (sed´lits) a laxative composed of two powders, one of sodium bicarbonate and Rochelle salt, the other of tartaric acid: the two are separately dissolved in water, combined, and drunk while effervescing: also Seidlitz powder [so named because their properties are said to resemble those of natural waters from the spring at Sedlčany (Ger Seidlitz), Czech Republic]

seif (seif, saif) •n. an immense, long, curving, ridgelike sand dune, as of the Sahara desert

seigneur (sein yør´, sen-) •n. 1 SEIGNIOR (sense 1) 2 in French Canada, through the mid-19th cent., the owner of an estate orig. granted by royal decree to 17th-cent. French settlers sei·gneur´i·al (-i: эl) •adj. [Fr < MFr: see SEIGNIOR]

seigneury (sein´yэr i:) pl. -gneur·ies •n. 1 SEIGNIORY (sense 1) 2 in French Canada, through the mid-19th cent., the estate or manor of a seigneur

seignior (sein´yэr, sein yör´) •n. 1 a lord or noble; specif., the lord of a fee or manor 2 SEIGNEUR (sense 2) [ME segnour < Anglo-Fr < OFr seignor < L senior: see SENIOR]

seigniorage (sein´yэr ij') •n. 1 something claimed or taken by a sovereign or other superior as his or her just right or due 2 a government revenue that is the difference between the face value of coins and the costs of their mintage [ME seignorage < OFr < seignor: see SEIGNIOR]

seigniorial or seignorial (sein yör´i: эl) •adj. of, relating to, or characteristic of a seignior

seigniory (sein´yэr i:) pl. -gnior·ies •n. 1 the dominion or estate of a seignior 2 the rights or authority of a feudal lord 3 a body of lords, esp. those of a medieval Italian republic 4 SEIGNEURY (sense 2) [ME seignorie < OFr]

seine (sein) •n. a large fishing net with floats along the top edge and weights along the bottom •vt., vi. seined, sein´ing to fish with a seine sein´er •n. [ME seyne < OE segne < early WGmc borrowing < L sagena < Gr sagēnē < IE base *twak-, to enclose tightly] Seine (sein; Fr sen) river in N France, flowing northwest through Paris into the English Channel: 482 mi. (775 km)

seise (si:z) seised, seis´ing •vt. alt. sp. of SEIZE (sense 1)

seisin (si:´zin) •n. alt. sp. of SEIZIN

seismic (saiz´mik, sais´-) •adj. 1 of, having to do with, or caused by an earthquake or earthquakes or by man-made earth tremors 2 subject to earthquakes seis´mi·cal·ly •adv. [< Gr seismos, earthquake < seiein, to shake < IE base *twei-, to excite, shake, shock > Sans tvis-, to be excited, sparkle]

seismicity (saiz mis´э ti:, sais-) •n. 1 the property or state of being seismic 2 the degree to which a region of the earth is subject to earthquakes

seismo- (saiz´mэ, -mou; sais´-) combining form earthquake {seismogram} [< Gr seismos: see SEISMIC]

seismogram (saiz´mэ græm', sais´-) •n. the chart of an earthquake as recorded by a seismograph [prec. + -GRAM]

seismograph (-græf', -gräf') •n. an instrument that records the intensity and duration of earthquakes and similar tremors seis·mog´ra·pher (-mäg´rэ fэr) •n. seis'mo·graph´ic •adj. seis·mog´ra·phy •n. [SEISMO- + -GRAPH]

seismology (saiz mäl´э ji:, sais-) •n. a geophysical science dealing with earthquakes and related phenomena seis'mo·log´ic (-mэ läj´ik) or seis'mo·log´i·cal •adj. seis'mo·log´i·cal·ly •adv. seis·mol´o·gist •n. [SEISMO- + -LOGY]

seismometer (-mäm´э tэr) •n. a seismograph, esp. one that records actual earth movements seis'mo·met´ric (-mэ me´trik) or seis'mo·met´ri·cal •adj. [SEISMO- + -METER]

seismoscope (saiz´mэ skoup', sais´-) •n. an instrument indicating only the occurrence and time of earthquakes seis'mo·scop´ic (-skäp´ik) •adj. [SEISMO- + -SCOPE]

seize (si:z) seized, seiz´ing •vt. 1 a) orig., to put in legal possession of a feudal holding b) to put in legal possession of a particular thing; assign ownership to (in the passive voice) {seized of the lands} 2 a) to take forcible legal possession of; confiscate {to seize contraband} b) to capture and put into custody; arrest; apprehend {to seize a criminal suspect} 3 to take forcibly and quickly; grab {to seize power} 4 to take hold of suddenly or forcibly, with or as with the hand; clutch 5 a) to suddenly penetrate, illumine, or fill the mind of {an idea seized him} b) to grasp with the mind, esp. in a sudden or intuitive way {seized their intent} 6 to take quick advantage of (an opportunity, etc.) 7 to attack or afflict suddenly or severely {seized with a fit of sneezing} 8 Naut. to fasten together (ropes, etc.), as by lashings; bind; lash •vi. to stick or jam, esp. because of excessive heat or friction: said of a machine or its moving parts: often with up SYN. TAKE seize on (or upon) 1 to take hold of suddenly and forcibly 2 to take possession of 3 to turn eagerly to (an idea, etc.) seiz´a·ble •adj. seiz´er •n. [ME saisen < OFr saisir < ML sacire, prob. < Frank *sakjan, to lay claim to one's rights < IE base *sāg- > SAKE¹]

seizin (si:´zin) •n. Law legal possession, esp. of a freehold state [ME seisine < OFr saisine < saisir: see SEIZE]

seizing (si:z´iŋ) •n. 1 SEIZURE (sense 1) 2 Naut. a) the act of binding or fastening together, as with lashings b) lashings used for this c) a fastening made in this way

seizor (si:´zэr, -zör') •n. Law a person who takes possession of a freehold estate [SEIZ(E) + -OR]

seizure (si:´zhэr) •n. 1 a) the act of one who seizes, or an instance of this b) the state or an instance of being seized 2 a sudden attack, esp. of a disease such as epilepsy

sejant or sejeant (si:´jэnt) •adj. Heraldry sitting erect with the forepaws resting on the ground {a lion sejant} [Anglo-Fr seiant, prp. of seier (OFr seoir), to sit < L sedere, to SIT]

selachian (si lei´ki: эn) •n. any shark or ray •adj. of the selachians [< ModL Selachii (< Gr selachos, cartilaginous fish, akin to selas, light, gleam: from its phosphorescent appearance: see SELENE) + -AN]

selaginella (sel'э ji nel´э) •n. any of a genus (Selaginella) of small-leaved lycopods, having two kinds of spores borne in cones at the tips of the branches [ModL, dim. < L selago (gen. selaginis), kind of plant]

selah (si:´lэ, -lä'; se lä´) •n. a Hebrew word of unknown meaning at the end of verses in the Psalms: perhaps a musical direction, but traditionally interpreted as a blessing meaning forever [Heb sela]

Selangor (se läŋ´gör') state of Malaysia, in SW Peninsular Malaysia: 3,167 sq. mi. (8,202 sq. km); pop. 1,467,000

Selassie see HAILE SELASSIE

seldom (sel´dэm) •adv. not often; rarely; infrequently •adj. rare; infrequent sel´dom·ness •n. [ME selden < OE seldan, strange, rare, akin to Ger selten < Gmc base *selda- < ? IE *selo-: see SELF]

select (sэ lekt´) •adj. 1 chosen in preference to another or others; picked out, esp. for excellence or some special quality; picked 2 choice; excellent; outstanding 3 careful in choosing or selecting; fastidious 4 limited to certain people or groups; exclusive •vt. to choose or pick out from among others, as for excellence, desirability, etc. •vi. to make a selection; choose se·lect´ness •n. [L selectus, pp. of seligere, to choose, pick out < se-, apart + legere, to choose: see LOGIC]

selectee (sэ lek'ti:´) •n. a person inducted into the armed forces under selective service

selection (sэ lek´shэn) •n. 1 a selecting or being selected 2 a) a person or thing chosen b) a group or collection of these c) a variety from which to choose {a selection of colors} 3 Biol. any process, natural or artificial, by which certain organisms or characters are favored or perpetuated in, or as if in, preference to others: cf. NATURAL SELECTION SYN. CHOICE [L selectio]

selective (-tiv) •adj. 1 of or characterized by selection 2 having the power of selecting; tending to select 3 Radio excluding oscillations on all frequencies except the one desired se·lec´tive·ly •adv. se·lec´tive·ness •n.

selective service compulsory military service according to age, physical fitness, and other qualifications

selectivity (sэ lek'tiv´э ti:) •n. 1 the state or quality of being selective 2 the degree to which a radio receiver will reproduce the signals of a given transmitter while rejecting the signals of the others

selectman (sэ lekt´mэn; locally, also si:´lekt mæn') pl. -men (-mэn, -men') •n. any of a board of officers elected in most New England towns to manage municipal affairs [SELECT + MAN]

selector (sэ lek´tэr) •n. a person or thing that selects

selenate (sel´э neit') •n. 1 a salt of selenic acid containing the divalent, negative radical SeO4 2 an uncharged ester of this acid [Swed selenat < selen, selenic + -at, -ATE²]

Selene (si li:´ni:) Gr. Myth. the goddess of the moon: later identified with Artemis [Gr Selēnē < selēnē, the moon < selas, light, gleam < ? IE base *swel-, to burn, smolder > SWELTER]

selenic (sэ li:´nik, -len´ik) •adj. designating or of compounds in which selenium has a higher valence than in corresponding selenous compounds: usually containing tetravalent or hexavalent selenium [< SELENIUM & -IC]

selenic acid a colorless, crystalline acid, H2SeO4, resembling sulfuric acid in its action

selenite (sel´э nait') •n. 1 a kind of gypsum found in transparent crystals 2 a salt of selenous acid containing the divalent, negative radical SeO3 [L selenites < Gr selēnitēs (lithos), lit., moon (stone) < selēnē, the moon: once thought to wax and wane with the moon]

selenium (sэ li:´ni: эm) •n. a gray, nonmetallic chemical element of the sulfur group, existing in many allotropic forms: used in photoelectric devices because its electrical conductivity varies with the intensity of light: also used in rectifiers, making red glass, in certain electrostatic copying processes, etc.: symbol, Se; at. wt., 78.96; at. no., 34; sp. gr., 4.81; melt. pt., 217°C; boil. pt., 685.4°C [ModL: so named (1818) by Baron Jöns Jakob BERZELIUS < Gr selēnē, the moon (see SELENE) + -IUM, by analogy with TELLURIUM, with which it was assoc. in the ore]

selenium cell a photoelectric cell using selenium as the photoconductive element

seleno- (sel´э nou) combining form moon {selenography} [< Gr selēnē, the moon: see SELENE]

selenodesy (sel'э näd´э si:) •n. the branch of astronomy concerned with measuring, or determining the shape of, the moon or its surface features, by exactly locating various points on its surface, etc. sel'e·nod´e·sist •n. [prec. + -desy, based on GEODESY]

selenography (-näg´rэ fi:) •n. the study of the surface and physical features of the moon, esp. the mapping of the latitude and longitude sel'e·nog´ra·pher •n. se·le·no·graph·ic (sэ li:'nэ græf´ik) •adj. [ModL selenographia: see SELENO- & -GRAPHY]

selenology (-näl´э ji:) •n. the branch of astronomy dealing with the moon in general se·le·no·log·i·cal (sэ li:'nэ läj´i kэl) •adj. sel'e·nol´o·gist •n. [SELENO- + -LOGY]

selenous (sэ li:´nэs) •adj. designating or of compounds in which selenium has a lower valence than in corresponding selenic compounds: usually containing divalent or tetravalent selenium Also se·le´ni·ous (-ni: эs)

selenous acid a colorless, transparent, crystalline powder, H2SeO3, soluble in water and used as a reagent Also selenious acid

Seleucia (sэ lu:´shi: э, -shэ) any of several ancient cities of SW Asia, founded by Seleucus I; esp., the chief city of the Seleucid Empire, on the Tigris

Seleucid (sэ lu:´sid) pl. -cids or -ci·dae' (-si di:') •n. a member of a dynasty founded by Seleucus I and ruling (312-c. 364 B.C.) over S Asia Minor & the region between the Mediterranean Sea & the Indus River •adj. of this dynasty Also Se·leu´ci·dan [< L Seleucides < Gr Seleukidēs]

Seleucus I (sэ lu:´kэs) died 280 B.C.; Macedonian general & founder of the Seleucid dynasty: called Seleucus Nicator

self (self) pl. selves •n. 1 the identity, character, or essential qualities of any person or thing 2 one's own person as distinct from all others 3 one's own welfare, interest, or advantage; selfishness {obsessed with self} pron. [Colloq.] myself, himself, herself, or yourself {tickets for self and wife} •adj. 1 being uniform or the same throughout 2 of the same kind, nature, color, material, etc. as the rest {a self lining, self trim} [ME < OE, prob. < IE *selo- < base *se-, refl. pron., orig. separate, apart (> L sibi, se) + *(o)lo-, pron. suffix: basic sense itself, by itself]

self- (self) prefix 1 of oneself or itself: refers to the direct object of the implied transitive verb {self-love, self-restraint} 2 by oneself or itself: refers to the subject of the implied verb {self-acting} 3 in, within, or inherent in oneself or itself {self-absorption, self-evident} 4 to, for, or with oneself: often refers to the indirect object of the implied transitive verb {self-addressed} 5 automatic {self-loading} 6 of the same material throughout {self-belted} Used in hyphenated compounds [ME < OE < self: see SELF]

self-abasement (self´э beis´mэnt) •n. a humbling or abasement of oneself

self-abnegation (-æb'nэ gei´shэn) •n. lack of consideration for oneself or one's own interest; self-denial

self-absorption (-æb sörp´shэn, -zörp´-) •n. 1 absorption in one's own interests, affairs, etc. 2 Physics the absorption of radiation by the substance emitting the radiation self´-ab·sorbed´ •adj.

self-abuse (-э byu:s´) •n. 1 misuse of one's own abilities, talents, etc. 2 accusation, blame, or revilement of oneself 3 [Archaic] MASTURBATION

self-acting (-æk´tiŋ) •adj. acting without outside influence or stimulus; working by itself; automatic

self-actualization (-æk'chu: эl i zei´shэn) •n. full development of one's abilities, ambitions, etc.

self-addressed (-э drest´) •adj. addressed to oneself {a self-addressed envelope}

self-advancement (-эd væns´mэnt) •n. the act or process of advancing or promoting one's own interests

self-aggrandizement (-э græn´diz mэnt) •n. the act of making oneself more powerful, wealthy, etc., esp. in a ruthless way self´-ag·gran´diz'ing (-daiz'iŋ) •adj.

self-analysis (-э næl´э sis) •n. analysis of one's own personality without the help of another

self-annihilation (-э nai'э lei´shэn) •n. loss of awareness of self, as in a mystical union with God

self-appointed (-э point´id) •adj. declared to be so by oneself, but not so designated by others {a self-appointed censor}

self-assertion (-э sør´shэn) •n. the act of demanding recognition for oneself or of insisting upon one's rights, claims, etc. self´-as·ser´tive or self´-as·sert´ing •adj.

self-assurance (-э shur´эns) •n. confidence in oneself, or in one's own ability, talent, etc. self´-as·sured´ •adj.

self-awareness (-э wer´nэs) •n. awareness of oneself as an individual, esp. as a worthwhile person

self-centered (-sent´эrd) •adj. occupied or concerned only with one's own affairs; egocentric; selfish self´-cen´tered·ly •adv. self´-cen´tered·ness •n.

self-cleaning (-kli:n´iŋ) •adj. designating or of an oven for cooking, whose interior is designed to be cleaned automatically as by a special high-temperature setting rather than by hand

self-closing (-klou´ziŋ) •adj. closing automatically

self-collected (-kэ lek´tid) •adj. SELF-POSSESSED

self-colored (-kûl´эrd) •adj. 1 of only one color 2 of the natural or original color, as a fabric

self-command (-kэ mænd´) •n. SELF-CONTROL

self-complacent (-kэm plei´sэnt) •adj. self-satisfied, esp. in a smug way self´-com·pla´cen·cy •n.

self-composed (-kэm pouzd´) •adj. having or showing composure; calm; cool

self-conceit (-kэn si:t´) •n. too high an opinion of oneself; conceit; vanity self´-con·ceit´ed •adj.

self-concept (-kän´sept') •n. SELF-IMAGE

self-confessed (-kэn fest´) •adj. being such by one's own admission {a self-confessed thief}

self-confidence (-kän´fэ dэns) •n. confidence in oneself, one's own abilities, etc. SYN. CONFIDENCE self´-con´fi·dent •adj. self´-con´fi·dent·ly •adv.

self-conscious (-kän´shэs) •adj. 1 a) unduly conscious of oneself as an object of notice; awkward or embarrassed in the presence of others; ill at ease b) indicating embarrassment {a self-conscious cough} 2 Philos., Psychol. having or showing awareness of one's own existence, actions, etc.; conscious of oneself or one's ego self´-con´scious·ly •adv. self´-con´scious·ness •n.

self-consistent (-kэn sis´tэnt) •adj. having all parts, ideas, actions, etc. consistent with one another

self-constituted (-kän´stэ tu:t'id) •adj. constituted as such by oneself or itself {a self-constituted arbiter}

self-contained (-kэn teind´) •adj. 1 keeping one's affairs to oneself; reserved 2 showing self-command or self-control 3 having all working parts, complete with motive power, in an enclosed unit: said of machinery 4 having within oneself or itself all that is necessary; self-sufficient, as a community self´-con·tain´ment •n.

self-contented (-kэn tent´id) •adj. contented with what one is or has self´-con·tent´ or self´-con·tent´ment •n.

self-contradiction (-kän'trэ dik´shэn) •n. 1 contradiction of oneself or itself 2 any statement or idea containing elements that contradict each other self´-con'tra·dic´to·ry •adj.

self-control (-kэn troul´) •n. control of oneself, or of one's own emotions, desires, actions, etc.

self-correcting (-kэ rek´tiŋ) •adj. 1 correcting oneself or itself 2 designating or of a special device on a typewriter that allows the typist to correct an error by backspacing and retyping

self-criticism (-krit´э siz'эm) •n. criticism of one's own faults or shortcomings

self-deception (-di sep´shэn) •n. the deceiving of oneself as to one's true feelings, motives, circumstances, etc. Also self´-de·ceit´ self´-de·ceiv´ing •adj.

self-defeating (-di fi:t´iŋ) •adj. that defeats its own purpose or unwittingly works against itself

self-defense (-di fens´) •n. 1 defense of oneself or of one's rights, beliefs, actions, etc. 2 the skill of boxing: usually in the phrase manly art of self-defense 3 Law the right to defend oneself with whatever force is reasonably necessary against actual or threatened violence self´-de·fen´sive •adj.

self-definition (-def'э nish´эn) •n. the understanding or determination of one's own nature or basic qualities

self-delusion (-di lu:´zhэn) •n. SELF-DECEPTION

self-denial (-di nai´эl) •n. denial or sacrifice of one's own desires or pleasures self´-de·ny´ing •adj.

self-designation (-dez'ig nei´shэn) •n. a name taken for oneself or one's own people

self-destruct (-di strûkt´) •vi. DESTRUCT

self-destruction (-di strûk´shэn) •n. destruction of oneself or itself; specif., suicide self´-de·struc´tive •adj.

self-determination (-di tør'mэ nei´shэn) •n. 1 determination or decision according to one's own mind or will, without outside influence 2 the right of a people to decide upon its own political status or form of government, without outside influence self´-de·ter´mined •adj. self´-de·ter´min·ing •adj.

self-development (-di vel´эp mэnt) •n. efforts toward self-fulfillment, either through formal study programs or on one's own

self-devotion (-di vou´shэn) •n. devotion of oneself to a cause or to others' interests

self-discipline (-dis´э plin) •n. the disciplining or controlling of oneself or one's desires, actions, habits, etc.

self-discovery (-dis kûv´эr i:) •n. a becoming aware of one's true potential, character, motives, etc.

self-doubt (-daut´) •n. lack of confidence or faith in oneself

self-educated (-ej´э keit'id) •adj. educated or trained by oneself, with little or no formal schooling

self-effacement (-i feis´mэnt) •n. the practice of keeping oneself in the background and minimizing one's own actions; modest, retiring behavior self´-ef·fac´ing •adj.

self-employed (-em ploid´) •adj. working for oneself, with direct control over work, services, etc. undertaken and fees, charges, etc. set self´-em·ploy´ment •n.

self-esteem (-e sti:m´) •n. 1 belief in oneself; self-respect 2 undue pride in oneself; conceit SYN. PRIDE

self-evident (-ev´i dэnt) •adj. evident without need of proof or explanation self´-ev´i·dent·ly •adv.

self-examination (-ig zæm'э nei´shэn) •n. examination or study of one's own qualities, thoughts, conduct, motives, etc.; analysis of oneself; introspection

self-excited (-ik sait´id) •adj. Elec. excited by field current supplied from its own armature: said of a generator

self-executing (-ek´sэ kyu:t'iŋ) •adj. coming into effect automatically when specified, without further provision being made, as a death clause in a contract

self-existent (-ig zis´tэnt) •adj. existing of or by itself without external cause or agency self´-ex·ist´ence •n.

self-explanatory (-ik splæn´э tör'i:) •adj. explaining itself; obvious without explanation Also self´-ex·plain´ing

self-expression (-ik spresh´эn) •n. expression of one's own personality or emotions, esp. in the arts

self-feeding (-fi:d´iŋ) •adj. 1 automatically supplying itself with what is needed, as a machine Æ 2 designating or of a system of supplying feed to animals so that they can eat the kind and amount they want when they want it

self-fertilization (-ført'ªl i zei´shэn) •n. fertilization of a plant or animal by its own pollen or sperm

self-forgetful (-fэr get´fэl) •adj. ignoring one's own interests; selfless; unselfish

self-fulfilling (-ful fil´iŋ) •adj. 1 bringing about self-fulfillment 2 brought to fulfillment chiefly as an effect of having been expected or predicted {a self-fulfilling prophecy}

self-fulfillment (-ful fil´mэnt) •n. fulfillment of one's aspirations, hopes, etc. through one's own efforts

self-government (-gûv´эrn mэnt) •n. government of a group by the action of its own members, as in electing representatives to make its laws self´-gov´ern·ing •adj.

self-hardening (-härd´ªn iŋ) •adj. designating or of any steel that will harden if air-cooled after being heated above red heat

self-hate (-heit´) •n. hatred directed against oneself or one's own people, often in despair Also self´-ha´tred

selfheal (-hi:l') •n. any of various plants supposed to have healing properties; esp., a common, Old World lawn and pasture weed (Prunella vulgaris) of the mint family

self-help (-help´) •n. care for or betterment of oneself by one's own efforts, as through study

selfhood (-hud') •n. 1 all the things that make one what one is; personality or individuality 2 the condition of being self-centered; selfishness

self-hypnosis (-hip nou´sis) •n. AUTOHYPNOSIS

self-identity (-ai den´tэ ti:) •n. 1 the identity of a thing with itself 2 awareness of one's individual identity

self-image (-im´ij) •n. one's conception of oneself and one's own identity, abilities, worth, etc.

self-immolation (-im'э lei´shэn) •n. 1 suicide, usually by burning oneself in a public place 2 deliberate self-sacrifice

self-important (-im pört´ªnt) •adj. having or showing an exaggerated opinion of one's own importance; pompous or officious self´-im·por´tance •n.

self-imposed (-im pouzd´) •adj. imposed or inflicted on oneself by oneself

self-improvement (-im pru:v´mэnt) •n. improvement of one's status, mind, abilities, etc. by one's own efforts

self-inclusive (-in klu:´siv) •adj. including oneself or itself

self-incrimination (-in krim'э nei´shэn) •n. incrimination of oneself by one's own statements or answers self´-in·crim´i·nat'ing •adj.

self-induced (-in du:st´) •adj. 1 induced by oneself or itself 2 produced by self-induction

self-inductance (-in dûk´tэns) •n. INDUCTANCE (sense 2)

self-induction (-in dûk´shэn) •n. the induction of a counter electromotive force in a circuit by the variation of current in that circuit

self-indulgence (-in dûl´jэns) •n. indulgence of one's own desires, impulses, etc. self´-in·dul´gent •adj.

self-inflicted (-in flik´tid) •adj. inflicted on oneself by oneself, as an injury

self-initiated (-i nish´i: eit'id) •adj. initiated by oneself or itself

self-insurance (-in shur´эns) •n. insurance of oneself or one's property by setting apart one's own funds rather than by paying for an insurance policy

self-interest (-in´trist, -in´tэr ist) •n. 1 one's own interest or advantage 2 an exaggerated regard for this, esp. when at the expense of others

selfish (sel´fish) •adj. 1 too much concerned with one's own welfare or interests and having little or no concern for others; self-centered 2 showing or prompted by self-interest self´ish·ly •adv. self´ish·ness •n.

self-justification (self´jûs'tэ fi kei´shэn) •n. the act of justifying or rationalizing one's actions or motives

self-knowledge (-näl´ij) •n. knowledge of one's own qualities, character, abilities, etc.

selfless (self´lis) •adj. 1 devoted to others' welfare or interests and not one's own; unselfish; altruistic 2 showing or prompted by unselfishness or altruism; self-sacrificing {a selfless act} self´less·ly •adv. self´less·ness •n.

self-limiting (self´lim´it iŋ) •adj. that terminates by the natural course of events {a self-limiting disease} self-lim'i·ta´tion •n.

self-liquidating (-lik´wэ deit'iŋ) •adj. 1 that can be converted into cash over a certain period of time 2 having within itself the means of making up for, or yielding a profit on, the initial outlay {a self-liquidating investment}

self-loading (-loud´iŋ) •adj. loading again by its own action {a self-loading gun}

self-love (-lûv´) •n. 1 love of oneself 2 regard for oneself and one's own interests

self-made (-meid´) •adj. 1 made by oneself or itself 2 successful, rich, etc. through one's own efforts

self-medicate (-med´э keit') -cat'ed, -cat'ing •vi. to medicate oneself without consulting a physician self´-med'i·ca´tion •n.

self-moving (-mu:´viŋ) •adj. moving or able to move under its own power, or of itself

self-operating (-äp´э reit'iŋ) •adj. operating by itself; automatic Also self-op·er·at·ed

self-opinionated (-э pin´yэ neit'id) •adj. 1 stubbornly holding to one's own opinions 2 conceited

self-perpetuating (-pэr pech´u: eit'iŋ) •adj. of a kind that causes or promotes indefinite continuation or renewal of itself or oneself {a self-perpetuating caste system}

self-pity (-pit´i:) •n. pity for oneself, esp. pity that is self-indulgent or exaggerated

self-policing (self´pэ li:s´iŋ, -pou-; often, -pli:s´-) •n. a process or procedure by which an industry, profession, or other cooperating group checks its own members to be sure they conform to established principles or agreements

self-pollination (-päl'э nei´shэn) •n. the transfer of pollen from anthers to stigmas in the same flower, or to stigmas of another flower on the same plant or of a flower on a plant of the same clone self´-pol´li·nat'ed •adj.

self-portrait (-pör´trit, -treit) •n. a painting, drawing, etc. of oneself, done by oneself

self-possession (-pэ zesh´эn) •n. full possession or control of one's feelings, actions, etc.; self-command; composure SYN. CONFIDENCE self´-pos·sessed´ •adj.

self-preservation (-prez'эr vei´shэn) •n. 1 preservation of oneself from danger, injury, or death 2 the urge to preserve oneself, regarded as an instinct

self-proclaimed (-prou kleimd´) •adj. so proclaimed or announced by oneself {a self-proclaimed ruler}

self-produced (-prэ du:st´) •adj. produced by oneself or itself

self-pronouncing (-prэ naun´siŋ) •adj. showing pronunciation by accent marks or diacritical marks added to the original spelling instead of by phonetic transcription

self-propelled (-prэ peld´) •adj. propelled by its own motor or power Also self´-pro·pel´ling

self-protection (-prэ tek´shэn) •n. protection of oneself; self-defense

self-questioning (-kwes´chэ niŋ') •n. a querying or doubting of one's own beliefs, motives, etc.

self-realization (-ri:'э li zei´shэn) •n. complete fulfillment of the self or full development of one's own talents, capabilities, etc.

self-recording (-ri körd´iŋ) •adj. recording its own operations or reactions automatically, as a seismograph

self-regard (-ri gärd´) •n. 1 regard or concern for oneself and one's own interests 2 SELF-RESPECT self´-re·gard´ing •adj.

self-regulating (-reg´yэ leit'iŋ) •adj. regulating oneself or itself, so as to function automatically or without outside control self´-reg'u·la´tion •n.

self-reliance (-ri lai´эns) •n. reliance on one's own judgment, abilities, etc. self´-re·li´ant •adj.

self-renunciation (-ri nûn'si: ei´shэn) •n. renunciation of one's own interests or desires, esp. for the benefit of others

self-reproach (-ri prouch´) •n. accusation or blame of oneself; guilt feeling self´-re·proach´ful •adj.

self-respect (-ri spekt´) •n. proper respect for oneself and one's worth as a person self´-re·spect´ing •adj.

self-restraint (-ri streint´) •n. restraint imposed on oneself by oneself; self-control self´-re·strained´ •adj.

self-revealing (-ri vi:l´iŋ) •adj. revealing or expressing one's innermost thoughts, emotions, etc. Also self´-rev´e·la·to'ry (-rev´э lэ tör'i:) self´-rev'e·la´tion •n.

self-righteous (-rai´chэs) •adj. filled with or showing a conviction of being morally superior, or more righteous than others; smugly virtuous self´-right´eous·ly •adv. self´-right´eous·ness •n.

self-rising flour (-rai´ziŋ) flour that has salt and baking powder mixed in so that it will rise in baking

self-rule (-ru:l´) •n. SELF-GOVERNMENT

self-sacrifice (-sæk´rэ fais') •n. sacrifice of oneself or one's own interests for the benefit, or the supposed benefit, of others self´-sac´ri·fic'ing •adj.

selfsame (self´seim') •adj. exactly the same; identical; (the) very same SYN. SAME self´same´ness •n.

self-satisfied (self´sæt´is faid') •adj. feeling or showing an often smug satisfaction with oneself or one's accomplishments self´-sat'is·fac´tion •n.

self-satisfying (-sæt´is fai'iŋ) •adj. satisfying to oneself

self-sealing (-si:l´iŋ) •adj. 1 containing, or composed of, a substance that automatically seals punctures, etc. {a self-sealing tire} 2 that can be sealed by pressure alone {a self-sealing envelope}

self-seeker (-si:´kэr) •n. a person who seeks only or mainly to further his or her own interests self´-seek´ing •n., adj.

self-selection (-sэ lek´shэn) •n. selection made by or for oneself

self-serve (-sørv´) •adj. short for SELF-SERVICE

self-service (-sør´vis) •n. the practice of serving oneself from a display of articles in a store, cafeteria, etc. or servicing one's car oneself at a service station and then paying a cashier •adj. operating with such self-service

self-serving (-sør´viŋ) •adj. serving one's own selfish interests, esp. at the expense of others

self-sown (-soun´) •adj. sown by wind, water, or other natural means, as some weeds, instead of by people or an animal

self-starter (-stärt´эr) •n. 1 STARTER (sense e) Æ 2 [Colloq.] one who works on one's own initiative and without prodding

self-sterile (-ster´эl) •adj. Biol. incapable of self-fertilization self´-ste·ril´i·ty (-stэ ril´э ti:) •n.

self-study (-stûd´i:) •n. 1 study by oneself, as through correspondence courses, without classroom instruction 2 study of oneself

self-styled (-staild´) •adj. considered and called (something specified) only by the individual himself or herself; alleged (to be such) only by the person concerned; pretended; professed {a self-styled expert}

self-sufficient (-sэ fish´эnt) •adj. having the necessary resources to get along without help; independent Also self´-suf·fic´ing (-fais´iŋ) self´-suf·fi´cien·cy •n.

self-suggestion (-sэg jes´chэn) •n. AUTOSUGGESTION

self-support (-sэ pört´) •n. support of oneself or itself without aid or reinforcement self´-sup·port´ing •adj.

self-surrender (-sэ ren´dэr) •n. surrender of oneself or one's will, as to an influence or emotion

self-sustaining (-sэ stein´iŋ) •adj. 1 supporting or able to support oneself or itself 2 able to continue once begun self´-sus·tained´ •adj.

self-taught (-töt´) •adj. 1 having taught oneself through one's own efforts; self-educated 2 learned by oneself without instruction

self-torture (-tör´chэr) •n. any mental or physical distress inflicted by oneself upon oneself

selfward (self´wэrd) •adv. toward oneself: also self´wards •adj. directed toward oneself

self-will (self´wil´) •n. persistent carrying out of one's own will or wishes, esp. when in conflict with others; stubbornness; obstinacy self´-willed´ •adj.

self-winding (self´wain´diŋ) •adj. wound automatically, as certain wristwatches with internal winding mechanisms activated by external motion, as by normal arm movements

self-worth (self´wørθ´) •n. one's worth as a person, as perceived by oneself

Seljuk (sel´ju:k', sel ju:k´) •n. a member of any of several Turkish dynasties that ruled much of W Asia in the 11th & 12 cent. •adj. of or designating these dynasties or the peoples ruled by them Also Sel·juk´i·an (-ju:´ki: эn) [after Seljuk (Turk Selçuk), a 10th-c. leader and ancestor of the dynasties]

Selkirk (sel´kørk) former county of S Scotland, now in the region of the Borders: also Sel´kirk·shire (-shir')

Selkirk Mountains range of the Rocky Mountain system, in SE British Columbia: highest peak, 11,590 ft. (3,533 m)

sell (sel) sold, sell´ing •vt. 1 to give up, deliver, or exchange (property, goods, services, etc.) for money or its equivalent 2 a) to have or offer regularly for sale; deal in {a store that sells hardware, to sell real estate} b) to make or try to make sales in or to {to sell chain stores} 3 a) to give up or deliver (a person) to his or her enemies or into slavery, bondage, etc. b) to be a traitor to; betray (a country, cause, etc.) 4 to give up or dispose of (one's honor, one's vote, etc.) for profit or a dishonorable purpose 5 to bring about, help in, or promote, the sale of {television sells many products} Æ 6 [Colloq.] a) to establish faith, confidence, or belief in {to sell oneself to the public} b) to persuade (someone) of the value of something; convince (with on) {sell him on the idea} 7 [Slang] to cheat or dupe •vi. 1 to exchange property, goods, or services for money, etc. 2 to work or act as a salesman or salesclerk 3 to be a popular item on the market; attract buyers 4 to be sold (for or at) {belts selling for six dollars} 5 [Colloq.] to be accepted, approved, etc. {a scheme that won't sell} •n. 1 [Slang] a trick or hoax Æ 2 selling or salesmanship: cf. HARD SELL, SOFT SELL sell off to get rid of by selling, esp. at low prices sell oneself 1 to exchange one's services for a price, esp. for a dishonorable purpose, as for prostitution Æ 2 [Colloq.] to convince another of one's worth sell out 1 to get rid of completely by selling Æ 2 [Colloq.] to sell or betray (someone, one's trust, etc.) Æ 3 [Colloq.] to give up or be unfaithful to one's artistic aspirations or moral principles so as to achieve success, financial gain, etc. Æ sell short 1 to sell securities, etc. not yet owned: see SHORT SALE 2 to value at less than its worth; underestimate sell up [Brit.] to sell all of (the land or household goods) of (a debtor) so as to satisfy his or her debts SYN.—sell implies a transferring of the ownership of something to another for money [to sell books, a house, etc.]; barter implies an exchange of goods or services without using money [to barter food for clothes]; trade, in transitive use, also implies the exchange of articles [let's trade neckties], and, intransitively, implies the carrying on of a business in which one buys and sells a specified commodity [to trade in wheat]; auction implies the public sale of items one by one, each going to the highest of the competing bidders [to auction off unclaimed property]; vend applies especially to the selling of small articles, as by peddling, slot machine, etc. [vending machines] —ANT. buy [ME sellen < OE sellan, to give, offer, akin to Goth saljan, to offer (sacrifice): caus. formation in sense to cause to take < IE base *sel-, to take, grasp > SALE, Gr helein, to take]

seller (sel´эr) •n. 1 a person who sells; vendor 2 something that sells, usually with reference to its rate of sale {a good seller}

seller's market (sel´эrz) a state of trade favorable to the seller, with relatively great demand and high prices of something for sale

selling race a claiming race immediately after which the winning horse is offered for sale at auction

sell-off (-öf') •n. a decline in the prices of all or certain stocks and bonds, due to pressure to sell

Sellotape (sel´ou teip') trademark for a thin, transparent cellulose or plastic adhesive tape •n. [also s-] a roll or a piece of this •vt. -taped, -tap'ing to fasten or seal with this tape

sellout (-aut') •n. [Colloq.] 1 the act of selling out something or someone 2 an entertainment, lecture, etc. for which all the seats have been sold

Selma (sel´mэ) a feminine name [< ? Gr selma, a ship]

seltzer (selt´sэr) •n. 1 [often S-] natural mineral water that is effervescent 2 any carbonated water, often flavored with fruit juices Also seltzer water [altered < Ger Selterser (wasser), (water) from Selters, after Niederselters, village in WC Germany]

selva (sel´vэ) •n. a tropical rain forest, esp. in South America [Sp & Port, forest < L silva: see SILVA]

selvage or selvedge (sel´vij) •n. 1 a specially woven edge that prevents cloth from raveling 2 any specially defined edge of fabric or paper, esp. such an edge that is to be trimmed off or covered 3 [Rare] the side plate of a lock through which the bolt passes [< SELF + EDGE, infl. by MDu selfegge]

selves (selvz) •n. pl. of SELF

Selznick (selz´nik), David O(liver) 1902-65; U.S. film producer

sem 1 semester 2 semicolon Sem 1 Seminary 2 Semitic

semainier (sэ men´yei) •n. a tall, narrow chest, typically with seven drawers, as for storing a week's supply of lingerie, shirts, etc.

semantic (sэ mæn´tik) •adj. 1 of or pertaining to meaning, esp. meaning in language 2 of or according to semantics as a branch of linguistics or of semiotics Also se·man´ti·cal se·man´ti·cal·ly •adv. [Gr sēmantikos, significant < sēmainein, to show, explain by a sign < sēma, a sign, symbol < IE *dhyāmn (> Sans dhyāman, thought) < base *dhyā-, to see, behold]

semanticist (-tэ sist) •n. a specialist in semantics

semantics (-tiks) •n.pl. [with sing. v.] 1 the branch of linguistics concerned with the nature, the structure, and the development and changes of the meanings of speech forms, or with contextual meaning 2 a) SEMIOTICS b) the branch of semiotics dealing with relationships of signs and symbols to the things to which they refer, or with referential meaning 3 the relationships between signs and symbols and the concepts, feelings, etc. associated with them in the minds of their interpreters; notional meaning 4 loosely, deliberate distortion or twisting of meaning, as in some types of advertising, propaganda, etc. 5 GENERAL SEMANTICS [< SEMANTIC, based on Fr sémantique]

semaphore (sem´э för') •n. 1 any apparatus for signaling, as the arrangement of lights, flags, and mechanical arms on railroads 2 a system of signaling by the use of two flags, one held in each hand: the letters of the alphabet are represented by the various positions of the arms 3 any system of signaling by semaphore •vt., vi. -phored', -phor'ing to signal by semaphore sem'a·phor´ic •adj. sem´a·phor'ist •n. [Fr sémaphore < Gr sēma, sign (see SEMANTIC) + -phoros: see -PHORE]

Semarang (sэ mär´äŋ) seaport in NC Java, Indonesia, on the Java Sea: pop. 1,027,000

semasiology (si mei'si: äl´э ji:) •n. SEMANTICS (senses 1, 2, & 3) se·ma'si·o·log´i·cal (-э läj´i kэl) •adj. se·ma'si·ol´o·gist •n. [< Gr sēmasia, signification of a word (< sēmainein: see SEMANTIC) + -LOGY]

sematic (si mæt´ik) •adj. Zool. serving as a sign of danger, as the coloration of some poisonous snakes [< Gr sēma (gen. sēmatos), a sign (see SEMANTIC) + -IC]

semblable (sem´blэ bэl) •adj. [Archaic] 1 similar 2 suitable 3 apparent •n. [Archaic] 1 something similar 2 likeness [ME < MFr < sembler: see SEMBLANCE]

semblance (sem´blэns) •n. 1 outward form or appearance; aspect 2 seeming likeness; resemblance 3 a likeness, image, or representation 4 false, assumed, or deceiving form or appearance 5 mere empty show; pretense SYN. APPEARANCE [ME < OFr < sembler, to seem, appear < L similare, to make like < similis, like: see SAME]

semé (sэ mei´) •adj. Heraldry having a design of many small figures; dotted, as with stars [Fr, orig. pp. of semer, to sow < L seminare < semen, a SEED]

Semele (sem´э li:') Gr. Myth. the daughter of Cadmus, and mother of Dionysus: seeing Zeus in all his glory, she is consumed in his lightning [L < Gr Semelē]

sememe (sem´i:m) •n. Linguis. the meaning of a morpheme [coined (1933) by Leonard BLOOMFIELD < Gr sēma, a sign (see SEMANTIC) + -EME]

semen (si:´mэn) pl. sem·i·na (sem´э nэ) •n.or -mens the thick, whitish fluid secreted by the male reproductive organs and containing the spermatozoa [ModL < L, SEED]

Semenov (sim yö´nэf; Russ syi myö´nэf), Ni·ko·lai (Nikolaevich) (nik´э lai'; Russ nyi kû lai´) 1896- ; Russ. chemist

semester (sэ mes´tэr) •n. 1 a six-month period; half year 2 either of the two terms, of about eighteen weeks each, which usually make up a school or college year se·mes´tral (-trэl) •adj. [Ger < L (cursus) semestris, half-yearly (period) < sex, SIX + mensis, MONTH]

semi (sem´ai') •n. [Colloq.] a semitrailer and the TRACTOR (sense 2) to which it is attached [< SEMI(TRAILER)]

semi- (sem´i; also variously, -i:, -ai, -э) prefix 1 half {semicircle} 2 partly, not fully, imperfectly {semicivilized} 3 twice in a (specified period) {semicentennial} [L < IE *semi- > Gr hēmi-, Sans sāmi-, OE sām-]

semiabstract (sem'i: æb strækt´) •adj. designating or of a style of art in which an identifiable object is dealt with as an abstraction, as in some cubist works

semiannual (-æn´yu: эl) •adj. 1 done, happening, appearing, etc. every half year or twice a year 2 lasting only half a year, as some plants sem'i·an´nu·al·ly •adv.

semiaquatic (-э kwæt´ik, -kwät´-) •adj. Biol. 1 growing in or near water, as certain plants 2 spending some time in water, as muskrats

semiarid (-ær´id) •adj. characterized by little yearly rainfall and by the growth of short grasses and shrubs: said of a climate or region

semiautomatic (-öt'э mæt´ik) •adj. 1 partly automatic and partly hand-controlled: said of machinery 2 Firearms using the force of the explosion of a shell to eject and reload cartridges, as in an automatic, but requiring a trigger pull for each round fired •n. a semiautomatic firearm sem'i·au'to·mat´i·cal·ly •adv.

semiautonomous (-ö tän´э mэs) •adj. granted autonomy with regard to internal affairs only, by a controlling nation, organization, etc.

semibreve (sem´i bri:v') •n. [Chiefly Brit., etc.] WHOLE NOTE [It]

semicentennial (sem'i sen ten´i: эl) •adj. of or ending a period of 50 years •n. a 50th anniversary or its commemoration [SEMI- + CENTENNIAL]

semicircle (sem´i sør'kэl) •n. 1 a half circle 2 anything in the form of a half circle sem'i·cir´cu·lar (-kyэ lэr) •adj. [L semicirculus: see SEMI- & CIRCLE]

semicircular canal any of the three loop-shaped, tubular structures of the inner ear that serve to maintain balance in the organism: see EAR¹, illus.

semicivilized (sem'i siv´э laizd') •adj. partly civilized

semiclassical (-klæs´i kэl) •adj. somewhat classical in form, quality, etc.; specif., designating or of music that is like classical music but is less complex in nature and has a more immediate appeal

semicolon (sem´i kou'lэn) •n. a mark of punctuation (;) indicating a degree of separation greater than that marked by the comma and less than that marked by the period: used chiefly to separate units that contain elements separated by commas, and to separate closely related coordinate clauses

semiconductor (sem'i kэn dûk´tэr) •n. a substance, as germanium or silicon, whose conductivity is poor at low temperatures but is improved by minute additions of certain substances or by the application of heat, light, or voltage: used in transistors, rectifiers, etc.

semiconscious (sem'i kän´shэs) •adj. not fully conscious or awake; half-conscious sem'i·con´scious·ness •n.

semidarkness (-därk´nэs) •n. partial darkness

semidesert (-dez´эrt) •n. a region somewhat like a desert, often located between a desert and grassland or woodland

semidetached (-di tæcht´) •adj. partly separate or detached, as a pair of houses joined by a common wall

semidiameter (-dai æm´эt эr) •n. 1 half a diameter; radius 2 Astron. half the angular diameter of a celestial body with a visible disk, as the moon

semidiurnal (-dai ør´nэl) •adj. 1 of, lasting, or performed in half a day 2 occurring twice a day, as the tides

semidome (sem´i doum') •n. a curved ceiling or roof covering a semicircular room, bay, etc.; half dome

semidouble (sem'i dûb´эl) •adj. having more than the normal numbers of petals, ray flowers, etc., but not enough to completely conceal the stamens and pistils

semielliptical (sem'i: i lip´ti kэl) •adj. having the form of a half ellipse sem'i·el·lipse´ (-lips´) •n.

semifinal (sem'i fain´эl; for n., usually sem´i fain'эl) •adj. coming just before the final match, as of a tournament •n. 1 a semifinal match 2 [pl.] a semifinal round

semifinalist (sem'i fain´эl ist) •n. a person taking part in a semifinal round, match, etc.

semifluid (-flu:´id) •adj. heavy or thick but capable of flowing; viscous •n. a semifluid substance

semiformal (-för´mэl) •adj. designating or requiring attire that is less than strictly formal but not informal

semihard (-härd´) •adj. somewhat hard, but easily cut

semilegendary (-lej´эn der'i:) •adj. having some historical basis, but legendary in part

semiliquid (-lik´wid) •adj., n. SEMIFLUID

semiliterate (-lit´эr it) •adj. knowing how to read and write a little or knowing only how to read

semilunar (-lu:´nэr) •adj. shaped like a half-moon; crescent-shaped [ModL semilunaris: see SEMI- & LUNAR]

semilunar valve either of two crescent-shaped heart valves, one, a pulmonary valve, at the junction of the right ventricle and pulmonary artery, the other, an aortic valve, at the junction of the left ventricle and aorta, which keep blood from flowing back into the ventricles

semimonthly (-mûnθ´li:) •adj. done, happening, published, etc. every half month or twice a month •n. pl. -lies something coming, appearing, etc. twice a month, esp. a magazine issued twice a month •adv. twice monthly; every half month

seminal (sem´э nэl) •adj. 1 of or containing seed or semen 2 of reproduction {seminal power} 3 like seed in being a source or a first stage in development; germinal; originative {a seminal book} 4 being the first or earliest of something that is later recognized as having been of primary influence {a seminal jazz band} 5 of essential importance; specif., a) basic; central; principal b) crucial; critical; pivotal sem´i·nal·ly •adv. [ME < MFr < L seminalis < semen (gen. seminis), a SEED]

seminar (sem´э när') •n. 1 a group of supervised students doing research or advanced study, as at a university 2 a) a course for such a group, or any of its sessions b) the room where the group meets 3 any similar group discussion [Ger < L seminarium: see SEMINARY]

seminarian (sem'э ner´i: эn) •n. a student at a seminary (usually a theological seminary): also [Chiefly Brit., etc.] sem´i·nar·ist (-э nэ rist)

seminary (sem´э ner'i:) pl. -nar'ies •n. 1 [Now Rare] a place where something develops, grows, or is bred 2 [Old-fashioned] a school, esp. a private school for young women 3 a school or college where persons are trained to become priests, ministers, or rabbis [ME, seed plot < L seminarium, seed plot, nursery, neut. of seminarius, of seed < semen, a SEED]

semination (sem'э nei´shэn) •n. 1 propagation or dissemination 2 Bot. the act or process of sowing seeds [L seminatio < seminare, to sow < semen, a SEED]

seminiferous (-nif´эr эs) •adj. 1 seed-bearing 2 containing or conveying semen {seminiferous tubules} [< L semen (gen. seminis), a seed + -FEROUS]

Seminole (sem´э noul') •n. 1 pl. -noles' or -nole' a member of any of the American Indian groups that separated from the Creek Confederacy in the 18th cent. and migrated to Florida: they now live in S Florida & Oklahoma 2 the dialect of Creek spoken by the Florida Seminoles: also, a related Muskogean language, usually called Mik·a·su·ki (mik'э su:´ki:) [< earlier Seminolie < Creek simanó˙li wild, runaway, altered by metathesis < simaló˙ni < New World Sp cimarrón]

semiofficial (sem'i: э fish´эl) •adj. having some, but not full, official authority sem'i·of·fi´cial·ly •adv.

semiology (si:'mi: äl´э ji:, sem'i:-) •n. the science of signs in general se'mi·o·log´ic (-э läj´ik) or se'mi·o·log´i·cal •adj. se'mi·ol´o·gist •n. [< Gr sēmeion (see SEMIOTICS) + -LOGY]

semiotics (si:'mi: ät´iks, sem'i:-) •n.pl. Philos. a general theory of signs and symbols; esp., the analysis of the nature and relationships of signs in language, usually including three branches, syntactics, semantics, and pragmatics se'mi·ot´ic or se'mi·ot´i·cal •adj. se'mi·o·ti´cian (-э tish´эn) •n. [Gr sēmeiōtikos < sēmeion, sign, akin to sēma: see SEMANTIC]

semioviparous (sem'i: ou vip´эr эs) •adj. Zool. producing living young whose natal development is incomplete, as marsupials [SEMI- + OVIPAROUS]

Semipalatinsk (sye'mi: pэ lä´tinsk) city in NE Kazakhstan, on the Irtysh River: pop. 317,000

semipalmate (sem'i pæl´meit') •adj. with only a partial webbing of the anterior toes, as in some shorebirds Also sem'i·pal´mat'ed sem'i·pal·ma´tion •n.

semiparasite (-pær´э sait') •n. HEMIPARASITE

semipermeable (-pør´mi: э bэl) •adj. allowing some substances to pass; permeable to smaller molecules but not to larger ones, as a membrane in osmosis

semipolitical (-pэ lit´i kэl) •adj. political in some respects only; partly political

semiporcelain (-pör´sэ lэn) •n. a type of glazed earthenware that looks like porcelain but is opaque

semipostal (-pous´tэl) •n. any stamp having a charge in addition to postage, to be used as for charity or a public monument

semiprecious (-presh´эs) •adj. designating gems of lower value than those classified as precious: said of the garnet, turquoise, etc.

semiprivate (-prai´vэt) •adj. partly but not completely private; specif., designating or of a hospital room with two, three, or sometimes four beds

semipro (sem´i prou') •adj., n. short for SEMIPROFESSIONAL

semiprofessional (sem'i prэ fesh´э nэl) •adj. not fully professional; specif., a) engaging in a sport or other activity for pay but not as a regular occupation b) engaged in by semiprofessional players •n. a semiprofessional player, etc. sem'i·pro·fes´sion·al·ly •adv.

semipublic (-pûb´lik) •adj. partly public; public in some respects, as a private institution offering some public services or facilities

semiquaver (sem´i kwei'vэr) •n. [Chiefly Brit., etc.] SIXTEENTH NOTE

Semiramis (si mir´э mis) Bab. Legend a queen of Assyria noted for her beauty, wisdom, and sexual exploits: reputed founder of Babylon: based on a historical queen of the 9th cent. B.C.

semireligious (sem'i ri lij´эs) •adj. religious in some respects only; partly religious

semirigid (-rij´id) •adj. somewhat or partly rigid; specif., designating an airship having a rigid internal keel but no other supporting framework

semirural (-ru:r´эl) •adj. somewhat rural: used esp. of outlying areas adjacent to suburbs

semiskilled (-skild´) •adj. 1 partly skilled 2 of or doing manual work that requires only limited training

semisoft (-söft´) •adj. soft but firm and easily cut, as Roquefort cheese, Edam cheese, etc.

semisolid (-säl´id) •adj. viscous and slowly flowing, as asphalt •n. a semisolid substance

semisweet (-swi:t´) •adj. only slightly sweetened

Semite (sem´ait'; chiefly Brit si:´mait') •n. 1 a person regarded as descended from Shem 2 a member of any of the peoples speaking a Semitic language, including the Hebrews, Arabs, Assyrians, Phoenicians, etc. 3 JEW: a loose usage [ModL Semita < LL(Ec) Sem, Shem < Gr (Ec) Sem < Heb shem, a son of Noah (Gen.7:13)]

Semitic (sэ mit´ik) •adj. designating or of the Semites or their languages or cultures •n. a major subfamily of the Afroasiatic family of languages, usually divided into eastern (Akkadian), northwestern (Canaanite, Aramaic, Hebrew, etc.), central (Arabic), and southwestern (South Arabic, Ethiopic) branches [Ger semitisch < ModL Semiticus < Semita: see SEMITE]

Semitics (-iks) •n.pl. [with sing. v.] Æ the study of Semitic culture, languages, literature, etc.

Semitism (sem´э tiz'эm) •n. 1 a Semitic word or idiom 2 the characteristics of the Semites; esp. the ideas, cultural qualities, etc. originating with the Jews

semitone (sem´i toun') •n. Music the difference in pitch between any two immediately adjacent keys on the piano; half of a whole tone sem'i·ton´ic (-tän´ik) or sem´i·ton'al (-toun'эl) •adj. sem'i·ton´al·ly •adv.

semitrailer (-treil'эr) •n. a detachable trailer designed to be attached to a coupling at the rear of a TRACTOR (sense 2), by which it is partly supported

semitransparent (sem'i træns per´эnt) •adj. not perfectly or completely transparent

semitropical (-träp´i kэl) •adj. having some of the characteristics of the tropics Also sem'i·trop´ic

semivowel (sem´i vau'эl) •n. Phonet. a vowel-like sound occurring in consonantal positions in the same syllable with a true vowel, characterized by brief duration and rapid change from one position of articulation to another {the English glides (w) and (y) are semivowels}

semiweekly (sem'i wi:k´li:) •adj. done, happening, published, etc. twice a week •n. pl. -lies a semiweekly publication •adv. twice weekly

semiyearly (-yir´li:) •adj. done, happening, appearing, etc. every half year or twice a year •adv. twice yearly

semolina (sem'э li:´nэ) •n. meal consisting of particles of coarsely ground durum (hard wheat), a byproduct in the manufacture of fine flour: used in making macaroni, puddings, breakfast cereals, etc. [It semolino, dim. of semola, bran < L simila, finest wheat flour < ?]

semper (sem´pэr) •adv. always [L]

semper fidelis (fi dei´lis) always faithful: motto of the U.S. Marine Corps [L < IE base *sem-, one, uniform, SAME + *per > PER]

semper paratus (pэ reit´эs, -rät´эs) always prepared: motto of the U.S. Coast Guard [L]

sempervivum (sem'pэr vai´vэm) •n. any of a genus (Sempervivum) of plants of the orpine family, with yellow, pink, or red flowers and compact rosettes of thick, fleshy leaves [ModL < L, neut. of sempervivus, ever living < semper, ever, always + vivus, living: see BIO-]

sempiternal (sem'pi tør´nэl) •adj. everlasting; perpetual; eternal sem'pi·ter´nal·ly •adv. sem'pi·ter´ni·ty •n. [ME < ML sempiternalis < L sempiternus < semper, always (see SEMPER) + aeternus, ETERNAL]

semplice (sem´pli chei') •adv. Musical Direction with simplicity [It, simply < L simplex, SIMPLE]

sempre (sem´prei') •adv. Musical Direction without varying [It, always < L semper]

sempstress (sem´stris, semp´-) •n. var. of SEAMSTRESS

Sen 1 Senate 2 Senator 3 [also s-] senior sen (sen) pl. sen •n. 1 a monetary unit of Japan, equal to ¹/100 of a yen: now used only as a money of account 2 a monetary unit of Cambodia, Indonesia, and Malaysia, equal to ¹/100 of a riel, ¹/100 of a rupiah, and ¹/100 of a ringgit respectively [Jpn < SinoJpn, coin < Chin ch'ien, money, coin]

senary (sen´эr i:) •adj. of six; on the basis of six [L senarius < seni, six each < base of sex, six]

senate (sen´it) •n. 1 literally, a council of elders 2 the supreme council of the ancient Roman state, orig. only of patricians but later including the plebeians 3 a lawmaking assembly; state council 4 [S-] Æ a) the upper house of the legislature of the U.S., or of most of the States of the U.S. b) a similar body in other countries 5 a governing or advisory council in a college or university {the Faculty Senate} 6 the building or hall where a senate meets [ME senat < OFr < L senatus < senex, old, aged < IE base *sen(o)-, old > Sans sána-, Gr henos, OIr sen, old]

senator (sen´эt эr) •n. a member of a senate [ME senatour < OFr senateur < L senator]

senatorial (sen'э tör´i: эl) •adj. 1 of or suitable for a senator or a senate 2 composed of senators [< L senatorius (< senator) + -IAL]

senatorial courtesy a custom of the U.S. Senate whereby that body refuses to ratify a presidential nomination to an official position, as in a State, if the senators from that State or from the nominee's State do not approve

senatorial district any of the districts into which a State is divided for electing members to the State senate

send¹ (send) sent, send´ing •vt. 1 a) to cause to go or be carried; dispatch, convey, or transmit b) to dispatch, convey, or transmit (a letter, message, etc.) by mail, radio, etc. 2 to ask, direct, or command to go {send the boy home} 3 to arrange for the going of; enable to go or attend {to send one's son to college} 4 to cause or force to move, as by releasing, hitting, discharging, throwing, etc. {he sent the ball over the fence} 5 to bring or drive into some state or condition {sent him to his ruin} 6 to cause to happen, come, etc.; give {a misfortune sent by the gods} Æ 7 [Slang] to make very excited or exhilarated; thrill •vi. 1 to send a message, messenger, emissary, etc. {to send for help} 2 to transmit, as by radio send away to dispatch or banish send down [Brit.] to suspend or expel from a university send flying 1 to dismiss or cause to depart hurriedly 2 to stagger or repel, as with a blow 3 to put to flight; rout 4 to scatter abruptly in all directions send for 1 to ask for the arrival of; summon 2 to place an order for; make a request for delivery of send forth to be a source of; cause to appear; give out or forth; produce, emit, utter, etc. send in 1 to dispatch, hand in, or send to a central point or to one receiving 2 to put (a player) into a game or contest send off 1 to mail or dispatch (a letter, gift, etc.) 2 to dismiss 3 to give a send-off to send out 1 to dispatch, distribute, issue, mail, etc. from a central point 2 to send forth 3 to send someone on an errand (for something) send round to put into circulation send up 1 to cause to rise, climb, or go up Æ 2 [Colloq.] to sentence to prison 3 [Colloq., Chiefly Brit., etc.] to make seem ridiculous, esp. by parody send´er •n. [ME senden < OE sendan, akin to Ger senden, Goth sandjan, caus. formation, to cause to go < IE base *sent-, to go, find out, discover > L sentire, to feel, sense, OIr sēt, way]

send² (send) •n. 1 the driving motion of a wave or the sea 2 SCEND •vi. 1 to be plunged forward, as by a wave 2 SCEND [prob. < prec., but infl. by ASCEND]

Sendai (sen´dai´) seaport in NE Honshu, Japan: pop. 663,000

Sendak (sen´dæk), Maurice Bernard 1928- ; U.S. writer & illustrator

sendal (sen´dэl) •n. a light silk fabric used in the Middle Ages for costumes, flags, etc. [ME cendal < OFr < ML cendallum, prob. ult. < Gr sindōn, fine linen of Sem orig; as in Heb sadin, linen undergarment]

send-off (send´öf') •n. [Colloq.] 1 an expression or demonstration of friendly feeling toward someone starting out on a trip, career, etc. 2 a start given to someone or something

sendup (send´ûp') •n. [Colloq., Chiefly Brit., etc.] a mocking parody, esp. when done with seeming gravity; takeoff; spoof

sene (se´ne´) pl. se´ne´ •n. a monetary unit of Western Samoa, equal to ¹/100 of a tala [Samoan < Eng CENT]

Seneca (sen´i kэ) •n. 1 pl. -cas or -ca any of a North American Indian people who formerly lived in the area of the Genesee River, N.Y., and now live chiefly in New York and Ontario: see FIVE NATIONS 2 their Iroquoian language Sen´e·can •adj. [< Du Sennecas, prob. < Mahican: orig. ref. to the Oneida, later including also the Onondaga, Cayuga, & Seneca] Seneca (sen´i kэ), (Lucius Annaeus) c. 4 B.C.-A.D. 65; Rom. philosopher, dramatist, & statesman

senecio (sэ ni:´shi: ou') pl. -ci·os •n. GROUNDSEL [ModL, altered < L senex, old (from the white pappus): see SENATE]

senega (sen´i gэ) •n. 1 an E North American milkwort (Polygala senega) with single racemes of white flowers 2 its dried root, formerly used as an expectorant Also senega (snake) root [< Senega (root), var. of SENECA: from use by the Seneca against snake bites]

Senegal (sen'i göl´, sen´э gэl) 1 country in W Africa, on the Atlantic: formerly a territory of French West Africa, it became independent (1960) (see MALI): 75,750 sq. mi. (196,192 sq. km); pop. 6,540,000; cap. Dakar 2 river flowing from W Mali northwest into the Atlantic: c. 1,000 mi. (1,609 km) Sen'e·gal·ese´ (-gэ li:z´), pl. -ese´, •n., adj.

Senegambia (sen'i gæm´bi: э) region in W Africa, comprising the basins of the rivers Senegal & Gambia

senescent (sэ nes´эnt) •adj. growing old; aging se·nes´cence (-ªns) •n. [L senescens, prp. of senescere, to grow old < senex, old: see SENATE]

seneschal (sen´э shэl) •n. a steward or major-domo in the household of a medieval noble [OFr < Frank siniskalk, oldest servant < *sini, old (for IE base see SENATE) + skalk, servant (for IE base see MARSHAL)]

Senghor (säñ gôř´), Lé·o·pold Sé·dar (lei ô pôld´ sei dåř´) 1906- ; Senegalese statesman: president of Senegal (1960-80)

senhor (si nyôř´) pl. se·nhor´es (-nyôř´эsh, -эs) •n. a man; gentleman: Portuguese title equivalent to Mr. or Sir: abbrev. Sr [Port < L senior: see SENIOR]

senhora (si nyôř´э) pl. se·nho´ras (-nyôř´эsh, -эs) •n. a married woman: Portuguese title equivalent to Mrs. or Madam: abbrev. Sra [Port, fem. of prec.]

senhorita (si'nyô ři:´tэ) pl. se'nho·ri´tas (-tэsh, -tэs) •n. an unmarried woman or girl: Portuguese title equivalent to Miss: abbrev. Srta [Port, dim. of prec.]

senile (si:´nail'; also sen´ail') •adj. 1 a) of, typical of, or resulting from old age (now chiefly medical) b) showing the marked deterioration often accompanying old age, esp. mental impairment characterized by confusion, memory loss, etc. 2 Geol. nearing the end of an erosion cycle se´nile'ly •adv. se·nil·i·ty (si nil´э ti:) •n. [L senilis < senex, old: see SENATE]

senior (si:n´yэr) •adj. 1 of the greater age; older: written Sr. after the name of a father whose son has been given exactly the same name: opposed to JUNIOR 2 of higher rank or standing, or longer in service Æ 3 of or for seniors in a high school or college •n. 1 a person older than another or others 2 a person of greater rank, standing, or length of service Æ 3 a student in the last year of college or the twelfth grade in high school one's senior a person older than oneself [ME < L senior, compar. of senex, old: see SENATE]

senior chief petty officer U.S. Navy an enlisted person ranking above a chief petty officer and below a master chief petty officer

senior citizen an elderly person, esp. one who is retired

senior high school high school, usually grades 10, 11, and 12, offering the last years of secondary education

senior master sergeant U.S. Air Force a noncommissioned officer of the eighth grade, ranking above master sergeant and below chief master sergeant

seniority (si:n yör´э ti:; also, -yär´-) pl. -ties •n. 1 the state or quality of being senior; precedence in birth, rank, etc. 2 status, priority, or precedence achieved by length of service in a given job [ML senioritas]

seniti (sen´э ti:') pl. sen´i·ti' •n. a monetary unit of Tonga, equal to ¹/100 of a pa'anga [Tongan sēniti < Eng CENT]

Senlac (sen´læk) hill in Sussex, SE England: site of the Battle of Hastings

senna (sen´э) •n. 1 any of a genus (Cassia) of plants of the caesalpinia family, with finely divided leaves and yellow flowers 2 the dried leaflets of various sennas, used, esp. formerly, as a laxative [ML sene < Ar sanā]

Sennacherib (sэ næk´эr ib) died 681 B.C.; king of Assyria (705-681): son of Sargon II

sennet (sen´it) •n. a trumpet call used as a signal for ceremonial entrances and exits in Elizabethan drama [prob. via Anglo-Fr < OFr senet, var. of signet: see SIGNET]

Sennett (sen´it), Mack (mæk) (born Michael Sinnott) 1884-1960; U.S. film producer & director, esp. of slapstick comedies, born in Canada

sennight or se'nnight (sen´ait, -it) •n. [Archaic] a week [ME sennyt < OE seofon nihta: see SEVEN & NIGHT]

sennit (sen´it) •n. 1 a flat braided material made by plaiting strands of rope yarn 2 plaited straw, grass, etc. used for making hats [< ?]

señor (se nyôř´) pl. se·ño´res (-nyô´řes) •n. a man; gentleman: Spanish title equivalent to Mr. or Sir: abbrev. Sr [Sp < L senior: see SENIOR]

señora (se nyô´řä) pl. se·ño´ras (-řäs) •n. a married woman: Spanish title equivalent to Mrs. or Madam: abbrev. Sra [Sp, fem. of prec.]

señorita (se'nyô ři:´tä) pl. se'ño·ri´tas (-täs) •n. an unmarried woman or girl: Spanish title corresponding to Miss: abbrev. Srta [Sp, dim. of prec.]

sensate (sen´seit', -sit) •adj. 1 having the power of physical sensation 2 perceived by the senses sen´sate·ly •adv. [LL sensatus, intelligent < L sensus, SENSE]

sensation (sen sei´shэn) •n. 1 the power or process of receiving conscious sense impressions through direct stimulation of the bodily organism {the sensations of hearing, seeing, touching, etc.} 2 an immediate reaction to external stimulation of a sense organ; conscious feeling or sense impression {a sensation of cold} 3 a generalized feeling or reaction, often vague and without reference to immediate stimulus {a sensation of happiness} 4 a) a state or feeling of general excitement and interest {the play caused such a sensation} b) the action, event, person, etc. causing such a feeling [LL sensatio < sensatus: see SENSATE]

sensational (sen sei´shэ nэl) •adj. 1 of the senses or sensation 2 of, or in accordance with, philosophical sensationalism 3 a) arousing intense interest and excitement; startling; exciting b) using or having effects intended to startle, shock, thrill, etc. 4 [Colloq.] exceptionally good, fine, etc. sen·sa´tion·al·ly •adv.

sensationalism (-nэ liz'эm) •n. 1 a) the use of strongly emotional subject matter, or wildly dramatic style, language, or artistic expression, that is intended to shock, startle, thrill, excite, etc. b) preoccupation with or exploitation of what is sensational in literature, art, etc. 2 Philos. the belief that all knowledge is acquired through the use of the senses sen·sa´tion·al·ist •n. sen·sa'tion·al·is´tic •adj.

sensationalize (-nэ laiz') -ized', -iz'ing •vt. to make sensational; treat in a sensational way

sense (sens) •n. 1 the ability of the nerves and the brain to receive and react to stimuli, as light, sound, impact, constriction, etc.; specif., any of five faculties of receiving impressions through specific bodily organs and the nerves associated with them (sight, touch, taste, smell, and hearing) 2 the senses considered as a total function of the bodily organism, as distinguished from intellect, movement, etc. 3 a) feeling, impression, or perception through the senses {a sense of warmth, pain, etc.} b) a generalized feeling, awareness, or realization {a sense of longing} 4 an ability to judge, discriminate, or estimate external conditions, sounds, etc. {a sense of direction, pitch, etc.} 5 an ability to feel, appreciate, or understand some quality {a sense of humor, honor, etc.} 6 a) the ability to think or reason soundly; normal intelligence and judgment, often as reflected in behavior b) soundness of judgment or reasoning {some sense in what he says} c) something wise, sound, or reasonable {to talk sense} d) [pl.] normal ability to reason soundly {to come to one's senses} 7 a) meaning; esp., any of several meanings conveyed by or attributed to the same word or phrase b) essential signification; gist {to grasp the sense of a remark} 8 the general opinion, sentiment, or attitude of a group 9 Math. either of two contrary directions that may be specified, as clockwise or counterclockwise for the circumference of a circle, positive or negative for a line segment, etc. •vt. sensed, sens´ing 1 to be or become aware of {to sense another's hostility} 2 to comprehend; understand 3 to detect automatically, as by sensors in a sense to a limited extent or degree make sense to be intelligible or logical [Fr sens < L sensus < sentire, to feel, perceive: see SEND¹]

sense datum that which is immediately perceived as the direct effect of stimulus on a sense organ

sense organ any organ or structure, as an eye or a taste bud, containing afferent nerve terminals that are specialized to receive specific stimuli and transmit them to the brain; receptor

sense perception perception by sight, touch, etc.

senseless (sens´lis) •adj. 1 unconscious 2 not having or showing good sense; stupid; foolish 3 having no real point or purpose; nonsensical; meaningless sense´less·ly •adv. sense´less·ness •n.

sensibility (sen'sэ bil´э ti:) pl. -ties •n. 1 the capacity for physical sensation; power of responding to stimuli; ability to feel 2 [often pl.] a) the capacity for being affected emotionally or intellectually, whether pleasantly or unpleasantly; receptiveness to impression b) the capacity to respond perceptively to intellectual, moral, or aesthetic values; delicate, sensitive awareness or responsiveness c) liability to be offended, repelled, etc. [ME < MFr < LL sensibilitas < L sensibilis: see SENSIBLE]

sensible (sen´sэ bэl) •adj. 1 that can cause physical sensation; perceptible to the senses 2 perceptible to the intellect 3 easily perceived or noticed; marked; striking; appreciable 4 having senses; capable of receiving sensation; sensitive 5 having appreciation or understanding; emotionally or intellectually aware {sensible of another's grief} 6 having or showing good sense or sound judgment; intelligent; reasonable; wise SYN. AWARE, MATERIAL, PERCEPTIBLE, RATIONAL sen´si·bly •adv. [ME < MFr < L sensibilis < sensus, pp. of sentire, to feel, SENSE]

sensitive (sen´sэ tiv') •adj. 1 of the senses or sensation; esp., connected with the reception or transmission of sense impressions; sensory 2 receiving and responding to stimuli from outside objects or agencies; having sensation 3 responding or feeling readily and acutely; very keenly susceptible to stimuli {a sensitive ear} 4 easily hurt; tender; raw 5 having or showing keen sensibilities; highly perceptive or responsive intellectually, aesthetically, etc. 6 easily offended, disturbed, shocked, irritated, etc., as by the actions of others; touchy 7 changing readily in the presence of some external force or condition; specif., a) readily affected by light (said of photographic film, etc.) b) readily receiving very weak radio signals c) operating readily in weak light, as certain television camera tubes 8 designed to indicate or measure small changes or differences 9 showing, or liable to show, unusual variation; fluctuating {a sensitive stock market} Æ 10 designating, of, or dealing with highly secret or delicate government matters •n. MEDIUM (n. 7) sen´si·tive·ly •adv. sen´si·tive·ness •n. [ME sensitife < MFr sensitif < ML sensitivus < L sensus: see SENSE]

sensitive plant a tropical American plant (Mimosa pudica) of the mimosa family, with a spiny stem, minute, purplish flowers in spherical clusters, and leaflets that fold and leafstalks that droop at the slightest touch

sensitivity (sen'sэ tiv´э ti:) •n. the condition or quality of being sensitive; specif., a) the responsiveness of an organ or organism to external stimuli b) Radio, TV the capacity of a receiver to respond to incoming signals

sensitivity training a kind of group therapy in which the members of the group, under the guidance of a leader, seek a deeper understanding of themselves and others, as by the exchange of intimate feelings and experiences, physical contacts, etc.

sensitize (sen´sэ taiz') -tized', -tiz'ing •vt. to make sensitive or susceptible; specif., a) Photog. to make (a film or plate) sensitive to light, etc. b) Immunology to make (an individual) sensitive or hypersensitive to an antigen sen'si·ti·za´tion •n. sen´si·tiz'er •n. [SENSIT(IVE) + -IZE]

sensitometer (sen'sэ täm´эt эr) •n. an instrument used for measuring sensitivity, as of photographic film sen'si·to·met´ric (-tэ me´trik) •adj. sen'si·tom´e·try (-tri:) •n. [SENSIT(IVITY) + -O- + -METER]

sensor (sen´sэr, -sör') •n. any of various devices designed to detect, measure, or record physical phenomena, as radiation, heat, or blood pressure, and to respond, as by transmitting information, initiating changes, or operating controls [< L sensus, pp. of sentire, SENSE + -OR]

sensorimotor (sen'sэ ri: mout´эr) •adj. 1 Physiol. of, pertaining to, or concerned with both the sensory and motor impulses of an organism 2 Psychol. of or pertaining to motor responses initiated by sensory stimulation [< SENSORY + MOTOR]

sensorineural (-nu:´rэl, -nyu:´-) •adj. of or having to do with sensory nerves, as in a hearing loss caused by faulty sensory nerves

sensorium (sen sör´i: эm) pl. -ri·ums or -ri·a (-э) •n. 1 the supposed seat of physical sensation in the gray matter of the brain 2 the whole sensory apparatus of the body [LL < L sensus, SENSE]

sensory (sen´sэr i:) •adj. 1 of the senses or sensation 2 connected with the reception and transmission of sense impressions Also sen·so´ri·al (-sör´i: эl) [SENS(E) + -ORY]

sensual (sen´shu: эl) •adj. 1 of the body and the senses as distinguished from the intellect or spirit; bodily {sensual pleasures} 2 a) connected or preoccupied with bodily or sexual pleasures; voluptuous b) full of lust; licentious; lewd 3 resulting from, or showing preoccupation with, bodily or sexual pleasure {a sensual expression} 4 [Now Rare] sensory or sensuous SYN. CARNAL, SENSUOUS sen´su·al·ly •adv. [L sensualis < sensus, feeling, SENSE]

sensualism (-iz'эm) •n. 1 frequent or excessive indulgence in sensual pleasures 2 SENSATIONALISM (sense 2) sen´su·al·ist •n. sen'su·al·is´tic •adj.

sensuality (sen'shu: æl´э ti:) •n. 1 the state or quality of being sensual; fondness for or indulgence in sensual pleasures 2 lasciviousness; lewdness

sensualize (sen´shu: эl aiz') -ized', -iz'ing •vt. to make sensual sen'su·al·i·za´tion •n.

sensuous (sen´shu: эs) •adj. 1 of, derived from, based on, affecting, appealing to, or perceived by the senses 2 readily susceptible through the senses; enjoying the pleasures of sensation sen´su·ous·ly •adv. sen´su·ous·ness •n. SYN.—sensuous suggests the strong appeal of that which is pleasing to the eye, ear, touch, etc. and, of a person, implies susceptibility to the pleasures of sensation [soft, sensuous music]; sensual refers to the gratification of the grosser bodily senses or appetite [sensual excesses]; voluptuous implies a tending to excite, or giving oneself up to the gratification of, sensuous or sensual desires [her voluptuous charms]; luxurious implies a reveling in that which lavishly provides a high degree of physical comfort or satisfaction [a luxurious feeling of drowsiness]; epicurean implies delight in luxury and sensuous pleasure, esp. that of eating and drinking [< L sensus, SENSE + -OUS]

sent (sent) •vt., vi. pt. & pp. of SEND¹

sentence (sen´tэns, sent´ªns) •n. 1 a) a decision or judgment, as of a court; esp., the determination by a court of the punishment of a convicted person b) the punishment itself 2 Gram. a word or a group of syntactically related words that states, asks, commands, or exclaims something; conventional unit of connected speech or writing, usually containing a subject and a predicate: in writing, a sentence begins with a capital letter and concludes with an end mark (period, question mark, etc.), and in speech a sentence begins following a silence and concludes with any of various final pitches and a terminal juncture 3 [Archaic] a short moral saying; maxim 4 Music PERIOD •vt. -tenced, -tenc·ing to pronounce judgment or punishment upon (a convicted person); condemn (to a specified punishment) sen·ten·tial (sen ten´shэl) •adj. [OFr < L sententia, way of thinking, opinion, sentiment, prob. for sentientia < sentiens, prp. of sentire, to feel, SENSE]

sentence stress the arrangement of stresses on the syllables of the words making up a sentence, varying in distribution as for emphasis, contrast, etc.

sentential function PROPOSITIONAL FUNCTION

sententious (sen ten´shэs) •adj. 1 expressing much in few words; short and pithy; pointed 2 full of, or fond of using, maxims, proverbs, etc., esp. in a way that is ponderously trite and moralizing sen·ten´tious·ly •adv. sen·ten´tious·ness •n. [L sententiosus < sententia: see SENTENCE]

sentience (sen´shэns, -shi: эns) •n. 1 a sentient state or quality; capacity for feeling or perceiving; consciousness 2 mere awareness or sensation that does not involve thought or perception Also sen´tien·cy

sentient (-shэnt, -shi: эnt) •adj. of, having, or capable of feeling or perception; conscious sen´tient·ly •adv. [L sentiens, prp. of sentire, to perceive by the senses: see SENSE]

sentiment (sen´tэ mэnt) •n. 1 a complex combination of feelings and opinions as a basis for action or judgment; general emotionalized attitude {the sentiment of romantic love} 2 a thought, opinion, judgment, or attitude, usually the result of careful consideration, but often colored with emotion: often used in pl. 3 susceptibility to feeling or to emotional appeal; sensibility 4 appeal to the emotions in literature or art; expression of delicate, sensitive feeling 5 sentimentality; maudlin emotion 6 a short sentence or aphorism expressing some thought or wish, as in a toast 7 the thought or meaning behind something said, done, or given, as distinct from the literal statement, act, etc. SYN. FEELING, OPINION [ME sentement < OFr < ML sentimentum < L sentire, to feel, SENSE]

sentimental (sen'tэ ment´ªl) •adj. 1 having or showing tender, gentle, or delicate feelings, as in aesthetic expression 2 having or showing such feelings in an excessive, superficial, or maudlin way; mawkish 3 influenced more by emotion than reason; acting from feeling rather than from practical motives 4 of or resulting from sentiment {a sentimental reason} sen'ti·men´tal·ly •adv.

sentimentalism (-iz'эm) •n. 1 the habit, quality, or condition of being sentimental 2 any expression of this sen'ti·men´tal·ist •n.

sentimentality (sen'tэ men tæl´э ti:) •n. 1 the quality or condition of being sentimental, esp. in a superficial or maudlin way 2 pl. -ties any expression of this

sentimentalize (-ment´ªl aiz') -ized', -iz'ing •vi. to be sentimental; think or behave in a sentimental way •vt. to regard or treat in a sentimental way {to sentimentalize war} sen'ti·men'tal·i·za´tion •n.

sentinel (sen´ti nэl, sent´ªn эl) •n. a person or animal set to guard a group; specif., a sentry •vt. -neled or -nelled, -nel·ing or -nel·ling 1 to guard or watch over as a sentinel 2 to furnish or protect with a sentinel 3 to post as a sentinel [Fr sentinelle < It sentinella, ult. < L sentire, to feel, SENSE]

sentry (sen´tri:) pl. -tries •n. 1 a sentinel; esp., any of the men of a military guard posted to guard against, and warn of, danger 2 [Now Rare] guard or watch {to keep sentry} [< ? obs. centrinell, var. of prec.]

sentry box a small, boxlike structure serving as a shelter for a sentry on duty during bad weather

Senussi or Senusi (sэ nu:´si:) pl. -si •n. a member of a militant brotherhood of N African Muslims Se·nus´si·an or Se·nu´si·an •adj.

Seoul (soul; Kor syö´u:l´) capital of South Korea, in the NW part: pop. 9,500,000

Sep 1 September 2 Septuagint

sepal (si:´pэl; chiefly Brit sep´эl) •n. Bot. any of the usually green, leaflike parts of the calyx se´paled or se´palled •adj. [Fr sépale < ModL sepalum, arbitrary blend < Gr skepē, a covering + ModL petalum, PETAL]

sepaloid (-oid') •adj. like or having the nature of a sepal

-sepalous (sep´эl эs) combining form forming adjectives having (a specified number or kind of) sepals {gamosepalous} [< SEPAL + -OUS]

separable (sep´эr э bэl, sep´rэ-) •adj. that can be separated sep'a·ra·bil´i·ty or sep´a·ra·bly •adv. [ME < L separabilis]

separate (sep´э reit'; for adj. & n., sep´эr it, sep´rit) -rat'ed, -rat'ing •vt. 1 to set or put apart into sections, groups, sets, units, etc.; cause to part; divide; disunite; sever 2 to see the differences between; distinguish or discriminate between 3 to keep apart by being between; divide {a hedge that separates the yards} 4 to bring about a separation between (a man and wife) 5 to single out or set apart from others for a special purpose; sort; segregate 6 to take away (a part or ingredient) from a combination or mixture 7 to discharge; specif., a) to release from military service Æ b) to dismiss from employment 8 to dislocate (a body joint) •vi. 1 to withdraw or secede {to separate from a party} 2 to part, come or draw apart, or become disconnected 3 to part company; go in different directions; cease to associate 4 to stop living together as man and wife without a divorce 5 to become distinct or disengaged, as from a mixture 6 to become dislocated, as a shoulder •adj. 1 set apart or divided from the rest or others; not joined, united, or connected; severed 2 not associated or connected with others; having existence as an entity; distinct; individual 3 thought of or regarded as having individual form or function {the separate parts of the body} 4 of or for one only; not shared or held in common {separate beds} 5 [Archaic] withdrawn from others; solitary •n. 1 OFFPRINT 2 [pl.] coordinated articles of dress worn as a set or separately in various combinations sep´a·rate·ly •adv. sep´a·rate·ness •n. SYN.—separate implies the putting apart of things previously united, joined, or assembled [to separate machine parts, a family, etc.]; divide implies a separation into parts, pieces, groups, etc. by or as by cutting, splitting, branching, etc., often for purposes of apportionment [to divide the profits into equal shares]; part is now usually applied to the separation of persons or things that have been closely connected or associated [till death us do part]; sever implies a forcible and complete separation, as by cutting off a part from a whole [to sever a branch from a tree]; sunder, now a literary term, implies a violent splitting, tearing, or wrenching apart —ANT. unite, combine [ME separaten < L separatus, pp. of separare, to separate < se-, apart (see SECEDE) + parare, to arrange, PREPARE]

separation (sep'э rei´shэn) •n. 1 a separating or being separated 2 the place where a separating occurs; break; division; gap 3 something that separates 4 an arrangement by which a man and wife live apart by agreement or by court decree [ME separacion < MFr < L separatio]

separation center a center where persons in the armed forces are discharged or released from active duty

separatism (sep´эr э tiz'эm) •n. a condition or the advocacy of political, religious, or racial separation

separatist (sep´эr э tist, -э reit'ist) •n. 1 a person who withdraws or secedes, esp. a member of a group that has seceded from a larger group; dissenter 2 a person who advocates political, religious, or racial separation •adj. of separatists or separatism

separative (sep´э reit'iv, -эr э tiv') •adj. tending to separate or cause separation Also sep´a·ra·to'ry (-эr э tör'i:) [< Fr or LL: Fr séparatif < LL separativus]

separator (sep´э reit'эr) •n. 1 a person or thing that separates 2 any of several devices for separating one substance from another, as cream from milk

Sephardi (sэ fär´di:, -fär'di:´) pl. Se·phar·dim (sэ fär´dim, -fär'di:m´) •n. a Jew of Spain and Portugal before the Inquisition, or a descendant of one Distinguished from ASHKENAZI Se·phar´dic •adj. [Heb sefaradi, after sefarad, a region mentioned in Ob. 20, often identified with Spain, but prob. orig. an area in Asia Minor]

sepia (si:´pi: э) •n. 1 a dark-brown pigment prepared from the inky fluid secreted by cuttlefish 2 a dark reddish-brown color 3 a drawing or photographic print in this color •adj. 1 of sepia 2 dark reddish-brown [ModL, name of a genus of cuttlefishes < L, the cuttlefish < Gr sēpia < sēpein, to cause to rot (from the inky fluid emitted), akin to sapros, rotten]

sepiolite (si:´pi: э lait') •n. MEERSCHAUM (sense 1) [Ger sepiolith < Gr sēpion, cuttlebone < sēpia (see SEPIA) + -lith (see -LITH)]

sepoy (si:´poi') •n. [Historical] a native of India serving in a European army, esp. the British army [Port sipae < Hindi & Pers sipāhī < sipāh, army]

seppuku (se pu:´ku:) •n. HARA-KIRI [Jpn < SinoJpn setsu, cut + huku, belly]

sepsis (sep´sis) •n. a poisoned state caused by the absorption of pathogenic microorganisms and their products into the bloodstream [ModL < Gr sēpsis, putrefaction < sēpein, to make putrid: see SEPIA]

Sept 1 September 2 Septuagint sept (sept) •n. 1 a clan or subdivision of a clan, as in ancient Ireland and Scotland 2 any similar group based on supposed descent from a common ancestor [var. of SECT (prob. by confusion with L septum: see SEPTUM)]