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English Words Starting With S

15,552 entries — pick a word to see its definition, pronunciation, and usage.

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Noun Verb Adjective Adverb Plural noun Combining form Verb (transitive)Verb (intransitive)Verb (ambitransitive)

second world war
nounHigh
/ˌsɛkənd ˈwɜːld ˈwɔː/The global military conflict that lasted from 1939 to 1945, involving many of the world's nations and marked by significant events such as the Holocaust and the use of atomic bombs.
second-best
adjectivenounB2
/ˌsek.ənd ˈbest/The thing or person that is inferior to the best; the runner-up; the next in quality or achievement after the first.
second-class citizen
nounC1
/ˌsekənd ˈklɑːs ˈsɪt.ɪ.zən/A person who is systematically discriminated against, denied equal rights or opportunities, and treated as inferior within a society or institution.
second-degree burn
nounLow in everyday conversation, medium in medical or emergency contexts.
/ˌsɛk.ənd dɪˈɡriː bɜːn/A burn injury that damages the epidermis and part of the dermis, typically causing blisters, pain, and redness.
second-degree murder
nounC1-C2
/ˌsɛk.ənd dɪˈɡriː ˈmɜː.dər/The unlawful killing of a human being with malice aforethought but without the additional elements (such as premeditation or extreme recklessness) that would elevate it to first-degree murder.
second-foot
nounExtremely Rare
/ˌsɛk.ənd ˈfʊt/A unit of volumetric flow rate, specifically for water, used in hydrology and water resources.
second-generation
adjectivenounB2
/ˌsɛk.ənd.dʒen.əˈreɪ.ʃən/Belonging to the second group or stage in a sequence of development or descent; often describing children of immigrants.
second-guess
verbverb-transitiveC1
/ˌsɛkənd ˈɡɛs/To predict or anticipate (someone's actions or thoughts) before they occur.
second-hand
adjectiveadverbnounB1
/ˌsɛkənd ˈhand/Previously owned or used by someone else; not new.
second-homer
nounLow
/ˌsɛkənd ˈhəʊmə/A person who owns and occupies a second home, often used as a vacation property or weekend retreat.
second-story man
nounLow
/ˌsɛkənd ˈstɔːri ˌmæn/A burglar who enters a building by climbing to an upper floor, typically to avoid ground-floor security.
secondary
adjectivenounCommon
/ˈsɛkəndri/Of less importance than or subsequent to something primary; derived from or depending on what is primary.
secondary accent
nounC1
/ˌsekənd(ə)ri ˈæksənt/In phonology, the second-strongest stress or emphasis given to a syllable in a word, after the primary accent.
secondary battery
nounC1
/ˈsɛkənd(ə)ri ˈbæt(ə)ri/A rechargeable electrochemical cell or battery that can be restored to a charged state by passing an electric current through it in the opposite direction to discharge.
secondary beam
nounC1+
/ˈsɛkənd(ə)ri biːm/In structural engineering, a beam that is supported by, and transfers its load to, a primary beam or main girder.
secondary boycott
nounC2
/ˈsɛkənd(ə)ri ˈbɔɪkɒt/A boycott in which a group pressures others to stop doing business with a company that is the primary target of a dispute.
secondary cell
nounC1
/ˈsɛkənd(ə)ri sɛl/A rechargeable electrochemical cell that can be restored to its original state by passing an electric current through it in the opposite direction to discharge.
secondary color
nounMedium
/ˌsekəndri ˈkʌlə/A colour created by mixing two primary colours in equal proportions.
secondary colour
nounB1
/ˌsek.ən.dri ˈkʌl.ər/A colour produced by mixing two primary colours in equal proportions.
secondary consumer
nounLow
/ˈsɛkənd(ə)ri kənˈsjuːmə/An organism that feeds primarily on primary consumers (herbivores), occupying the third trophic level in a food chain.

Showing 3101–3120 of 15552 words.