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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)

secondary contact
nounLow (C1-C2)
/ˈsɛkənd(ə)ri ˈkɒntakt/In evolutionary biology and linguistics, a second period of interaction and potential gene or feature exchange between populations or species that were previously separated and had diverged.
secondary deviance
nounLow
/ˈsɛkənd(ə)ri ˈdiːvɪəns/In sociology and criminology, deviant behavior that results from being labelled as a deviant and internalizing that label.
secondary diagonal
nounC2
/ˈsɛkənd(ə)ri ˌdaɪˈæɡənəl/The diagonal line running from the top-right corner to the bottom-left corner of a square matrix or geometric figure.
secondary emission
nounVery Low
/ˌsɛkənd(ə)ri ɪˈmɪʃ(ə)n/A phenomenon where a surface bombarded with high-energy particles (electrons or ions) emits additional particles.
secondary gain
nounC1/C2
/ˌsɛkənd(ə)ri ˈɡeɪn/A covert or unintended benefit derived from an illness, problem, or undesirable situation.
secondary group
nounC1
/ˈsɛkənd(ə)ri ɡruːp/A large, impersonal social group whose members interact for a specific, practical purpose or goal, with relationships often temporary and formal.
secondary growth
nounC1/C2
/ˈsɛkənd(ə)ri ɡrəʊθ/The increase in thickness (girth) of plant stems and roots, occurring after the primary growth in length. It involves the activity of lateral meristems (vascular cambium and cork cambium), resulting in wood and bark formation.
secondary infection
nounLow
/ˌsɛkənd(ə)ri ɪnˈfɛkʃ(ə)n/An infection that occurs during or after treatment for a primary, different infection.
secondary intention
nounLow/Very Low
/ˈsɛkənd(ə)ri ɪnˈtɛnʃ(ə)n/In medical contexts: the process by which a wound heals without the edges being stitched or otherwise brought together, instead filling in gradually from the bottom with new tissue (granulation tissue).
secondary market
nounC1
/ˌsɛkənd(ə)ri ˈmɑːkɪt/A financial market where existing securities or other assets are bought and sold between investors, rather than directly from the issuing entity.
secondary metal
nounC1 (Low-frequency technical/business term)
/ˈsɛkənd(ə)ri ˈmɛt(ə)l/Metal that has been produced from recycled scrap or waste materials, rather than being extracted from primary ores.
secondary modern school
nounLow
/ˌsekəndri ˈmɒdn skuːl/A type of state-funded secondary school in England and Wales (historically, 1944–1970s) for children who did not pass the 11-plus exam to enter a grammar school, offering a non-academic, practical education.
secondary offering
nounlow
/ˈsɛkəndri ˈɒfərɪŋ/A sale of existing shares by shareholders, not the issuing company, after an initial public offering (IPO).
secondary phloem
nounRare (Technical)
/ˈsɛkənd(ə)ri ˈfləʊɛm/The phloem tissue produced by the vascular cambium in the stems and roots of woody plants, involved in transporting sugars and nutrients.
secondary picketing
nounLow
/ˈsɛkənd(ə)ri ˈpɪkɪtɪŋ/The act of picketing a business or workplace that is not directly involved in a primary labor dispute, typically to apply pressure on the primary employer.
secondary process
nounB2-C1
/ˈsɛk(ə)nd(ə)ri ˈprəʊsɛs/A supporting or subsequent procedure that is not the primary or initial one; in psychoanalysis, conscious, logical thought governed by reality principle.
secondary processes
plural-nounLow to Medium
/ˈsɛkənd(ə)ri ˈprəʊsɛsɪz/Activities, functions, or procedures that are not primary or central; operations that are subsequent, supplementary, or of lesser importance.
secondary qualities
plural-nounC2
/ˈsɛkənd(ə)ri ˈkwɒlɪtiz/In philosophy, properties (like colour, smell, taste) that are not inherent in an object itself but arise from its interaction with a perceiver's senses.
secondary quality
nounC1
/ˈsɛk(ə)nd(ə)ri ˈkwɒləti/A property of an object that is not inherent to the object itself but arises from its interaction with a perceiver's senses, such as colour, sound, taste, or smell.
secondary rainbow
nounLow
/ˈsɛkəndri ˈreɪnbəʊ/A meteorological phenomenon consisting of a rainbow that appears outside a primary rainbow, with colors in reverse order, caused by two internal reflections of light in raindrops.

Showing 3121–3140 of 15552 words.