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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)

semi
nounB2
/ˈsɛmi/A prefix meaning half, partly, or almost, often forming adjectives and nouns; when used as a standalone noun in informal British English, it refers to a semi-detached house.
semi-bantu
adjectivenounVery low
/ˌsɛmɪˈbæntuː/A language group within the Niger-Congo family that shares some characteristics with Bantu languages but lacks full Bantu grammatical features.
semiamateur
adjectivenounLow
/ˌsɛmɪˈæmətə/Someone who participates in an activity at a level between amateur and professional, often receiving some payment but not making a full living from it.
semiarch
nounVery Low / Technical
/ˈsɛm.i.ɑːtʃ/An arch having a curved shape that is exactly or approximately half of a full circle or arch.
semiautomatic
adjectivenounC1
/ˌsɛm.i.ɔː.təˈmæt.ɪk/A device or system that performs part of a process automatically but requires human intervention for the rest.
semiautonomy
nounLow
/ˌsɛmiːɔːˈtɒnəmi/A state or condition of having partial or limited self-government or independence.
semibasement
nounLow
/ˌsɛmiˈbeɪsm(ə)nt/A basement that is partly above ground level, typically with windows allowing some natural light.
semibituminous coal
nounVery Low
/ˌsɛmɪbɪˈtjuːmɪnəs kəʊl/A rank of coal that is intermediate between bituminous and anthracite.
semibold
adjectivenounC1/C2
/ˌsemiˈbəʊld/A weight of typeface or font that is darker than the regular weight but not as dark as bold.
semibreve
nounC2
/ˈsemiˌbriːv/A musical note with the longest time value in common use, equal to four beats in common time.
semicentennial
adjectivenounVery Low
/ˌsɛmɪsɛnˈtɛnɪəl/The 50th anniversary of an event; an event or celebration marking fifty years.
semicircle
nounB2
/ˈsemiˌsɜːkl/A half of a circle; a shape or object forming an arc of 180 degrees.
semicircular canal
nounLow
/ˌsɛmɪˈsɜːkjʊlə kəˈnæl/One of three looped, fluid-filled tubes in the inner ear that detect head rotation and help maintain balance.
semicolon
nounB2
/ˌsemiˈkəʊlən/A punctuation mark (;) used to link independent clauses that are closely related, often in place of a conjunction.
semicoma
nounC2 - Very Low Frequency / Specialized
/ˌsɛmɪˈkəʊmə/A state of severely impaired consciousness or partial coma, where a patient shows minimal responsiveness to stimuli.
semiconductor
nounMedium in technical contexts, Low in everyday usage
/ˌsɛmɪkənˈdʌktə/A material that has electrical conductivity between that of a conductor and an insulator.
semiconservative replication
nounVery low
/ˌsɛmikənˈzɜːvətɪv ˌrɛplɪˈkeɪʃən/The biological process by which DNA makes a copy of itself, resulting in two DNA molecules, each composed of one original strand and one newly synthesized strand.
semicylinder
nounVery Low
/ˌsɛmɪˈsɪlɪndə/A half-cylinder; a solid or surface having the shape of a cylinder cut lengthwise in half.
semidarkness
nounLow
/ˌsɛmɪˈdɑːknəs/A state of partial darkness; dim light, especially the faint light just before nightfall or after dawn.
semideify
verb-transitiveExtremely Rare / Obscure
/ˌsɛmɪˈdiːɪfaɪ/To treat or regard someone/something as if they were partly or somewhat divine; to elevate to a near-godlike status.

Showing 3701–3720 of 15552 words.