Browse by letter

English Words Starting With S

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

Filter

Parts of speech

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

subdivision
nounB2
/ˌsʌbdɪˈvɪʒ(ə)n/The act or process of dividing something into smaller parts; one of the smaller parts resulting from such division.
subdominant
adjectivenounLow
/sʌbˈdɒmɪnənt/In music theory, the fourth degree of the diatonic scale or the chord built on this degree.
subdual
nounVery Low / C2 / Formal
/səbˈdjuːəl/The act or process of gaining control over something or someone by force, bringing them under one's power or authority.
subduct
verbverb-intransitiveverb-transitiveC2/Rare
/səbˈdʌkt/to draw or pull something (especially a body part or geological plate) beneath another; to remove by withdrawing or pulling away.
subduction
nounC2
/səbˈdʌk.ʃən/The sideways and downward movement of the edge of a tectonic plate of the earth's crust into the mantle beneath another plate.
subduction zone
nounLow
/səbˈdʌk.ʃən ˌzəʊn/A tectonic boundary where one tectonic plate is forced beneath another into the Earth's mantle.
subdue
verbverb-transitiveMedium
/səbˈdjuː/to bring under control, to overcome or suppress by force, authority, or persuasion.
subedit
verbverb-ambitransitiveC2
/ˌsʌbˈed.ɪt/To check and correct text for publication, especially for a newspaper or magazine.
subeditor
nounC1
/ˌsʌbˈed.ɪ.tər/A person who checks and corrects text for a newspaper, magazine, or website before it is published.
subemployment
nounLow
/ˌsʌb.ɪmˈplɔɪ.mənt/The state of being employed in a job that is insufficient in terms of hours, pay, skill usage, or security, often leading to an inadequate standard of living.
subentry
nounC1
/ˈsʌbˌɛntri/A secondary or subordinate entry within a larger main entry, typically in a dictionary, list, or database.
suber
nounExtremely rare (C2+ specialist vocabulary)
/ˈsjuːbə/The technical botanical name for cork tissue or the corky outer layer of bark in woody plants.
suberic acid
nounExtremely Low (technical/scientific only)
/s(j)uːˈbɛrɪk ˈasɪd/A crystalline dicarboxylic acid with the formula HOOC-(CH₂)₆-COOH, historically obtained from cork (suberin).
suberin
nounC2 / Specialized / Very Low
/ˈsuːbərɪn/A waxy, waterproof substance found in the cell walls of cork tissue in higher plants.
suberization
nounVery low
/ˌsjuːbərʌɪˈzeɪʃən/The process by which plant cells develop a layer of suberin, a waterproof substance, in their cell walls.
suberize
verbverb-transitiveRare/Very Low-Frequency
/ˈsjuːbəraɪz/To convert plant cell walls into suberin, a waterproof, corky substance.
subfamily
nounC1
/ˌsʌbˈfæm.ɪ.li/A category in biological classification, ranking below family and above genus.
subfield
nounC1-C2 (Academic/Technical)
/ˈsʌbfiːld/A specialized division or branch of a larger field of study, knowledge, or activity.
subfix
nounRare/Obsolete
/ˈsʌbfɪks/To attach beneath or below; to fix something in a subordinate position.
subfloor
nounC1
/ˈsʌbflɔː/The structural layer of a floor system, laid directly over the floor joists, providing a base for the finished floor covering.

Showing 13361–13380 of 15552 words.