English Wordbook/S

Staff S of the English Wordbook.

Basic abbreviations: att'd=attested, OE=Old English, NHG=New High German, Du.=Dutch

For a full list of etymological and other abbreviations used in these wordlists, see Forshortenings.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

sacred	adj	holy, hallowed
Sacrament	n	holy oath, holy undertaking, hallowing, holy-work (<OE haligweorc)
sacrifice	n	(y)bloot (<OE (ge)blot)
sacrifice	vb	bloot [past bleet, ppt bloten] (<OE blotan), tiver (<OE tiver, Goth aibr, OHG zebar)
sacrosanct	adj	holy, hallowed
sadism	n	meanlove, meanlust
sadist	adj	meanlover, meanluster
safe	n	shielded crate
safe	adj	shielded, sheltered, unharmed, whole (for older usages of 'safe'), sound
safety	n	shelterness, wholeness, soundness
sagacious	adj	glewmood (<OE gléawmód) hyesnotter (<OE hygesnottor) redehuyend/ redehedgend/ radhidgend/ radhedging (<OE rǽdhycgende) redesnotter (<OE rǽdsnotor) sarrowthankle (<OE searuþancol) shedwise (<OE scéadwís) smigh (<OE sméah) snotter (<OE snoter, snotor, snotter, snottor) wise (OE wís) wisefast(ly) (<OE wísfæst(lic) ) wisehuyend/ wisehidgend/ wisehidging (<OE wíshycgende) wisehidy (<OE wíshýdig) witty (OE wittig) yarewittle (<OE gearuwitol)
sagacity	n	shedwiseness (<OE scéadwísnes) snotterness (<OE snotornes) wit (OE witt) yarewittleness (<OE gearuwitolnes)
Saint (St.)	epithet	Holy (<OE hálga, cf. NHG Heilige)
saint	n	holyman, hallow
salmon	n	lax (<OE leax, cf. NHG Lachs, Yid. לאַקס (laks), ON, Ic. & Swed. lax, Dan. & Norw. laks)
salamander	n	firenewt
salary	n	year's pay, earnings, income, salt
salutary	n	healthy, healthful, well, whole, hearty, sound, hale
salutation	n	greeting, welcome, hail
salvation	n	ferrownere (<OE feorhneru), ferrowrede (<OE feorhrǽd), healness (<OE hǽlnes), health
salvo	n	unload, outburst
samurai	n	dawnlandish knight, dawnlandish warrior
sanctify	vb	hallow
sanctuary	n	haven, grith, holyroom, hallow, holystead, frithhouse, frithstow
Santa Claus	name	Father Christmas, Kriss Kringle
sapience	n	awareness
sapient	adj	aware
sasquatch	n	bigfoot
Satanism	n	Satandom, Satanry
satchel	n	knapsack, rucksack,
satellite (artificial)	n	umworldliftfate / *umpworldliftfate ("around-world-air-vessel" att'd on the Old English Wikipedia as ymbeworuldlyftfæt) / * NB: 'ump-' as in 'umpteen' = around an amount
satiate	vb	fulfill, quench, slake
satire	n	wry scolding, scoldcraft, scoldwriting
satirist	n	scolder, scoldcrafter, scoldwriter
satisfaction	n	aftergladness, befrithening/befrithying (Cf. NHG Befriedigung)
satisfy	vb	befrith,slake, fulfill, aftergladden, sate, quench
saturate	vb	sop, soak, steep, indrench (OE indrencan)
Saturday	name	Starday
sauce	n	dip
sauerkraut	n	sourcole, sourkale
sauna	n	steam room, hot-house, hotroom, sweatbath
sausage	n	pudding, banger, swineflesh
save	vb	nere (<OE nerian, akin to NHG nähren), hain, stow, hoard, spare (cf. NHG sparen), heal, berg (<OE beorgan, Goth bairgan, OHG bergan, ON bjarga)
saviour	n	healand (cf. NHG Heiland, from OHG Heliand 'the healing one'), halend, healer, healant (<OE hælend, in light of MnE 'coolant')
savory	adj	hearthaft (Cf. NHG herzhaft), defty (cf. NHG deftig)
scale	vb	climb, go up
scapegoat	n	fenman (from Old Dutch thews of offering a man-bloot by either throwing the chosen into a fen, lynching them or throwing them into streams to undo the anger of the gods.)
scar	n	healmark, woundheal, skinmark, woundfleck, woundmark, woundmole, wale, weal, wheal, wen, welt
scarabaeus stercoreous	n	turd-weevil
scarce	adj	short, scanty
scarcely	adv	hardly, barely, only, a little, ever so little, slightly, weakly
scarcity	n	lack, shortness, seldomness, fewness, dearth
scarlet	adj	wormred (<OE wyrmread)
scatter	vb	broadcast, cast, deal out, go-off, go through, let go, oversow, overspread, put to flight, spread, strew
scene	n	scape
schizoid	adj	loner
schizophrenia	n	splitmindness, shattermindness (calques of Gk. schizein "split, break, shatter" and phrēn "mind, understaing" + ness), kithshatter (quasi calque of Icel. geðclofi); kithcleave (calque of Icel. geðclofi)
Schleswig-Holstein	n	Sleswick-Holstan(-Holston) Cf. Ger Schleswig-Holstein, Dan Slesvig-Holsten (First element is from traditional English name for the territory: "Sleswick-Holsatia"; second element is a calque of the continental names. Note: '-stan', '-ston' element is the regular English reflex of continental -'stein' and '-sten' where it occurs in proper names and place names, e.g. 'Edelstein'= 'Athelstan', 'T(h)orsten= Thurston etc.)
scholar	n	lered (Cf. NHG Gelehrte), lorechild, learned man, thinker, brainwright, man of books, underseeker, learner, booksman
scholarship	n	bookhood, booksmanship
school	n	lorehall, lorehouse
science	n	witship (calque from Nynorsk Vitskap, NHG Wissenschaft), lore, learncraft, wisecraft, worldken, the knowledges, -kith (analogous usage to Ger and Dutch '-kunde' which means 'knowledge', 'acquaintance', and 'science'. OE used the ancestor of 'kith' in a similar manner, meaning both acquaintance, i.e. 'kith', and knowledge. It maybe argued, therefore, that it is only natural to extend the meaning of the word, as German and Dutch did, from knowledge to science.
scientific	adj	worldkenly, witshiply
scientific language	n	craftspeech (<OE cræftspræc)
scintillate	vb	sparkle, flash, shine
scintillating	adj	sparkling
scissors	n	shears, hand-shears
scorpion	n	stingtail
scout	n	pathfinder
scowling	adj	black-browed, threatening in look,
scrotum	n	cod (<OE codd), ballsack
search	vb	seek, comb, delve, seek through/throughseek (Cf. Du. doorzoeken)
search word	n	seekword
season	n	yeartide, yeartime, time of year, forth o'year
sebum	n	tallow
second	n	shorterlog
second	adj	other (<OE ōþer), twoth [pronounced tooth] (Cf. NHG zweite, Du. tweede)
Second World War	n	Other World Orlay, Other World Orlaw, Other World Unfrith, World War Two, Twoth World War
secret	adj	hidden, withdrawn, unseen, inward, stealthy, untold, unbeheld, underground, underhanded, hushhush,
secret	n	hushthought, hushword, hiddle, dern (OE dyrne)
secrete	vb	hide, seep, leak, ooze
sect	n	afterfollowing (<OE æfterfylgung)
secular	adj	worldly (att'd)
secular	n	worldhood
secularise/-ize	vb	forworldly (Calque of NHG verweltlichen)
secure	adj	belayed, fast, steadfast
secure	vb	belay, fasten, steadfasten, make wis (make sure)
sediment	n	dregs, silt, draff, dross
seduce	vb	spane (<OE spanan)
segregation	n	asunderhood
seize	vb	hold, grab, hend
seizure	n	fit
select	vb	choose, pick, wale
self-esteem	n	self-worth
selvedge	vb & n	forel
semester	n	sixmonth, half-year
seminar	n	workshop
sempiternity	n	endlessness, unendinghood, alwayness, everlastingness
semi-	pref	half-, sam-/sand-/some- (<OE sam-)
Senate	n	eldermoot [elder: <L. senex + moot (council)]
senator	n	folkwite [pl folkwiten] (<OE folcwita), elder
senile	adj	doddery, doddering, elderly, old, doted
senior citizens	n	elderly, old folks, eldfolk, eldman
sensate	adj	feeling
sensation	n	feeling
sensational	adj	amazing
sense	n	bodyfeeling, feeling, meaning
sense	vb	feel
sensible	vb	feelbere (calque), understandbere
sensitive	adj	yfeel (<OE gefele), feeling, keen, sharp
sentence	n	wordset; byword, saw; judging
sentence	vb	doom
sententious	adj	pithy
sentiment	n	feeling
separate	vb	shide [shode, shidden] (Cf. NHG/Du. scheiden), shad [shed, shadden] (OE), sunder, split
separate	adj	sundry, freestanding, sundered
separation	n	betwixgang (OE), asunderhood
September	n	Holymonth (which was noted in OE), sheddingmonth, harvestmonth
Septuagesima	n	Berueingtide (<OE berwosungtid)
series	n	chain, line, stream
serious	adj	earnest, unfunny, grave
seriously	adv	earnestly, thoroughly, wholeheartedly, with heart & soul, willingly, agoodly, weightily
serpent	n	snake, wirm (<OE wyrm), nadder (<OE nædre, cf. ON naðra, OHG natra), slang (Cf. NHG Schlange, Du. slang, Dan. slange)
servant	n	housekeeper, maid (fm.), dey (fm.), bondsman, loaf-eater, thaner, knight
serve	vb	stead, bestead, thane, theen, betheen (OE thegnian, NHG dienen)
session	n	sitting, stint
several	adj	sundry, many
severe	adj	stern, hard, harsh, tough, unyielding, thorough
severely	adv	badly, bitterly,not mildy, sharply, roughly, keenly, unfeelingly, thoroughly
sewer	n	waterdrain, drain hole
sex	n	folkhalf
sex act	n	heamedlock (<OE hæmedlac), fleshly knowledge, swive, houghmagandie, bysleep (cf. NHG Beischlaf)
sexual reproduction	n	breeding, swiveful matchyielding, swiveful matchbearing
sexy	adj	hot
shantytown	n	tinstow, hutstead, slum
shark	n	highcarl (from O.N. hákarl), dreadfish, sea dog
shingles	n	tetter
shrapnel	n	blastfall, blastrain, blastbits
siege	vb	beset, umbeset
sign	n	token, shingle
sign	vb	underwrite
signal	n	bale-fire, beacon
signal	vb	beckon
significantly	adj	weightily
signify	vb	betoken, mean
silence	n	stillness, hushedness, mumhood
silent	adj	still, hushed, mum
silhouette	n	outline, shadow
silk	n	bugthread, bugcloth
similar	adj	like, alike, same, likekind; much of a muchness, much the same, not unlike, something like, near, nearly
similarity	n	alikeness
similarly	adv	likewise
simple	adj	straightforward, fewfold, onefold
simpleton	n	half-wit, gowk
single (trip)	n	one-way
single out	vb phr	key in on
sinister	adj	ill-boding, boding evil, foreshadowing darkness, forbidding, threatening, black, black-in-deed
siren	n	needroup (<NHG 'Notruf'), need-call
site	n	stead, setting, ground
site	vb	put
situation	n	onstand, setting, stand, footing
size	n	bulkness, bigness
skeleton	n	frame, boneframe, bodyframe
sketch	vb	draw, inword, write
skunk	n	stenchbear
slander	vb	harmquithle (<OE hearmcwidolian)
slander	n	harmquithleness (<OE hearmcwidolnes)
slanderer	n	backbiter, knocker, harmquithler
slash	vb	sharpstrike, sharpcut
slave	n	thrall, theow (OE þéow)
slave driver	n	hardmaster, harry-goad
slavery	n	thraldom, theowdom (OE þéowdom)
sluggard	n	slug, slacker, sloth, slouch, loafer, bum, deadbeat, do-nothing, idler, sleepyhead, drone
snooping	n	key-holeing
soccer	n	football
socialism	n	fellowdom
socialize	vb	chat, hobnob
society	n	guild, folkset, selship (Cf. NHG Gesellschaft)
sociology	n	guildlore
sofa	n	settee
soil	n	earth, ground, dirt
soil science	n	bottomkith (Cf. Du. bodemkunde)
solar	adj	sun (in compounds), sunly (OE)
soldier	n	hereman (<OE heremann), warrior
sole	adj	only
sole	n	last (of the foot)
solemn	adj	heavy, simbly (religious; <OE symbellic)
solicit	vb	seek, tout
solid	n	thickstuff, faststuff (calque from Ger. 'Feststoff', Du. 'veste stoff' and other continental Germanic cognates), hardstuff
solitary	n	lonesome, alone, unkithed and unkinned
solitude	n	onesomehood, loneliness, aloneness, lonehood
solstice	n	sunwend
solution	n	loosening, answer
somnolent	adj	drowsy, sleepy, yawny, weary, heavy-eyed, half-asleep, sloomy
sophisticated	adj	worldly
sorority	n	sisterhood
sort	n	kind
sort of	adj	somewhat
sound	n	galdor (OE), loud, din, pitch, sway, swey (<OE sweg), ring, lid (cf. NHG Lied, Du. lied, Ic. hljóða, Dan lyde)
sound	v	swey (<OE sweg), alid/ylid/yelid (<OE ge-hlȳd), ring
soup	n	broth
source	n	springhead, root, stem, beginning, start, rise, wellhead, wellspring
source code	n	wroughtdraught, working draught
souvenir	n	keepsake
space	n	room
space (outer space)	n	worldroom (cf. NHG Weltraum), worldall (cf. NHG Weltall), outsky, heaven
spacious	adj	roomy, gapful
spade	n	sword
spaghetti	n	strings (calque from original word, plural of "spaghetto", meaning string)
spam	n	trashmail
spasm	n	throe, pang
special	adj	sunder-, byous
species	n	maithwlite (<OE mǣġþwlite), kind
specific	adv	ahone
specifically	adv	ahonely
specified	adj	hone, spell out
specious	adj	empty-truth, hollow-truth
spectacle	n	sight, lookingstock (c.f. William Tyndale's 'gazingstock')
spectacles	n	glasses, looking glasses
spectator	n	bystander, onlooker
spend	vb	outlay
speleothem	n	dripstone, dropstone
spending	n	outlay
spine	n	backbone
spiral	n	whorl
spirit	n	athom (<OE ǽðm "breath, air") ferth (<OE ferhþ) geist (The spirit of an individual or group. OED) ghost (as in soul, att'd <OE gast, cf. NHG Geist) poost (cf. Yola: 'poust,' cf. Ger 'puste,' and Dan. 'puse')- meaning breath that gives strength/energy wraith (as in specter)
spirit	n	might
spleen	n	milt (att'd <OE milte, cf. NHG Milz)
splendour	n	thrim (<OE þrymm)
spoil	vb	rot, mar
sponsor	vb	back, stake, underwrite, uphold
spool	n	reel
sports	n	games
sporty	adj	gamesome
spouse	n	helpmeet, helpmate, mate
sprachbund	n	speechband
spy	vb	keek
square	n	(of a town) folkstead; (shape) foursides, evenet
squeamish	adj	queasy
squid	n	inkfish
squirrel	n	aquern
stable	n	stall, horsestead
stable	adj	selfstanding, upright, staddlefast, steadfast
stack	n	rick, mow (of hay), heap, cluster
stack	vb	heap
stagnant	adj	forstilled, gone orf, still, unflowing
stain	n	spot, fleck, blot
stainless steel	n	unrusting steel, eversteel
stampede	n	headlong rush, wild flight, stamping, stampet (stamp + -et)
stanch/staunch	vb	stem, halt
standard	n	set way (of), benchmark
standardize	vb	set down a way
state	n	rike, shire, rick, leeward
state	vb	say, foresay
stateless	n	rikelacking, lackrike, rickless
station	n	house, stead, stell, stopstead
statism	n	rikedom
status	n	standing
stay	vb	linger, be left, tarry, keep
stellar	adj	star (in compounds), starly
stelliferous	adj	starry, star-filled
Stellingwerf (Netherlands)	n	Stellingwharf
sternum	n	breastbone
stimulate	vb	kittle, whet, quicken
stingray	n	flatfish
stipulate	vb	bename (<OE benemnan), bething (Calque of NHG bedingen)
stomach	n	belly, bouck (Old English buc, cf. Dutch buik German Bauch), midriff, riff, maw
stomach	vb	bear, abide, brook, swallow, take, withstand
stop	vb	halt
store	n	shop, hoard, stock, warehouse
store	vb	keep, hoard
story	n	tale, yarn
strange	adj	odd, fremd, weird, uncouth, unbeknown, queer, outlandish
strangle	vb	throttle, forworry
stratagem	n	wile
strict	adj	narrow
strictly	adv	narrowly
structure	n	frame, framework, shapework, brandrod
struggle	n	camp, clash, unfrith, fight, strithe, strout
student	n	schooler (as in highschooler), learner
studio	n	workroom, workfloor
study	n	reading room, drawing room
study	vb	alog, learn, con
stuff	vb	pack
stupefy	vb	amaze, bewilder
stupid	adj	dumb, dull, dim, daft, dumheaded
Stuttgart	pn	Studyard, Studgarth (Calque)
stylish	adj	dapper
Styria	n	Styrmark (cf. NHG Steiermark)
Styrian	n	Styrer (cf. NHG Steirer)
Styrian	adj	Styrish, Styrmarkish (cf. NHG steirisch, steiermärkisch)
subconcious	n	undermind, nethermind
subdue	vb	overcome, quell, tame, forthrutch
sublime	n	awesome, lofty, lordly
submarine	n	U-boat, underseaboat (Calque of German 'Unterseeboot'), underwatercraft
subordinate	n	underling
subjugate	vb	yoke, underyoke (cf. NHG unterjochen)
subjugation	n	yoke
submerge	vb	whelm, overwhelm, dip, dunk
submission	n	yielding, underbringing, underwilling
submissive	adj	weak, yieldly, underwillful
submit	vb	yield, buckle, abow, underwill, give in, bend to, come over to, fall in with, go along with, put up with; put forward, bring before, set down
subsequent	adj	following, later
substance	n	(material) andwork (<OE andweorc), atwist (<OE ætwist), staddleness (archaic MnE; <OE staðolnes, ME stayelnes), stuff (organic/figurative) pith
substantial	adj	stalworth (calque of Scots stalwart, OE stælwierðe) sound, strong, stout, hefty, heavy, weightly
substitute	n	asetting (Cf. NHG Ersatz < ersetzen), speller (>OE 'speliend') (that is, one who spells for another)
subterranean	adj	underground
subtract	vb	take away, withdraw
suburbs	n	foretown(s), outerborough(s), outskirts, outerwick(s), outerwike(s)
subvert	vb	overthrow, underwend, underdig, upset, fell, weaken, unsteady
succeed (in)	vb	win (in), follow, thrive, speed, gain, gain one's end, work out (well), come about, make good, make out (well), pull sth./it off, make forthgang, strike (it) lucky, strike it rich, gain sighe
success	n	sigspeed
successful	adj	thriving, fruitful, well-ended, winning, lucky, forespeedy (Du. voorspoedig), forespeeding, outcomerich, outcomeful, upshotful, rich, wellspeedy, wellspeeding, lucky-striking, rich-striking, unbeaten, speedsome, sigherich
succession	n	afterfollowing
successor	n	aftercomer, afterfollower
succour	n	food, help, bread, manna, heavenly-food
succour	vb	help, run [to], breadcast (phr) free from hunger, drop food
succumb	vb	die, yield, give in
sudden	adj	headlong, hasty
suet	n	tallow, wightfat
suffer	vb	thraw (OE throwian), bear, undergo, stand, put up with, live through, given to, abide, brook, not forbid, adree, thole
suffice	vb	be enough, answer, do
sufficient	adj	fuldoing, enough
suffix	n	endfastening
suffocate	vb	choke, achoke, throttle, smother, stop the breath
sugar	n	beeless honey, sweetstuff, sweetener, sweetening, sweetness, sweetnand, asweetener, sweet salt (noted in the middle eld)
suicide	n	selfslaughter, selfkilling, selfmurder
suit	n	outfit
suit	vb	befit, beseem, fit
suitable	adj	seemly, fitting, becoming, comely
sullen	adj	sulky
sulphur	n	brimstone, swevel (<OE swefel, Cf. NHG Schwefel)
sulphuric acid	n	swevelsire (Cf. NHG Schwefelsäure)
sulphurous	adj	swevlen (<OE sweflen)
summary	n	outline, rundown
summit	n	peak, top, brow, cop, knap
summons	vb	draw on, call for
superficial	adj	shallow, skin-deep
superfluous	adj	overmuch, overneeded, more than is needed, unneeded
superior	n & vb	better, higher, oversome, overlaying, chest beating
superiority	n	higherness, betterhood, oversomeness, overmight, overlayingness
supernatural	adj	otherwordly, overlundish (calque of the original word)
superstiction	n	tokenbelief, folkbelief, sillybelief
superstructure	n	overworks
supervise	vb	oversee
supervisor	n	overseer, foreman, overlooker
supple	adj	lithe
supplement	vb	eke
supplies	n	gear, faregoods, trekgoods
supply	vb	keep full, fill up, give, hand over, forsee (Cf. NHG versehen)
support	vb	underwrethe (<OE underwreðian), underhold (Cf. NHG unterhalten), back, uphold, help, strengthen, underpin, bolster, bear, carry, shore, shore up, backup
support	n	underwrething (<OE underwreðung), underhold, prop, crutch, backup, staddle
suppose	vb	bemind, trow, guess, reckon, feel, gather, hold as, look upon as, mean to say, take to be, think likely
suppress	vb	dampen, hold down, keep in, crush, quell, forthrick, forthrutch, underthrutch, stifle, smother
supremacy	n	overship
supreme	adj	uppermost, over all, above all, highest, best, utmost
supreme power	n	douthmight (<OE duguþmiht)
surface	n	topside, skin, husk
surgery	n	fleshwork, cutwork
surname	n	aftername, byname, lastname
surpass	vb	overtake, outdo, beat, draw away, overstride
surplice	n	nightshirt, sark
surplus	n	overeke (<OE oferéaca), overmuch
surprise	n	wonder, unforeseen meeting, sudden hap
surprise	vb	take aback, strike with wonder, floor, waylay, come upon, take unaware, fall upon
surprising	adj	wondering, dumbfounding, flooring, earthshaking
surrender	vb	give over to, yield, give up
surround	vb	begird (att'd <OE begyrdan), girt, bego, umclap, umclip, beset, umbeset (OE)
surrounded	adj	begone, girt, beset
surrounding	adj	outlying
survey	vb	behold, look upon, ingather
survive	vb	overstand, overlive, live through, outlive, outlast, belive
suspend	vb	hang, (ban) undershut, stop
suspense	n	underhang
suspicion	n	misgiving, underfeel, inkling
suspicious	adj	shady, queer, misdeemful, underfeelsome, guessing
sustain	vb	underwrethe (<OE underwreðian), underhold (Cf. NHG unterhalten), keep going, bear, bolster, uphold
sustenance	n	food
svelte	adj	slim
swastika	n	filfoot, fylfot, hookrood (cf. NHG Hakenkreuz)
sweet potato	n	sweet shaderoot/earthapple/groundapple
Swiss	n	Switzer (cf. Swiss Alemannic 'Schwitzer', NHG Schweizer), Switzerlander
Swiss	adj	Switzer, Switzerish (cf. NHG schweizerisch), Switzerlandish
sycophant	n	backscratcher, bootlicker, fawner, fleecher, mealymouth, selfseeker
syllable	n	worddeal
symbol	n	token
symbolise	vb	betoken
sympathy	n	sorryfeeling
symphony	n	esttune, eventune, leethertune, swaytune, estsong, evensong, leethersong, swaysong
symptom	n	betokener of ill health, forerunner
synchronize	vb	match, play together
syncopate	vb	withdraw, withhold, withstrike, shift
syncopation	vb	withdrawing, withholding, withstriking, shifting
synopsis	n	outline
synthetic	adj	man-made
syphillis	n	great pox
syphon	n	waterpipe, standpipe, drawpipe,reedpipe
syphon	vb	draw from, draw out, succk out
system	n	framework, make-up, set-up