S S (ĕs), the nineteenth letter of the English alphabet, is a consonant, and is often called a sibilant, in allusion to its hissing sound. It has two principal sounds; one a mere hissing, as in sack , this ; the other a vocal hissing (the same as that of z ), as in is , wise . Besides these it sometimes has the sounds of sh and zh , as in sure , measure . It generally has its hissing sound at the beginning of words, but in the middle and at the end of words its sound is determined by usage. In a few words it is silent, as in isle , débris . With the letter h it forms the digraph sh . See Guide to pronunciation , §§ 255-261.

Both the form and the name of the letter S are derived from the Latin, which got the letter through the Greek from the Phænician. The ultimate origin is Egyptian. S is etymologically most nearly related to c , z , t , and r ; as, in i c e, Middle English i s ; E. hen c e, Middle English henne s ; E. ra s e, ra z e; era s e, ra z or; tha t , G. da s ; E. rea s on, F. rai s on, Latin ra t io; E. wa s , we r e; chai r , chai s e (see C, Z, T, and R.).

s s A contraction for is or (colloquially) for has . "My heart 's subdued." Shak.

Saadh Sa"adh (sä"ȧd) noun See Sadh .

Saan Saan (sän) noun plural (Ethnol.) Same as Bushmen .

Sabadilla Sab`a·dil"la (săb`ȧ*dĭl"lȧ) noun [ Spanish cebadilla .] (Botany) A Mexican liliaceous plant ( Schœnocaulon officinale ); also, its seeds, which contain the alkaloid veratrine. It was formerly used in medicine as an emetic and purgative.

Sabal Sa"bal noun (Botany) A genus of palm trees including the palmetto of the Southern United States.

Sabaoth Sab"a·oth (săb"a*ŏth or sȧ"bā*ŏth; 277) noun plural [ Hebrew tsebā'ōth , plural of tsābā' , an army or host, from tsābā' , to go forth to war.] 1. Armies; hosts. [ Used twice in the English Bible, in the phrase "The Lord of Sabaoth."]

2. Incorrectly, the Sabbath.

Sabbat Sab"bat noun [ See Sabbath .] In mediæval demonology, the nocturnal assembly in which demons and sorcerers were thought to celebrate their orgies.

Sabbatarian Sab`ba·ta"ri·an noun [ Latin Sabbatarius : confer French sabbataire . See Sabbath .] 1. One who regards and keeps the seventh day of the week as holy, agreeably to the letter of the fourth commandment in the Decalogue.

» There were Christians in the early church who held this opinion, and certain Christians, esp. the Seventh-day Baptists , hold it now.

2. A strict observer of the Sabbath.

Sabbatarian Sab`ba·ta"ri·an adjective Of or pertaining to the Sabbath, or the tenets of Sabbatarians.

Sabbatarianism Sab`ba·ta"ri·an·ism noun The tenets of Sabbatarians. Bp. Ward (1673).

Sabbath Sab"bath noun [ Middle English sabat , sabbat , French sabbat , Latin sabbatum , Greek sa`bbaton , from Hebrew shabbāth , from shābath to rest from labor. Confer Sabbat .] 1. A season or day of rest; one day in seven appointed for rest or worship, the observance of which was enjoined upon the Jews in the Decalogue, and has been continued by the Christian church with a transference of the day observed from the last to the first day of the week, which is called also Lord's Day .

Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

Ex. xx. 8.

2. The seventh year, observed among the Israelites as one of rest and festival. Lev. xxv. 4.

3. Fig.: A time of rest or repose; intermission of pain, effort, sorrow, or the like.

Peaceful sleep out the sabbath of the tomb.

Pope.

Sabbath breaker , one who violates the law of the Sabbath. -- Sabbath breaking , the violation of the law of the Sabbath. -- Sabbath-day's journey , a distance of about a mile, which, under Rabbinical law, the Jews were allowed to travel on the Sabbath.

Syn. -- Sabbath , Sunday . Sabbath is not strictly synonymous with Sunday . Sabbath denotes the institution; Sunday is the name of the first day of the week. The Sabbath of the Jews is on Saturday , and the Sabbath of most Christians on Sunday . In New England, the first day of the week has been called " the Sabbath ," to mark it as holy time; Sunday is the word more commonly used, at present, in all parts of the United States, as it is in England. "So if we will be the children of our heavenly Father, we must be careful to keep the Christian Sabbath day, which is the Sunday ." Homilies.

Sabbathless Sab"bath·less adjective Without Sabbath, or intermission of labor; hence, without respite or rest. Bacon.

Sabbatic, Sabbatical Sab·bat"ic, Sab·bat"ic·al adjective [ Greek ...: confer French sabbatique .] Of or pertaining to the Sabbath; resembling the Sabbath; enjoying or bringing an intermission of labor.

Sabbatical year (Jewish Antiq.) , every seventh year, in which the Israelites were commanded to suffer their fields and vineyards to rest, or lie without tillage.

Sabbatism Sab"ba·tism noun [ Latin sabbatismus , Greek ..., from ... to keep the Sabbath: confer French sabbatisme . See Sabbath .] Intermission of labor, as upon the Sabbath; rest. Dr. H. More.

Sabbaton Sab"ba·ton noun [ Confer Spanish zapaton , a large shoe, French sabot a wooden shoe.] A round-toed, armed covering for the feet, worn during a part of the sixteenth century in both military and civil dress.

Sabean Sa·be"an adjective & noun Same as Sabian .

Sabeism Sa"be·ism noun Same as Sabianism .

Sabella Sa·bel"la noun [ New Latin , from Latin sabulum gravel.] (Zoology) A genus of tubicolous annelids having a circle of plumose gills around the head.

Sabellian Sa·bel"li·an adjective Pertaining to the doctrines or tenets of Sabellius. See Sabellian , noun

Sabellian Sa·bel"li·an noun (Eccl. Hist.) A follower of Sabellius , a presbyter of Ptolemais in the third century, who maintained that there is but one person in the Godhead, and that the Son and Holy Spirit are only different powers, operations, or offices of the one God the Father.

Sabellianism Sa·bel"li·an·ism noun (Eccl.) The doctrines or tenets of Sabellius. See Sabellian , noun

Sabelloid Sa·bel"loid adjective [ Sabella + -oid .] (Zoology) Like, or related to, the genus Sabella. -- Sa*bel"loid , noun

Saber, Sabre Sa"ber, Sa"bre noun [ French sabre , German säbel ; of uncertain origin; confer Hung. száblya , Pol. szabla , Russian sabla , and Latin Greek zabo`s crooked, curved.] A sword with a broad and heavy blade, thick at the back, and usually more or less curved like a scimiter; a cavalry sword.

Saber fish , or Sabre fish (Zoology) , the cutlass fish.

Saber, Sabre Sa"ber, Sa"bre transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Sabered or Sabred ; present participle & verbal noun Sabering or Sabring ] [ Confer French sabrer .] To strike, cut, or kill with a saber; to cut down, as with a saber.

You send troops to saber and bayonet us into submission.

Burke.

Saberbill, Sabrebill Sa"ber·bill`, Sa"bre·bill` noun (Zoology) The curlew.

Sabian Sa"bi·an adjective [ Latin Sabaeus .] [ Written also Sabean , and Sabæan .] 1. Of or pertaining to Saba in Arabia, celebrated for producing aromatic plants.

2. Relating to the religion of Saba, or to the worship of the heavenly bodies.

Sabian Sa"bi·an noun An adherent of the Sabian religion; a worshiper of the heavenly bodies. [ Written also Sabæan , and Sabean .]

Sabianism Sa"bi·an·ism noun The doctrine of the Sabians; the Sabian religion; that species of idolatry which consists in worshiping the sun, moon, and stars; heliolatry. [ Written also Sabæanism .]

Sabicu Sab"i·cu noun The very hard wood of a leguminous West Indian tree ( Lysiloma Sabicu ), valued for shipbuilding.

Sabine Sa"bine adjective [ Latin Sabinus .] Of or pertaining to the ancient Sabines, a people of Italy. -- noun One of the Sabine people.

Sabine Sab"ine noun [ French, from Latin Sabina herba , from Sabini the Sabines. Confer Savin .] (Botany) See Savin .

Sable Sa"ble noun [ Old French sable , French zibeline sable (in sense 4), Late Latin sabellum ; confer Dutch sabel , Danish sabel , zobel , Swedish sabel , sobel , German zobel ; all from Russian sóbole .] 1. (Zoology) A carnivorous animal of the Weasel family ( Mustela zibellina ) native of the northern latitudes of Europe, Asia, and America, -- noted for its fine, soft, and valuable fur.

» The sable resembles the marten, but has a longer head and ears. Its fur consists of a soft under wool, with a dense coat of hair, overtopped by another still longer. It varies greatly in color and quality according to the locality and the season of the year. The darkest and most valuable furs are taken in autumn and winter in the colder parts of Siberia, Russia, and British North America.

» The American sable, or marten, was formerly considered a distinct species ( Mustela Americana ), but it differs very little from the Asiatic sable, and is now considered only a geographical variety.

2. The fur of the sable.

3. A mourning garment; a funeral robe; -- generally in the plural. " Sables wove by destiny." Young.

4. (Her.) The tincture black; -- represented by vertical and horizontal lines crossing each other.

Sable Sa"ble adjective Of the color of the sable's fur; dark; black; -- used chiefly in poetry.

Night, sable goddess! from her ebon throne,
In rayless majesty, now stretches forth
Her leaden scepter o'er a slumbering world.

Young.

Sable antelope (Zoology) , a large South African antelope ( Hippotragus niger ). Both sexes have long, sharp horns. The adult male is black; the female is dark chestnut above, white beneath. -- Sable iron , a superior quality of Russia iron; -- so called because originally stamped with the figure of a sable. -- Sable mouse (Zoology) , the lemming.

Sable Sa"ble transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Sabled ; present participle & verbal noun Sabling .] To render sable or dark; to drape darkly or in black.

Sabled all in black the shady sky.

G. Fletcher.

Sabot Sa`bot" (sȧ`bō") noun [ French] 1. A kind of wooden shoe worn by the peasantry in France, Belgium, Sweden, and some other European countries.

2. (Mil.) A thick, circular disk of wood, to which the cartridge bag and projectile are attached, in fixed ammunition for cannon; also, a piece of soft metal attached to a projectile to take the groove of the rifling.

Sabotage Sa`bo`tage" noun [ French] (a) Scamped work. (b) Malicious waste or destruction of an employer's property or injury to his interests by workmen during labor troubles.

Sabotière Sa`bo"tière noun [ French] A kind of freezer for ices.

Sabre Sa"bre noun & v. See Saber .

Sabretasche Sa"bre·tasche` noun [ French sabretache , German säbeltasche ; säbel saber + tasche a pocket.] (Mil.) A leather case or pocket worn by cavalry at the left side, suspended from the sword belt. Campbell (Dict. Mil. Sci.).

Sabrina work Sa·bri"na work` A variety of appliqué work for quilts, table covers, etc. Caulfeild & S. (Dict. of Needlework).

Sabulose Sab"u·lose adjective [ Latin sabulosus , from sabulum , sabulo , sand.] (Botany) Growing in sandy places.

Sabulosity Sab`u·los"i·ty noun The quality of being sabulous; sandiness; grittiness.

Sabulous Sab"u·lous adjective [ Latin sabulosus .] Sandy; gritty.

Sabæan Sa·bæ"an adjective & noun Same as Sabian .

Sabæanism Sa·bæ"an·ism noun Same as Sabianism .

Sabæism, Sabaism Sa"bæ·ism, Sa"ba·ism noun See Sabianism .

Sac Sac (sak) noun (Ethnol.) See Sacs .

Sac Sac noun [ See Sake , Soc .] (O.Eng. Law) The privilege formerly enjoyed by the lord of a manor, of holding courts, trying causes, and imposing fines. Cowell.

Sac Sac (săk) noun [ French, from Latin saccus a sack. See Sack a bag.] 1. See 2d Sack .

2. (Biol.) A cavity, bag, or receptacle, usually containing fluid, and either closed, or opening into another cavity to the exterior; a sack.

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