Scatter-brain Scat"ter-brain` noun A giddy or thoughtless person; one incapable of concentration or attention. [ Written also
scatter-brains .]
Scatter-brained Scat"ter-brained` adjective Giddy; thoughtless.
Scattered Scat"tered adjective 1. Dispersed; dissipated; sprinkled, or loosely spread. 2. (Botany) Irregular in position; having no regular order; as, scattered leaves. --
Scat"tered*ly ,
adverb --
Scat"tered*ness ,
noun
Scattergood Scat"ter·good` noun One who wastes; a spendthrift.
Scattering Scat"ter·ing adjective Going or falling in various directions; not united or aggregated; divided among many; as, scattering votes.
Scattering Scat"ter·ing noun Act of strewing about; something scattered. South.
Scatteringly Scat"ter·ing·ly adverb In a scattering manner; dispersedly.
Scatterling Scat"ter·ling noun [
Scatter +
-ling .]
One who has no fixed habitation or residence; a vagabond. [ Obsolete] "Foreign
scatterlings ."
Spenser.
Scaturient Sca·tu"ri·ent adjective [ Latin
scaturiens , present participle of
scaturire gush out, from
scatere to bubble, gush.]
Gushing forth; full to overflowing; effusive. [ R.]
A pen so scaturient and unretentive.
Sir W. Scott.
Scaturiginous Scat`u·rig"i·nous adjective [ Latin
scaturiginosus , from
scaturigo gushing water. See
Scaturient .]
Abounding with springs. [ Obsolete]
Scaup Scaup (skap)
noun [ See
Scalp a bed of oysters or mussels.]
1. A bed or stratum of shellfish; scalp. [ Scot.]
2. (Zoology) A scaup duck. See below. Scaup duck (Zoology) ,
any one of several species of northern ducks of the genus Aythya , or Fuligula . The adult males are, in large part, black. The three North American species are: the greater scaup duck ( Aythya marila , var. nearctica ), called also broadbill , bluebill , blackhead , flock duck , flocking fowl , and raft duck ; the lesser scaup duck ( A. affinis ), called also little bluebill , river broadbill , and shuffler ; the tufted, or ring-necked, scaup duck ( A. collaris ), called also black jack , ringneck , ringbill , ringbill shuffler , etc. See Illust. . of Ring-necked duck , under Ring-necked . The common European scaup, or mussel, duck ( A. marila ), closely resembles the American variety.
Scauper Scaup"er noun [ Confer
Scalper .]
A tool with a semicircular edge, -- used by engravers to clear away the spaces between the lines of an engraving. Fairholt.
Scaur Scaur noun A precipitous bank or rock; a scar.
Scavage Scav"age noun [ Late Latin
scavagium , from Anglo-Saxon
sceáwian to look at, to inspect. See
Show .]
(O. Eng. Law) A toll or duty formerly exacted of merchant strangers by mayors, sheriffs, etc., for goods shown or offered for sale within their precincts. Cowell.
Scavenge Scav"enge transitive verb To cleanse, as streets, from filth. C. Kingsley.
Scavenge Scav"enge intransitive verb (Internal- combustion Engines) To remove the burned gases from the cylinder after a working stroke; as, this engine does not scavenge well.
Scavenge Scav"enge transitive verb To remove (burned gases) from the cylinder after a working stroke.
Scavenger Scav"en·ger noun [ Middle English
scavager an officer with various duties, originally attending to
scavage , from Middle English & English
scavage . See
Scavage ,
Show ,
v. ]
A person whose employment is to clean the streets of a city, by scraping or sweeping, and carrying off the filth. The name is also applied to any animal which devours refuse, carrion, or anything injurious to health. Scavenger beetle (Zoology) ,
any beetle which feeds on decaying substances, as the carrion beetle. --
Scavenger crab (Zoology) ,
any crab which feeds on dead animals, as the spider crab. --
Scavenger's daughter [ corrupt. of
Skevington's daughter ],
an instrument of torture invented by Sir W. Skevington , which so compressed the body as to force the blood to flow from the nostrils, and sometimes from the hands and feet. Am. Cyc.
Scavenging Scav"eng·ing present participle & verbal noun of
Scavenge . Hence,
noun (Internal-combustion Engines) Act or process of expelling the exhaust gases from the cylinder by some special means, as, in many four-cycle engines, by utilizing the momentum of the exhaust gases in a long exhaust pipe.
Scazon Sca"zon noun [ Latin , from Greek
ska`zwn , from
ska`zein to limp.]
(Lat. Pros.) A choliamb.
Scelerat Scel"er·at noun [ French
scélérat from Latin
sceleratus , past participle of
scelerare to pollute, from
scelus ,
sceleris , a crime.]
A villain; a criminal. [ Obsolete]
Cheyne.
Scelestic Sce·les"tic adjective [ Latin
scelestus , from
scelus wickedness.]
Evil; wicked; atrocious. [ Obsolete] "
Scelestic villainies."
Feltham.
Scelet Scel"et noun [ See
Skeleton .]
A mummy; a skeleton. [ Obsolete]
Holland.
Scena Sce"na noun [ Italian ]
(Mus.) (a) A scene in an opera. (b) An accompanied dramatic recitative, interspersed with passages of melody, or followed by a full aria. Rockstro.
Scenario Sce·na"ri·o noun [ Italian ]
A preliminary sketch of the plot, or main incidents, of an opera.
Scenary Scen"a·ry noun [ Confer Latin
scaenarius belonging to the stage.]
Scenery. [ Obsolete]
Dryden.
Scene Scene noun [ Latin
scaena ,
scena , Greek
skhnh` a covered place, a tent, a stage.]
1. The structure on which a spectacle or play is exhibited; the part of a theater in which the acting is done, with its adjuncts and decorations; the stage. 2. The decorations and fittings of a stage, representing the place in which the action is supposed to go on; one of the slides, or other devices, used to give an appearance of reality to the action of a play; as, to paint scenes ; to shift the scenes ; to go behind the scenes . 3. So much of a play as passes without change of locality or time, or important change of character; hence, a subdivision of an act; a separate portion of a play, subordinate to the act, but differently determined in different plays; as, an act of four scenes . My dismal scene I needs must act alone.
Shak. 4. The place, time, circumstance, etc., in which anything occurs, or in which the action of a story, play, or the like, is laid; surroundings amid which anything is set before the imagination; place of occurrence, exhibition, or action. "In Troy, there lies the
scene ."
Shak. The world is a vast scene of strife.
J. M. Mason. 5. An assemblage of objects presented to the view at once; a series of actions and events exhibited in their connection; a spectacle; a show; an exhibition; a view. Through what new scenes and changes must we pass!
Addison. 6. A landscape, or part of a landscape; scenery. A sylvan scene with various greens was drawn,
Shades on the sides, and in the midst a lawn.
Dryden. 7. An exhibition of passionate or strong feeling before others; often, an artifical or affected action, or course of action, done for effect; a theatrical display. Probably no lover of scenes would have had very long to wait for some explosions between parties, both equally ready to take offense, and careless of giving it.
De Quincey. Behind the scenes ,
behind the scenery of a theater; out of the view of the audience, but in sight of the actors, machinery, etc.; hence, conversant with the hidden motives and agencies of what appears to public view.
Scene Scene transitive verb To exhibit as a scene; to make a scene of; to display. [ Obsolete]
Abp. Sancroft.
Sceneful Scene"ful adjective Having much scenery. [ R.]
Sceneman Scene"man noun ;
plural Scenemen The man who manages the movable scenes in a theater.
Scenery Scen"er·y noun 1. Assemblage of scenes; the paintings and hangings representing the scenes of a play; the disposition and arrangement of the scenes in which the action of a play, poem, etc., is laid; representation of place of action or occurence. 2. Sum of scenes or views; general aspect, as regards variety and beauty or the reverse, in a landscape; combination of natural views, as woods, hills, etc. Never need an American look beyond his own country for the sublime and beautiful of natural scenery .
W. Irving.
Sceneshifter Scene"shift`er noun One who moves the scenes in a theater; a sceneman.
Scenic, Scenical Scen"ic, Scen"ic·al adjective [ Latin
scaenicus ,
scenicus , Greek ...: confer French
scénique . See
Scene .]
Of or pertaining to scenery; of the nature of scenery; theatrical. All these situations communicate a scenical animation to the wild romance, if treated dramatically.
De Quincey.
Scenograph Scen"o·graph noun [ See
Scenography .]
A perspective representation or general view of an object.
Scenographic, Scenographical Scen`o·graph"ic, Scen`o·graph"ic·al adjective [ Confer French
scénographique , Greek ....]
Of or pertaining to scenography; drawn in perspective. --
Scen`o*graph"ic*al*ly ,
adverb
Scenography Sce·nog"ra·phy noun [ Latin
scaenographia , Greek ...; ... scene, stage +
gra`fein to write: confer French
scénographie .]
The art or act of representing a body on a perspective plane; also, a representation or description of a body, in all its dimensions, as it appears to the eye. Greenhill.
Scent Scent transitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Scented ;
present participle & verbal noun Scenting .] [ Originally
sent , from French
sentir to feel, to smell. See
Sense .]
1. To perceive by the olfactory organs; to smell; as, to scent game, as a hound does. Methinks I scent the morning air.
Shak. 2. To imbue or fill with odor; to perfume. Balm from a silver box distilled around,
Shall all bedew the roots, and scent the sacred ground.
Dryden.
Scent Scent intransitive verb 1. To have a smell. [ Obsolete]
Thunderbolts . . . do scent strongly of brimstone.
Holland. 2. To hunt animals by means of the sense of smell.
Scent Scent noun 1. That which, issuing from a body, affects the olfactory organs of animals; odor; smell; as, the scent of an orange, or of a rose; the scent of musk. With lavish hand diffuses scents ambrosial.
Prior. 2. Specifically, the odor left by an animal on the ground in passing over it; as, dogs find or lose the scent ; hence, course of pursuit; track of discovery. He gained the observations of innumerable ages, and traveled upon the same scent into Ethiopia.
Sir W. Temple. 3. The power of smelling; the sense of smell; as, a hound of nice scent ; to divert the scent . I. Watts.
Scentful Scent"ful adjective 1. Full of scent or odor; odorous. "A
scentful nosegay."
W. Browne. 2. Of quick or keen smell. The scentful osprey by the rock had fished.
W. Browne.
Scentingly Scent"ing·ly adverb By scent. [ R.]
Fuller.
Scentless Scent"less adjective Having no scent. The scentless and the scented rose.
Cowper.
Scepsis Scep"sis noun [ New Latin , from Greek ... doubt, from ... to consider: confer German
skepsis . See
Skeptic .]
Skepticism; skeptical philosophy. [ R.]
Among their products were the system of Locke, the scepsis of Hume, the critical philosophy of Kant.
J. Martineau.
Scepter, Sceptre Scep"ter, Scep"tre noun [ French
sceptre , Latin
sceptrum , from Greek ... a staff to lean upon, a scepter; probably akin to English
shaft . See
Shaft , and confer
Scape a stem, shaft.]
1. A staff or baton borne by a sovereign, as a ceremonial badge or emblem of authority; a royal mace. And the king held out Esther the golden scepter that was in his hand.
Esther v. 2. 2. Hence, royal or imperial power or authority; sovereignty; as, to assume the scepter . The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come.
Gen. xlix. 10.
Scepter, Sceptre Scep"ter, Scep"tre transitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Sceptered or
Sceptred ;
present participle & verbal noun Sceptering or
Sceptring ]
To endow with the scepter, or emblem of authority; to invest with royal authority. To Britain's queen the sceptered suppliant bends.
Tickell.
Scepterellate Scep`ter·el"late adjective (Zoology) Having a straight shaft with whorls of spines; -- said of certain sponge spicules. See Illust. under Spicule .
Scepterless, Sceptreless Scep"ter·less, Scep"tre·less adjective Having no scepter; without authority; powerless; as, a scepterless king.
Sceptic, Sceptical Scep"tic, Scep"tic·al Scep"ti*cism etc. See Skeptic , Skeptical , Skepticism , etc.
Sceptral Scep"tral adjective Of or pertaining to a scepter; like a scepter.
Scern Scern transitive verb To discern; to perceive. [ Obsolete]
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