Webster's Unabridged Dictionary - Letter S - Page 135
Splutterer (n.) One who splutters.
Spodomancy (n.) Divination by means of ashes.
Spodomantic (a.) Relating to spodomancy, or divination by means of ashes. -- C. Kingsley.
Spodumene (n.) (Min.) A mineral of a white to yellowish, purplish, or emerald-green color, occuring in prismatic crystals, often of great size.
It is a silicate of aluminia and lithia. See Hiddenite.
Spodumene (n.) A pyroxene mineral consisting of lithium aluminum silicate; a source of lithium.
Spoffish (a.) Earnest and active in matters of no moment; bustling. [Colloq. Eng.] -- Dickens.
Spoiled (imp. & p. p.) of Spoil.
Spoilt (imp. & p. p.) of Spoil.
Spoiling (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Spoil.
Spoil (v. t.) 損壞；糟蹋；搞糟；寵壞，溺愛；（過去式和過去分詞只用spoiled）【古】搶劫，掠奪 To plunder; to strip by violence; to pillage; to rob; -- with of before the name of the thing taken; as, to spoil one of his goods or possession. "Ye shall spoil the Egyptians." -- Ex. iii. 22.
My sons their old, unhappy sire despise, Spoiled of his kingdom, and deprived of eyes. -- Pope.
Spoil (v. t.) To seize by violence;; to take by force; to plunder.
No man can enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man. -- Mark iii. 27.
Spoil (v. t.) To cause to decay and perish; to corrput; to vitiate; to mar.
Spiritual pride spoils many graces. -- Jer. Taylor.
Spoil (v. t.) To render useless by injury; to injure fatally; to ruin; to destroy; as, to spoil paper; to have the crops spoiled by insects; to spoil the eyes by reading.
Spoil (v. i.) （食物等）變壞，腐敗；【古】搶劫，掠奪 To practice plunder or robbery.
Outlaws, which, lurking in woods, used to break forth to rob and spoil. -- Spenser.
Spoil (v. i.) To lose the valuable qualities; to be corrupted; to decay; as, fruit will soon spoil in warm weather.
Spoil (n.) [U] 戰掠物 [P]；競選勝利獲得的好處 [P] That which is taken from another by violence; especially, the plunder taken from an enemy; pillage; booty.
Gentle gales, Fanning their odoriferous wings, dispense Native perfumes, and whisper whence they stole Those balmy spoils. -- Milton.
Spoil (n.) Public offices and their emoluments regarded as the peculiar property of a successful party or faction, to be bestowed for its own advantage; -- commonly in the plural; as to the victor belong the spoils.
From a principle of gratitude I adhered to the coalition; my vote was counted in the day of battle, but I was overlooked in the division of the spoil. -- Gibbon.
Spoil (n.) That which is gained by strength or effort.
Each science and each art his spoil. -- Bentley.
Spoil (n.) The act or practice of plundering; robbery; aste.
The man that hath no music in himself, Nor is not moved with concord of sweet sounds, Is fit for treason, stratagems, and spoils. -- Shak.
Spoil (n.) Corruption; cause of corruption. [Archaic]
Villainous company hath been the spoil of me. -- Shak.
Spoil (n.) The slough, or cast skin, of a serpent or other animal. [Obs.] -- Bacon.
{Spoil bank}, A bank formed by the earth taken from an excavation, as of a canal.
{The spoils system}, The theory or practice of regarding public offices and their emoluments as so much plunder to be distributed among their active partisans by those who are chosen to responsible offices of administration.
Spoil (n.) (Usually plural) Valuables taken by violence (especially in war); "to the victor belong the spoils of the enemy".
Spoil (n.) The act of spoiling something by causing damage to it; "her spoiling my dress was deliberate" [syn: {spoil}, {spoiling}, {spoilage}]
Spoil (n.) The act of stripping and taking by force [syn: {spoil}, {spoliation}, {spoilation}, {despoilation}, {despoilment}, {despoliation}].
Spoil (v.) Make a mess of, destroy or ruin; "I botched the dinner and we had to eat out"; "the pianist screwed up the difficult passage in the second movement" [syn: {botch}, {bodge}, {bumble}, {fumble}, {botch up}, {muff}, {blow}, {flub}, {screw up}, {ball up}, {spoil}, {muck up}, {bungle}, {fluff}, {bollix}, {bollix up}, {bollocks}, {bollocks up}, {bobble}, {mishandle}, {louse up}, {foul up}, {mess up}, {fuck up}].
Spoil (v.) Become unfit for consumption or use; "the meat must be eaten before it spoils" [syn: {spoil}, {go bad}]
Spoil (v.) Alter from the original [syn: {corrupt}, {spoil}]
Spoil (v.) Treat with excessive indulgence; "grandparents often pamper the children"; "Let's not mollycoddle our students!" [syn: {pamper}, {featherbed}, {cosset}, {cocker}, {baby}, {coddle}, {mollycoddle}, {spoil}, {indulge}]
Spoil (v.) Hinder or prevent (the efforts, plans, or desires) of; "What ultimately frustrated every challenger was Ruth's amazing September surge"; "foil your opponent" [syn: {thwart}, {queer}, {spoil}, {scotch}, {foil}, {cross}, {frustrate}, {baffle}, {bilk}].
Spoil (v.) Have a strong desire or urge to do something; "She is itching to start the project"; "He is spoiling for a fight" [syn: {itch}, {spoil}].
Spoil (v.) Destroy and strip of its possession; "The soldiers raped the beautiful country" [syn: {rape}, {spoil}, {despoil}, {violate}, {plunder}].
Spoil (v.) Make imperfect; "nothing marred her beauty" [syn: {mar}, {impair}, {spoil}, {deflower}, {vitiate}].
Spoilable (a.) Capable of being spoiled.
Spoilable (a.) Liable to decay or spoil or become putrid [syn: decayable, putrescible, putrefiable, spoilable].
Spoilable (n.) Food that will decay rapidly if not refrigerated [syn: perishable, spoilable].
Spoiler (n.) One who spoils; a plunderer; a pillager; a robber; a despoiler.
Spoiler (n.) One who corrupts, mars, or renders useless.
Spoiler (n.) (Aeronautics) A device attached to the wing of an airplane or other airfoil, which breaks the smooth flow of air during flight and decreases the lift of the airfoil; -- used to control the attitude of the airplane during banking or descent.
Spoiler (n.) A device attached to a car to decrease lift and increase traction, usually shaped as a flat surface and attached above the rear of the car, and working on the same principal as the aircraft spoiler [3].
Spoiler (n.) A candidate with no chance of winning but who may draw enough votes to prevent one of the leading candidates from winning.
Spoiler (n.) Someone who takes spoils or plunder (as in war) [syn: plunderer, pillager, looter, spoiler, despoiler, raider, freebooter].
Spoiler (n.) Someone who pampers or spoils by excessive indulgence [syn: pamperer, spoiler, coddler, mollycoddler].
Spoiler (n.) An airfoil mounted on the rear of a car to reduce lift at high speeds.
Spoiler (n.) A hinged airfoil on the upper surface of an aircraft wing that is raised to reduce lift and increase drag.
Spoiler (n.) [Usenet] A remark which reveals important plot elements from books or movies, thus denying the reader (of the article) the proper suspense when reading the book or watching the movie.
Spoiler (n.) Any remark which telegraphs the solution of a problem or puzzle, thus denying the reader the pleasure of working out the correct answer (see also interesting). Either sense readily forms compounds like total spoiler, quasi-spoiler and even pseudo-spoiler.
By convention, articles which are spoilers in either sense should contain the word ?spoiler? in the Subject: line, or guarantee via various tricks that the answer appears only after several screens-full of warning, or conceal the sensitive information via rot13, spoiler space or some combination of these techniques.
Spoiler, () A remark which reveals important plot elements from books or movies, thus denying the reader (of the article) the proper suspense when reading the book or watching the movie.
Spoiler, () Any remark which telegraphs the solution of a problem or puzzle, thus denying the reader the pleasure of working out the correct answer (see also interesting). Either sense readily forms compounds like "total spoiler", "quasi-spoiler" and even "pseudo-spoiler".
By convention, Usenet news articles which are spoilers in either sense should contain the word "spoiler" in the Subject: line, or guarantee via various tricks that the answer appears only after several screens-full of warning, or conceal the sensitive information via rot13, or some combination of these techniques. [{Jargon File] (1995-01-18)
Spoilfive (n.) A certain game at cards in which, if no player wins three of the five tricks possible on any deal, the game is said to be spoiled.
Spoilful (a.) Wasteful; rapacious. [Poetic]
Spoilsmen (n. pl. ) of Spoilsman.
Spoilsman (n.) One who serves a cause or a party for a share of the spoils; in United States politics, one who makes or recognizes a demand for public office on the ground of partisan service; also, one who sanctions such a policy in appointments to the public service.
Spoilsmonger (n.) One who promises or distributes public offices and their emoluments as the price of services to a party or its leaders.
Spoke (v. t.) To furnish with spokes, as a wheel.
Spoke () imp. of Speak.
Spoke (n.) The radius or ray of a wheel; one of the small bars which are inserted in the hub, or nave, and which serve to support the rim or felly.
Spoke (n.) (Naut.) A projecting handle of a steering wheel.
Spoke (n.) A rung, or round, of a ladder.
Spoke (n.) A contrivance for fastening the wheel of a vehicle, to prevent it from turning in going down a hill.
To put a spoke in one's wheel, To thwart or obstruct one in the execution of some design.
Spoked (imp. & p. p.) of Spoke.
Spoking (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Spoke.
Spoken (a.) Uttered in speech; delivered by word of mouth; oral; as, a spoken narrative; the spoken word.
Spoken (a.) Characterized by a certain manner or style in speaking; -- often in composition; as, a pleasant-spoken man.
Spokeshave (n.) 輻鉋；滾鉋 A kind of drawing knife or planing tool for dressing the spokes of wheels, the shells of blocks, and other curved work.
Spokeshave (n.) A small plane that has a handle on each side of its blade; used for shaping or smoothing cylindrical wooden surfaces (originally wheel spokes).
Spokesmen (n. pl. ) of Spokesman.
Spokesman (n.) 發言人，代言人 [C] One who speaks for another.
Spokesman (n.) A male spokesperson.
Spokesperson (n.) （不指明性別的）發言人；代言人 An advocate who represents someone else's policy or purpose; "the meeting was attended by spokespersons for all the major organs of government" [syn: {spokesperson}, {interpreter}, {representative}, {voice}].
Spokesperson (n.) [C] [C1] 發言人 A person who is chosen to speak officially for a group or organization.
// A spokesperson for the airline said that flights would run as scheduled.
Spokeswoman (n.) 女發言人 A female spokesperson.
Spokeswomen (n. pl. ) of Spokeswoman.
Spoliated (imp. & p. p.) of Spoliate.
Spoliating (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Spoliate.
Spoliate (v. t.) To plunder; to pillage; to despoil; to rob.
Spoliation (n.) 強奪；教會俸祿之冒領；【律】文件毀棄；變造文書 The act of plundering; robbery; deprivation; despoliation.
Legal spoliation, which will impoverish one part of the community in order to corrupt the remainder. -- Sir G. C. Lewis.
Spoliation (n.) Robbery or plunder in war; especially, the authorized act or practice of plundering neutrals at sea.
Spoliation (n.) (Eccl. Law) The act of an incumbent in taking the fruits of his benefice without right, but under a pretended title. -- Blackstone.
Spoliation (n.) (Eccl. Law) A process for possession of a church in a spiritual court.
Spoliation (n.) (Law) Injury done to a document.
Spoliation (n.) (Law) The intentional destruction of a document or an alteration of it that destroys its value as evidence.
Spoliation (n.) The act of stripping and taking by force [syn: spoil, spoliation, spoilation, despoilation, despoilment, despoliation].
Spoliation, () Eng. eccl. law. The name of a suit sued out in the spiritual court to recover for the fruits of the church, or for the church itself. F. N. B. 85.
Spoliation, () It is also a waste of church property by an ecclesiastical person. 3 Bl. Com. 90.
Spoliation, () torts. Destruction of a thing by the act of a stranger; as, the erasure or alteration of a writing by the act of a stranger, is called spoliation. This has not the effect to destroy its character or legal effect. 1 Greenl. Ev. Sec. 566. 2. By spoliation is also understood the total destruction of a thing; as, the spoliation of papers, by the captured party, is generally regarded as proof of. guilt, but in America it is open to explanation, except in certain cases where there is a vehement presumption of bad faith. 2 Wheat. 227, 241; 1 Dods. Adm. 480, 486. See Alteration.
Spoliative (a.) Serving to take away, diminish, or rob; esp. (Med.), serving to diminish sensibily the amount of blood in the body; as, spoliative bloodletting.
Spoliator (n.) One who spoliates; a spoiler.
Spoliatory (a.) Tending to spoil; destructive; spoliative.
Spondaic (a.) Alt. of Spondaical.
Spondaical (a.) Or of pertaining to a spondee; consisting of spondees.
Spondaical (a.) Containing spondees in excess; marked by spondees; as, a spondaic hexameter, i. e., one which has a spondee instead of a dactyl in the fifth foot.
Spondaic (a.) Of or consisting of spondees; "spondaic hexameter".
Spondee (n.) (Pros.) A poetic foot of two long syllables, as in the Latin word leges.
Spondee (n.) A metrical unit with stressed-stressed syllables.
Spondulics (n.) Money. [Slang, U.S.] -- Bartlett. Spondyl
Spondyl (n.) Alt. of Spondyle.
Spondyle (n.) (Anat.) A joint of the backbone; a vertebra.
Spong (n.) An irregular, narrow, projecting part of a field. [Prov. Eng.]
Sponge (n.) (Zool.) Any one of numerous species of Spongiae, or Porifera. See Illust. and Note under Spongiae.
Sponge (n.) The elastic fibrous skeleton of many species of horny Spongiae (keratosa), used for many purposes, especially the varieties of the genus Spongia. The most valuable sponges are found in the Mediterranean and the Red Sea, and on the coasts of Florida and the West Indies.
Sponge (n.) Fig.: One who lives upon others; a pertinaceous and indolent dependent; a parasite; a sponger.
Sponge (n.) Any spongelike substance. Specifically:
Sponge (n.) Dough before it is kneaded and formed into loaves, and after it is converted into a light, spongy mass by the agency of the yeast or leaven.
Sponge (n.) Iron from the puddling furnace, in a pasty condition.
Sponge (n.) Iron ore, in masses, reduced but not melted or worked.
Sponge (n.) (Gun.) A mop for cleaning the bore of a cannon after a discharge. It consists of a cylinder of wood, covered with sheepskin with the wool on, or cloth with a heavy looped nap, and having a handle, or staff.
Sponge (n.) (Far.) The extremity, or point, of a horseshoe, answering to the heel.
Bath sponge, Any one of several varieties of coarse commercial sponges, especially Spongia equina.
Cup sponge, A toilet sponge growing in a cup-shaped form.
Glass sponge. See Glass-sponge, in the Vocabulary.
Glove sponge, A variety of commercial sponge ({Spongia officinalis, variety tubulifera), having very fine fibers, native of Florida, and the West Indies.
Grass sponge, Any one of several varieties of coarse commercial sponges having the surface irregularly tufted, as Spongia graminea, and Spongia equina, variety cerebriformis, of Florida and the West Indies.
Horse sponge, A coarse commercial sponge, especially Spongia equina.
Platinum sponge. (Chem.) See under Platinum.
Pyrotechnical sponge, A substance made of mushrooms or fungi, which are boiled in water, dried, and beaten, then put in a strong lye prepared with saltpeter, and again dried in an oven. This makes the black match, or tinder, brought from Germany.
Sheep's-wool sponge, A fine and durable commercial sponge ({Spongia equina, variety gossypina) found in Florida and the West Indies. The surface is covered with larger and smaller tufts, having the oscula between them.
Sponge cake, A kind of sweet cake which is light and spongy.
Sponge lead, or Spongy lead (Chem.), Metallic lead brought to a spongy form by reduction of lead salts, or by compressing finely divided lead; -- used in secondary batteries and otherwise.
Sponge tree (Bot.), A tropical leguminous tree ({Acacia Farnesiana), with deliciously fragrant flowers, which are used in perfumery.
Toilet sponge, A very fine and superior variety of Mediterranean sponge ({Spongia officinalis, variety Mediterranea); -- called also Turkish sponge.
To set a sponge (Cookery), To leaven a small mass of flour, to be used in leavening a larger quantity.
To throw up the sponge, To give up a contest; to acknowledge defeat; -- from a custom of the prize ring, the person employed to sponge a pugilist between rounds throwing his sponge in the air in token of defeat; -- now, throw in the towel is more common, and has the same origin and meaning. [Cant or Slang] "He was too brave a man to throw up the sponge to fate." -- Lowell.
Vegetable sponge. (Bot.) See Loof.
Velvet sponge, A fine, soft commercial sponge ({Spongia equina, variety meandriniformis) found in Florida and the West Indies.
Vitreous sponge. See Glass-sponge.
Yellow sponge, A common and valuable commercial sponge ({Spongia agaricina, variety corlosia) found in Florida and the West Indies.
Sponged (imp. & p. p.) of Sponge.
Sponging (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Sponge.
Sponge (v. t.) To cleanse or wipe with a sponge; as, to sponge a slate or a cannon; to wet with a sponge; as, to sponge cloth.
Sponge (v. t.) To wipe out with a sponge, as letters or writing; to efface; to destroy all trace of. -- Hooker.
Sponge (v. t.) Fig.: To deprive of something by imposition. "How came such multitudes of our nation . . . to be sponged of their plate and their money?" -- South.
Sponge (v. t.) Fig.: To get by imposition or mean arts without cost; as, to sponge a breakfast. -- Swift.
Sponge (v. i.) To suck in, or imbile, as a sponge.
Sponge (v. i.) Fig.: To gain by
mean arts, by intrusion, or hanging on; as, an idler sponges on his neighbor.
-- E. Eggleston.
The fly is an intruder, and a common smell-feast, that sponges upon other people's
trenchers. -- L'Estrange.
Sponge (v. i.) To be converted, as dough, into a light, spongy mass by the agency of yeast, or leaven.
Sponge (n.) A porous mass of interlacing fibers that forms the internal skeleton of various marine animals and usable to absorb water or any porous rubber or cellulose product similarly used.
Sponge (n.) Someone able to acquire new knowledge and skills rapidly and easily; "she soaks up foreign languages like a sponge" [syn: quick study, sponge].
Sponge (n.) A follower who hangs around a host (without benefit to the host) in hope of gain or advantage [syn: leech, parasite, sponge, sponger].
Sponge (n.) Primitive multicellular marine animal whose porous body is supported by a fibrous skeletal framework; usually occurs in sessile colonies [syn: sponge, poriferan, parazoan].
Sponge (v.) Wipe with a sponge, so as to clean or moisten.
Sponge (v.) Ask for and get free; be a parasite [syn: mooch, bum, cadge, grub, sponge].
Sponge (v.) Erase with a sponge; as of words on a blackboard.
Sponge (v.) Soak up with a sponge.
Sponge (v.) Gather sponges, in the ocean.
Sponge (n.) [Unix] A special case of a filter that reads its entire input before writing any output; the canonical example is a sort utility. Unlike most filters, a sponge can conveniently overwrite the input file with the output data stream. If a file system has versioning (as ITS did and VMS does now) the sponge/ filter distinction loses its usefulness, because directing filter output would just write a new version. See also slurp.
Sponge, () A kind of Unix filter that reads its entire input before writing any output, e.g. sort. Unlike most filters, a sponge can safely overwrite the input file with the output data.
On a file system with file versioning (like ITS or VMS) the distinction is less significant because output would be written to a new version of the input file anyway. See also slurp. [{Jargon File] (2014-06-21)
Sponge, () Occurs only in the narrative of the crucifixion (Matt. 27:48; Mark 15:36; John 19:29). It is ranked as a zoophyte. It is found attached to rocks at the bottom of the sea.
Spongelet (n.) See Spongiole.
Spongiole (n.) (Bot.) A supposed spongelike expansion of the tip of a rootlet for absorbing water; -- called also spongelet.
Spongeous (a.) Resembling sponge; having the nature or qualities of sponge.
Sponger (n.) One who sponges, or uses a sponge.
Sponger (n.) One employed in gathering sponges.
Sponger (n.) Fig.: A parasitical dependent; a hanger-on.
Sponger (n.) A workman employed to collect sponges.
Sponger (n.) A follower who hangs around a host (without benefit to the host) in hope of gain or advantage [syn: leech, parasite, sponge, sponger].
Spongiae (n. pl.) (Zool.) The grand division of the animal kingdom which includes the sponges; -- called also Spongida, Spongiaria, Spongiozoa, and Porifera.
Note: In the Spongiae, the soft sarcode of the body is usually supported by a skeleton consisting of horny fibers, or of siliceous or calcareous spicules. The common sponges contain larger and smaller cavities and canals, and numerous small ampullae which are lined with ciliated cells capable of taking in solid food.
The outer surface usually has minute pores through which water enters, and large openings for its exit.
Sponges produce eggs and spermatozoa, and the egg when fertilized undergoes segmentation to form a ciliated embryo.
Spongida (n. pl.) [NL.] Spongiae.
Spongiform (a.) Resembling a sponge; soft and porous; porous.
Spongilla (n.) (Zool.) A genus of siliceous spongea found in fresh water.
Spongin (n.) (Physiol. Chem.) The chemical basis of sponge tissue, a nitrogenous, hornlike substance which on decomposition with sulphuric acid yields leucin and glycocoll.
Sponginess (n.) The quality or state of being spongy. -- Dr. H. More.
Sponginess (n.) The porosity of a sponge.
Sponginess (n.) The property of being able to occupy less space [syn: compressibility, squeezability, sponginess] [ant: incompressibility].
Sponging () a. & n. from Sponge, v.
Sponging house (Eng. Law), A bailiff's or other house in which debtors are put before being taken to jail, or until they compromise with their creditors. At these houses extortionate charges are commonly made for food, lodging, etc.
Spongiole (n.) (Bot.) A supposed spongelike expansion of the tip of a rootlet for absorbing water; -- called also spongelet.
Spongiolite (n.) (Paleon.) One of the microsporic siliceous spicules which occur abundantly in the texture of sponges, and are sometimes found fossil, as in flints.
Spongiopilin (n.) (Med.) A kind of cloth interwoven with small pieces of sponge and rendered waterproof on one side by a covering of rubber. When moistend with hot water it is used as a poultice. Spongiose
Spongiose (a.) Alt. of Spongious.
Spongious (a.) Somewhat spongy; spongelike; full of small cavities like sponge; as, spongious bones.
Compare: Spongiae
Spongiae (n. pl.) [See Sponge.] (Zool.) The grand division of the animal kingdom which includes the sponges; -- called also Spongida, Spongiaria, Spongiozoa, and Porifera.
Note: In the Spongiae, the soft sarcode of the body is usually supported by a skeleton consisting of horny fibers, or of siliceous or calcareous spicules. The common spoges contain larger and smaller cavities and canals, and numerous small ampullae which are lined with ciliated cells capable of taking in solid food.
The outer surface usually has minute pores through which water enters, and large openings for its exit.
Sponges produce eggs and spermatozoa, and the egg when fertilized undergoes segmentation to form a ciliated embryo.
Spongiozoa (n. pl.) (Zool.) See Spongiae.
Spongoblast (n.) (Zool.) One of the cells which, in sponges, secrete the spongin, or the material of the horny fibers.
Spongoid (a.) Resembling sponge; like sponge.
Spongy (a.) 海綿狀的；輕軟的；富有彈性的；多孔的；有吸水性的；濕軟的 Soft, and full of cavities; of an open, loose, pliable texture; as, a spongy excrescence; spongy earth; spongy cake; spongy bones.
Spongy (a.) Wet; drenched; soaked and soft, like sponge; rainy. "Spongy April". -- Shak.