stubborn ["st^b #n] adj. not will- ing to do something that someone else wants; not yielding; not giving in. (Adv: stubbornly.) → (as) stubborn as a mule stuck ["st^k] past tense and past participle of stick. (stuck) in a rut remaining in an established way of living that never changes. stuck in traffic to be caught in a traffic jam. student ["stud nt] n. someone who studies or learns, especially at a school; a pupil. study ["st^d i] 1. tv. to spend time learning information about some- thing by reading, researching, observing, or experimenting. 2. tv. to examine something closely; to scrutinize something; to observe something closely. 3. iv. to be a student; to read, research, observe, or experiment in order to learn about something. 4. n. the work or effort involved in learning. (The same meaning in singular and plu- ral, but not countable.) 5. n. an examination of something, as with W. 6. n. a room where someone works as in E. stuff ["st^f] 1. n. any substance that things are made of; the mate- rial that anything is made of. (No plural.) 2. n. things; unnamed objects; belongings; possessions. (No plural.) 3. tv. to fill something with a substance; to pack some- thing into a space or container until there is no room left. 4. tv. to fill the inside of a dead animal with a material that preserves it and maintains its shape so that it can be displayed. → kid’s stuff stuff and nonsense nonsense. stuff the ballot box to put dis- honest ballots into a ballot box; to cheat in counting the votes in an election. stumble ["st^m b@l] 1. iv. to trip; to fall over something; to almost fall while one is moving; to walk in a clumsy way. 2. iv. to speak in a clumsy way; to make mistakes while speaking; to trip on one’s words. (Figurative on Q.) stumble through something to get through a sequence of something awkwardly and clumsily. stumbling block something that prevents or obstructs progress. stump ["st^mp] 1. n. the part of something that remains when the other part has been cut off, broken off, removed, or used. 2. tv. to puzzle someone; to confuse some- one. stun ["st^n] 1. tv. to surprise some- one completely; to amaze some- one; to shock someone. 2. tv. to cause someone or something to become unconscious, by a blow or by electrical shock. stung ["st^N] past tense and past participle of sting. stunk ["st^Nk] a past tense of stink; past participle of stink. stupid ["stu pId] 1. adj. not intelli- gent; not smart. (Adv: stupidly. Comp: stupider; sup: stupidest.) 2. adj. silly; foolish. (Adv: stupidly. Comp: stupider; sup: stupidest.) 3. adj. [of something] annoying; stubborn 606 08 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 606 TLFeBOOK [of something] causing anger or irritation. (Comp: stupider; sup: stupidest.) stupidity [stu "pId I ti] 1. n. a lack of intelligence. (No plural.) 2. n. the condition of being stupid, incorrect, or not appropriate. (No plural.) sturdy ["st# di] adj. strong; firm; not easily knocked over. (Adv: sturdily. Comp: sturdier; sup: stur- diest.) style ["staIl] 1. n. a way in which something is made, designed, done, said, or written. 2. n. a par- ticular design or theme in clothing or products at a particular period of time. 3. n. the manner in which someone behaves. 4. tv. to design or form something in a certain way. → cramp someone’s style stylish ["staI lIS] adj. in the current fashion; in style; current; up-to- date. (Adv: stylishly.) sub ["s^b] 1. n. a sealed boat that can remain still or travel underwa- ter. (Short for submarine.) 2. n. someone or something serving in the place of someone or some- thing else. (Short for substitute.) subdue [s@b "du] 1. tv. to bring someone or something under one’s control. 2. tv. to make someone or something less noticeable; to soften the strength or intensity of something. subject ["s^b dZIkt] 1. n. a topic; something that is discussed, exam- ined, or researched. 2. n. a course; something that is studied; a par- ticular field of knowledge. 3. n. someone or something used in an experiment. 4. n. someone who is ruled by a government or a ruler. 5. n. a person, object, or scene that is painted or photographed. 6. n. the noun or noun phrase repre- senting the person or thing that performs the action in an active sentence, or that is the receiver of an action in a passive sentence. → change the subject → drop the subject → off the subject subject matter ["s^b dZEk "mAt #] n. content; the subject that a piece of writing or speech deals with. subject to something 1. likely to have something, such as a physical disorder. 2. tentative, depending on something; vulnerable to some- thing. subjective [s@b "dZEk tIv] adj. of or about what someone thinks about something instead of the actual facts about something. (Adv: subjectively.) sublime [s@ "blaIm] adj. supreme; wonderful; grand; inspiring. (Adv: sublimely.) submarine ["s^b m@ rin] 1. n. a ship that can travel completely underwater, used especially in war and for research. (Can be short- ened to sub.) 2. n. a large sand- wich; a sandwich made with two long pieces of bread. (Usually sub.) submerge [s@b "m#dZ] 1. tv. to put something under the surface of a liquid; to immerse something in water. 2. iv. to go underwater; to go under the surface of a liquid. submerge 607 08 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 607 TLFeBOOK submit someone to something [s@b "mIt ] to make someone suffer through or endure something. submit something to someone or something [s@b "mIt ] to offer something to someone or a group for review and analysis; to present something to someone or a group for review and analysis. subscription [s@b "skrIp S@n] n. an order for a series of issues of a magazine or newspaper. subsist on something to exist on something; to stay alive on some- thing. subsoil ["s^b soIl] n. the layer of soil that lies below the surface soil of the earth. (No plural.) substance ["s^b st@ns] 1. n. the material that something is made of; matter. 2. n. the essence; the important part of something. (No plural.) substitute ["s^b stI tut] 1. iv. to be put in someone or something else’s place as a replacement. 2. n. a replacement; someone or some- thing that is put in someone or something else’s place. (Can be shortened to sub.) substitute someone or something for someone or something to replace someone or something with someone or something else; to exchange someone or some- thing for someone or something else. substitution [s@b stI "tu S@n] 1. n. the replacement of someone or something with someone or some- thing else. (Plural only for types and instances.) 2. n. someone or something that has been substi- tuted as in Q. subtract [s@b "trAkt] 1. tv. to take a part of something away; to take a quantity away [from another quantity]; to reduce something by a certain amount. (See also minus.) 2. iv. to lessen or reduce [some- thing] as in Q. subtraction [s@b "trAk S@n] n. the reduction of something by a cer- tain amount; the reduction of a quantity by another quantity. (Plural only for types and instances.) suburb ["s^ b#b] n. a city, town, or village that is next to or near a large city. suburban [s@ "b# b@n] adj. of or about the suburbs. subway ["s^b we] n. an under- ground electric train that provides transportation in large cities. succeed [s@k "sid] 1. iv. to be suc- cessful; to reach a goal. 2. tv. to follow someone or something into a job or office. success [s@k "sEs] 1. n. accom- plishment; achievement. (Plural only for types and instances.) 2. n. someone or something that is suc- cessful, especially someone or something that has become famous, important, or rich. successful [s@k "sEs fUl] adj. show- ing evidence of having accom- plished something or having reached a high status. (Adv: suc- cessfully.) succumb to something to yield to something, especially a tempta- submit someone to something 608 08 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 608 TLFeBOOK tion, fatal disease, a human weak- ness, etc. such ["s^tS] adj. so great; so much. → as such such as 1. of a particular kind; of the sort that is. 2. for example. suck ["s^k] tv. to pull liquid into one’s mouth by putting one’s lips around something and drawing the liquid in; to pull something into one’s mouth with one’s lips. → teach one’s grandmother to suck eggs suck something up to pick some- thing up by suction, as with a vac- uum cleaner or through a straw. sudden ["s^d n] adj. unexpected; happening without warning. (Adv: suddenly.) suddenly ["s^d n li] adv. unexpect- edly; without warning. suds ["s^dz] n. bubbles formed by soap mixing with water; lather; froth. (Treated as plural, but not countable.) sue ["su] 1. iv. to start a lawsuit; to file a claim against someone or something in court. 2. tv. to bring a lawsuit against someone or something; to file a claim against someone or something in court. suffer ["s^f #] 1. tv. to experience physical or emotional pain because of illness or emotional loss. 2. iv. to feel physical or emo- tional pain. 3. iv. to worsen; to decline in quality. suffix ["s^f Iks] n. a form added to the end of a word that changes or modifies the meaning or function of the word. suffocate ["s^f @ ket] 1. tv. to kill someone or a creature by prevent- ing it from getting the oxygen that is needed. 2. iv. to die because one is unable to get the oxygen that is needed. sugar ["SUg #] 1. n. a sweet sub- stance, usually in crystal form, that is made from certain plants and used to sweeten food and drinks. (No plural.) 2. n. a sweet substance that is found naturally in many foods. (Plural only for types and instances.) suggest [s@g "dZEst] 1. tv. to pro- pose something that will be con- sidered; to express something that one thinks should be considered; to offer something as an option. (The object can be a clause with that U.) 2. tv. to bring something to one’s mind; to cause something to be thought of in a certain way; to cause something to be a reminder to someone. (The object can be a clause with that U.) suggestion [s@g "dZEs tS@n] 1. n. a hint; a trace; something that reminds someone of someone or something. (No plural.) 2. n. a proposal to be considered; an expression of something that one thinks should be considered; the offering of an option; something that is suggested. suggestive of something reminis- cent of something; seeming to suggest something. suicide ["su @ saId] 1. n. killing oneself on purpose. (No plural.) 2. n. someone who has committed Q. suicide 609 08 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 609 TLFeBOOK suit ["sut] 1. n. a set of formal clothes, consisting of a jacket, pants, and sometimes a vest, made from the same material. 2. n. a set of things, such as clothing or armor, that are worn together. 3. n. a statement of claims against someone or a business, brought to a court of law. (Short for lawsuit.) 4. n. one of the four different sets of cards found in a deck of playing cards: clubs, hearts, spades, and diamonds. 5. tv. to meet the requirements of someone or something. 6. tv. to look good with something; to look good on someone; to match someone. → in one’s birthday suit suit someone to a T and fit some- one to a T to be very appropriate for someone. suit yourself Go to please yourself. suitable ["su t@ b@l] adj. right or proper for the situation. (Adv: suitably.) suitcase ["sut kes] n. a piece of luggage used for carrying clothing and other personal items while traveling. → live out of a suitcase sullen ["s^l @n] adj. being silent and looking angry and irritated because one is in a bad mood. (Adv: sullenly.) sum ["s^m] 1. n. the total of two or more amounts. 2. n. an amount of money. → lump sum sum ( something ) up to give a sum- mary of something. summarize ["s^m @ raIz] tv. to express the main ideas of some- thing. summary ["s^m @ ri] n. the main ideas of something; a short state- ment about the important points of a longer speech or text. summer ["s^m #] 1. n. one of the seasons of the year, after spring and before autumn. 2. the adj. use of Q. → all summer long summertime ["s^m # taIm] n. summer; the season of summer. (No plural.) summit ["s^m @t] 1. n. the highest point of something, especially a mountain. 2. n. a meeting involv- ing very important people, espe- cially leaders of governments. (Figurative on Q.) sun ["s^n] 1. n. a star; a star that gives light and warmth to a planet; a star that is orbited by a planet. 2. the sun (listed below); the star at the center of our solar system; the star that shines on the earth. 3. tv. to expose oneself to the light of W; to “bathe” oneself in sun- light. (Takes a reflexive object.) 4. iv. to absorb the rays of W; to “bathe” in the light of W. the sun 1. n. the star that gives light and warmth to earth; the star that earth orbits. (No plural. Treated as singular. Often capitalized.) 2. n. sunlight; light and warmth that is radiated by Q. (No plural. Treated as singular.) sunbeam ["s^n bim] n. a ray of sunlight; a beam of sunlight. sunblock ["s^n blak] Go to sun- screen. sunburn ["s^n b#n] 1. n. redness and soreness of skin that has been suit 610 08 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 610 TLFeBOOK exposed too long to sunlight. (Plural only for types and instances.) 2. iv. [for one’s skin] to acquire Q. sundae ["s^n de] n. a dessert made with ice cream and flavored sauces or toppings. Sunday ["s^n de] Go to day. sung ["s^N] Past participle of sing. sunglasses ["s^n glAs Iz] n. glasses with dark lenses that are worn to protect the eyes from bright sun- light. (Treated as plural. Number is expressed with pair(s) of sun- glasses.) sunk ["s^Nk] a past tense of sink; past participle of sink. sunlight ["s^n laIt] n. the light that is given off by the sun. (No plu- ral.) sunny ["s^n i] adj. with bright sun- shine. (Comp: sunnier; sup: sunni- est.) sunrise ["s^n raIz] n. the time of day when the sun appears to be moving above the horizon in the east. sunscreen and sunblock ["s^n skrin, "s^n blak ] n. lotion or cream containing a chemical sub- stance that helps prevent sun dam- age to the skin. (Plural only for types and instances.) sunset ["s^n sEt] n. the time of day when the sun appears to be mov- ing below the horizon in the west. sunshine ["s^n SaIn] n. sunlight; light from the sun. (No plural.) super ["sup #] 1. adj. excellent; wonderful; great; marvelous; fabu- lous. 2. adj. extra large. superb [s@ "p#b] adj. very good; excellent; of the best quality. (Adv: superbly.) superior [s@ "pIr i #] 1. n. someone who has a higher rank or position in relationship to someone else. 2. adj. very good; above average; better than something else. (Adv: superiorly.) superiority [s@ pIr i "or I ti] n. the condition of being superior to someone or something else. (No plural.) superlative [s@ "p#l @ tIv] 1. n. the form of an adjective or adverb, usually created with most or -est, that indicates the highest degree of comparison of that adjective or adverb. 2. adj. having the highest quality. (Adv: superlatively.) supermarket ["su p# mar kIt] n. a large, food store that stocks several kinds of each item, allowing cus- tomers a wide choice. supervise ["su p# vaIz] tv. to direct a worker or a group of workers; to direct something; to oversee someone or something. supervision [su p# "vI Z@n] n. pay- ing attention to or watching over [someone or something]. (No plu- ral.) supper ["s^p #] n. the meal eaten in the evening. (See also dinner.) suppertime ["s^p # taIm] n. the time when supper is eaten. (No plural.) supply [s@ "plaI] 1. tv. to give some- one something that is needed or wanted; to give something to someone who needs or wants it. 2. n. an amount of something that supply 611 08 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 611 TLFeBOOK is available; an allotment of some- thing. (Sometimes plural.) → in short supply support [s@ "port] 1. tv. to provide someone with money, shelter, clothing, and food. 2. tv. to bear the weight of something; to keep something vertical or in place so that it doesn’t fall. 3. tv. to give someone or something one’s encouragement or favor; to show someone or something approval or favor. 4. n. providing someone with money, shelter, food, and clothing. (No plural.) 5. n. the strength and structure needed to bear the weight of someone or something. (No plural.) 6. n. something that carries the weight of something; a beam; a prop. 7. n. encouragement. (No plural.) → moral support → a pillar of support suppose [s@ "poz] tv. to consider or imagine that something is or will be true. (The object is a clause with that U.) supposed to do something expected or intended to do some- thing; obliged or allowed to do something. supreme [s@ "prim] 1. adj. having total authority; having total power; having the highest rank; being the most important. (Adv: supremely.) 2. adj. of the highest quality. (Adv: supremely.) sure ["SUr] 1. adj. certain; confident or knowing that something is the case. (Adv: surely. Comp: surer; sup: surest.) 2. adv. certainly. (Informal.) 3. adv. [in response to a yes-or-no question] yes. (Infor- mal.) surely ["SUr li] adv. certainly; with- out doubt; definitely. surf ["s#f] n. waves of water hitting the beach. (No plural.) surface ["s# f@s] 1. n. the outside of something; the outside layer of something. 2. n. the top of a liq- uid. 3. iv. [for something under- water] to go up to or above the W of the water. → scratch the surface surge ["s#dZ] 1. n. a sudden, pow- erful burst of electricity. 2. n. a strong forward movement. surge in(to something ) to burst or gush into something or someplace. surge out (of something ) to burst forth or gush out of something or someplace. surge up to rush or gush upwards. surgeon ["s# dZ@n] n. a physician who performs surgery. surgery ["s# dZ@ ri] 1. n. the sci- ence and practice of curing sick- ness and treating injury by performing an operation Q. (No plural.) 2. n. using Q in treating illness and disease. → in surgery surname ["s# nem] n. the family name; [in the United States] the last name. (Compare this with first name.) surplus ["s# pl@s] 1. n. an amount of something that is more than what is needed; an extra amount; an excess. 2. the adj. use of Q. surprise [s# "praIz] 1. n. some- thing that is not expected; some- thing that happens without support 612 08 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 612 TLFeBOOK warning. 2. n. the feeling that is caused by something unexpected happening. (No plural.) 3. tv. to cause someone to feel W by doing something or saying something unexpected. 4. tv. to attack some- one or something without warn- ing. 5. adj. unexpected; without warning. → come as no surprise → take someone by surprise surrender [s@ "rEn d#] 1. iv. to give up, especially when one has lost a battle, argument, or fight; to yield to a force that one has fought against. 2. tv. to give someone or something up to someone; to yield someone or something to someone else. 3. n. giving up as in Q. (No plural.) surround [s@ "raUnd] tv. to enclose someone or something on all sides; to be on all sides of someone or something. survey 1. ["s# ve] n. a set of ques- tions used to collect people’s opin- ions and evidence of their attitudes. 2. ["s# ve] n. a docu- ment containing Q. 3. ["s# ve] n. an examination or study of the condition, contents, or details of something. 4. ["s# ve] n. a description or analysis of a subject of study. 5. ["s# ve] n. the meas- urement of land so that accurate maps can be made or so that the legal description of property boundaries is exact. 6. ["s# ve] tv. to collect people’s opinions on an issue; to ask people for their opin- ions on an issue. 7. [s# "ve] tv. to examine or study the condition, contents, or details of something. 8. [s# "ve] tv. to measure part of the surface of the earth—or a sim- ilar area—exactly, so that accurate maps or legal descriptions can be made. survive [s# "vaIv] 1. iv. to remain alive even after a threat to one’s life; to live a very long life. 2. tv. to endure someone or something and remain alive or functioning. 3. tv. to outlive someone; to live longer than someone. survivor [s# "vaIv #] n. someone who remains alive; someone who did not die while others died. susceptible to something 1. easily persuaded by something; easily influenced by something. 2. likely to contract a sickness; likely to become sick. suspect 1. ["s^s pEkt] n. someone who is thought to have committed a crime. 2. ["s^s pEkt] adj. causing questioning or doubt. (Adv: sus- pectly.) 3. [s@ "spEkt] tv. to con- sider something to be likely or true. (The object can be a clause with that U.) suspend [s@ "spEnd] 1. tv. to hang something from something else; to cause something to hang down from something else above it. 2. tv. to delay something; to stop something for a period of time. 3. tv. to prevent someone from working at a job, attending classes, etc., for a period of time, as a pun- ishment. 4. tv. to cause something to float in the air or in a liquid. suspense [s@ "spEns] n. an anxious, scary, or uncertain feeling that is caused by not knowing what is going to happen next. (No plural.) suspense 613 08 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 613 TLFeBOOK suspicion [s@ "spI S@n] 1. n. an uneasy feeling in which one sus- pects something. (No plural form.) 2. n. a suspicious idea, as in Q, about someone or something. → under a cloud (of suspicion) sustain [s@ "sten] 1. tv. to nourish and care for living plants and crea- tures. 2. tv. to keep something moving, going, or working; to prolong something. 3. tv. to suffer an injury; to have an injury. swallow ["swal o] 1. tv. to cause food or drink to go down one’s throat and into the stomach. 2. tv. to believe something without question; to believe something that one is told, even if it is a lie; to accept something that one is told. (Figurative on Q. Informal.) 3. iv. to take [something] into the body by way of the throat. 4. n. the amount of something that can be taken into the mouth and sent down the throat. 5. n. a kind of small songbird. → look like the cat that swallowed the canary swallow someone or something up 1. to eat or gobble up someone or something. 2. to engulf or contain someone or something. (Figura- tive.) swallow something down to swal- low something. swam ["swAm] past tense of swim. swamp ["swamp] 1. n. an area of very wet, muddy ground, some- times covered with water. 2. tv. to flood something, especially a boat. swan ["swan] n. a large, white bird that lives near the water and has a long, curving neck. swan song the last work or perfor- mance of a playwright, musician, actor, etc., before death or retire- ment. swap ["swap] 1. iv. to exchange; to trade. 2. n. an exchange; a trade. swap someone or something for someone or something to exchange something for something else; to trade something for something else; to exchange someone for someone else; to trade someone for someone else. swarm ["sworm] n. a large number of people or animals, especially bees or other insects, that move together in a densely packed group. swat ["swat] 1. tv. to hit someone or something hard. 2. n. a hard hit; a sharp blow. sway ["swe] 1. iv. to bend or swing back and forth; to bend to one side and then the other; to move back and forth. 2. tv. to cause someone or something to bend or move back and forth; to bend or move someone or something back and forth. 3. tv. to change someone’s opinion or judgment; to influence someone. (Figurative on W.) swear ["swEr] 1. iv., irreg. to curse; to say bad words angrily. (Past tense: swore; past participle: sworn.) 2. tv. to promise or vow something. swear at someone or something to curse at someone or something present. swear by someone or something 1. to utter an oath on someone or something. 2. to announce one’s suspicion 614 08 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 614 TLFeBOOK full faith and trust in someone or something. swear someone in [for an officer of the court] to cause someone to pledge to tell the truth or perform the duties required by law; to cause someone to take an oath. swear someone in (as something ) to administer an oath to someone who then becomes something. swear to do something to vow to do something; to make a pledge to do something. sweat ["swEt] 1. n. the moisture that comes out of the body through pores in the skin. (No plural.) 2. n. hard work; labor; something that causes Q. (No plural.) 3. iv., irreg. [for moisture] to come out of the body through pores in the skin. (Past tense and past participle: sweat or sweated.) 4. iv. to work very hard; to labor. → break out in a cold sweat → by the sweat of one’s brow sweater ["swEt #] n. a warm piece of clothing worn above the waist, usually woven or knitted from wool or cotton. sweatpants ["swEt pAnts] n. warm pants, usually with a soft or fluffy inside layer. (Treated as plural. Number is expressed with pair(s) of sweatpants.) sweatshirt ["swEt S#t] n. a warm, long-sleeved shirt, usually with a soft or fluffy inside layer. sweaty ["swEt i] 1. adj. covered with sweat. (Adv: sweatily. Comp: sweatier; sup: sweatiest.) 2. adj. causing sweat, especially because of hot, humid weather or hard work. (Comp: sweatier; sup: sweatiest.) sweep ["swip] 1. tv., irreg. to clean a floor by passing a broom over it; to clean a surface by moving a broom or brush over it to push the dirt away. (Past tense and past par- ticiple: swept.) 2. iv., irreg. to clean as in Q. 3. n. a smooth, flowing motion, especially in a curve; a swinging movement. sweep out of someplace to move or leave in a very noticeable or the- atrical way. sweep something off ((of) some- thing ) to clean something by sweeping. sweep something out to clean something out by sweeping. sweep something under the car- pet and brush something under the carpet to try to hide some- thing unpleasant, shameful, etc., from the attention of others. sweep something up 1. to clean up and remove something, such as dirt, by sweeping. 2. to clean up someplace by sweeping. 3. to arrange something, such as hair, into a curve or wave. sweep up to clean up by sweeping. sweet ["swit] 1. adj. tasting like sugar; like sugar or honey. (Adv: sweetly. Comp: sweeter; sup: sweet- est.) 2. adj. pleasant; pleasing; hav- ing personal charm. (Adv: sweetly. Comp: sweeter; sup: sweetest.) → have a sweet tooth → take the bitter with the sweet sweet nothings affectionate but unimportant or meaningless words spoken to a loved one. sweet nothings 615 08 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 615 TLFeBOOK . or by electrical shock. stung ["st^N] past tense and past participle of sting. stunk ["st^Nk] a past tense of stink; past participle of stink. stupid ["stu pId] 1. adj. not intelli- gent;. examination or study of the condition, contents, or details of something. 4. ["s# ve] n. a description or analysis of a subject of study. 5. ["s# ve] n. the meas- urement of land so that accurate maps. together. 3. n. a statement of claims against someone or a business, brought to a court of law. (Short for lawsuit.) 4. n. one of the four different sets of cards found in a deck of playing cards: clubs,