| scuttlebutt |
(informal) inside information; gossip. [2 definitions] |
| scutum |
a large shield used by infantrymen in ancient Rome. [2 definitions] |
| scut work |
(informal) work that is regarded as tedious, menial, dirty, or otherwise distasteful. |
| scuzzy |
(slang) dirty, shabby, disreputable, or sleazy. |
| Scylla and Charybdis |
in Homer's Odyssey, two monsters threatening to sailors, later identified as a rock and a whirlpool in the sea off the coast of Sicily. |
| scythe |
a tool for cutting grass, harvesting grain, or the like, having a long handle to which a long, curved blade is attached, usu. at a right angle. [2 definitions] |
| SD |
abbreviation of "South Dakota," a midwestern U.S. state between North Dakota and Nebraska. |
| SDI |
abbreviation of "Strategic Defense Initiative," a proposed U.S. defense system in which enemy missiles would be detected and destroyed in flight by weaponry contained in earth satellites, also known as "Star Wars" in reference to similar technology found in the science fiction saga of that name. |
| SE |
abbreviation of "southeast." |
| Se |
symbol of the chemical element selenium. |
| sea |
the salt water covering most of the earth; ocean. [6 definitions] |
| sea anchor |
a large canvas-covered, often conical frame that is let out as a float or drag to prevent a ship from drifting off course or to keep it headed into the wind. |
| sea anemone |
a flowerlike sedentary sea polyp, the flexible cylindrical body of which is topped with one or more rings of tentacles that encircle a mouth. |
| sea animal |
any of various animals that live in the sea, including fish, invertebrates, and certain mammals. |
| sea bag |
a large cylindrical canvas duffle bag, used by sailors to carry clothing and other personal gear. |
| sea bass |
any of numerous marine food fishes that have large scales, spiny fins, and wide mouths. [2 definitions] |
| seabed |
the floor of an ocean or sea. |
| Seabee |
a member of the Civil Engineer Corps of the U.S. Navy that constructs harbor facilities, airfields, and the like (acronym for "Construction Battalion"). |
| sea bird |
a bird that lives on or near the sea, such as a gull or albatross. |
| sea biscuit |
hardtack or ship biscuit. |
| seaboard |
a region along a seacoast. |