📖 S — The English dictionary · page 11

scalpel — Everyday, meaning 1: A small, very sharp knife used by surgeons in operations.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A similar sharp knife used in science, art or crafts for precise cutting.↗ Example: The surgeon asked for a scalpel.↗ · A scalpel is sharper than a kitchen knife.↗ · Only adults should use a scalpel in the art room.↗ · The scientist cut the leaf with a scalpel.↗ · Each scalpel blade is used once and then thrown away safely.↗ · The nurse counted the scalpels after the operation.↗

scaly — Everyday, meaning 1: Covered with scales, the small hard flat plates on fish, snakes and lizards.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Dry and flaky, like skin that is peeling.↗ e.g. "scaly skin".↗ Example: Snakes have scaly skin.↗ · The dragon had a long scaly tail.↗ · Reptiles are scaly and lay eggs.↗ · A bird's legs are scaly.↗ · My hands get dry and scaly in winter.↗ · Crocodiles have thick scaly backs.↗ · The fish felt cool and scaly.↗ · And he lay there on his great green scaly side, panting, and very much out of breath, because he had come such a long way.↗

scam — Everyday, meaning 1: A scam is a dishonest trick to get money or personal information from people.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: To scam someone is to cheat them with such a trick.↗ Example: That email saying I won a phone is a scam.↗ · Do not click the link; it might be a scam.↗ · A scammer tried to trick Grandma on the phone.↗ · Free game coins for your password?↗ That is a scam.↗ · He was scammed out of his pocket money.↗ · Tell an adult if you think it is a scam.↗ · Real companies never ask for your password.↗ · If it seems too good to be true, it is probably a scam.↗

scammer — Everyday, meaning 1: A scammer is a person who tricks people to steal their money or personal details.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Scammers often use fake messages, phone calls, websites or prizes that sound too good to be true.↗ Example: The scammer pretended to be from the bank.↗ · A scammer sent a message saying I had won a phone.↗ · Never give your password to anyone, because they could be a scammer.↗ · Grandpa almost paid a scammer, but he checked with us first.↗ · Scammers often try to make you hurry.↗ · We reported the scammer to the website.↗ · If it sounds too good to be true, it may be a scammer.↗

scamp — Everyday, meaning 1: A scamp is a naughty, cheeky child, or a playful rascal.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (old use) «You scamp!» is a scolding said to a naughty boy or girl.↗ Example: Mothers don't know anything, answered those scamps.↗ · Do not waste your pity on a scamp.↗ · "You scamp!" said his father, when he had heard what his son had done.↗

scamper — Everyday, meaning 1: To scamper is to run quickly with short light steps, like a small animal or a child running off.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A scamper is a quick, light run.↗ Example: The wolves had scampered off.↗ · The mice scampered away to their holes.↗ · She scampered out of sight, with all the mice after her.↗ · We had a scamper across the field.↗

scan — Everyday, meaning 1: To scan means to look quickly over something to find a particular piece of information («scan the page for the date»).↗ Everyday, meaning 2: To scan means to look carefully all around an area («scan the horizon»).↗ Everyday, meaning 3: To scan a picture or document means to copy it into a computer using a machine called a scanner; a shop scans barcodes to read prices.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: A scan is a medical picture of the inside of the body, made by a machine («an ultrasound scan»).↗ Everyday, meaning 5: A poem scans when its rhythm is correct.↗ Example: Scan the text to find the name of the river.↗ · The lifeguard scanned the pool for swimmers in trouble.↗ · The checkout girl scanned the barcode.↗ · Mum showed us the scan of the new baby.↗ · I scanned my drawing and emailed it to Grandad.↗ · The doctor sent him for a scan of his knee.↗ · Scan the road both ways before you cross.↗ · Scan the QR code to see the menu.↗ · His keen eyes scanned the wide plain.↗ · This is a digital copy of a book that was preserved for generations on library shelves before it was carefully scanned by Google as part of a project to make the world's books discoverable online.↗ (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1893)↗

scandal — Everyday, meaning 1: A scandal is something wrong or shameful that people find out about and are shocked by, such as a famous person lying or cheating.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Scandal is talk and gossip about such things.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (informal) "It's a scandal" means something is very unfair or wrong.↗ Example: The scandal was on the front page of every newspaper.↗ · The footballer was caught up in a cheating scandal.↗ · It's a scandal that the park has no toilets.↗ · The minister lost her job after the scandal.↗ · Tabloids love scandal.↗ · The village was buzzing with scandal about the missing cake.↗ · When the scandal broke, the singer said sorry.↗ · For fear of scandal he kept the matter quiet and searched everywhere he could think of, but all to no purpose.↗

scandalise — Everyday, meaning 1: British spelling of «scandalize»: to shock someone by doing or saying something they think is wrong or improper.↗ Example: "Sit in father's chair, John!"↗ Wendy was scandalised.↗ · Peter pretended to be scandalised.↗ · The old lady was scandalised by the noise.↗

scandalous — Everyday, meaning 1: Shocking and disgraceful, so that people think it is wrong or should not be allowed.↗ Example: "What a scandalous condition this place is in," said he.↗ · Degrees were given with scandalous readiness.↗ · It is scandalous that the bus is always late.↗

scandinavian — Everyday, meaning 1: adjective.↗ e.g. From or to do with Scandinavia — Norway, Sweden and Denmark (often also Finland and Iceland).↗ Everyday, meaning 2: noun.↗ e.g. A person from Scandinavia.↗ Example: Norway, Sweden and Denmark are Scandinavian countries.↗ · The Vikings came from Scandinavia.↗ · Our kitchen has a simple Scandinavian style.↗ · Scandinavian winters are long and dark.↗ · Swedish, Norwegian and Danish are Scandinavian languages that are quite similar.↗ · Many Scandinavians speak very good English.↗ · There are also modern tales by a learned Scandinavian named Topelius.↗

scanner — Everyday, meaning 1: A scanner is a machine that copies pictures or pages into a computer.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A scanner at a shop till reads bar codes to find the price.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: A scanner in a hospital takes pictures of the inside of the body.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: A scanner is a machine at airports that checks bags and people.↗ Example: The teacher used the scanner to copy our drawings.↗ · The checkout scanner beeped.↗ · At the hospital, she had her head checked in a scanner.↗ · Put your bag through the scanner, please.↗ · The scanner reads the price from the bar code.↗ · We used a phone app as a scanner.↗

scanning — Everyday, meaning 1: Scanning means looking quickly over a page or a place to find something particular.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Scanning means using a machine to copy a picture or document into a computer, or to read a barcode.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: In medicine, scanning means using a machine to take pictures of the inside of the body.↗ Example: I was scanning the page for the word «volcano».↗ · The cashier is scanning our shopping.↗ · She stood scanning the crowd for her mum.↗ · Dad is scanning old photos into the computer.↗ · The doctor is scanning my arm to check for a break.↗ · The lifeguard keeps scanning the pool.↗ · Scanning helps you find a date or name quickly in a text.↗

scant — Everyday, meaning 1: Scant means very little, hardly enough.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Scant can mean a bit less than a stated amount, as in «a scant teaspoon» (not quite a full one).↗ Everyday, meaning 3: Having a scant in your breath means being short of breath, so you puff when you climb.↗ Example: There was scant food left after the party.↗ · He paid scant attention to the warning signs.↗ · The scientist said there was scant evidence for the claim.↗ · Add a scant teaspoon of salt.↗ · The desert gets scant rain each year.↗ · The explorers had scant hope of rescue.↗ · Henceforth whenever I go up a hill, I shall have a scant in my breath and a pain in my chest."↗ · Are there yet the treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked, and the scant measure that is abominable?↗ (Prophets MIC.6.10, JPS 1917)↗ · and say: Thus saith the king: Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with scant bread and with scant water, until I come in peace.'↗ (Prophets 1KI.22.27, JPS 1917)↗ · and say: Thus saith the king: Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with scant bread and with scant water, until I return in peace.'↗ (Writings 2CH.18.26, JPS 1917)↗

scantily — Everyday, meaning 1: In a small amount, not enough or not much; poorly.↗ Example: The room was scantily lit by one small window.↗ · Wales is scantily represented in the tales.↗ · The children were scantily dressed in the cold.↗

scanty — Everyday, meaning 1: Small in amount; not enough, or only just enough.↗ Example: "Such scanty fare is not fit for a Heron."↗ · The Greek poets offer but scanty allusions to Erebus.↗ · There is only scanty grass on the hill.↗

scapegoat — Everyday, meaning 1: A person or group blamed for something bad that is not really their fault, often so others escape blame.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (Bible) In the Old Testament (Leviticus 16), on the Day of Atonement the priest put the people's sins on a goat and sent it into the desert.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (verb) To unfairly blame someone this way.↗ Example: The new boy was made the scapegoat for the broken window.↗ · Don't scapegoat your sister for your mess.↗ · In history, minorities were often used as scapegoats.↗ · In the Bible the scapegoat carried the people's sins into the wilderness.↗ · The coach became the scapegoat when the team lost.↗ · Scapegoating someone is a kind of bullying.↗

scapula — Everyday, meaning 1: The scapula is the shoulder blade, a flat triangle-shaped bone at the top of your back.↗ Example: The scapula is also called the shoulder blade.↗ · Your scapula moves when you lift your arm.↗ · We found the scapula on the skeleton model.↗ · He broke his scapula falling off his bike.↗ · The scapula is flat and triangle-shaped.↗ · Muscles attach to the scapula.↗

scar — Everyday, meaning 1: A scar is a mark left on your skin after a cut, burn or wound has healed.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A scar is also a lasting sign of a bad experience, in feelings or on land.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: To scar means to leave a scar.↗ Example: I have a scar on my knee from falling off my bike.↗ · The cut healed but left a scar.↗ · Harry Potter has a scar on his forehead.↗ · Scars often fade over time.↗ · The forest fire scarred the hills.↗ · Don't pick scabs, or they might scar.↗ · The cat had a scar on its ear from a fight.↗ · Many a wound I got from men, many a sorrowful scar.↗ · But if the bright spot stay in its place, and be not spread, it is the scar of the boil; and the priest shall pronounce him clean.↗ (Torah LEV.13.23, JPS 1917)↗ · Then Thou scarest me with dreams, and terrifiest me through visions; (Writings JOB.7.14, JPS 1917)↗

scarce — Everyday, meaning 1: Scarce means there is not enough of something, or very little is available: «Water is scarce in the desert.».↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Scarce means rare and hard to find.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: «Make yourself scarce» means go away quickly or keep out of the way.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: Scarce can also mean hardly or only just, as in 'I could scarce see'.↗ Example: Food was scarce during the long winter.↗ · Water is scarce in the desert, so camels store fat.↗ · Good seats are scarce, so come early.↗ · When the teacher got angry, we made ourselves scarce.↗ · This rare stamp is very scarce.↗ · Fresh fruit was scarce on the old sailing ships.↗ · They scarce dared to speak or turn their heads.↗ · And it came to pass, as soon as Isaac had made an end of blessing Jacob, and Jacob was yet scarce gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting.↗ (Torah GEN.27.30, JPS 1917)↗ · Scarce are they planted, scarce are they sown, scarce hath their stock taken root in the earth; when He bloweth upon them, they wither, and the whirlwind taketh them away as stubble.↗ (Prophets ISA.40.24, JPS 1917)↗

scarcely — Everyday, meaning 1: Scarcely means hardly, almost not at all: «I could scarcely see» means I could only just see.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Scarcely … when means that one thing happened almost straight after another.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: Scarcely can mean surely not: «You can scarcely blame him».↗ Example: It was so foggy that we could scarcely see the road.↗ · There was scarcely any milk left.↗ · I could scarcely believe my eyes.↗ · We had scarcely sat down when the fire alarm rang.↗ · She scarcely ever watches TV.↗ · The baby is scarcely a week old.↗ · You can scarcely blame him for being tired.↗ · I scarcely know how I feel."↗

scarceness — In Jewish tradition, meaning 1: A lack of enough of something, or want.↗ Example: a land wherein thou shalt eat bread without scarceness, thou shalt not lack any thing in it; a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills thou mayest dig brass.↗ (Torah DEU.8.9, JPS 1917)↗

scarcity — Everyday, meaning 1: Scarcity is when there is not enough of something that people need or want.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (economics) Scarcity is the basic idea that resources are limited, so people must choose.↗ Example: Water scarcity is a big problem in dry countries.↗ · The scarcity of rain killed the crops.↗ · Because of the scarcity of eggs, the price went up.↗ · Scarcity means people must choose what to buy.↗ · During the war there was a scarcity of sugar.↗