📖 S — The English dictionary · page 25

semantic — Everyday, meaning 1: Semantic means to do with the meanings of words and sentences.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Semantics is the study of meaning in language.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (informal) «Just semantics» means an argument only about which word to use, not about the real facts.↗ Example: Big, huge and giant are in the same semantic field.↗ · The poem uses a semantic field of cold: ice, frost, shiver.↗ · There is a semantic difference between borrow and steal.↗ · Semantics is the study of meaning.↗ · Whether you call it a bun or a roll is just semantics.↗ · The computer uses semantic search to understand the question.↗ · Our teacher showed us a semantic map of words about the sea.↗ · I base it off an interpretation of the SY’s internal structure, the semantic properties of the root ספ״ר SPR, and the SY’s general grammatical inventiveness.↗ (Sefer Yetzirah, Sefaria community translation)↗

semblance — In Jewish tradition, meaning 1: A mere outward look or likeness, without real substance.↗ Example: As a dream when one awaketh, so, O Lord, when Thou arousest Thyself, Thou wilt despise their semblance.↗ (Writings PSA.73.20, JPS 1917)↗ · Surely man walketh as a mere semblance; surely for vanity they are in turmoil; he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them.↗ (Writings PSA.39.7, JPS 1917)↗

semen — In Jewish tradition, meaning 1: the fluid that carries the male seeds of life.↗ Example: Gratia — abominatio, Semen (Proles) — sterilitas, Imperium (Dominatio) — servitus.↗ (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1893)↗

semester — Everyday, meaning 1: A semester is one of the two halves of a school or college year.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: It is a period of learning, usually about four or five months long, with its own classes and tests.↗ Example: The new semester starts next week.↗ · We study the solar system in the first semester.↗ · My sister is spending a semester at a college far away.↗ · Our grades come home at the end of the semester.↗ · How many classes are you taking this semester?↗ · In Australia my cousin says «term» instead of «semester».↗ · The spring semester ends with a big science fair.↗

semi — Everyday, meaning 1: prefix «semi-»: half, or partly: semicircle (half a circle), semi-final, semi-detached, semicolon.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: noun (UK, Ireland, Australia, informal).↗ e.g. A semi-detached house — a house joined to one other house on one side.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: noun (informal, sport).↗ e.g. A semi-final.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: noun (US, Canada, Australia, informal).↗ e.g. A semi-trailer truck, a very large lorry.↗ Example: We live in a semi on the edge of town.↗ · Our team reached the semis!↗ · A semicircle is half of a circle.↗ · The semi-final is next week.↗ · A big semi rumbled down the highway.↗ · Semi-skimmed milk has some of the fat taken out.↗ · Use a semicolon to join two linked sentences.↗

semibreve — Everyday, meaning 1: (music, UK) The longest common note: it lasts four beats in 4/4 time, as long as two minims or four crotchets; in the USA it is called a whole note.↗ Example: A semibreve lasts for four beats.↗ · In America a semibreve is called a whole note.↗ · One semibreve fills a whole bar in 4/4 time.↗ · A semibreve looks like an empty oval with no stem.↗ · Two minims make one semibreve.↗ · Hold the semibreve until I count to four.↗ · A semibreve is as long as eight quavers.↗

semicircle — Everyday, meaning 1: Half a circle: a shape made by cutting a circle in half along its diameter.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Things arranged in a curved line like half a circle: «sit in a semicircle».↗ Example: Draw a semicircle with a compass.↗ · The children sat in a semicircle around the teacher.↗ · A protractor is shaped like a semicircle.↗ · The area of a semicircle is half the area of the full circle.↗ · A rainbow looks like a semicircle in the sky.↗ · If the radius is 2 cm, the semicircle's curved edge is about 6.28 cm.↗

semicircular — Everyday, meaning 1: Shaped like half a circle.↗ Example: We sat in a semicircular row around the teacher.↗ · The church has a semicircular window over the door.↗ · Find the area of the semicircular garden.↗ · The semicircular canals in your ear help you keep your balance.↗ · Romans built semicircular arches.↗ · The rainbow made a semicircular shape across the sky.↗

semicolon — Everyday, meaning 1: A semicolon is the punctuation mark ; which joins two closely linked full sentences.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A semicolon can also separate items in a long list when the items already contain commas.↗ Example: It was late; we went home.↗ · A semicolon looks like a dot on top of a comma.↗ · Use a semicolon to join two related sentences.↗ · We visited Paris, France; Rome, Italy; and Dublin, Ireland.↗ · In some code you must end each line with a semicolon.↗ · I love reading; my brother loves football.↗

semiconductor — Everyday, meaning 1: A material, such as silicon, that lets electricity flow through it better than an insulator but not as well as a metal, and whose flow can be controlled.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A device or chip made from such material, used in computers and phones.↗ Example: Silicon is the most common semiconductor.↗ · Every phone contains tiny semiconductor chips.↗ · A semiconductor conducts electricity better than rubber but worse than copper.↗ · Solar panels use semiconductors to turn light into electricity.↗ · There was a shortage of semiconductors, so car factories slowed down.↗ · LED lights are made with semiconductors.↗

semitic — In Jewish tradition, meaning 1: to do with the peoples and languages of the Middle East, such as Hebrew and Arabic.↗ Example: The grouping of the processes of origin into an arrangement, at once alphabetic and numeral, is one only to be found in Semitic authors.↗ (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1893)↗ · But the word is not of Semitic origin; it is, according to my opinion, borrowed from the Greek as the word סימן, etc., Πλημη flood.↗ אבנים מפלמות flood-stones.↗ (Sefer Yetzirah, Kalisch 1877)↗ · Table of Semitic characters by Julius Euting, No. 52, 03.↗ (Mordell, The Origin of Letters and Numerals according to Sefer Yetzirah (1914))↗

semitone — Everyday, meaning 1: (music) The smallest step between two notes in Western music, such as from C to C sharp, or from E to F; half of a tone.↗ Example: From C to C sharp is one semitone.↗ · E to F is a semitone, with no black key between.↗ · Two semitones make a whole tone.↗ · There are twelve semitones in an octave.↗ · The singer went up a semitone for the last chorus.↗ · A sharp raises a note by a semitone.↗

sen — Everyday, meaning 1: A sen is a small coin or money unit in some Asian countries, for example 100 sen make 1 ringgit in Malaysia; in Japan the sen was an old unit, 100 sen to 1 yen.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: «Sen.» is short for «Senator», a member of a senate, written before a name, for example in the USA.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: «sen» can also be a piece of a longer word or a name.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: In some dialect speech, sen is written for send.↗ Example: In Malaysia a sweet costs 50 sen.↗ · One hundred sen make one ringgit.↗ · Old Japanese coins were counted in sen.↗ · Sen. Smith spoke in the Senate today.↗ · Count the coins: 20 sen plus 30 sen is 50 sen.↗ · In the news, «Sen.» means «Senator».↗

senate — Everyday, meaning 1: A senate is one of the two parts of the group that makes laws in some countries; in the USA, Australia, Canada, Ireland (Seanad) and others, the Senate is often called the «upper house».↗ Everyday, meaning 2: In ancient Rome, the Senate was a council of important men who advised and ruled the Roman Republic.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: In some universities, the senate is the group of senior teachers that runs the university.↗ Example: The Senate voted on the new law.↗ · Each US state has two senators in the Senate.↗ · The Australian Senate meets in Canberra.↗ · Julius Caesar was stabbed at a meeting of the Senate.↗ · Roman senators wore white togas with purple stripes.↗ · The bill must pass both the House and the Senate.↗ · The university senate decides on new courses.↗ · In the UK, the House of Lords is a bit like a senate.↗ · A week or two passed by, and once more they appeared in the senate house.↗

senator — Everyday, meaning 1: A senator is a member of a senate, a group of people who make laws in some countries, like the USA, Canada, Australia and Ireland.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: In ancient Rome, a senator was a member of the Roman Senate.↗ Example: The senator voted for the new law.↗ · Each US state has two senators.↗ · Senators in ancient Rome wore togas with a purple stripe.↗ · The class wrote a letter to their senator.↗ · Australia has 76 senators.↗ · Senator Jones visited our school.↗ · And the senators knew that their greed had been their ruin.↗

send — Everyday, meaning 1: To send is to make something go to another place or person, like a letter, a parcel or a message.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: To send someone is to tell them to go somewhere: send a child to bed.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: To send something flying is to make it move fast.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: To send for someone is to ask them to come.↗ Everyday, meaning 5: To send greeting means to send a formal message wishing someone well.↗ Example: She sends 5 texts a day.↗ · He sent 12 cards to his friends.↗ · The farm sends 40 boxes to the shop each week.↗ · How many cards are left after he sends 7?↗ · Mum sent me to the shop for bread.↗ · The teacher sent a letter home to all parents.↗ · The kick sent the ball over the fence.↗ · Do not send your password to anyone.↗ · “Send for the cook,” says he.↗ · And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, saying: (Torah NUM.21.21, JPS 1917)↗ · And Balak sent yet again princes, more, and more honourable than they.↗ (Torah NUM.22.15, JPS 1917)↗ · And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field unto his flock, (Torah GEN.31.4, JPS 1917)↗ · And Solomon sent to Hiram, saying: (Prophets 1KI.5.16, JPS 1917)↗ · And he sent, and brought him in.↗ (Prophets 1SA.16.12, JPS 1917)↗ · And the LORD sent Nathan unto David.↗ (Prophets 2SA.12.1, JPS 1917)↗

sender — Everyday, meaning 1: A sender is the person who sends a letter, parcel, message or email.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (sport/slang, informal) In some sports, a «send» or «sender» is a big, bold jump.↗ Example: The letter came back marked «Return to sender».↗ · Check the sender before you open an email.↗ · Don't reply to messages from unknown senders.↗ · The sender forgot to write the address.↗ · The sender paid £3 for postage.↗ · Who was the sender of this birthday card?↗ · I should be obliged if the sender would communicate with me.↗

sendest — Early Modern English, meaning 1: «sendest» means «you send», a form of «send».↗ e.g. To send is to make something go to another place or person, like a letter, a parcel or a message.↗ Example: And in the greatness of Thine excellency Thou overthrowest them that rise up against Thee; Thou sendest forth Thy wrath, it consumeth them as stubble.↗ (Torah EXO.15.7, JPS 1917)

sendeth — Early Modern English, meaning 1: «sendeth» means «sends», a form of «send».↗ e.g. To send is to make something go to another place or person, like a letter, a parcel or a message.↗ Example: and the latter husband hateth her, and writeth her a bill of divorcement, and giveth it in her hand, and sendeth her out of his house; or if the latter husband die, who took her to be his wife;↗ (Torah DEU.24.3, JPS 1917)

seneca — Everyday, meaning 1: (a name) Seneca was a Roman thinker and writer (about 4 BC – AD 65), a Stoic philosopher who wrote letters about living wisely and calmly, and was a teacher of the emperor Nero.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: The Seneca are a Native American (First Nations) people of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy in New York State and Ontario; also their language.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (a name) Seneca Falls, a town in New York, where a famous women's rights meeting took place in 1848.↗ Example: Seneca was a Roman philosopher.↗ · Seneca wrote letters to his friend Lucilius about living well.↗ · The Seneca people live in New York State.↗ · The Seneca are one of the Six Nations of the Haudenosaunee.↗ · The Seneca Falls meeting called for women's right to vote.↗ · Seneca was a teacher of the emperor Nero.↗

senile — Everyday, meaning 1: Weak in mind because of old age, especially forgetful or confused.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (medicine, old-fashioned) Connected with old age: «senile dementia».↗ Example: Great-gran gets confused, but the doctor says it is dementia, not just being senile.↗ · It is rude to call old people senile.↗ · The old dog seemed a bit senile, barking at nothing.↗ · Some people become forgetful as they age, but many stay sharp.↗ · In the story, the old king was senile and easily fooled.↗

senior — Everyday, meaning 1: Older (a senior citizen).↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Higher in rank or position (a senior manager).↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (noun) A person who is older than another («she is my senior by two years»).↗ Everyday, meaning 4: (noun, US, Canada) A student in the final year of high school or university.↗ Everyday, meaning 5: (noun) An older person, often retired (discounts for seniors).↗ Everyday, meaning 6: (sport, UK, Ireland, Australia) For adults or the top level (the senior team).↗ Everyday, meaning 7: «Senior» (Sr) after a name: the father with the same name as his son.↗ Example: Senior citizens get cheap bus tickets.↗ · My brother is a senior in high school.↗ · She is a senior teacher at our school.↗ · He plays for the senior football team.↗ · Tickets cost 10 dollars for adults and 6 dollars for seniors.↗ · Mr Jones Senior and Mr Jones Junior.↗ · She is two years my senior.↗