📖 S — The English dictionary · page 28

sequoia — Everyday, meaning 1: A sequoia is a huge evergreen tree from California; it includes the giant sequoia and the coast redwood.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Sequoias are among the biggest and oldest living things on Earth.↗ Example: The sequoia was so wide we couldn't hug it, even with ten people.↗ · Sequoias can live for thousands of years.↗ · Their bark protects them from fire.↗ · We saw giant sequoias in a national park in California.↗ · A sequoia grows from a seed as small as a flake of oat.↗ · Redwoods and sequoias are cousins.↗

seraph — In Jewish tradition, meaning 1: A kind of fiery angel with wings, found in visions of heaven; "seraphim" is the plural.↗ Example: § 21 Four — He graved and hewed out of them the throne of glory, the ophanim, the seraph- im, the holy animals, and the ministering angels.↗ (Mordell, The Origin of Letters and Numerals according to Sefer Yetzirah (1914))↗

serbian — Everyday, meaning 1: From or to do with Serbia, a country in south-east Europe in the Balkans, whose capital is Belgrade.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (noun) A person from Serbia (also called a Serb).↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (noun) The language of Serbia, a Slavic language that can be written in both Cyrillic and Latin letters.↗ Example: Novak Djokovic is a Serbian tennis star.↗ · Serbian can be written in two alphabets.↗ · Belgrade is the Serbian capital.↗ · My friend's grandparents are Serbian.↗ · We tried Serbian food: grilled meat and peppers.↗ · The Serbian flag is red, blue and white.↗

serenade — Everyday, meaning 1: A serenade is a song sung softly at night, often under a loved one's window.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: To serenade someone is to sing or play music to them in this way.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: In a tale, a bird that sings sweetly to flowers.↗ Example: The lover serenaded her under the moon.↗ · The winged songster serenades the fragrant flowers.↗ · Every night the boy serenaded his lady with his guitar.↗

serene — Everyday, meaning 1: Serene means calm and peaceful, with no worry or fear showing.↗ Example: Her serene face showed no fear.↗ · The lake was serene under the moon.↗ · A frown gathered on his usually serene brow.↗ · By His breath the heavens are serene; His hand hath pierced the slant serpent.↗ (Writings JOB.26.13, JPS 1917)↗

serf — Everyday, meaning 1: A serf was a farm worker long ago, in the Middle Ages, who had to live and work on a lord's land and could not leave it.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Serfs were not slaves, because they could not be sold alone, but they were not free.↗ Example: The lord had 30 serfs.↗ · Each serf worked 3 days a week for the lord.↗ · 12 serfs worked in the fields.↗ · How many serfs were left?↗ · Serfs gave part of their harvest to the lord of the manor.↗ · A serf needed the lord's permission to marry or move away.↗ · In the story, the serf's son dreamed of being free.↗ · Serfdom ended in Russia long ago.↗ · This enigmatic expression appears only once in the Tanakh, in [Job 26:7], where in a harkening back to [Genesis 1:2] it serves as a parallelism of primarial tohu.↗ (Sefer Yetzirah, Sefaria community translation)↗ · The appearance of this root in the SY’s introductory paragraph serves as a reminder that although we embark upon a text rich in vivid, grounded symbolism—even anthropomorphism—we should not hasten to take such symbolic language overly literally.↗ (Sefer Yetzirah, Sefaria community translation)↗

serfdom — Everyday, meaning 1: (history) Serfdom was a system, mainly in the Middle Ages, in which poor farm workers called serfs were tied to a lord's land and could not leave it.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (history) Serfdom means the state of being a serf.↗ Example: Under serfdom, peasants could not leave the lord's land.↗ · Serfdom slowly ended in England after the Black Death.↗ · The Russian tsar abolished serfdom, freeing millions of people.↗ · Serfs paid the lord with work and crops.↗ · The feudal system was built on serfdom.↗ · Many peasants rebelled against serfdom.↗

sergeant — Everyday, meaning 1: A soldier of middle rank, above a corporal, who is in charge of a group of soldiers.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A police officer of the rank above a constable.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (in titles) Sergeant Major, Sergeant at Arms.↗ Example: The sergeant shouted, «Left, right, left, right!»↗ · Sergeant Jones is in charge of the local police station.↗ · My grandad was a sergeant in the army.↗ · The sergeant has three stripes on his sleeve.↗ · The sergeant asked the witness some questions.↗ · A police sergeant came to talk to our class about road safety.↗ · A sergeant-major cried for mercy, saying he had nine wounds, and was a brave fellow, and did not deserve this disgrace.↗

series — Everyday, meaning 1: A series is a group of things that come one after another, like books about the same characters.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A TV series is a set of programmes with the same story or people.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: A number series is numbers in a row that follow a rule.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: In sport a series is a set of games between the same teams.↗ Everyday, meaning 5: In electricity, things in series are joined one after another in a single loop.↗ Example: The book series has 7 books.↗ · Write the next number in the series 2, 4, 6, 8.↗ · The team won the series 4 games to 2.↗ · She read 3 books of the series.↗ · We watched a nature series about the ocean.↗ · A series of loud bangs woke the dog.↗ · In a series circuit, the bulbs share one path.↗ · He finished the whole series in a week.↗ · 11) As the infinite series of numbers starts from one unit, so was the whole Universe formed a unity, that centres in the Godhead.↗ (Sefer Yetzirah, Kalisch 1877)↗ · 27) The author endeavors to show how the creative divine word became more condensed and how a new series of productions came out of three elements.↗ (Sefer Yetzirah, Kalisch 1877)↗ · He combined, weighed and changed : the א with all the other letters in succession, and all the others again with א; ב with all, and all again with ב; and so the whole series of letters.↗ (Sefer Yetzirah, Kalisch 1877)↗

serious — Everyday, meaning 1: Serious means bad or dangerous enough to worry about: a serious illness, a serious accident.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A serious person is thoughtful and not joking or laughing.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: If you are serious about something, you really mean it and are not pretending.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: Serious can mean important and needing careful thought: a serious talk.↗ Example: A serious cut needs a doctor, not just a plaster.↗ · Grandpa had a serious look on his face when he read the letter.↗ · Are you serious?↗ You really saw a fox in the garden?↗ · The teacher wants to have a serious talk with the class about bullying.↗ · Take fire alarms seriously and leave the building straight away.↗ · She is serious about learning the piano and practises every day.↗ · The flood caused serious damage to the town.↗ · He tried to stay serious, but he started to giggle.↗ · It was a serious matter for him.↗

seriously — Everyday, meaning 1: Seriously means in a serious way, not joking.↗ e.g. Take your homework seriously.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Seriously means very badly: seriously hurt.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: «Seriously?» is said when you are surprised or cannot believe something.↗ Example: Please take fire drills seriously.↗ · He was seriously hurt in the fall.↗ · Are you seriously eating ice cream for breakfast?↗ · Seriously, I am not joking!↗ · She takes her swimming very seriously.↗ · The storm seriously damaged the roof.↗ · Seriously?↗ We have a test today?↗ · Think seriously before you answer.↗ · He turned round anew, firmly convinced that he was seriously ill.↗

sermon — Everyday, meaning 1: (church) A sermon is a talk given by a priest, minister or preacher during a religious service, explaining the Bible or teaching how to live.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (informal) A sermon is a long, boring telling-off or lecture about how to behave.↗ Example: The vicar's sermon was about being kind to strangers.↗ · Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount on a hillside.↗ · Grandpa fell asleep during the sermon.↗ · The minister's sermon was only five minutes long today.↗ · I got a sermon from Dad about leaving my bike in the rain.↗ · In his sermon, the priest talked about forgiveness.↗ · "It was a good sermon to-day," the man said at last.↗

serpent — Everyday, meaning 1: (literary, old) A snake, especially a big one.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: In myths and stories, a huge snake-like monster such as a sea serpent.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (old, figurative) A sly, tricky person who cannot be trusted.↗ Early Modern English, meaning 1: A snake, especially a large one.↗ Example: The knight fought a giant serpent.↗ · Sailors told tales of sea serpents.↗ · The serpent hissed and slid under a rock.↗ · In the story, a cunning serpent tricks the hero.↗ · The serpent was 9 metres long, three times as long as the boat.↗ · The river curved like a serpent through the valley.↗ · But look! the serpent himself is coming!"↗ · And the serpent said unto the woman: 'Ye shall not surely die; (Torah GEN.3.4, JPS 1917)↗ · Their wine is the venom of serpents, and the cruel poison of asps.↗ (Torah DEU.32.33, JPS 1917)↗ · Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made.↗ (Torah GEN.3.1, JPS 1917)↗ · At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like a basilisk.↗ (Writings PRO.23.32, JPS 1917)↗ · By His breath the heavens are serene; His hand hath pierced the slant serpent.↗ (Writings JOB.26.13, JPS 1917)↗ · They have sharpened their tongue like a serpent; vipers' venom is under their lips.↗ (Writings PSA.140.4, JPS 1917)↗ · And the serpent said unto the woman: 'Ye shall not surely die;↗ (Torah GEN.3.4, JPS 1917) · THE SERPENT-TSAREVICH AND HIS TWO WIVES↗ (Cossack Fairy Tales and Folk Tales) · Their wine is the venom of serpents, and the cruel poison of asps.↗ (Torah DEU.32.33, JPS 1917)

serval — Everyday, meaning 1: A slim wild cat of African grasslands, with long legs, very large ears and a golden coat with black spots and stripes.↗ It leaps high to catch birds and rodents.↗ Example: The serval has the longest legs for its size of any cat.↗ · A serval can leap high into the air to catch a bird.↗ · Its huge ears help the serval hear mice under the grass.↗ · We saw a serval at the wildlife park in Kent.↗ · Servals live in the grasslands of Africa near water.↗ · The serval's coat has black spots on gold, a bit like a cheetah's.↗ · A serval is a wild animal and does not make a good house pet.↗

servant — Everyday, meaning 1: A person who is paid to work in someone else's home, doing jobs like cooking, cleaning and serving food, especially in the past.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A person who works for and serves others: a public servant (a government worker), a civil servant.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (formal, old) Used politely at the end of old letters: «Your humble servant».↗ Example: The castle had many servants.↗ · The servant brought the king his dinner.↗ · My aunt is a civil servant.↗ · Firefighters are public servants.↗ · The 18 servants worked in 3 groups of 6.↗ · In the story, the servant turned out to be a princess.↗ · We are no more than servants.↗ · And he said: 'I am Abraham's servant.↗ (Torah GEN.24.34, JPS 1917)↗ · And the servant took Rebekah, and went his way.↗ (Torah GEN.24.61, JPS 1917)↗ · A sojourner and a hired servant shall not eat thereof.↗ (Torah EXO.12.45, JPS 1917)↗ · Who is blind, but My servant?↗ (Prophets ISA.42.19, JPS 1917)↗ · And let it repent Thee concerning Thy servants.↗ (Writings PSA.90.13, JPS 1917)↗ · How many are the days of Thy servant?↗ (Writings PSA.119.84, JPS 1917)↗

serve — Everyday, meaning 1: To serve is to give food or drink to people.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A dish that serves 4 is enough food for 4 people.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: To serve is to work for or help others, like a shop assistant serves customers.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: In tennis or volleyball, to serve is to hit the ball to start play; a serve is that hit.↗ Everyday, meaning 5: To serve in the army or on a team is to work in it.↗ Everyday, meaning 6: «It serves you right» means you deserved the bad thing.↗ Example: One pizza serves 4 people.↗ · The cafe served 120 meals today.↗ · How many pizzas does she need to serve 20 people?↗ · Each cook serves 15 plates an hour.↗ · The waiter served our drinks first.↗ · Are you being served? asked the shop assistant.↗ · She served the ball hard over the net.↗ · Grandma served in the navy when she was young.↗ · Serve the soup while it is hot.↗ · For dinner the Fox served soup.↗ · Let peoples serve thee, and nations bow down to thee.↗ (Torah GEN.27.29, JPS 1917)↗ · Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled.↗ (Torah GEN.14.4, JPS 1917)↗ · And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour.↗ (Torah EXO.1.13, JPS 1917)↗ · Will the wild-ox be willing to serve thee?↗ (Writings JOB.39.9, JPS 1917)↗ · What is the Almighty, that we should serve Him?↗ (Writings JOB.21.15, JPS 1917)↗ · Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.↗ (Writings PSA.2.11, JPS 1917)↗

server — Everyday, meaning 1: A server is a powerful computer that stores websites, files, games or emails and sends them to other computers over the internet or a network.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A server is a person who brings food and drink to people in a restaurant or café; a waiter or waitress.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: In tennis and similar games, the server is the player who hits the ball to start a point.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: A server can also be a spoon or tool for putting food on plates.↗ Example: The website is not working because the server is down.↗ · Our school saves our work on the school server.↗ · The server brought us our pizzas.↗ · In tennis, the server gets two tries to hit the ball in.↗ · We joined the same game server to play together.↗ · Always thank the server when they bring your food.↗ · Every email you send passes through a server.↗ · Use the salad servers, not your fingers.↗ · But, for the moment, the great room was seated, and the doors were held to allow a moment of respect to pass before the servers and squires came in.↗