Sabot
Saccharin
Saccharose
Sackbut
Saffron
Safranines
Sagittarius
Sal Ammoniac
Salicin
Salicylic Acid
Salol
Saltpetre
Salvarsan
Samarium
Sand
Sangaree
Sarsaparilla
Sati
Satin
Saturday
Sauna
Savannah
Saxhorn
Saxophone
Scabies
Scandium
Scapulomancy
Scarlatina
Scarlet Fever
Sciatica
Scintillation
Scoliosis
Scooter
Scorbutus
Scorpio
Scrabble
Scrofula
Sculpture
Scurvy
Searchlight
Seborrhoea
Second
Seed
Seer
Seiner
Seismology
Selenium
Semaphore
Semiconductor
Senile gangrene
Senna
Sepia
Sepsis
Septic
Septicaemia
Serotonin
Sextant
Shamanism
Sharia
Shebeen
Sheep-Dog
Sheepshank
Sheffield Plate
Shellac
Sherry
Shintoism
Shinty
Ship
Ship-Money
Shire Moot
Shoddy
Shorthand
Shove-halfpenny
Shuffle-board
Siamese Twins
Sicilian Vespers
Sickle
Sign
Signet
Sikhism
Silage
Silicate
Silicon
Silk
Sill
Sillic Acid
Silo
Silurian
Simile
Simony
Single Tax
Sinn Fein
Sintered
Sintering
Siphon
Sirius
Sitar
Sketch
Skiagraph
Skiatron
Skin Effect
Skittles
Sky Sign
Sky Writing
Skylab
Slag
Slaked Lime
Slaking
Slate Club
Slot Machine
Slow-match
Smack
Smallpox
Smalt
Snooker
Snow
Snuff
Soap
Socialism
Sociology
Soda
Soda ash
Sodium
Sodium amide
Sodium arsenite
A sabot is a wooden shoe. They are worn in France and Holland where they are made large enough to be lined with straw or hay.
Saccharin is an ortho sulpho benzimide used as a substitute for sugar.
Saccharose is a former alternative name for sucrose.
The sackbut is a musical instrument of the brass family.
Saffron is an orange-yellow dye extracted from the dried stigmas of a type of crocus (Crocus sativus). It is used in cooking.
Safranines are red dye-stuffs obtained by the oxidation of a mixture of paradiamine and a monoamine.
Sagittarius is a sign of the zodiac represented by a centaur armed with a bow and arrow.
see "Ammonium Chloride"
Salicin is a colourless, bitter, odourless, crystalline substance obtained from the bark of several species of tree of the willow and poplar class, and used in medicine.
Salicylic acid (ortho-hydroxy-benzoic-acid) is the active chemical constituent of aspirin. It is an aromatic acid obtained by treating with hydrochloric acid the salt obtained by the action of carbon dioxide on sodium carbonate.
Salol (phenyl salicylate) is a colourless crystalline substance obtained by the action of phenol on salicylic acid and employed in medicine externally as an antiseptic and internally as a mouth wash and as an intestinal and urinary disinfectant.
Saltpetre is a popular name for potassium nitrate.
Salvarsan is a poisonous yellowish powder discovered by Ehrlich and once used in a dilute solution as a treatment for syphilis. It is an organic compound containing a small amount of arsenic.
Samarium is an element with the symbol Sm.
Sand is small particles of mineral matter, usually quartz. The purest quartz sands are white in colour and used for making glass. Other sands may be various colours dependant upon the minerals they contain.
Sangaree is an alcoholic beverage made from wine diluted with water and mixed with spices and sugar and drunk iced.
Sarsaparilla is a drug prepared from the dried roots of several plants of the genus Smilax, which grows in Mexico, Central and South America. Today the term is also a slang expression for Jamaican Cannabis.
see "Suttee"
Satin is a fabric made from silk or similar yarn, with a glossy surface on one side produced by a twill weave in which weft-threads are almost hidden by the warp.
Saturday is the sixth day of the week.
A sauna is a steamy heat bath.
A savannah is an extensive tropical grassland.
The saxhorn is a musical instrument of the brass family. It evolved from the bugle-horn, but has valves instead of keys. The name derives from it's inventor, Adolphe Sax.
The saxophone is a metal musical instrument of the woodwind family.
Scabies is a skin disease due to an animal parasite, the Sarcoptes scabei, which burrows beneath the skin, most commonly at the clefts of the fingers.
Scandium is a metal element with the symbol Sc.
Scapulomancy is divination by reading the cracks which appear in a scapula (shoulder-blade) when it is roasted over an open fire. It was widely practised in ancient Babylon.
see "Scarlet Fever"
Scarlet Fever (Scarlatina) is an infectious fever, characterised by a sore throat, a red, diffuse eruption on the skin, followed by shedding of the superficial part of the skin.
Sciatica is a pain of the sciatic nerve, often caused by exposure to cold or wet.
Scintillation is a luminous effect produced when high-speed charged particles (alpha and beta particles and protons) pass through matter.
Scoliosis is a curvature of the spine.
A scooter is a platform mounted on wheels with a steerable column. They originally developed from roller skates, and were propelled by the rider. During the beginning of the 20th century small engines started to be fitted, followed by a saddle and the scooter developed into a form of motorcycle.
see "Scurvy"
Scorpio is a sign of the zodiac represented by a scorpion.
Scrabble is a board game based upon a crossword puzzle.
Scrofula was a former term for tuberculosis, especially of the lymphatic glands and bones.
Sculpture is the art of carving any substance into a designed form. The material may be stone, clay, wood, ivory or metal, hand-wrought or cast in moulds.
Scurvy (scorbutus) is a disease caused by a deficiency of vitamin C. It is characterised by anaemia, great weakness, spongy and swollen gums, and haemorrhages. In recent times scurvy was thought to be caused by a lack of fresh animal and vegetable food.
A searchlight is an instrument for directing a powerful beam of light. They are constructed from an electric lamp and a concave mirror arranged so as to give a cylindrical beam of light.
Seborrhoea is a condition of the skin in which there is excessive secretion by the sebaceous glands, forming crusts with scales from the skin and dirt.
The second is the basic SI unit of time, one-sixtieth of a minute. It is defined as the duration of 9,192,631,770 cycles of regulation (periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between two hyperfine levels of the ground state) of the caesium-133 isotope. In mathematics, the second is a unit of angular measurement, equalling one-sixtieth of a minute, which in turn is one-sixtieth of a degree.
A seed is the fertilised ovule in flowering plants. In addition to the embryo, the seed usually contains a certain amount of albumin for its early nourishment.
The seer is a unit of measurement equivalent to 1 kilogram. It was extensively used in India around 1900.
A seiner is a ship which employs seine net fishing.
Seismology is the scientific study of earthquakes.
Selenium is a rare metal element with the symbol Se. It was discovered in 1817 by Berzelius in the refuse of a sulphuric acid manufactory in Sweden.
Semaphore is a visual form of communication using flags.
A semiconductor is a material having electrical properties intermediate between those of good electrical conductors and those of insulators.
see "Gangrene"
Senna is a purgative consisting of the leaves of the shrub Cassia actuifolia.
Sepia is a dark brown pigment obtained from cuttlefish and used for monochrome sketching.
Sepsis is blood or tissue poisoning caused by bacteria.
Septic is a term describing tissue in a state of sepsis. Usually the term is applied to cuts and wounds in an animal which have become infected.
Septicaemia is a pathological term describing blood poisoning by bacteria.
Serotonin is a compound widely distributed in human tissue, particularly in the blood, wall of the intestine and the central nervous system. It acts as a neurotransmitter concerned especially with the process of sleep.
A sextant is a navigational instrument for determining latitude by measuring the angle between a heavenly body and the horizon.
Shamanism is the religion of the Eskimos of north America and Siberia.
Sharia is the law of Islam.
A Shebeen is an unlicensed (illegal) Scottish drinking establishment. It was defined by the Licensing (Scotland) Act, 1862, section 37 as meaning and including a house, or other place in which spirits or other excisable liquors are trafficked in by retail without a certificate and excise licence.
A Sheep-Dog is any breed of dog trained for controlling sheep, but in England the term is usually restricted to the Old English Sheep Dog.
The sheepshank is a sailor's knot.
Sheffield Plate is the name given to articles made of copper plated with silver by heat. It was invented in Sheffield in the middle of the 18th century.
Shellac is a resin used to make varnish. It is derived from the lac insect.
Sherry is a Spanish alcoholic beverage of wine mixed with brandy.
Shintoism is the primary religion in Japan.
Shinty is the Scottish name for hockey.
A ship is a vessel intended for navigating the ocean, as distinct from a boat which is any navigable vessel. The term ship now applies to sizeable boats which are intended for distant voyages.
Ship-Money was a tax levied by Charles I in October 1634, ostensibly for the equipment of ships for the defence of the coast and maintaining command of the sea. The tax was deemed illegal and was a contributory dispute which led to the English civil War.
In Anglo-Saxon England a Shire Moot was a meeting of all the freemen of a shire for transacting judicial and administrative matters pertaining to the shire.
Shoddy is wool obtained from woollen rags and wastes and respun.
Shorthand is a system of graphical notation making it possible to record speech at greater speed than by normal writing. Early systems were developed by the Greeks and Romans. Modern shorthand was first developed in England in 1588 by Timothy Bright. Thomas Shelton developed a system employed by Samuel Pepys in 1630. The idea of using sound instead of an alphabet as the basis for a shorthand system was introduced by William Tiffin in 1750. The Pitman system of shorthand first appeared in 1837 and is widely used today, being quite capable of 250 words a minute.
Shove-halfpenny is a game played on a marked board in which halfpennies or discs are jerked from the edge along the board with the ball of the thumb. The object is to lodge the coins within marked areas on the board. It was once a popular game in English pubs.
Shuffle-board is a game played on a ship-deck in which wooden discs 6 inches in diameter are shoved by a kind of cue into marked squares from a distance of about 30 feet. The game has been recorded since the 15th century.
Siamese Twins are human twins born attached together. The attachment may be anything from a finger to a single body with two heads.
The Sicilian Vespers was the massacre of the French in Sicily on March 20th 1282. It was caused by a French soldier insulting a bride on her way to church, and resulted in the entire garrison of Charles of Anjour being annihilated within 3 days, putting an end to Angevin rule in Sicily.
A Sickle is a hook-shaped steel bladed instrument used for cutting grass and grain.
A sign is a mark drawn upon a surface.
A signet is a private seal used on documents and personal letters. The privy signet is the personal seal of the British Sovereign used on private documents.
Sikhism is a religion founded by Nanak in the 15th century.
Silage is green fodder stored in a silo or pit without drying.
A silicate (sillic acid) is a compound formed by the combining of silica (SiO2) and water in various proportions.
Silicon is a non-metallic element with the symbol Si.
Silk is a soft thread produced by the larvae of the silkworm moth.
Sill is a geological term for a sheet of igneous rock intruded into overlaying beds and lying nearly horizontal over a large area.
see "Silicate"
A silo is a structure for storing and preserving vegetable matter in a green state.
The Silurian was the fifth geological period, 335,000,000 years ago. This period marked the appearance of the first land plants.
A simile is a literary device of description by comparison, as in "he slept like a log".
Simony is the trafficking in spiritual things. It was an offence against the canon law. The term derives from Simon Magus, who offered the apostles money for the power to work miracles.
The single tax was a system of taxation proposed by Harry George. It was proposed that tax should be confined to land-rent, land being the real source of wealth.
Sinn Fein is an Irish nationalist political party. It was founded in Dublin in 1900 by Arthur Griffith.
see "Sintering"
Sintering is the process of heating strongly a quantity of more or less amorphous material, so causing it to coalesce into a single solid mass.
A siphon is a bent tube with one limb longer than the other, by means of which a liquid can be drawn off to a lower level.
Sirius (the Dog Star) is the brightest star in the sky. It is in the constellation of Canis Major and although only 2.5 times the mass of the sun gives off 32 times as much light.
The sitar is an Indian musical instrument similar to the lute.
Sketch is a term used in art for a rapidly executed drawing serving as a study for a finished picture or as a note to aid the memory.
A skiagraph is a photograph taken by means of X-rays.
A skiatron is a form of cathode-ray tube sometimes employed in radar. Its screen is composed of pottasium chloride and is white in colour, but exhibits a magenta trace of long persistence.
In electronics, skin effect is the ac resistance of a conductor due to the tendancy for high-frequency currents to travel along the surface of the wire.
Skittles (also called ninepins) is an ancient game played with nine large wooden pins set up in a diamond formation, 3 pins to a side, and knocked down with a thrown missile. Originally the missile was a flattened wooden article weighing about 10 lbs and called a cheese. Today a wooden ball is rolled at the pins.
A Sky Sign was a device for advertisements attached to a support above a building so as to be visible against the sky. They were outlawed in England in 1907.
Sky Writing is the tracing against the sky of an advertisement-word in smoke by an aeroplane.
Skylab is an American space station launched in 1973.
Slag is the chemical compound resulting during the smelting of metallic ores. It results because of the action of the flux on impurities in the ore.
Slaked Lime is a popular name for calcium hydroxide, Ca(OH)2. Which is obtained by slaking calcium oxide. It is an important constituent of mortar and cement.
Slaking is a chemical term for mixing a substance with water, as in the process of slaking lime to create slaked lime.
A Slate Club is a society whose members contribute small sums weekly or monthly to a fund held by the secretary and shared out at Christmas or on some other special occasion.
A Slot Machine is a machine operated by coins, or in some cases by tokens similar to coins, and used for selling commodities or services automatically. Slot Machines originated with the Greeks and Romans for selling wine and are still used today.
Slow-match was a 19th century term for a fuse used to light mines or blasts.
A smack is a small sailing or steam vessel employed for fishing and with a large hold amidships to receive the catch.
Smallpox (Variola) is an acute contagious disease characterised by fever and the appearance on the body of an eruption, which passes through the stages of papule, vesicle, pustule and scab.
Smalt is a type of glass in which protoxide of cobalt has been mixed with common glass to produce a glass with a deep blue tinge to it. Smalt was discovered by a Bohemian glass blower in the 16th century.
Snooker is a game derived from billiards.
Snow is the crystalline form of frozen water vapour.
Snuff is powdered tobacco which is then inhaled through the nostrils. It was popular during the 18th century. The art of taking snuff gracefully was one of the accomplishments indispensable to gentlemen.
Soap is made by decomposing natural fats in a caustic alkali solution.
Socialism is an economic theory based upon the public ownership of the means of production. The term was first coined in England by Robert Owen
Sociology is the comprehensive study of the fundamental laws of social phenomena, or if you like, the science of man in society. The term sociology was first introduced by Comte in 1839.
Soda is a common name for sodium carbonate (Na2CO3).
see "Sodium carbonate"
Sodium is a metal element with the symbol Na.
Sodium amide is a white, crystalline, water-soluble flammable powder used in the manufacture of sodium cyanide and in organic synthesis.
Sodium arsenite is a white or greyish-white, water-soluble, poisonous powder used as a weed-killer and as an insecticide.