The Highly Selective Dictionary for the Extraordinarily Literate (36 page)

Related words:
rotundity
(roh-TUN-di-tee) and
rotundness
both nouns
,
rotundly
adverb
.

roustabout
(ROWST-
e
-
BOWT
)
noun

an unskilled worker employed in an oil field, on the docks or, especially, in a circus.

rubicund
(ROO-b
e
-
KUND
)
adjective

of the complexion, red; ruddy.

Related word:
rubicundity
(
ROO
-b
e
-KUN-di-tee)
noun
.

rubric
(ROO-brik)
noun

1. a heading of a chapter, section, etc.

2. an explanatory note.

3. a direction indicating how something must be done.

Related words:
rubrician
(roo-BRISH-
e
n) and
rubrist
(ROO-brist)
both nouns
.

ruminant
(ROO-m
e
-n
e
nt)
noun

1. an animal that chews the cud.

2. (
adjective
) chewing the cud, ruminative.

3. (
adjective
) contemplative, meditative.

Related word:
ruminantly
adverb
.

ruminate
(ROO-m
e
-
NAYT
)
verb

1. chew the cud.

2. meditate, muse; ponder.

Related words:
rumination
(
ROO
-m
e
-NAY-sh
e
n) and
ruminator
(ROO-m
e
-
NAY
-t
e
r)
both nouns
,
ruminative
(ROO-m
e
-
NAY
-tiv)
adjective
,
ruminatively
(ROO-m
e
-
NAY
-tiv-lee)
adverb
.

rusticate
(RUS-ti-
KAYT
)
verb

1. settle or vacation in the country.

2. live a rural life.

Related words:
rustication
(
RUS
-ti-KAY-sh
e
n) and
rusticator
(RUS-ti-
KAY
-t
e
r)
both nouns
.

sacerdotal
(
SAS
-
e
r-DOHT-
e
l)
adjective

1. of priests or the priesthood.

2. priestly.

Related words:
sacerdotalism
(
SAS
-
e
r-DOHT-
e
l-
IZ
-
e
m) and
sacerdotalist
(
SAS
-
e
r-DOHT-
e
l-ist)
both nouns
,
sacerdotally
adverb
.

sagacious
(s
e
-GAY-sh
e
s)
adjective

showing wisdom in one's understanding and judgment of things; wise.

Related words:
sagacity
(s
e
-GAS-i-tee) and
sagaciousness
(s
e
-GAY-sh
e
s-nis)
both nouns
,
sagaciously
adverb
.

salacious
(s
e
-LAY-sh
e
s)
adjective

1. erotic.

2. lewd, grossly indecent, obscene.

Related words:
salaciously
adverb
,
salaciousness
noun
.

salubrious
(s
e
-LOO-bree-
e
s)
adjective

health-promoting; health-giving; healthful.

Related words:
salubriously
adverb
,
salubriousness
and
salubrity
(s
e
-LOO-bri-tee)
both nouns
.

salutary
(SAL-y
e
-
TER
-ee)
adjective

producing a beneficial or wholesome effect.

Related words:
salutarily
(
SAL
-y
e
-TER-
e
-lee)
adverb
,
salutariness
(SAL-y
e
-
TER
-ee-nis)
noun
.

sanctimonious
(
SANGK
-t
e
-MOH-nee-
e
s)
adjective

making a hypocritical show of righteousness or piety.

Related words:
sanctimoniously
adverb
,
sanctimoniousness
and
sanctimony
(SANGK-t
e
-
MOH
-nee)
both nouns
.

sang-froid
(sah
n
-FRWAH)
noun

1. calmness in the face of danger or difficulty.

2. composure; self-possession.

sanguinary
(SANG-gw
e
-
NER
-ee)
adjective

1. full of bloodshed.

2. bloodthirsty; savage.

Do not confuse
sanguinary
with
sanguine
, which see.

Related words:
sanguinarily
(SANG-gw
e
-
NER
-i-lee)
adverb
,
sanguinariness
noun
.

sanguine
(SANG-gwin)
adjective

1. hopeful, optimistic.

2. confident.

Do not confuse
sanguine
,
optimistic, hopeful
, with
sanguinary
,
bloodthirsty
. The resemblance of the two words sets a trap for the unwary. Remember that it never hurts to be
sanguine
, but
sanguinary
is a horse of a different color—red, for blood.

Related words:
sanguinely
adverb
,
sanguinness
and
sanguinity
(sang-GWIN-i-tee)
both nouns
.

sapid
(SAP-id)
adjective

1. having flavor, especially agreeable flavor.

2. palatable, savory.

3. of speech or writing, agreeable; interesting.

Related words:
sapidity
(s
e
-PID-i-tee),
sapidness
(SAP-id-nis)
both nouns
.

sapient
(SAY-pee-
e
nt)
adjective
, also given as
sapiential
(
SAY
-pee-EN-sh
e
l)

having or pretending to have great wisdom.

Related words:
sapience
and
sapiency
both nouns
,
sapiently
adverb
.

sarcophagus
(sahr-KOF-
e
-g
e
s)
noun, plural
sarcophagi
(sahr-KOF-
e
-
J
I
) or
sarcophaguses

a stone coffin, especially one bearing sculpture, inscriptions, etc.

Do not confuse the noun
sarcophagus
with the adjective
sarcophagous
(sahr-KOF-
e
-g
e
s), which means
carnivorous, flesh-eating
.

sardonic
(sahr-DON-ik)
adjective

1. humorous in a grim or sarcastic way.

2. cynical.

Related words:
sardonically
adverb
,
sardonicism
(sahr-DON-i-siz-
e
m)
noun
.

satiate
(SAY-shee-
AYT
)
verb

1. satisfy an appetite fully.

2. glut or cloy with an excess of something.

Related words:
satiation
(
SAY
-shee-AY-sh
e
n) and
satiety
(s
e
-T
I
-i-tee)
both nouns
.

saturnine
(SAT-
e
r-
N
I
N
)
adjective

of a person or his looks, having a gloomy and forbidding appearance.

Related words:
saturninely
adverb
,
saturninity
(
SAT
-
e
r-NIN-i-tee) and
saturnineness
(SAT-
e
r-
N
I
N
-nis)
both nouns
.

scabrous
(SKAB-r
e
s)
adjective

1. indecent, salacious.

2. behaving indecently or immorally.

3. having a rough surface.

4. of a subject or situation, hard to handle with decency; requiring tactful treatment.

Related words:
scabrously
adverb
,
scabrousness
noun
.

scapegoat
(SKAYP-
GOHT
)
noun

a person who is made to bear blame or punishment that should rightly fall on others.

Do not confuse
scapegoat
with
scapegrace
, which see.

Related words:
scapegoat
verb
,
scapegoating
and
scapegoatism
(SKAYP-goh-
TIZ
-
e
m)
both nouns
.

scapegrace
(SKAYP-
GRAYS
)
noun

1. a rascal.

2. a person who is constantly getting into trouble.

Do not confuse
scapegrace
with
scapegoat
. The former is a relatively uncommon word, the latter an all too common word. A
scapegrace
is a
rascal, constantly in trouble
, and deserving of blame; a
scapegoat
is the
undeserving recipient of blame
. Thus, it would appear that anyone who must be called one thing or another may prefer to become a
scapegoat
rather than a
scapegrace
, since
scapegoats
are the victims of people of evil intent, and
scapegraces
earn their pejorative characterizations by virtue of their undesirable proclivities. So you must take care when using either of these words to choose the one that is correct for the meaning you intend to convey. And understand that
scapegraces
are often unjustifiably made
scapegoats
when wagging tongues are seeking to fix blame on someone.

scarify
(SKAR-
e
-
F
I
)
verb

1. make slight surgical cuts in skin or tissue.

2. of a person, pain by merciless criticism.

3. of garden soil etc., loosen the surface.

Related words:
scarifier
and
scarification
(
SKAR
-
e
-fi-KAY-sh
e
n)
both nouns
.