Word origins

• spirillumAny of various aerobic bacteria of the genus Spirillum, having an elongated spiral form and bearing a tuft of flagella.
• spiritus asperSynonym of rough breathing.
• spiritus fumansstannic chloride.
• spiritus lenisSynonym of smooth breathing.
• spiritus mundiThe spirit, outlook, point of view, or social and cultural values characteristic of an era of human history.
• spiritus rectorA ruling or guiding spirit.
• spiroidResembling or having the form of a spiral or helix.
• spiroscopeA wet meter used to determine the breathing capacity of the lungs.
• spirulaAny mollusk of the cephalopod genus Spirula, of which Spirula spirula is the only extant species.
• spissatusA cloud species which consists of dense, high level strands, which can haze, or block the sun. Associated only with cirrus formations.
• splenativepertaining to the spleen
• splenculusA lienculus.
• spleniumThe thick posterior part of the corpus callosum of the brain.
• spleniusEither of two flat oblique muscles which are attached to the vertebrae on each side of the neck and upper thoracic region and which draw back the head.
• sp. nov.new species
• spodiumBone charcoal, used as bleaching material or in the purification of sugar.
• spoliaOld objects, artifacts, and/or sculptural elements reused in a later work of architecture.
• spolia opimaThe spoils taken by a Roman general from an opponent commander, originally after single combat.
• spoliateTo plunder
• spoliumThe property of a beneficed ecclesiastic not transmissible by will.
• spondaicHaving or relating to spondees.
• spondeeA word or metrical foot of two syllables, either both long or both stressed.
• spongioleA supposed sponge-like expansion of the tip of a rootlet for absorbing water.
• spongioseSomewhat spongy; spongelike; full of small cavities.
• sponsalRelating to marriage, or to a spouse; spousal.
• sponsionThe act of becoming surety for another.
• sport of natureA natural object which by pure chance resembles some other thing.
• sportulaA gift or prize, especially ones given by rich Romans.
• sportuleA charitable gift or contribution; alms; a sportula.
• spring destroying angelA deadly mushroom, Amanita verna.
• spumescentResembling froth or foam; foaming.
• spumidspumous; frothy
• spumiferousProducing foam.
• spurcityFilth, impurity.
• spuriaSpurious things; especially, a counterfeit or forged written work or one of doubtful attribution.
• sputationThe act of spitting; expectoration.
• squalidityThe quality or state of being squalid; foulness; filthiness.
• squamaA scale cast off from the skin; a thin dry shred of epithelium.
• squamateCovered in scales.
• squameThe scale, or exopodite, of an antenna of a crustacean.
• squamellaA diminutive scale or bractlet, such as those found on the receptacle in many composite plants; a palea.
• squamiformHaving the shape or structure of a scale.
• squamigerousBearing scales.
• squamoidResembling a scale.
• squamulaOne of the little hypogynous scales found in the flowers of grasses; a lodicule.
• squarroseRough or scaly.
• squillaA dinner bell, (historical) a shrill little bell used to signal dinner for medieval monks.
• stabat materA hymn, sung in Latin, telling of the sorrow of the Virgin Mary at the crucifixion of Jesus Christ; the music for this hymn.
• StabiaeAn ancient city in Italy near Pompeii, in Campania; now Castellammare di Stabia
• stabilimentThe act of making firm
• stabilimentumA particular web structure made by some spiders.
• stabulationThe act of stabling or housing animals.
• stacteOne of the sweet spices used by the Jews in Biblical times for preparing incense; it is thought to have been an oil or other form of myrrh or cinnamon, or a kind of storax.
• stadialPertaining to a glacial stade.
• StagiriteSomeone from Stagira.
• stagnumA millpond.
• stanenea two-dimensional layer of tin one-atom thick, which is a topological insulator (conducting electricity only along its edges).
• stanno-tin
• stannomicroliteAn isometric-hexoctahedral yellow brown mineral containing hydrogen, iron, manganese, niobium, oxygen, tantalum, tin, and titanium.
• stannumtin
• stapediformStirrup-shaped.
• staphyleThe uvula of the soft palate.
• stare decisisThe principle of following judicial precedent.
• statantStanding on all four feet or paws.
• stataryFixed; settled.
• stationalOf or relating to a station.
• statuaA statue.
• statuminateTo prop or support.
• statu-quo-iteA supporter of the status quo; one who believes that society is in an acceptable state and should not be changed.
• status absolutusSynonym of absolute state (Latin designation)
• status constructusSynonym of construct state.
• status quoThe state of things; the way things are, as opposed to the way they could be; the existing state of affairs.
• status quo anteThe state of things as they were before; a preexisting state of affairs.
• status quo ante bellumA situation as it existed prior to the war (often implying the withdrawal of enemy troops and the restoration of pre-war leadership, so that no side gains or loses any rights or territory as a result of the war).
• status rectusSynonym of governed state (Latin designation)
• statuvolismSelf-hypnosis.
• stellariteA type of torbanite, which sparks when set on fire.
• stellatedstar-shaped; stellate
• stelleridA starfish.
• stelliformShaped like a star.
• stellionA lizard (Laudakia stellio or Stellagama stellio). It is olive-green with small stellate spots, commonly found in the rocky areas around the Mediterranean.
• stellionateAny fraud not distinguished by a more special name; chiefly applied to sales of the same property to two different persons, or selling that for one's own which belongs to another, etc.
• stello-Synonym of astro-.
• stellularHaving the shape or appearance of little stars; stellate; stellated; radiated.
• stemmaA family tree or recorded genealogy.
• stemma codicumA schema, resulting from the stemmatological process of recension, in which all surviving manuscripts of a given text are represented with their derivation, via intermediary hyparchetypes, from a single archetype.
• stercobilinA tetrapyrrolic bile pigment, one of the end products of heme catabolism, responsible for the brown colour of human faeces
• stercolithfecolith
• stercoraceousConsisting of, resembling or pertaining to feces.
• stercorariousOf or relating to dung.
• stercoraryA sheltered place for storing dung.
• stercorationManuring with dung.
• stercorincoprostanol
• stercoriteA triclinic-pinacoidal mineral containing hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, and sodium.
• stercoromaSynonym of fecaloma.
• stercorousfecal; manurelike
• stercovorousdung-eating
• sternutateTo expel air as a reflex induced by an irritation in the nose.
• sternutationA sneeze; sneezing, especially as a symptom.
• sternutatoryThat causes or induces sneezing; sternutative.