- Doctor, doctor! I"ve had a sore stomach ever since I ate three crabs last week.
- Did they smell bad when you took them out of their shells?
- What do you mean "took them out of their shells"?
colloq. —n. Sharp splattering sound. —adv. With a splat. —v. (-tt-) fall or hit with a splat. [abbreviation of *splatter]
SPLAY
—v. - spread apart.
- (of an opening) have its sides diverging.
- construct (an opening) with divergent sides. —n. Surface at an oblique angle to another. —adj. Splayed. [from *display]
SPLIT
infinitive n. Infinitive with an adverb etc. Inserted between to and the verb.
- pea n. Pea dried and split in half for cooking.
- personality n. Condition in which a person seems to have two alternating personalities.
- pin n. Metal cotter passed through a hole and held by the pressing back of the two ends.
- second —n. - very brief moment.
- (of timing) very accurate. —attrib. Adj. (split-second) 1 very rapid.
- (of timing) very accurate.
- —v. (-tt-; past and past part. Split) 1 a break, esp. With the grain or into halves; break forcibly. B (often foll. By up) divide into parts, esp. Equal shares (they split the money).
- (often foll. By off, away) remove or be removed by breaking or dividing.
- a (usu. Foll. By on, over, etc.) Divide into disagreeing or hostile parties (split on the question of picketing). B (foll. By with) quarrel or cease association with.
- cause the fission of (an atom).
- slang leave, esp. Suddenly.
- (usu. Foll. By on) colloq. Inform.
- a (as splitting adj.) (of a headache) severe. B (of the head) suffer from a severe headache, noise, etc. —n. - act or result of splitting.
- disagreement; schism.
- (in pl.) Feat of leaping in the air or sitting down with the legs at right angles to the body in front and behind or on either side.
- dish of split bananas etc. With ice-cream. split the difference take the average of two proposed amounts. Split hairs make insignificant distinctions. Split one's sides laugh uncontrollably. Split up separate, end a relationship. [dutch]
SPOIL
—v. (past and past part. Spoilt or spoiled) 1 a make or become useless or unsatisfactory. B reduce the enjoyment etc. Of (the news spoiled his dinner).
- make (esp. A child) unpleasant by over-indulgence.
- (of food) go bad.
- render (a ballot-paper) invalid by improper marking. —n. (usu. In pl.) 1 plunder, stolen goods.
- profit or advantage from success or position. be spoiling for aggressively seek (a fight etc.). Spoilt for choice having so many choices that it is difficult to choose. [latin spolio]
SPOKE
n. Each of the rods running from the hub to the rim of a wheel. put a spoke in a person's wheel thwart or hinder a person. spoked adj. [old english]
- past of *speak.
SPOOF
n. & v. Colloq. - parody.
- hoax, swindle. [invented word]
SPOOK
—n. Colloq. Ghost. —v. Esp. Us frighten, unnerve. [low german or dutch]
SPOOL
—n. - reel for winding magnetic tape, yarn, etc., on.
- revolving cylinder of an angler's reel. —v. Wind on a spool. [french espole or germanic spole]
SPOON
—n. - a utensil with a bowl and a handle for lifting food to the mouth, stirring, etc. B spoonful, esp. Of sugar.
- spoon-shaped thing, esp. (in full spoon-bait) a revolving metal fish-lure. —v. - (often foll. By up, out) take (liquid etc.) With a spoon.
- hit (a ball) feebly upwards.
- colloq. Kiss and cuddle. spoonful n. (pl. -s). [old english]
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