13-letter words starting with s
- sprint finish — the end of a long race in which competitors speed up as they approach the finish line
- sprint medley — a medley relay in which the first member of a team runs 440 yards, the second and third members run 220 yards each, and the fourth member runs 880 yards.
- sprocket hole — any of a series of regular perforations along the edge of photographic film for engaging the drive sprockets in a motion-picture camera or projector.
- spruce beetle — a beetle, Dendroctonus rufipennis, that feeds on and nests in spruce, pine, and other evergreen trees, sometimes causing extensive damage.
- spruce grouse — a grouse, Canachites canadensis, of coniferous forests of northern North America, that feeds on evergreen buds and needles.
- spruce sawfly — any of several sawflies of the family Diprionidae, especially Diprion hercyniae (European spruce sawfly) the larvae of which feed on the foliage of spruce.
- sprung rhythm — a poetic rhythm characterized by the use of strongly accented syllables, often in juxtaposition, accompanied by an indefinite number of unaccented syllables in each foot, of which the accented syllable is the essential component.
- spurge family — the large plant family Euphorbiaceae, characterized by herbaceous plants, shrubs, and trees having milky juice, simple alternate leaves or no leaves, usually petalless flowers often with showy bracts, and capsular fruit, and including cassava, croton, crown-of-thorns, poinsettia, snow-on-the-mountain, spurge, and the plants that produce castor oil, rubber, and tung oil.
- spurge laurel — a European thymelaeaceous evergreen shrub, Daphne laureola, with glossy leaves and small green flowers
- spurious wing — alula (def 1).
- spy satellite — an orbiting satellite used to carry out surveillance of an enemy country or military formations from space
- spy wednesday — (in Ireland) the Wednesday before Easter, named for Judas' becoming a spy for the Sanhedrin
- spying charge — an accusation of having taken part in espionage
- squanderingly — in a squandering manner
- squandermania — an extreme urge for, or level of pleasure obtained by, spending money recklessly
- square matrix — a matrix in which the number of rows is equal to the number of columns.
- square number — a number that is the square of another integer, as 1 of 1, 4 of 2, 9 of 3, etc.
- square splice — a scarf joint between two pieces, having the form of a half-lap joint with a thicker and a thinner section for each piece, the thicker one being at the end: used to resist tension.
- square-rigged — having square sails as the principal sails.
- square-rigger — having square sails as the principal sails.
- squared paper — graph paper with a pattern of squares formed by lines crossing at right angles.
- squash ladder — a list showing the relative order of merit of a set of squash players determined by the winning player in each match taking the higher of the two players' positions
- squash player — a person who plays squash
- squash racket — a light long-handled racket used in the game of squash
- squeaky clean — If you say that someone is squeaky clean, you mean that they live a very moral life and have never done anything wrong.
- squeaky-clean — scrupulously clean.
- squeezability — the quality of being capable of, or suitable for, being squeezed
- squirrel away — any of numerous arboreal, bushy-tailed rodents of the genus Sciurus, of the family Sciuridae.
- squirrel cage — a cage containing a cylindrical framework that is rotated by a squirrel or other small animal running inside of it.
- squirrel corn — an American plant, Dicentra canadensis, of the fumitory family, having yellow roots resembling kernels of corn, finely dissected leaves, and clusters of drooping, heart-shaped, cream-colored flowers.
- st. augustine — Saint, a.d. 354–430, one of the Latin fathers in the early Christian Church; author; bishop of Hippo in N Africa.
- st. eustatius — an island in the Netherlands Antilles, in the E West Indies. 7 sq. mi. (18 sq. km).
- stabilization — the act or process of stabilizing or the state of being stabilized.
- staccatissimo — in a very staccato manner
- staccato mark — (in music notation) a dot, wedge, or vertical stroke over or under a note to indicate that it should be played staccato.
- stader splint — a splint consisting of an adjustable metal rod with a steel pin at either end for insertion in the bone above and below a fracture.
- staff canteen — a canteen or cafeteria in a company, establishment, etc, for members of staff to eat at
- staff captain — a person who assists the master of a large ocean passenger vessel, being especially responsible for safety apparatus, fire and lifeboat drills, etc.
- staff college — a training centre for executive military personnel
- staff meeting — company gathering of employees
- staff of life — bread, considered as the mainstay of the human diet.
- staff officer — a commissioned officer who is a member of a staff.
- staff section — section (def 10b).
- staffordshire — a county in central England. 1154 sq. mi. (2715 sq. km). County seat: Stafford.
- stage manager — a person responsible for the technical details of a theatrical production, assisting the director during rehearsal, supervising the lighting, costuming, setting, prompting, etc., and assuming full responsibility for the stage during a performance of a play.
- stage setting — setting (def 6).
- stage whisper — a loud whisper on a stage, meant to be heard by the audience.
- stagecoachman — the driver or operator of a stagecoach
- staghorn fern — any of several epiphytic Old World ferns of the genus Platycerium, having broad, often antlerlike leaves and cultivated as a houseplant.
- stain remover — a substance designed for removing stains or dirty marks, as from clothes, carpets, etc