sorghum Vsor-gamV Cereal grain plant of the family Poaceae (or Gramineae), probably native to Africa, and its edible starchy seeds. All types raised chiefly for grain belong to the species Sorghum vulgare, which includes varieties of grain sorghums and grass sorghums (grown for hay and fodder), and broomcom (used in making brooms and brushes). The strong grass usually grows 2-8 ft (0.5-2.5 m) or higher. The seeds are smaller than those of wheat. Though high in carbohydrates, sorghum is of lower feed quality than com. Resistant to drought and heat, sorghum is one of Africa’s major cereal grains. It is also grown in the U.S., India, Pakistan, and northern and northeastern China. Substantial quantities are also grown in Iran, the Arabian Peninsula, Argentina, Australia, and south¬ ern Europe. The grain is usually ground into meal for porridge, flatbreads, and cakes.
sorites \s9-'ri-tez\ In philosophy, a chain of successive syllogisms in the first figure so related that either the conclusion of each is the minor premise of the next or the conclusion of each is the major premise of the next. If the conclusions of all the successive syllogisms (except the last) are suppressed and only the remaining premises and the final conclusion are stated, the resulting argument is a valid inference from the stated pre¬ mises. (For example: Some enthusiasts show poor judgment; all who show poor judgment make frequent mistakes; none who makes frequent mis¬ takes deserves implicit trust; therefore, some enthusiasts do not deserve implicit trust.) In general, there may be n + 1 premises, and analysis then yields a chain of n successive syllogisms.
sorites problem Paradox presented by the following reasoning: One grain of sand does not constitute a heap; if n grains of sand do not con¬ stitute a heap, then neither do n + 1 grains of sand; therefore, no matter how many grains of sand are put together, they never constitute a heap. The problem is apt to arise in connection with any vague term.
Sorokin Vs6r-3-kin\, P(itirim) A(lexandrovitch) (b. Jan. 21, 1889, Turya, Russia—d. Feb. 10, 1968, Winchester, Mass., U.S.) Russian-born U.S. sociologist. Appointed the first professor of sociology at the Uni¬ versity of Petrograd in 1919, he was exiled in 1922 for anti-Bolshevism. He immigrated to the U.S., where he founded the sociology department at Harvard University. He distinguished two kinds of society, the sensate (empirical, supportive of natural sciences) and the ideational (mystical, anti-intellectual, dependent on authority), and believed that the study of altruistic love as a science was necessary to avert worldwide chaos.
sororate See levirate and sororate
Soros \'sor-os\, George (b. Aug. 12, 1930, Budapest, Hung.) Hungarian-U.S. financier. He left his native Hungary in 1944 and settled in London in 1947, where he studied and joined a merchant bank. He moved to New York City in 1956 and initially worked as an analyst of European securities. By 1979 his daring investments and currency specu¬ lation brought large profits, some of which he used to found Soros Foun¬ dations, dedicated to creating open societies in many eastern European countries and Russia. Other Soros programs have been dedicated to enlarging public debate on a wide range of controversial issues. In 1992
he reached new heights of wealth, making a profit of about $1 billion when Britain devalued the pound sterling, but in 1998 he suffered large losses from currency speculation in Russia.
sorrel Any of several hardy perennial herbs of the buckwheat family, widespread in temperate regions. Sheep sorrel ( Rumex acetosella), a weed native to Europe and widespread in North America, is an attractive but troublesome invader in lawns, gardens, meadows, and grassy slopes. It has slender, triangular leaves and tiny yellow or reddish flowers. The pungent, sour leaves are used as a vegetable, as a flavouring in omelets and sauces, in soups, and, when young, in salads. Two related species are garden sorrel ( R. acetosa ) and French sorrel (R. scutatus), both found throughout Europe and Asia. Wood sorrels, unrelated plants, belong to the genus Oxalis (see oxalis).
Sosa, Sammy orig. Samuel Sosa Peralta (b. Nov. 12, 1968, San Pedro de Macoris, Dorn.Rep.) Dominican-born U.S. baseball player. Sosa came to the U.S. as a child and began playing organized baseball at age 14. In 1985 he signed with the Texas Rangers, with whom he made his professional debut in 1989; he was soon traded to the Chicago White Sox and then in 1992 to the Chicago Cubs. In 1993 the right fielder became the Cubs’ first player to hit 30 home runs and steal 30 bases in one sea¬ son, a feat he repeated in 1994. In 1998 he dramatically battled Mark McGwire for the season home-run record (later broken by Barry Bonds); Sosa finished the year with 66 home runs, earning him the National League’s Most Valuable Player award. In 1999 he became the first player to hit more than 60 home runs in each of two seasons. Before the start of the 2005 season, he was traded to the Baltimore Orioles.
Soseki See Natsume Soseki
Sotheby's Vso-tho-bezV Art auction firm. Founded in London by the bookseller Samuel Baker in 1744, it was later managed after his death by his nephew, John Sotheby, and by his successors until 1861. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, Sotheby’s concentrated on books, manuscripts, and prints. After World War I it specialized in 19th- and 20th-century works, particularly Impressionist paintings. It opened an office in New York City in 1955, and in 1964 it acquired Parke-Bemet, the premier U.S. art auction house. A. Alfred Taubman purchased a controlling share of the company in 1983 and renamed it Sotheby’s Holdings, Inc. In 2002 Taub¬ man was convicted of price-fixing with rival auction house Christie’s, sentenced to a one-year jail term, and fined $7.5 million.
Sotho \ , s6- 1 to\ Cluster of Bantu-speaking peoples (numbering 10 mil¬ lion) occupying the high grasslands of southern Africa, mainly parts of South Africa, Botswana, and Lesotho. They are culturally and historically distinct from the Nguni peoples. The main Sotho groups are the Pedi and Lovedu in the north, the Tswana in the west, and the Basuto of Lesotho. Most farm and raise livestock, though Christian missionary activity and urbanization have resulted in a breakdown of traditional culture patterns.
Soto, Hernando de (b. c. 1496/97, Jerez de los Caballeros, Badajoz, Spain—d. May 21, 1542, along the Mississippi River) Spanish explorer and conquistador. He joined the 1514 expedition of Pedro Arias Davila (1440-1531) to the West Indies, and in Panama he quickly made his mark as a trader and explorer. By 1520 he had accumulated a small fortune through his slave trading in Nicaragua and on the Isthmus of Panama. He joined Francisco Pizarro on an expedition to conquer Peru in 1532, return¬ ing to Spain in 1536 with great wealth. Commissioned by the Spanish crown to conquer what is now Florida, he departed in 1538 in command of 10 ships and 700 men. On that expedition he explored the extensive region that was to become the southeastern U.S. and discovered the Mis¬ sissippi River for Europeans. Overcome by fever, he died in Louisiana and was buried in the Mississippi River.
soul Immaterial aspect or essence of a person, conjoined with the body during life and separable at death. The concept of a soul is found in nearly all cultures and religions, though the interpretations of its nature vary considerably. The ancient Egyptians conceived of a dual soul, one sur¬ viving death but remaining near the body, while the other proceeded to the realm of the dead. The early Hebrews did not consider the soul as distinct from the body, but later Jewish writers perceived the two as sepa¬ rate. Christian theology adopted the Greek concept of an immortal soul, adding the notion that God created the soul and infused it into the body at conception. In Islam the soul is believed to come into existence at the same time as the body but is everlasting and subject to eternal bliss or torment after the death of the body. In Hinduism each soul, or atman, was