sculp|ture /skʌ lptʃə r / (sculptures )
1 N‑VAR A sculpture is a work of art that is produced by carving or shaping stone, wood, clay, or other materials. □ [+ of ] …stone sculptures of figures and animals. □ …a collection of 20th-century art and sculpture.
2 N‑UNCOUNT Sculpture is the art of creating sculptures. □ Both studied sculpture.
sculp|tured /skʌ lptʃə r d/ ADJ Sculptured objects have been carved or shaped from something. □ …a beautifully sculptured bronze horse.
scum /skʌ m/
1 N‑PLURAL If you refer to people as scum , you are expressing your feelings of dislike and disgust for them. [INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ]
2 N‑UNCOUNT Scum is a layer of a dirty or unpleasant-looking substance on the surface of a liquid. □ …scum marks around the bath.
scum|bag /skʌ mbæg/ (scumbags ) N‑COUNT If you refer to someone as a scumbag , you are expressing your feelings of dislike and disgust for them. [INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ]
scup|per /skʌ pə r / (scuppers , scuppering , scuppered ) VERB To scupper a plan or attempt means to spoil it completely. [mainly BRIT , JOURNALISM ] □ [V n] If Schneider had seen him that would have scuppered all his plans.
scur|ril|ous /skʌ r I ləs, [AM ] skɜː r-/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] Scurrilous accusations or stories are untrue and unfair, and are likely to damage the reputation of the person that they relate to. □ Scurrilous and untrue stories were being invented.
scur|ry /skʌ ri, [AM ] skɜː ri/ (scurries , scurrying , scurried )
1 VERB When people or small animals scurry somewhere, they move there quickly and hurriedly, especially because they are frightened. [WRITTEN ] □ [+ for ] The attack began, sending residents scurrying for cover. [Also V prep/adv]
2 VERB If people scurry to do something, they do it as soon as they can. [WRITTEN ] □ [V to-inf] Pictures of starving children have sent many people scurrying to donate money.
scur|vy /skɜː r vi/ N‑UNCOUNT Scurvy is a disease that is caused by a lack of vitamin C.
scut|tle /skʌ t ə l/ (scuttles , scuttling , scuttled )
1 VERB When people or small animals scuttle somewhere, they run there with short quick steps. □ [V adv/prep] Two very small children scuttled away in front of them.
2 VERB To scuttle a plan or a proposal means to make it fail or cause it to stop. □ [V n] Such threats could scuttle the peace conference.
3 VERB To scuttle a ship means to sink it deliberately by making holes in the bottom. □ [V n] He personally had received orders from the commander to scuttle the ship. [Also V ]
scuz|zy /skʌ zi/ (scuzzier , scuzziest ) ADJ Something that is scuzzy is dirty or disgusting. [INFORMAL ] □ It's a long way from the scuzzy bedsits he inhabited when he first came to London.
scythe /sa I ð/ (scythes , scything , scythed )
1 N‑COUNT A scythe is a tool with a long curved blade at right angles to a long handle. It is used to cut long grass or grain.
2 VERB If you scythe grass or grain, you cut it with a scythe. □ [V n] Two men were attempting to scythe the long grass.
SE in AM, also use S.E. SE is a written abbreviation for south-east .
sea ◆◆◇ /siː / (seas )
1 N‑SING [oft by N ] The sea is the salty water that covers about three-quarters of the Earth's surface. □ Most of the kids have never seen the sea. □ All transport operations, whether by sea, rail or road, are closely monitored at all times.
2 N‑PLURAL You use seas when you are describing the sea at a particular time or in a particular area. [LITERARY ] □ He drowned after 30 minutes in the rough seas.
3 N‑COUNT A sea is a large area of salty water that is part of an ocean or is surrounded by land. □ …the North Sea. □ …the huge inland sea of Turkana.
4 PHRASE At sea means on or under the sea, far away from land. □ The boats remain at sea for an average of ten days at a time.
5 PHRASE If you go or look out to sea , you go or look across the sea. □ …fishermen who go to sea for two weeks at a time. □ He pointed out to sea. COLLOCATIONS sea
1
adjective + sea : calm, rough; azure, blue, turquoise; deep, open
sea + be+ adjective : calm, cold, warm; choppy
verb + sea : cross, sail
2
adjective + sea : high, tropical; choppy, heavy, rough, stormy; calm
sea ai r N‑UNCOUNT The sea air is the air at the seaside, which is regarded as being good for people's health. □ I took a deep breath of the fresh sea air.
sea|bed /siː bed/ also sea bed N‑SING The seabed is the ground under the sea.
sea|bird /siː bɜː r d/ (seabirds ) also sea bird N‑COUNT Seabirds are birds that live near the sea and get their food from it. □ The island is covered with seabirds.
sea|board /siː bɔː r d/ (seaboards ) N‑COUNT The seaboard is the part of a country that is next to the sea; used especially of the coasts of North America. □ …the Eastern seaboard of the U.S.A.