6 a multitude of sins → see multitude
si n-bin also sin bin N‑SING In the sports of ice hockey and rugby league, if a player is sent to the sin-bin , they are ordered to leave the playing area for a short period of time because they have done something that is against the rules.
since ◆◆◆ /s I ns/
1 PREP You use since when you are mentioning a time or event in the past and indicating that a situation has continued from then until now. □ Jacques Arnold has been a Member of Parliament since 1987. □ She had a sort of breakdown some years ago, and since then she has been very shy. □ I've been here since the end of June. ● ADV [ADV with v] Since is also an adverb. □ When we first met, we had a row, and we have rowed frequently ever since. ● CONJ Since is also a conjunction. □ I've earned my own living since I was seven, doing all kinds of jobs.
2 PREP You use since to mention a time or event in the past when you are describing an event or situation that has happened after that time. □ The percentage increase in reported crime in England and Wales this year is the highest since the war. □ They were the first band since the Beatles to reach No 1 with each of their first four albums. ● CONJ Since is also a conjunction. □ So much has changed in the sport since I was a teenager. □ Since I have become a mother, the sound of children's voices has lost its charm.
3 ADV [ADV with v] When you are talking about an event or situation in the past, you use since to indicate that another event happened at some point later in time. □ About six thousand people were arrested, several hundred of whom have since been released.
4 PHRASE If you say that something has long since happened, you mean that it happened a long time ago. □ Even though her parents have long since died, she still talks about them in the present tense.
5 CONJ You use since to introduce reasons or explanations. □ I'm forever on a diet, since I put on weight easily.
sin|cere /s I ns I ə r / ADJ If you say that someone is sincere , you approve of them because they really mean the things they say. You can also describe someone's behaviour and beliefs as sincere . [APPROVAL ] □ [+ in ] He's sincere in his views. □ There was a sincere expression of friendliness on both their faces. ● sin|cer|ity /s I nse r I ti/ N‑UNCOUNT □ I was impressed with his deep sincerity.
sin|cere|ly /s I ns I ə r li/
1 ADV [usu ADV with v, oft ADV adj] If you say or feel something sincerely , you really mean or feel it, and are not pretending. □ 'Congratulations,' he said sincerely. □ 'I sincerely hope we shall meet again', he said. □ He sincerely believed he was acting in both women's best interests.
2 CONVENTION In Britain, people write ' Yours sincerely ' before their signature at the end of a formal letter when they have addressed it to someone by name. In the United States, people usually write ' Sincerely yours ' or ' Sincerely ' instead. □ Yours sincerely, James Brown.
si|necure /s I n I kjʊə r , sa I n-/ (sinecures ) N‑COUNT A sinecure is a job for which you receive payment but which does not involve much work or responsibility. □ She found him an exalted sinecure as a Fellow of the Library of Congress.
sine qua non /s I ni kwɑː noʊ n, [AM ] - nɑː n/ N‑SING A sine qua non is something that is essential if you want to achieve a particular thing. [FORMAL ] □ [+ of ] Successful agricultural reform is also a sine qua non of Mexico's modernisation.
sin|ew /s I njuː/ (sinews ) N‑COUNT A sinew is a cord in your body that connects a muscle to a bone. □ [+ of ] …the sinews of the neck.
sin|ewy /s I njuːi/ ADJ Someone who is sinewy has a lean body with strong muscles. □ A short, sinewy young man.
sin|ful /s I nfʊl/ ADJ If you describe someone or something as sinful , you mean that they are wicked or immoral. □ 'I am a sinful man,' he said. ● sin|ful|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ of ] …the sinfulness of apartheid.
sing ◆◆◇ /s I ŋ/ (sings , singing , sang , sung )
1 VERB When you sing , you make musical sounds with your voice, usually producing words that fit a tune. □ [V ] I can't sing. □ [V + about ] I sing about love most of the time. □ [V n] They were all singing the same song. □ [V n n] Go on, then, sing us a song! □ [V with quote] 'You're getting to be a habit with me,' sang Eddie.
2 VERB When birds or insects sing , they make pleasant high-pitched sounds. □ [V ] Birds were already singing in the garden.
3 → see also singing
▸ sing along
1 PHRASAL VERB If you sing along with a piece of music, you sing it while you are listening to someone else perform it. □ [V P + with ] We listen to children's shows on the radio, and my little girl can sing along with all the tunes. □ [V P + to ] You can sing along to your favourite Elvis hits. □ [V P ] …fifteen hundred people all singing along and dancing.
2 → see also singalong
sing. Sing. is a written abbreviation for singular .
sing|along /s I nəlɒŋ, [AM ] -lɔːŋ/ (singalongs ) also sing-along N‑COUNT A singalong is an occasion when a group of people sing songs together for pleasure. □ How about a nice sing-along around the piano?
Sin|ga|po|rean /s I ŋgəpɔː riən/ (Singaporeans )
1 ADJ Singaporean means belonging or relating to Singapore, or to its people or culture.