10 → see also bathing suit , birthday suit , boiler suit , trouser suit
11 PHRASE If people follow suit , they do the same thing that someone else has just done. □ Efforts to persuade the remainder to follow suit have continued.
suit|able ◆◇◇ /suː təb ə l/ ADJ Someone or something that is suitable for a particular purpose or occasion is right or acceptable for it. □ [+ for ] Employers usually decide within five minutes whether someone is suitable for the job. □ The authority must make suitable accommodation available to the family. ● suit|abil|ity /suː təb I l I ti/ N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ of ] …information on the suitability of a product for use in the home.
suit|ably /suː təbli/
1 ADV [ADV adj/-ed] You use suitably to indicate that someone or something has the right qualities or things for a particular activity, purpose, or situation. □ There are problems in recruiting suitably qualified scientific officers for NHS laboratories. □ Unfortunately I'm not suitably dressed for gardening.
2 ADV [ADV adj] If you say that someone or something is, for example, suitably impressed or suitably dramatic, you mean that they have as much of that quality as you would expect in that situation. □ She flicked her eyes up to make certain I was suitably impressed. □ Her exit seemed suitably dramatic.
suit|case /suː tke I s/ (suitcases ) N‑COUNT A suitcase is a box or bag with a handle and a hard frame in which you carry your clothes when you are travelling. □ It did not take Andrew long to pack a suitcase.
suite /swiː t/ (suites )
1 N‑COUNT A suite is a set of rooms in a hotel or other building. □ They had a fabulous time during their week in a suite at the Paris Hilton. □ …a new suite of offices.
2 → see also en suite
3 N‑COUNT A suite is a set of matching armchairs and a sofa. □ …a three-piece suite.
4 N‑COUNT A bathroom suite is a matching bath, washbasin, and toilet.
suit|ed /suː t I d/ ADJ [v-link ADJ , ADJ to-inf] If something is well suited to a particular purpose, it is right or appropriate for that purpose. If someone is well suited to a particular job, they are right or appropriate for that job. □ [+ to ] The area is well suited to road cycling as well as off-road riding. □ [+ to ] Satellites are uniquely suited to provide this information.
suit|ing /suː t I ŋ/ (suitings ) N‑VAR Suiting is cloth from which trousers, jackets, skirts, and men's suits are made.
suit|or /suː tə r / (suitors )
1 N‑COUNT A woman's suitor is a man who wants to marry her. [OLD-FASHIONED ] □ My mother had a suitor who adored her.
2 N‑COUNT A suitor is a company or organization that wants to buy another company. [BUSINESS ] □ The company was making little progress in trying to find a suitor.
sul|fate /sʌ lfe I t/ → see sulphate
sul|fide /sʌ lfa I d/ → see sulphide
sul|fur /sʌ lfə r / → see sulphur
sul|fu|ric acid /sʌlfjʊə r I k æ s I d/ → see sulphuric acid
sul|fur|ous /sʌ lfərəs/ → see sulphurous
sulk /sʌ lk/ (sulks , sulking , sulked ) VERB If you sulk , you are silent and bad-tempered for a while because you are annoyed about something. □ [V ] He turned his back and sulked. ● N‑COUNT [oft in/into a N ] Sulk is also a noun. □ He went off in a sulk. □ Now she must be tired of my sulks.
sulky /sʌ lki/ ADJ Someone who is sulky is sulking or is unwilling to enjoy themselves. □ I was quite sulky, so I didn't take part in much. □ …a sulky adolescent.
sul|len /sʌ l ə n/ ADJ Someone who is sullen is bad-tempered and does not speak much. □ The offenders lapsed into a sullen silence.
sul|ly /sʌ li/ (sullies , sullying , sullied )
1 VERB If something is sullied by something else, it is damaged so that it is no longer pure or of such high value. [FORMAL ] □ [be V -ed] The City's reputation has been sullied by these scandals. □ [V n] She claimed they were sullying her good name.
2 VERB If someone sullies something, they make it dirty. [FORMAL ] □ [V n] I felt loath to sully the gleaming brass knocker by handling it.
sul|phate /sʌ lfe I t/ (sulphates ) in AM, use sulfate N‑VAR [oft n N ] A sulphate is a salt of sulphuric acid. □ …copper sulphate. □ [+ of ] …sulphate of potash.
sul|phide /sʌ lfa I d/ (sulphides ) in AM, use sulfide N‑VAR [oft n N ] A sulphide is a compound of sulphur with some other chemical elements. □ …hydrogen sulphide.
sul|phur /sʌ lfə r / in AM, use sulfur N‑UNCOUNT Sulphur is a yellow chemical which has a strong smell. □ The air reeks of sulphur.
sul|phu|ric acid /sʌlfjʊə r I k æ s I d/ in AM, use sulfuric acid N‑UNCOUNT Sulphuric acid is a colourless, oily, and very powerful acid.
sul|phur|ous /sʌ lfərəs/ in AM, use sulfurous ADJ [usu ADJ n] Sulphurous air or places contain sulphur or smell of sulphur. □ …sulphurous volcanic gases.
sul|tan /sʌ ltən/ (sultans ) N‑TITLE ; N‑COUNT A sultan is a ruler in some Muslim countries. □ He was forty-two when he became sultan.