S, s
[ es ]
/ ɛs /
noun, plural S's or Ss, s's or ss.
the 19th letter of the English alphabet, a consonant.
any spoken sound represented by the letter S or s, as in saw, sense, or goose.
something having the shape of an S.
a written or printed representation of the letter S or s.
a device, as a printer's type, for reproducing the letter S or s.
Definition for s (2 of 19)
Definition for s (3 of 19)
Definition for s (4 of 19)
S
Definition for s (5 of 19)
S
Symbol.
Definition for s (6 of 19)
's
1
an ending used in writing to represent the possessive morpheme after most singular nouns, some plural nouns, especially those not ending in a letter or combination of letters representing an s or z sound, noun phrases, and noun substitutes, as in man's, women's, baby's, James's, witness's, (or witness'), king of England's, or anyone's.
Origin of 's
1
Middle English
-es, Old English
Definition for s (7 of 19)
's
2
contraction of is: She's here.
contraction of does: What's he do for a living now?
contraction of has: He's just gone.
usage note for 's
See
contraction.
Definition for s (8 of 19)
's
3
Archaic.
a contraction of God's, as in 'swounds; 'sdeath; 'sblood.
Definition for s (9 of 19)
's
4
a contraction of us, as in Let's go.
usage note for 's
See
contraction.
Definition for s (10 of 19)
's
5
a contraction of as, as in so's to get there on time.
Definition for s (11 of 19)
s.
Definition for s (12 of 19)
S.
1
(in prescriptions) mark; write; label.
Origin of S.
1
From the Latin word
signa
Definition for s (13 of 19)
S.
2
(in prescriptions) let it be written.
Origin of S.
2
From the Latin word
signētur
Definition for s (14 of 19)
Origin of S.
3
From the Latin word
socius
Definition for s (15 of 19)
S.
4
Definition for s (16 of 19)
-s
1
a native English suffix used in the formation of adverbs: always; betimes; needs; unawares.
Compare
-ways.
Origin of -s
1
Middle English
-es, Old English; ultimately identical with
's1
Definition for s (17 of 19)
-s
2
an ending marking the third person singular indicative active of verbs: walks.
Origin of -s
2
Middle English (north) -(
e)s, Old English (north); orig. ending of 2nd person singular, as in Latin and Greek; replacing Middle English, Old English
-eth
-eth1
Definition for s (18 of 19)
-s
3
an ending marking nouns as plural (boys; wolves), occurring also on nouns that have no singular (dregs; entrails; pants; scissors), or on nouns that have a singular with a different meaning (clothes; glasses; manners; thanks). The pluralizing value of -s3 is weakened or lost in a number of nouns that now often take singular agreement, as the names of games (billiards; checkers; tiddlywinks) and of diseases (measles; mumps; pox; rickets); the latter use has been extended to create informal names for a variety of involuntary conditions, physical or mental (collywobbles; d.t.'s; giggles; hots; willies). A parallel set of formations, where -s3 has no plural value, are adjectives denoting socially unacceptable or inconvenient states (bananas; bonkers; crackers; nuts; preggers; starkers); cf. -ers.
Also
-es.
Origin of -s
3
Middle English
-(e)s, Old English
-as, plural nominative and accusative ending of some masculine nouns
Definition for s (19 of 19)
-s
4
a suffix of hypocoristic nouns, generally proper names or forms used only in address: Babs; Fats; Suzykins; Sweetums; Toodles.
Origin of -s
4Example sentences from the Web for s
British Dictionary definitions for s (1 of 8)
s
symbol for
second (of time)
British Dictionary definitions for s (2 of 8)
s
S
/ (ɛs) /
noun plural s's, S's or Ss
the 19th letter and 15th consonant of the modern English alphabet
a speech sound represented by this letter, usually an alveolar fricative, either voiceless, as in sit, or voiced, as in dogs
- something shaped like an S
- (in combination)an S-bend in a road
British Dictionary definitions for s (3 of 8)
S
symbol for
abbreviation for
Sweden (international car registration)
British Dictionary definitions for s (4 of 8)
s.
abbreviation for
see
semi-
shilling
singular
son
succeeded
British Dictionary definitions for s (5 of 8)
S.
abbreviation for
plural SS
Saint
school
Sea
Signor
Society
Word Origin for S.
Latin
socius
British Dictionary definitions for s (6 of 8)
-s
1
-es
suffix
forming the plural of most nouns
boys; boxes
Word Origin for -s
from Old English
-as, plural nominative and accusative ending of some masculine nouns
British Dictionary definitions for s (7 of 8)
-s
2
-es
suffix
forming the third person singular present indicative tense of verbs
he runs; she washes
Word Origin for -s
from Old English (northern dialect)
-es, -s, originally the ending of the second person singular
British Dictionary definitions for s (8 of 8)
-s
3
suffix
forming nicknames and names expressing affection or familiarity
Fats; Fingers; ducks
Word Origin for -s
special use of
-s
1
Medical definitions for s (1 of 2)
s
abbr.
semis (half)
sinister (left)
Medical definitions for s (2 of 2)
S
The symbol for the elementsulfur
Scientific definitions for s (1 of 3)
s
Abbreviation of second (of time), second (of an arc)
The symbol for strangeness.
Scientific definitions for s (2 of 3)
S
The symbol for sulfur.
Scientific definitions for s (3 of 3)
sulfur
S
A pale-yellow, brittle nonmetallic element that occurs widely in nature, especially in volcanic deposits, minerals, natural gas, and petroleum. It is used to make gunpowder and fertilizer, to vulcanize rubber, and to produce sulfuric acid. Atomic number 16; atomic weight 32.066; melting point (rhombic) 112.8°C; (monoclinic) 119.0°C; boiling point 444.6°C; specific gravity (rhombic) 2.07; (monoclinic) 1.957; valence 2, 4, 6. See Periodic Table.