S (s), the nineteenth letter of the English alphabet, is a consonant,
and is often called a sibilant, in allusion to its hissing sound. It
has two principal sounds; one a mere hissing, as in sack, this; the
other a vocal hissing (the same as that of z), as in is, wise. Besides
these it sometimes has the sounds of sh and zh, as in sure, measure. It
generally has its hissing sound at the beginning of words, but in the
middle and at the end of words its sound is determined by usage. In a
few words it is silent, as in isle, débris. With the letter h it forms
the digraph sh. See Guide to pronunciation, §§ 255-261.
Both the form and the name of the letter S are derived from the Latin,
which got the letter through the Greek from the Phœnician. The ultimate
origin is Egyptian. S is etymologically most nearly related to c, z, t,
and r; as, in ice, OE. is; E. hence, OE. hennes; E. rase, raze; erase,
razor; that, G. das; E. reason, F. raison, L. ratio; E. was, were;
chair, chaise (see C, Z, T, and R.).
-s. 1. [OE. es, AS. as.] The suffix used to form the plural of most
words; as in roads, elfs, sides, accounts.
2. [OE. -s, for older -th, AS. - ð.] The suffix used to form the third
person singular indicative of English verbs; as in falls, tells, sends.
3. An adverbial suffix; as in towards, needs, always, -- originally the
genitive, possesive, ending. See -'s.
-'s [OE. -es, AS. -es.] The suffix used to form the possessive singular
of nouns; as, boy's; man's.
's. A contraction for is or (colloquially) for has. "My heart's
subdued." Shak.
Sa"adh (sä"d), n. See Sadh.
Saan (sän), n. pl. (Ethnol.) Same as Bushmen.
Sab`a*dil"la (sb`*dl"l), n. [Sp. cebadilla.] (Bot.) A Mexican
liliaceous plant (Schœnocaulon officinale); also, its seeds, which
contain the alkaloid veratrine. It was formerly used in medicine as an
emetic and purgative.
Sa*bæ"an (?), a. & n. Same as Sabian.
Sa*bæ"an*ism (?), n. Same as Sabianism.
{ Sa"bæ*ism (?), Sa"ba*ism (?) }, n. See Sabianism.
Sa"bal (?), n. (Bot.) A genus of palm trees including the palmetto of
the Southern United States.
Sab"a*oth (sb"*th or s"b*th; 277), n. pl. [Heb. tseb'th, pl. of tsb',
an army or host, fr. tsb', to go forth to war.] 1. Armies; hosts. [Used
twice in the English Bible, in the phrase "The Lord of Sabaoth."]