Note that, in the passages below, the emboldened and same-coloured parts of words listed immediately after the phrase ‘Pronunciation tip’, are pronounced in the same way. For example, ‘Pronunciation tip: scant, sad’ means the ‘a‘ in the word ‘scant’ sounds just like the ‘a’ in the word ‘sad’.
salon
Pronunciation tip: salon, sad, rot.
scant
When used as an adjective, ‘scant’ means ‘less than the full, legal, or correct amount, often deliberately‘.
Pronunciation tip: scant, sad.
scum
When used as a noun, the word ‘scum’ has two meanings.
One of its meanings refers to the film of impurities or vegetation on the surface of a liquid. The other meaning is ‘worthless people‘.
settled
The word ‘settled’ has several meanings.
One of its meanings is used in the following manner. If you feel settled in a job, school, etc., you have become familiar with it and are comfortable and happy there.
You can learn about all the other meanings from a good dictionary.
sham
A ‘sham’ is ‘something that is a counterfeit or not what it seems to be‘ or a ‘person who makes deceitful pretences‘.
sheer
One of the meanings of ‘sheer’ is ‘complete‘ in the sense that there is no restriction or qualification. It is often used in phrases such as ‘sheer stupidity‘, ‘sheer persistence‘, etc. Sometimes it is used informally in this manner as an intensifier.
You can learn about all the other meanings from a good dictionary.
short-staffed
‘Short-staffed’ means ‘lacking an adequate number of staff or assistants‘.
shrug
‘Shrug’ means ‘raise one’s shoulders to indicate indifference, resignation, or lack of knowledge‘.
Pronunciation tip: shrug, cup.
sidekick
A ‘sidekick’ is a ‘companion or assistant to another (usually more dominant) person‘.
slate
One of the meanings of ‘slate’ is ‘criticize strongly‘.
You can learn about all the other meanings from a good dictionary.
slobber
‘Slobber’ means ‘saliva spilling from the mouth‘.
slobby
‘Slobby’ means ‘negligent of neatness especially in person and dress‘.
sloppy
The word ‘sloppy’ has several meanings.
One of its meanings is ‘lacking order or neatness‘, as illustrated by the phrases ‘sloppy habits‘, ‘sloppy bedrooms‘, etc.
Another meaning of ‘sloppy’ is ‘marked by great carelessness‘, as illustrated by the phrase ‘sloppy workmanship‘.
You can learn about all the other meanings from a good dictionary.
smug
‘Smug’ means ‘marked by excessive self-satisfaction or complacency‘.
snag
You can use the word ‘snag’ to mean ‘get [something] by acting smartly and quickly‘, as illustrated by the sentence ‘Don’t miss the opportunity to snag a bargain!‘.
snot
The word ‘snot’ is used in a vulgar sense to mean one of the following: (a) nasal mucus, or (b) a contemptible, arrogant person who looks down on others.
so
One of the ways of using the word ‘so’ is illustrated by the sentence ‘We are students, so we have homework to do.‘.
some
Besides the other usages, the word ‘some’ can also be used to refer to a particular thing or person without stating exactly which one, for example, ‘some nighttime event‘, ‘some idiot‘, ‘some lucky person‘, ‘some way‘, etc.
spare
The word ‘spare’ may be used in the following manner: ‘Have you got a couple of minutes to spare?‘.
spark
One of the meanings of ‘spark’ is ‘cause to initiate or start (usually something violent or negative)‘.
splatter
When used as a verb, ‘splatter’ means ‘splash with small blobs (i.e. soft masses or drops of liquid substance)‘. It is synonymous with the word ‘spatter’.
spurt
One of the meanings of ‘spurt’ is ‘gush forth suddenly in a jet or stream‘.
steamed
One of the meanings of ‘steamed’ is ‘aroused to anger and impatience‘.
sunscreen
‘Sunscreen’ is a ‘substance put on the skin to filter out ultraviolet light so as to protect the skin from sunburn‘. It is not wrong to use phrases such as ‘sunscreen lotion‘, ‘sunscreen gel‘, etc. although all the words in the foregoing phrases are nouns.
surge
One of the meanings of ‘surge’ is ‘rise and move, as in waves‘.