倫倫的小blog

sparse  /spɑrs/

adj. [thinly scattered or distributed]

  ex. a sparse population.

  ex. The television coverage of the event was rather sparse.

  ps. 比方說今天棒球場來看球的人數很少，你就可以說The crowd was really sparse.

 常見的同義詞：meager (p.305), scant (p.420) , scarce (p.420)

spartan

adj. [ of or relating to Sparta or its citizens ]

  ps. A Spartan是來自古名為Sparta的希臘城邦(city-state)的人。

  ps. MSU的學校的徽章就是Spartan。

"Go tell the Spartans, stranger passing by,

That here, obedient to Spartan law, we lie."

adj. [very strict or austere]

  ex. And in Belgium, even private hospitals are more spartan.

Thermopylae 480 Bc (History Channel)  /θərˈmɒpɨliː/

spat

n.小爭吵 [ a petty quarrel.]

  ex. a spat between brother and sister 兄妹倆的小吵小鬧

  ps. 比方說你跟兄弟姊妹爭吵誰這週該去掃廁所: you have a spat with your sister about who should clean the bathroom this week.

 常見的同義詞：squabble, tiff(更小一點的吵架), bickering (p.57)

spatula  /ˋspætʃələ/

n. 鍋鏟 wiki: A spatula is a small implement with a broad, flat, flexible blade used to mix, spread and lift materials including foods, drugs, plaster and paints.

   from L. spatula; a flat piece of wood or splint

spate  /spet/

n.大量 [a sudden, almost overwhelming, outpouring]

   ex. a spate of new cars on the market

   ex. Still, despite a recent spate of positive data, France has made little progress.

   ps.象徵上指如洪水般突然的大量湧入。因為spate這個在15世紀的時候，指的就是由下大雨或者是雪溶而引起突然的大洪水。

spatial  /ˋspeʃəl/

space-al    c->t

adj. [ of or pertaining to space. ]

   ex. spatial perception 空間感

   ex. The growth of home ownership has been both socially and spatially uneven.

   ex. It's actually not confined by spatial limitations and so can scale up almost infinitely.

spawn    /spɔn/

n. [the mass of eggs deposited by fishes, amphibians etc.]

  ps. salmon roe or spawn.

v. [to give birth to]

   ps. spawning bed

   ex. new housing estates spawn everywhere 處處湧現出的新住宅區.

spear

n.矛 [A spear is a pole weapon consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head.]

  ps. Spartan 人用的武器，中距離就是spear, 然後近戰就會使用長刀。

  ps. FSU學校的徽章(mascot)就是個印地安人的spear.

v. 用矛刺傷

  ex. They were standing in the river spearing fish.

special

adj. 特別的 [of a particular or certain type; not commonl]

  ex. a special offer.

  ps. specialist n.專家,專科醫生 ex. an eye specialist.

  字源:from L. specialis "individual, particular," from species "appearance, kind, sort".  簡單的說，這個字拉丁文的時代是指"個別的"。而後被法文借去用，指比一般的還好。然後到現在就有"特別的"意思了。

specialize

special-ize

v. [to pursue some special line of study, work; to become a specialist ]

   ex. I specialize in Nuclear physics. 

   ex. This shop specializes in chocolates. 這個商店專門出售巧克力.

specialized

adj.專門的  

  ex. specialized tools, knowledge

specific   /spɪˋsɪfɪk/

adj.特定的; 具體的 [detailed, precise and exact]

  ex. specific instructions 明確的指示

  ex. to write more specifically.

  ps. specifics

  ps. Tech specs = Tech specifics.

specimen  /ˋspɛsəmən/

spec( to look)-i-men

n.樣品 [ thing or part of a thing taken as an example of its group or class]

   ex. 200,000 specimens of fungus are kept at the this institute.

   ex. urine specimen 尿液樣本. blood specimen 血液樣本。

  字源：from L. specimen "indication, mark, example, sign, evidence," from specere "to look at"