1 : moving by leaps or springs : JUMPING
2 : jetting upward (a salient fountain)
3 a : projecting beyond a line, surface, or level b : standing out conspicuously : PROMINENT; especially : of notable significance (similar to... Prohibition, but there are a couple of salient differences -- Tony Gibbs)
synonym see NOTICEABLE
- sa·lient·ly adverb


semaphore
Main Entry: 1sem·a·phore
Pronunciation: 'se-m&-"fOr, -"for
Function: noun
Etymology: Greek sEma sign, signal + International Scientific Vocabulary -phore Date: 1816

1 : an apparatus for visual signaling (as by the position of one or more movable arms)

2 : a system of visual signaling by two flags held one in each hand


semiotic
Main Entry: se·mi·ot·ic
Pronunciation: -'ä-tik
Variant(s): or se·mi·ot·ics /-tiks/
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural semiotics
Etymology: Greek sEmeiOtikos observant of signs, from sEmeiousthai to interpret signs, from sEmeion sign, from sEma sign Date: 1880

: a general philosophical theory of signs and symbols that deals especially with their function in both artificially constructed and natural languages and comprises syntactics, semantics, and pragmatics
- semiotic adjective
- se·mi·o·ti·cian /-&-'ti-sh&n/ noun
- se·mi·ot·i·cist /-'ä-t&-sist/ noun


staurolite
Main Entry: stau·ro·lite
Pronunciation: 'stor-&-"lIt
Function: noun
Etymology: French, from Greek stauros cross + French -lite
Date: circa 1815

: a mineral consisting of a basic silicate of iron and aluminum in prismatic orthorhombic crystals often twinned so as to resemble a cross - stau·ro·lit·ic /"stor-&-'li-tik/ adjective


stapelia
Main Entry: sta·pe·lia
Pronunciation: st&-'pEl-y&
Function: noun
Etymology: New Latin, from J. B. van Stapel died 1636 Dutch botanist
Date: circa 1785

: any of a genus (Stapelia) of African perennial herbs of the milkweed family with succulent typically leafless toothed stems like cactus joints and showy but usually putrid-smelling flowers


spurious
Main Entry: spu·ri·ous
Pronunciation: 'spyur-E-&s
Function: adjective
Etymology: Late Latin & Latin; Late Latin spurius false, from Latin, of illegitimate birth, from spurius, noun, bastard
Date: 1598

1 : of illegitimate birth : BASTARD
2 : outwardly similar or corresponding to something without having its genuine qualities : FALSE
3 a : of falsified or erroneously attributed origin : FORGED b : of a deceitful nature or quality
- spu·ri·ous·ly adverb
- spu·ri·ous·ness noun


strickle
Main Entry: strick·le
Pronunciation: 'stri-k&l
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English strikell a piece of wood for leveling a measure of grain; akin to Old English strIcan to stroke -- more at STRIKE
Date: 1688