satire(SAT ah yir) n. a literary work, or works, that uses sarcasm, irony, etc. to
expose and attack or deride vices, foibles, etc.
- The earliest known satiresare the plays of Aristophanes.
- In the guise of a travelogue, Gulliver’s Travelsis one of the most famous
satiresof the nineteenth century. - Mark Twain was especially adept at satire,as was Oscar Wilde.
[satiric adj., satirically adv.] [Syn. caricature, wit]
scalpel(SKAL pil) n. a small, light knife with a very sharp blade used by surgeons
and for dissections
•A scalpelwas the only way of making surgical incisions before the arrival of
the surgical laser.- Going in for an operation is often referred to as “going under the scalpel.”
scapegoat (SKAYP goht) n. a person, place, or thing upon which the crimes or
misdeeds of others are blamed - Being a scapegoathas a long tradition in history, beginning with an ancient
king who kept a goat around to take the blame for everything. - Killing the messenger who brought the bad news continued the tradition
of using a scapegoat.
scholar (SKAH lir) n. 1. a learned person; 2. the recipient of scholarship assis-
tance; 3. any pupil
•A scholarused to refer exclusively to a learned person, or one learned in a
particular field, such as a biblical scholaror an art scholar.- Former President Bill Clinton was a Rhodes Scholar,which means, in
essence, that he was paid to study at Oxford. - My youngest scholarjust finished kindergarten.
[Syn. pupil]
scientific(SY in TIF ik) adj. 1. of or pertaining to science; 2. based on the prin-
ciples of science, rather than superstition or conjecture; 3. proven methods - It is a scientificfact that gravity pulls everything toward the center of the
earth. - Many scientificprinciples were discovered and/or stated by Sir Isaac
Newton. - Before a medicine is approved by the FDA for public use, it must be
scientificallyproven to be more helpful than it is harmful.
[scientifically adv.]
scientist(SY in TIST) n. a specialist whose profession is one of the physical,
earth, or life sciences (that is, biology, geology, astronomy, chemistry, and physics) - A physician who specializes in research is a scientist.
- Social scientists,such as sociologists and psychologists, are not considered
true scientistsby the scientific establishment.
208 Essential Vocabulary