S: GRE Words 333
static(STA tik) adj. 1. at rest; not moving; stationary; 2. the opposite of dynamic
—n.1. an electrical discharge; 2. the noise produced by an electrical discharge
- The leadership of most dictatorships tends to be staticbecause the leader
rarely changes. - Staticelectricity is so named because it does not travel in currents.
- Lightning is a giant discharge of staticelectricity between two clouds or
between a cloud and the earth. - Staticis an annoyance of AM radio broadcasts but is absent from FM radio.
[-ally adv.] [Syn. stationary]
stimuli(STIM yoo ly) n. the plural of stimulus; things that incite or cause
reactions; incentives - Mosquito bites are stimulifor scratching (though you shouldn’t).
- Special receptors in the nose are affected by the stimuliof odors and cause
impulses to be sent to the brain. - Reactions are triggered by stimuli.
[stimulus sing.] [Syn. incentives]
stint(STINT) n. 1. an assigned task or job; 2. an amount of time spent at a
certain task - Gregory’s stintwas that of a parachute packer.
- Buddy spent an 18-month stinton an army base in Alaska.
stockade(stah KAYD) n. 1. a barricade or fence, made up of vertical stakes driv-
en into the ground, for the purpose of protection; 2. a fort enclosed in similar walls - Western frontier forts seen in the movies are stockades.
•A stockadeis also a structure that used to detain prisoners. - The stockadefences of today are not actually stockades because only occa-
sional posts are driven into the ground.
stolid(STAHL id) adj. showing little or no emotional reaction; impassive
•A stolidexpression is essential to being a successful poker player. - One who is stolidall the time is very little fun to be around.
[-ly adv.] [Syn. impassive]
subliminal(suhb LIM in il) adj. beneath the level of consciousness, especially
suggestions to the unconscious meant to evoke or teach certain behavior - Subliminalsuggestions repeated over and over again have long been
thought to change someone’s overt behavior. - One of the most insidious uses of such messages is in subliminaladvertis-
ing, where one’s unconscious is deliberately bombarded in an effort to
make that person buy a certain product.
[-ly adv.]