Children's Illustrated Dictionary.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

spider

spiders noun

a small animal with eight

legs. Spiders spin nets of

thin, sticky threads called

webs, which they use to trap

insects for food. They

kill their prey

with poison.

spike

spikes noun

a sharp point, often made of

metal or wood, or a pointed

part of an animal or plant.

spill

spills spilling spilled or spilt verb

to let something drop or

overflow from a container.

She spilled her drink.

spin

spins spinning spun verb

1 to turn around quickly,

or to make

something

turn quickly.

2 to produce threads. Spiders

and silkworms spin threads

by producing them from their

bodies. People spin raw cotton

and wool to make threads.

spine

spines noun

1 the column of bones that

makes up the backbone

of a skeleton (see skeleton

on page 188).

2 one of the stiff, sharp

points on an animal, like

a porcupine, or on a plant,

like a cactus (see fish on page

79, plant on page 151, and

sea life on page 178).

3 the part of a book where

the pages are joined and

that holds the book together.

spiral

spirals noun

an object shaped

in a curve that

turns around

a central point.

spire

spires noun

a tall, pointed

structure at the

top of a tower.

spirit

spirits noun

1 a person’s mind

and feelings.

In good spirits.

spiritual adjective

2 a being, such as a ghost,

that does not have a body.

spit

spits spitting spat verb

to force saliva or something

else out of your mouth.

She spat out the rotten apple.

spite

noun

deliberate nastiness.

He ignored him out of spite.

spiteful adjective

splash

splashes splashing splashed verb

to scatter water

or another liquid.

The children splashed around

in the pool.

splash noun

splinter

splinters noun

a thin, sharp piece that has

broken off something hard,

such as wood or glass.

split

splits splitting split verb

1 to divide into parts.

She split the logs with an ax.

2 to tear or crack, perhaps

by mistake.

The bag split open.

splutter

splutters spluttering spluttered

verb

to speak quickly in a

confused way.

She knocked over the display

and spluttered an apology.

spoil

spoils spoiling spoiled

verb

1 to destroy or damage

something.

Don’t draw on that—you’ll

spoil it.

2 to give a child so much that

he or she becomes demanding

and unpleasant.

spoke

from the verb to speak

They spoke in a whisper

in case anyone was listening.

sponge

sponges noun

a soft, flexible material used

for washing and cleaning.

Some sponges are made of

plastic, but real sponges are

made from the skeletons of

sea creatures.

N say spunj

sponsor

sponsors sponsoring sponsored

verb

to give money to support

a charity or event. Sometimes

money is given in return for a

person completing an activity.

The sporting goods store

sponsored the race.

sponsor noun

spoon

spoons noun

a small utensil with a curved

bowl at one end. Spoons are

used for eating or stirring.

spider

spine

bath sponge

plastic spoon

metal spoon

churchspire