s
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abbreviation
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Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?
Other definitions for s (2 of 19)
s2
Symbol.
second.
Other definitions for s (3 of 19)
's1
an ending used in writing to represent the possessive morpheme after most singular nouns, some plural nouns, especially those not ending in a letter or combination of letters representing an s or z sound, noun phrases, and noun substitutes, as in man's, women's, baby's, James's, witness's, (or witness'), king of England's, or anyone's.
Origin of 's
1Middle English -es,Old English
Other definitions for s (4 of 19)
's2
contraction of is:She's here.
contraction of does:What's he do for a living now?
contraction of has:He's just gone.
usage note for 's
See contraction.
Other definitions for s (5 of 19)
's3
Archaic.
a contraction of God's, as in 'swounds; 'sdeath; 'sblood.
Other definitions for s (6 of 19)
's4
a contraction of us, as in Let's go.
usage note for 's
See contraction.
Other definitions for s (7 of 19)
's5
a contraction of as, as in so's to get there on time.
Other definitions for s (8 of 19)
S1
or s
[ es ]
/ ɛs /
noun, plural S's or Ss, s's or ss.
the 19th letter of the English alphabet, a consonant.
any spoken sound represented by the letter S or s, as in saw, sense, or goose.
something having the shape of an S.
a written or printed representation of the letter S or s.
a device, as a printer's type, for reproducing the letter S or s.
Other definitions for s (9 of 19)
S2
abbreviation
Other definitions for s (10 of 19)
S3
Symbol.
Other definitions for s (11 of 19)
-s1
a native English suffix used in the formation of adverbs: always; betimes; needs; unawares.
Compare -ways.
Origin of -s
1Middle English -es,Old English; ultimately identical with 's1
Other definitions for s (12 of 19)
-s2
an ending marking the third person singular indicative active of verbs: walks.
Origin of -s
2Middle English (north) -(e)s,Old English (north); originally ending of 2nd person singular, as in Latin and Greek; replacing Middle English, Old English -eth-eth1
Other definitions for s (13 of 19)
-s3
an ending marking nouns as plural (boys; wolves), occurring also on nouns that have no singular (dregs; entrails; pants; scissors), or on nouns that have a singular with a different meaning (clothes; glasses; manners; thanks). The pluralizing value of -s3 is weakened or lost in a number of nouns that now often take singular agreement, as the names of games (billiards; checkers; tiddlywinks) and of diseases (measles; mumps; pox; rickets); the latter use has been extended to create informal names for a variety of involuntary conditions, physical or mental (collywobbles; d.t.'s; giggles; hots; willies). A parallel set of formations, where -s3 has no plural value, are adjectives denoting socially unacceptable or inconvenient states (bananas; bonkers; crackers; nuts; preggers; starkers); cf. -ers.
Also -es.
Origin of -s
3Middle English -(e)s,Old English -as, plural nominative and accusative ending of some masculine nouns
Other definitions for s (14 of 19)
-s4
a suffix of hypocoristic nouns, generally proper names or forms used only in address: Babs; Fats; Suzykins; Sweetums; Toodles.
Origin of -s
4Other definitions for s (15 of 19)
s.
abbreviation
Other definitions for s (16 of 19)
S.1
abbreviation
(in prescriptions) mark; write; label.
Origin of S.
1From the Latin word signa
Other definitions for s (17 of 19)
S.2
abbreviation
(in prescriptions) let it be written.
Origin of S.
2From the Latin word signētur
Other definitions for s (18 of 19)
S.3
abbreviation
Fellow.
Origin of S.
3From the Latin word socius
Other definitions for s (19 of 19)
S.4
abbreviation
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use s in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for s (1 of 10)
s
symbol for
second (of time)
British Dictionary definitions for s (2 of 10)
s
S
/ (ɛs) /
noun plural s's, S's or Ss
the 19th letter and 15th consonant of the modern English alphabet
a speech sound represented by this letter, usually an alveolar fricative, either voiceless, as in sit, or voiced, as in dogs
- something shaped like an S
- (in combination)an S-bend in a road
British Dictionary definitions for s (3 of 10)
S
symbol for
abbreviation for
Sweden (international car registration)
British Dictionary definitions for s (4 of 10)
-'s
suffix
forming the possessive singular of nouns and some pronounsman's; one's
forming the possessive plural of nouns whose plurals do not end in -schildren's
forming the plural of numbers, letters, or symbols20's; p's and q's
informal contraction of is or hashe's here; John's coming; it's gone
informal contraction of us with letlet's
informal contraction of does in some questionswhere's he live?; what's he do?
Word Origin for -'s
senses 1, 2: assimilated contraction from Middle English -es, from Old English, masculine and neuter genitive singular; sense 3, equivalent to -s 1
British Dictionary definitions for s (5 of 10)
-s'
suffix
forming the possessive of plural nouns ending in the sound s or z and of some singular nounsgirls'; for goodness' sake
British Dictionary definitions for s (6 of 10)
-s1
-es
suffix
forming the plural of most nounsboys; boxes
Word Origin for -s
from Old English -as, plural nominative and accusative ending of some masculine nouns
British Dictionary definitions for s (7 of 10)
-s2
-es
suffix
forming the third person singular present indicative tense of verbshe runs; she washes
Word Origin for -s
from Old English (northern dialect) -es, -s, originally the ending of the second person singular
British Dictionary definitions for s (8 of 10)
-s3
suffix
forming nicknames and names expressing affection or familiarityFats; Fingers; ducks
Word Origin for -s
special use of -s 1
British Dictionary definitions for s (9 of 10)
s.
abbreviation for
see
semi-
shilling
singular
son
succeeded
British Dictionary definitions for s (10 of 10)
S.
abbreviation for
plural SS Saint
school
Sea
Signor
Society
Word Origin for S.
Latin socius
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for s (1 of 2)
s
Abbreviation of second (of time), second (of an arc)
The symbol for strangeness.
Scientific definitions for s (2 of 2)
S
The symbol for sulfur.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
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