<B>sea porcupine,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> any one of various globefishes with skin covered with spiny processes; burrfish; porcupine fish. </DL>
<A NAME="seaport">
<B>seaport, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a port or harbor on the seacoast; city or town with a harbor that ships can reach from the sea. <BR> <I>Ex. San Francisco and New Orleans are seaports. Seaports, the termini of ocean trade routes, are both the creations and creators of such routes (White and Renner).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="seapost">
<B>sea post,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the postal service conducted at sea, concerned with the sorting of mail on ocean steamers so as to be in readiness for prompt transmission to the various destinations on arrival in port. </DL>
<A NAME="seapower">
<B>sea power,</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a nation having a strong navy. <DD><B> 2. </B>naval strength. </DL>
<A NAME="seapurse">
<B>sea purse,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the horny case or pouch that skates, rays, or certain sharks secrete around their eggs to protect them and anchor them especially to rocks or weeds. </DL>
<A NAME="seapuss">
<B>sea puss,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (U.S.) a swirl of the undertow, making a small whirlpool on the surface of the water, which is dangerous to bathers. </DL>
<A NAME="seaquake">
<B>seaquake, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a sudden agitation of the sea caused by a volcanic eruption or earthquake at the bottom of the sea. </DL>
<A NAME="sear">
<B>sear</B> (1), verb, noun, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>v.t. </I> <B>1a. </B>to burn or char the surface of. <BR> <I>Ex. The hot iron seared the cloth. The trees were seared by lightning.</I> <DD><B> b. </B>to brown (meat) very quickly in a hot oven or pan. <BR> <I>Ex. to sear a roast.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>(Figurative.) to make hard and unfeeling. <BR> <I>Ex. a more seared and callous conscience than even Nero himself (Henry Fielding).</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>to cause to dry up; wither; blight. <BR> <I>Ex. The hot summer sun seared the grain.</I> <DD><I>v.i. </I> <B>1. </B>to become dry, burned, or hard. <DD><B> 2. </B>(Figurative.) to become hardened or callous. <BR> <I>Ex. Her conscience sears (William Morris).</I> <DD><I>noun </I> a mark made by searing. <DD><I>adj. </I> dried up; sere. </DL>
<A NAME="sear">
<B>sear</B> (2), noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the pivoted piece in a gunlock that holds the hammer at full cock or half cock until released by the trigger. </DL>
<A NAME="searaven">
<B>sea raven,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a large fish with a long, spiny dorsal fin, a variety of sculpin common on the North Atlantic coast of America. </DL>
<A NAME="search">
<B>search, </B>verb, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>v.i. </I> to try to find by looking; seek. <BR> <I>Ex. We searched all day for the lost kitten.</I> <DD><I>v.t. </I> <B>1. </B>to go over carefully in trying to find something. <DD><B> 2. </B>to examine, especially for something concealed. <BR> <I>Ex. to search one's baggage. The boys searched the entire cave for the hidden treasure.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>to look through (as writings or records) in order to discover if certain things are there. <BR> <I>Ex. Search the scriptures (John 5:39).</I> <DD><B> 4. </B>to examine by probing. <BR> <I>Ex. The doctor searched the wound for the bullet.</I> <DD><B> 5. </B>to pierce; penetrate, as of wind, cold, or firearms. <DD><B> 6. </B>(Archaic.) to look for; try to find. <BR> <I>Ex. My fancy ranging thro' and thro', to search a meaning for the song (Tennyson).</I> <DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>the act of searching; examination. <BR> <I>Ex. to give up the search, the search after knowledge. I found my book after a long search.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>the act of stopping and examining a neutral vessel on the high seas in time of war to discover if it is violating neutrality. <BR><I>expr. <B>in search of,</B> </I>trying to find; looking for. <BR> <I>Ex. The boys went in search of their lost dog. [He] has been voyaging lately in search of fresh talent (Manchester Guardian Weekly).</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>search me,</B> (U.S. Slang.) <DD><B> a. </B>I don't have it. </I> <I>Ex. "Where is my book?" "Search me."</I> <DD><B> b. </B>I don't know. <BR> <I>Ex. "Why does he act so strangely?" "Search me."</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>search out,</B> <DD><B> a. </B>to find by searching. </I> <I>Ex. He searched out all the facts of the case.</I> <DD><B> b. </B>to look for. <BR> <I>Ex. His primary object is to search out the truth (Weekly Times).</I> adj. <B>searchable.</B> noun <B>searcher.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="searchcoil">
<B>search coil,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a small coil of insulated wire used for measuring the strength of magnetic fields by means of the currents induced in the coil. </DL>
<A NAME="searching">
<B>searching, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>examining carefully; thorough. <BR> <I>Ex. a searching investigation.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>keenly observant; penetrating. <BR> <I>Ex. a searching gaze or look; ... the searching eye of heaven (Shakespeare).</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>piercing; sharp; keen. <BR> <I>Ex. a searching wind.</I> adv. <B>searchingly.</B> noun <B>searchingness.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="searchlight">
<B>searchlight, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a powerful light that can throw a very bright beam of light in any direction. <DD><B> 2. </B>the beam of light so thrown. <BR> <I>Ex. The searchlights had begun their nightly wanderings (John Galsworthy).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="searchparty">
<B>search party,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a group of persons searching for someone or something lost or hiding. </DL>
<A NAME="searchwarrant">
<B>search warrant,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a written court order authorizing the search of a house or building, as for stolen goods, criminals, and illegal narcotics. </DL>
<A NAME="searing">
<B>searing, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> that sears; burning; scorching. adv. <B>searingly.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="searingiron">
<B>searing iron,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> an iron which is heated for use as in cauterizing or branding. </DL>
<A NAME="searisk">
<B>sea risk,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> risk or hazard at sea; danger of injury or destruction by the sea. </DL>
<A NAME="searobber">
<B>sea robber,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a pirate. (SYN) corsair, buccaneer. </DL>
<A NAME="searobin">
<B>sea robin,</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>any fish of a group of marine gurnards with a large head, mailed cheeks, and separate pectoral rays, especially certain reddish or brown American species. <DD><B> 2. </B><B>=red-breasted merganser.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="searoom">
<B>sea room,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> space at sea free from obstruction, in which a ship can easily and safely sail, tack, or turn around. <BR> <I>Ex. The sloop ... at length ... recovered sea room enough to weather the Point of Warroch (Scott).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="searoute">
<B>sea route,</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a path or course followed by or mapped out for ships. <BR> <I>Ex. Whenever it is decided that a sea-route is "essential to the trade and economy of the nation," ships using the route are entitled to a subsidy (Atlantic).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>markings on a chart giving point of departure, course, and destination for a ship's voyage. </DL>
<B>sea salt,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> salt (sodium chloride) obtained by the evaporation of seawater. </DL>
<A NAME="seascape">
<B>seascape, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a picture of a scene or scenery at sea. <BR> <I>Ex. The work in the current showing consists principally of landscapes, seascapes, and still lifes (New Yorker).</I> (SYN) marine. <DD><B> 2. </B>a view of scenery on the sea. <BR> <I>Ex. The landing ... offers a large, beautiful seascape (Atlantic).</I> </DL>
<B>sea scout,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a boy trained in seamanship by the Boy Scout organization. </DL>
<A NAME="seascouting">
<B>sea scouting,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> training in seamanship by the Boy Scout organization. </DL>
<A NAME="seaserpent">
<B>sea serpent,</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a huge, snakelike animal said to have been repeatedly seen at sea. <DD><B> 2. </B><B>=sea snake </B>(def. 1). </DL>
<A NAME="seaserpent">
<B>Sea Serpent,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the southern constellation Hydra. </DL>
<A NAME="seashell">
<B>sea shell,</B> or <B>seashell, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the shell of any sea animal, especially a mollusk, such as an oyster, conch, or abalone. </DL>
<A NAME="seashore">
<B>seashore, </B>noun, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>the land at the edge of a sea; shore; coast. <BR> <I>Ex. The waves broke over the seashore damaging the coastal road and many houses.</I> (SYN) seacoast. <DD><B> 2. </B>the area between the lines of ordinary high tide and ordinary low tide. <DD><I>adj. </I> of or at the seashore. <BR> <I>Ex. a seashore resort.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="seasick">
<B>seasick, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> sick because of a ship's motion. </DL>
<A NAME="seasickness">
<B>seasickness, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> sickness caused by a ship's motion. </DL>
<A NAME="seaside">
<B>seaside, </B>noun, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> the land along the sea; seacoast; seashore. <BR> <I>Ex. a hotel at the seaside.</I> <DD><I>adj. </I> of or at the seaside. <BR> <I>Ex. a seaside hotel.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="seasideplantain">
<B>seaside plantain,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> any one of various rushlike plantains found especially on beaches and cliffs, at the seashore. The leaves of some have been used in medicine to lessen inflammation. </DL>
<A NAME="seasidesparrow">
<B>seaside sparrow,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a dingy, grayish sparrow with a yellow mark in front of the eye, found in saltwater marshes from Massachusetts to Florida and Texas. </DL>
<A NAME="seaslug">
<B>sea slug,</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>any marine gastropod of a group lacking shells in the adult state, and somewhat resembling land slugs; nudibranch. <DD><B> 2. </B><B>=sea cucumber.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="seasnail">
<B>sea snail,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a marine gastropod with a spiral shell resembling a helix, such as the periwinkle. </DL>
<A NAME="seasnake">
<B>sea snake,</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>any one of a family of poisonous snakes with finlike tails that live in tropical seas. <BR> <I>Ex. The true sea snakes have a poison as deadly as that of the cobra (Science News Letter).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B><B>=sea serpent </B>(def. 1). </DL>
