<B>selective, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>having the power to select; selecting. <DD><B> 2. </B>having to do with selection. <DD><B> 3. </B>responding to oscillations of a certain frequency only. When a selective radio is tuned to one station, those on other wave lengths are excluded. adv. <B>selectively.</B> noun <B>selectiveness.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="selectivebuying">
<B>selective buying,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (U.S.) a boycott. <BR> <I>Ex. "a massive wave of sit-ins, picketing, and selective buying campaigns" if integration demands are not met (New York Times).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="selectiveservice">
<B>selective service,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> compulsory military service; draft; conscription. </DL>
<A NAME="selectiveservicesystem">
<B>Selective Service System,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> an agency of the United States government responsible for the selection of persons from the total manpower of the United States for compulsory military service, as established by Federal law. </DL>
<A NAME="selectivity">
<B>selectivity, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the quality of being selective. <BR> <I>Ex. Caution in the financial district ... has made for great selectivity in buying of securities (Wall Street Journal).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>the property of a circuit, instrument, or the like, by virtue of which it responds to electric oscillations of a particular frequency to the exclusion of others. </DL>
<A NAME="selectman">
<B>selectman, </B>noun, pl. <B>-men.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a member of a board of town officers in New England (exclusive of Rhode Island), chosen each year to manage the town's affairs. </DL>
<A NAME="selector">
<B>selector, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a person who selects or chooses. <DD><B> 2. </B>a mechanical or electrical device that selects. <BR> <I>Ex. Cars with automatic transmissions have selectors with which the driver may choose the gear he wishes.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>a settler in Australia who acquires land cheaply from the government. </DL>
<A NAME="selenate">
<B>selenate, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a salt of selenic acid. </DL>
<A NAME="selene">
<B>Selene, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Greek Mythology.) the goddess of the moon, daughter of Hyperion and Thea, and later identified with Artemis. The Romans called her Luna. </DL>
<A NAME="selenic">
<B>selenic, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>of selenium. <DD><B> 2. </B>containing selenium, especially with a valence of six. </DL>
<A NAME="selenicacid">
<B>selenic acid,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a strong, corrosive dibasic acid resembling sulfuric acid. In a water solution, selenic acid can dissolve gold and copper. </DL>
<A NAME="selenide">
<B>selenide, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a compound of selenium with a more electropositive element or radical. </DL>
<A NAME="seleniferous">
<B>seleniferous, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> containing or yielding selenium, as ore. </DL>
<A NAME="selenious">
<B>selenious, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>of selenium. <DD><B> 2. </B>containing selenium, especially with a valence of four. </DL>
<A NAME="seleniousacid">
<B>selenious acid,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a dibasic acid formed from selenium and nitric acid, used as a chemical reagent. </DL>
<A NAME="selenite">
<B>selenite</B> (1), noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a salt of selenious acid. </DL>
<A NAME="selenite">
<B>selenite</B> (2), noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a variety of gypsum found in transparent crystals and foliated masses. </DL>
<A NAME="selenium">
<B>selenium, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a rare, nonmetallic chemical element found with sulfur in various ores. Selenium exists in several allotropic forms. Because its electrical conductivity increases with the intensity of light striking it, it is used in photoelectric cells. </DL>
<A NAME="seleniumcell">
<B>selenium cell,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a photoelectric cell consisting of selenium placed between electrodes, valued for certain optical experiments because of the property of selenium of varying in electrical resistance under the action of light. </DL>
<A NAME="selenocentric">
<B>selenocentric, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>having to do with the center of the moon. <DD><B> 2. </B>with the moon as center. <BR> <I>Ex. a selenocentric orbit.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="selenodesist">
<B>selenodesist, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> an expert in selenodesy. <BR> <I>Ex. The Lunar Orbiter also carried a micrometeorite detector and enabled selenodesists to obtain more accurate data on the Moon's shape and gravitational field from precise tracking of the artificial satellite's orbit (N. J. Trask and H. E. Holt).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="selenodesy">
<B>selenodesy, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the study of the dimensions, gravity, and other physical characteristics of the moon; <BR> <I>Ex. A rapidly developing field appears to be lunar geodesy, a specialty the geodesists call "selenodesy" (Science).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="selenographer">
<B>selenographer, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a person who studies selenography. <BR> <I>Ex. When a telescope user ceases to look at the moon in a merely desultory manner and begins to observe it, he has begun to be a selenographer (Scientific American).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="selenographic">
<B>selenographic, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> of or having to do with selenography. </DL>
<A NAME="selenographicchart">
<B>selenographic chart,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a map of the moon. </DL>
<B>selenography, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the science dealingwith the moon, especially its physical features. </DL>
<A NAME="selenological">
<B>selenological, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> of or having to do with selenology. </DL>
<A NAME="selenologist">
<B>selenologist, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a person who studies selenology. </DL>
<A NAME="selenology">
<B>selenology, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the science dealing with the moon, especially its astronomical features. </DL>
<A NAME="selenotropic">
<B>selenotropic, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Botany.) turning toward the moon; taking a particular direction under the influence of the moon's light. </DL>
<A NAME="selenotropism">
<B>selenotropism, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> selenotropic tendency or movement. </DL>
<B>Seleucid, </B>noun, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> one of the Seleucidae. <DD><I>adj. </I> of or having to do with the Seleucidae. </DL>
<A NAME="seleucidae">
<B>Seleucidae, </B>noun pl.<DL COMPACT><DD> a dynasty that reigned in Syria, Persia, Bactria, and elsewhere in western Asia from 312 to 64 B.C. It was founded by Seleucus I, one of the generals of Alexander the Great. </DL>
<A NAME="self">
<B>self, </B>noun, pl. <B>selves,</B> adjective, pronoun, pl. <B>selves,</B> verb.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>one's own person. <BR> <I>Ex. his very self, her sweet self.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>one's own welfare or interests. <BR> <I>Ex. It is a good thing to think more of others and less of self. A selfish person puts self first.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>the character of a person; nature of a thing. <BR> <I>Ex. She does not seem like her former self. It seemed ... as if he had two distinct yet kindred selves (H. G. Wells).</I> <DD><B> 4. </B>(Philosophy.) the individual consciousness of a being in its relationship to its own self. <DD><B> 5. </B>a flower that is the same color throughout. <DD><I>adj. </I> being the same throughout; all of one kind, quality, color, or material. (SYN) uniform. <DD><I>pron. </I> myself; himself; herself; yourself. <BR> <I>Ex. a check made payable to self.</I> <DD><I>v.t., v.i. </I> to fertilize (a flower) with its own pollen. <BR> <I>Ex. Several inbred lines from a parent rose are being produced by "selfing." Each of these lines will be further selfed (Science News Letter).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="self">
<B>self-,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (prefix.) <DD><B> 1. </B>of or over oneself. <BR> <I>Ex. Self-conscious = conscious of oneself. Self-control = control over oneself.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>by or in oneself or itself; without outside aid. <BR> <I>Ex. Self-inflicted = inflicted by oneself. Self-evident = evident in itself.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>to or for oneself. <BR> <I>Ex. Self-addressed = addressed to oneself. Self-respect = respect for oneself.</I> <DD><B> 4. </B>oneself (as object). <BR> <I>Ex. Self-defeating = defeating oneself.</I> <DD><B> 5. </B>automatic or automatically. <BR> <I>Ex. Self-winding = winding automatically.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="selfabandonment">
<B>self-abandonment, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> disregard of self or of self-interest. </DL>
<A NAME="selfabasement">
<B>self-abasement, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> abasement of self; humiliation of oneself. </DL>
<A NAME="selfabhorrence">
<B>self-abhorrence, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> abhorrence or detestation of oneself. </DL>
<B>self-acknowledged, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> acknowledged by oneself. </DL>
<A NAME="selfacting">
<B>self-acting, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>working of itself. <BR> <I>Ex. a self-acting machine.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>acting automatically without the manipulation or mechanism which would otherwise be required. <BR> <I>Ex. the self-acting feed of a boring mill.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="selfaction">
<B>self-action, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> action that is independent of external impulse. </DL>
<A NAME="selfactive">
<B>self-active, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> acting of or by itself; acting independently of external impulse. </DL>
<A NAME="selfactivity">
<B>self-activity. </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> inherent or intrinsic power of acting or moving. </DL>
<A NAME="selfactor">
<B>self-actor, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a self-acting machine or part of a machine. </DL>
