S.M.P.T.E. Leader Film

General

Another word for academy leader.

saddle Carpentry

General
A gable roof that is put on the back side of a chimney on an inclining roof to get rid of debris and rainwater.

Safety Film

General

A second take that is done as a backup after the first successful take.

Sama Anime / Manga

General

Sama is an honorific term used in anime that translated means Mrs. or Mr. They are used to signify respect.  They are not normally used in conversion.

sampler quilt Quilting

General
A type of quilt made from a group of blocks in various patterns with frequently no pattern repeated, the size of the blocks may be different.

San Anime / Manga

General

San is an honorific term used in anime that translated means Mrs. or Mr. San is used when a person of equal social status is being addressed and the person wishes to be more formal.

Sandbag Film

Equipment

A bag made of cloth that contains two chambers for sand; the bag is placed over the legs of a light-stand to lend it some weight for greater stability. 

sandblasting Welding

Technical
A simple way of cleaning metals prior to welding and painting; sand is blasted with high force at a metal section in order to abrade its surface.

sandy soil Gardening

General
A kind of soil that contains big soil particles.

Sanquine Art Materials and General Art Terms

Product

A chalk that is a reddish brown color.

Sans Serif Typeface Graphic Design

General

Sans serif typeface is a kind of typeface that does not include serifs (such as Swiss or Helvetica).  The weight of the stroke is frequently uniform.  And usually the stress is oblique (however, there do exist exceptions to these general rules).

Saponification Art Materials and General Art Terms

General

The way in which a paint binder changes into a discolored or transparent state.  This process occurs due to alkaline conditions or as a result of the paint being in a moist environment. 
 

sapwood Carpentry

General
Wood layers near the bark that are active in the life of a tree.

Sartorius Artist Anatomy

General

Part of the hip and thigh section of the body, the sartorius includes the anterior superior iliac spine of pelvis.    It is located at the upper medial surface of the tibia.    It is responsible for flexing the leg at both the hip and the knee, and rotating the leg from side-to-side.

sash Carpentry

General
The framework that supports window glass.

sashiko Quilting

General
A type of Japanese stitchery that resembles quilting.

sashing Quilting

Technical
Separating the blocks of the quilt by framing them and enlarging the quilt, sashing with squares and continuous sashing are the two kinds of sashing.

sashing with squares Quilting

General
An unseamed piece of fabric that is placed between blocks and positioned with squares at block intersections.

sashing, pieced Quilting

Technical
A strip of patchwork material that is placed between the block units.

sashing, pieced Quilting

General
An unseamed piece of fabric that is palced between blocks.

satin stitch Quilting

General
A side-to-side tightly spaced stitch that looks like satin in appearance.

Satinwood Painting

Product

A type of water-based paint finish that contains a soft sheen when dried. 

saturation Color

General

The amount of brightness of a hue; the amount of purity of a hue. Chroma. Intensity.

scaffold Carpentry

Equipment
A non-permanent structure that functions as a system to hold materials and workers while a building is being constructed.

scale Quilting

General
The relative size of one item to the next.

scale Carpentry

General
Referring to the reduced size of a drawing. Example, in a 1/3" scale plan, everything 1/3" equals 1' on the actual structure.

Scale (proportion) Art Perspective

General

Scale in drawing refers to the proportion or ratio that defines the size relationships.  Models, architectural plans, maps and paintings/drawings all use scale to create the illusion of correct size relationships between objects and figures. 

Scaling Graphic Design

Technical

Scaling refers to the enlarging or reducing of a piece of artwork that may be either proportional or disproportional to the original piece.

Scanback Print Making

Equipment

A scanback is a professional back for large format studio photography.  The majority of scanbacks can make files of 300 – 500 MB.  They are scanned right onto a computer.  The drawback is that they are very expensive and to make them requires a person to have extensive photographic knowledge.   

Scanner

Equipment

A scanner is an input device that takes artwork and puts it into a digital file.  It works by using the sensitivity of light to translate the image into a pattern of dots.  Various kinds of scanners exist.  Examples of scanners include drum scanner, digital scanner, transparency scanner, scanback and flatbed scanner.

scantling Carpentry

Product
Lumber that contains measurements of cross sections from 2 inches x 4 inches to 4 inches x 4 inches.

scarfing Carpentry

Technical
Attaching the ends of stock by an inclining lap-joint with the end purpose of making them seem to be one piece.

Scene Film

General

A scene is a single film shot.  The term “sequence” is used when referring to a number of film shots.  Sometimes “scene” is used to refer to a number of shots, but it is better to say “sequence” in order to avoid any confusion.

scored concrete Interior Decorating

General
Concrete that is etched while still damp to give the effect of tile.

scotia Carpentry

Product
A type of molding that is concave and irregular in profile. It is used for cornice trim as well as placed beneath stair treads.

scrap quilt Quilting

General
A quilt that is created out of several pieces of various fabrics, frequently these pieces are extra pieces of fabric from past quilting projects.

Scratch Film

General

A scratch may occur on the base or on the emulsion.  Damage to the film is unfixable if the scratch is made on the emulsion.  Scratching the base can be fixed with wet gate printing. 

Scratch Mix Film

General

A mix along with some sound correction completed prior to the final mix.  A scratch mix is done to screen the film along with the correct use of the sounds to analyze if any alterations need to be done.  A scratch mix is usually only completed on big productions because producing one can be expensive.

Scratch Test Film

Technical

A test done to ensure that the magazines or the camera are not scratching the film.  The test is completed prior to shooting by running a roll of film 1-2 feet and analyzing the film as it comes out. 

Scratch Track Film

General

A sync recording that causes the sound information to be useless to anybody, except for dubbing actor voices, or for the sound editor to use the information for sound references.

screed Carpentry

Equipment
An instrument utilized in working with concrete in order to flatten a horizontal surface and make it level. It is created out of a piece of metal or wood joined to a pole.

Screen (tint) Graphic Design

General

A screen is a dotted fill pattern used in graphic arts that is described in percentage (such as 30 percent screen).

Screen Font Graphic Design

General

Screen resolution bitmaps of type characters that display the layout and size of the characters seen on the screen.  Screen font is not the same as printer font; printer font may include font outline masters or high-resolution bitmaps.

Script Calligraphy

General

Script is simply writing that is done by hand.  It is often used to refer to a cursive style of writing.

Scumble Glaze Painting

Product

A colored thin layer of an acrylic glaze or transparent paint over a surface.

Scumbling Art Materials and General Art Terms

Technical

A painting technique that involves applying layers of translucent or opaque paint on a painted area.  The technique is used to change the hue or look of the surface while maintaining at least a portion of the painted image underneath.

scuttle Carpentry

General
A place in a ceiling that allows once to enter the attic.

Seagrass Carpets/Rugs

General

A type of marine plant that grows in the countries of Vietnam and China.

seam Quilting

General
The joining together of two pieces of material with stitching.

seam allowance Quilting

General
The amount of space between a raw edge and a seam.

seam line Quilting

General
The guiding line someone follows while stitching a piece of fabric.

seam welding Welding

Technical
A process by which a continuous seam is created from two pieces of sheet metal using resistance welding. Seam welding is a type of spot welding.

seasoning Carpentry

Technical
Taking out the moisture from green wood to in order to make it useful for other purposes.

Secco Art Materials and General Art Terms

Technical

An Italian term meaning “dry.”  It is a technique of creating paintings on walls that involves applying paint directly on dry or lime plaster.  The plaster is moistened prior to any paint application. 

second growth Carpentry

General
Timber growth from the time of a previous significant cut.

Second Sticks! Film

General

A phrase called out by the cameraperson to signal to the person with the slate to mark the shot a second time based on the condition that the clapper on the slate could not be seen the first time the shot was being marked.

secondary color Color

General
A color created from mixing two primary colors. Orange, purple and green.

secondary color Color

General
A color created by mixing two primary colors.

section drawing Carpentry

General
A kind of drawing that visualizes what a section of a structure will appear to be after being cut by a vertical plane.

seedling Gardening

General
A new plant originating from seed rather from cuttings.

Seinen Anime / Manga

General

Seinen is a category of anime and manga that is directed towards men.  It may involve pornographic material.  In the United States the equivalent of seinen is mature audiences.

Seiyuu Anime / Manga

General

Seiyuu is a term that refers to a Japanese voice actor.

 

Selects Film

General

Selects are the shots separated from all the other shots prior to starting the editing process in order to make the process more efficient.
 
 

self-sowing Gardening

General
Plants that are sown to the ground by their own propagation.

selvage Quilting

General
The finished edge on every side of a piece of material going lengthwise.

selvage Carpentry

General
The section of the width of roll roofing that is flat.

semi-etagere Interior Decorating

General
Furniture that contains open shelves for the placement of ornaments.

Semimembranosus Artist Anatomy

General

Part of the hip and thigh section of the body, the semimembranosus includes the ischial tuberosity.    It is located at the medial condyle of the tibia.      The function of the semimembranosus is to pull the thigh backwards, bend the leg at the knee, and rotate the lower leg inward.

seminole patchwork Quilting

General
A kind of strip piecing that began by the Seminole Indians. The method takes strips of material and then joins them together lengthwise creating a bigger piece. This bigger "strip set" is then cut at set measurements over the seam lines in order to create segments. These segments in turn are repositioned and stitched into patchwork patterns.

semiopaque Color

General
Partially opaque.

Semitendinosus Artist Anatomy

General

Part of the hip and thigh section of the body, the semitendinosus includes the ischial tuberosity.  It is located at the medial condyle of tibia.    The function of the semitendinosus is to pull the thigh backwards, rotate it inwards, and bend the leg at the knee.

semitransparent Color

General
Partially transparent.

Senpai Anime / Manga

General

Senpai is an honorific term in anime that is used to signify that a person is an elder, senior or upperclassmen.  Senpai is used to address a person who holds a higher position than a person of the same social class.

Senpai / Sempai Anime / Manga

General

The term refers to a title addressed to an upperclassman or an individual who is senior to the person speaking. 

Sensei Anime / Manga

General

Sensei is an honorific term in anime that translated means “teacher.”

septic tank Carpentry

Product
A tank that functions as a system to hold sludgem from sewage flow in order to ensure a set amount of decomposition of organic sludge solids by bacteria.

Serif Calligraphy

General

Serif is the shorthand device or pen stroke that ends the main stroke of a letter’s form.  Examples of serif include the hook or hairline.

Serigraph Print Making

Product

A serigraph is a term describing silkscreen prints or prints that contain flat color that is layered to create an image.  Since each color needs a different screen, serigraph is an expensive process to make a limited edition.

Serigraphy Animation

General

A method by which limited editions are made by carefully screening the hues of an image on the backside of an acetate animation cel or on the top of canvas or art paper with each hue layered one at a time. 

Serratus Anterior Artist Anatomy

General

Part of the torso, the serratus anterior is located beneath the scapula to its medial edge.  It is responsible for moving the scapula from side-to-side.  The arm is able to raise above the shoulder by means of the serratus anterior rolling its inferior angle upward. 

set or setting Quilting

Technical
The positioning of the various design elements on the front of a quilt

Set Width Graphic Design

Technical

The horizontal width of characters in typography; the typefaces contain different horizontal set widths of each character (Times, for example, contains a narrow set width).  Also, set widths of single characters differ in typeset copy based upon the shape of the character and the characters around it.

setting block Carpentry

General
A block of wood put on a glass grove or rabbet of the lowermost rail in order to create a foundation for the glass.

setting square Quilting

General
The non-print block piece that is placed between appliqued blocks or patchwork blocks in an alternate plain block set.

setting triangle Quilting

General
A triangle that is positioned between the blocks of a diagonal-set quilt. "Half-block setting triangle" is another name for this term.

setting-in Quilting

Technical
The method of sewing pieces of fabric inside the openings between other finished pieces.

Sfumato Painting

Technical

A type of fine art painting technique that involves the softening of hard outlines through the use of gradual blending of tones into each other through thin glazes; its purpose is to create the illusion of space.  Fumare (to smoke) is the Latin origin of the word.   Leonardo da Vinci is credit with coining the term.  Chiaroscuro is a painting technique that is opposite to it. 

Sgraffito Art Materials and General Art Terms

Technical

A decorative technique of cutting into a surface in order to reveal other various contrasting colors beneath it.

shadow applique Quilting

Technical
A method by which a motifs for applique are cut to the final sizes and then positioned on a piece of fabric.

shakes Carpentry

Product
Shingles that are handsplit.

Shallow Space Art Perspective

General

Shallow space refers to a 2D flat space that may have width and density, but contains only a limited amount of depth.  For example, a picket fence is an example of an object that demonstrates shallow space because of its lack of depth.  

shantung Interior Decorating

Product
A rough, nubby surface fabric created out of silk.

Shape Drawing

General

Shape refers to an area that is defined by an edge on a 2D surface plane.  A shape is its own item – it is contained by a border and is separated from the other shapes in the area. 

Sharpie Film

Product

A brand name permanent felt-tipped marker.  Sharpies are used to label exposed rolls. 

sharps Quilting

General
All-purpose needles in sewing that are often utilized in basting, patchwork piecing, appliqueing.

sheathing Carpentry

Product
A covering for the structure built. The covering is made out of panels or boards joined to the outside studing or rafters of the edifice.

sheathing paper Carpentry

Product
A type of material that prevents air from flowing in or out of a space; it is used on floors, walls and roofs.

Shellac Art Materials and General Art Terms

Product

A yellowish resin made into varnish; shellac is created from the secretions of the LAC insect. 

shielded-metal arc welding Welding

Technical
The flux coating located on top of a metal rod. Also called stick welding.

shim Carpentry

Product
A piece of wood that is utilized in leveling wood pieces such as when trying to set a window frame or door. Also used in plumbing.

shiplap Carpentry

Product
Lumber containing rabbeted edges in order to create a lap joint in the middle of pieces positioned next to each other.

shirr Interior Decorating

General
A gathering of fabric upon a rod for a window or dust ruffle for a bed.

Shojo / Shuojo Anime / Manga

General

The term refers to anime that focuses on manga stemming from girls’ magazines.  However, in the United States the term refers to manga and anime that is directed at girls.

Shojo Ai Anime / Manga

General

Shojo Ai translates to “girl love.”  The term references to plots involving girl couples that focus on their growing romantic relationship as opposed to erotic sexual behavior.  It is not often shown in the United States.

Shonen Ai / Shuonen Ai Anime / Manga

General

The term translates to “boy love.”  The term references to plots involving male couples.  Currently, it is not fashionable in Japan.  However, the term is used in United States to refer to storylines regarding the relationship between homosexuals.  However, rather than revolve around any erotic sexual behavior, the term refers to their relationship that is built on a growing romance.

Shooting Ratio Film

General

The proportion of the quantity of film shot in relation to the running time of the completed film.  For example, a 4 minute film that one shot 40 minutes of footage would be said to have a shooting ratio of 10 to 1.

shop weld Welding

Technical
A frequently used practice of welding subassemblies in a shop prior to moving them on-site for the metal project's final completion.

shoring Carpentry

General
Wood that lessens the shifting of the ground next to an excavation site. The term also refers to timber that functions as a temporary support.

Short-ends Film

Equipment

The remainder of a roll of film that is unexposed in a magazine that is clipped and put into a can for future use.  In order to be called a short-end, the film has to be less than four hundred feet. 

Shot Film

General

The term given to exposed film starting from the moment the camera starts to when it stops.  A shot is also known as a “scene.” 

shrink-to-fit / shrink to fit Computer

General

 Shrink-to-fit refers to a method of laying out absolutely positioned elements.  It closely resembles figuring out a table cell’s width through the use of automatic table layout algorithms.  Frequently, the user agent tries to discover the minimum element width that will envelop the content and wrap several lines only if the wrapping is unavoidable.  


shrub Gardening

General
A plant that contains multiple stems of woody branches.

shutter Carpentry

Product
A structure made out of rails and stiles to create a frame structure. It contains panels that function along with window frames and doors.

side of trim Carpentry

General
The trim that is needed to complete a window opening or a door's side.

Sidebar Graphic Design

General

A block of information or a story relating to other text which is placed separately from the main body text.  Frequently the sidebar is screened or boxed to separate and distinguish it from the main text.

siding Carpentry

Product
One of several types of covering finishes put upon the exterior wall of a frame building.

Sighting Drawing

General

Sighting in drawing or painting refers to the measurement of figures/objects in a visual way between other figures/objects in the composition. 

Signature Business Art

General

A signature may refer to the artist’s signature on a print after the printing process, or it may refer to the signature on the plate itself. 

signature document Quilting

General
A label placed on the back of a quilt to let other people know the name of the quiltmaker, where the quilt was created and the date the quilt was finished.

Signed and Numbered Business Art

General

A print that has been signed and numbered means that the artist’s signature (usually in pencil) and the number of the edition has been put on it. 

Signed Only Business Art

General

A print that is signed only means that the print has the artist’s signature on it, but it is not numbered.  A signed only print is often known as an “open edition.”

Silent Camera Film

Equipment

A silent camera is the term given to a type of noisy camera that can only be used for scenes that do not require sound (because it is so noisy).

Silhouette Drawing

General

A silhouette is simply a 2D shape that is set against a light background in sharp contrast to its own dark tone.

Silicate Art Materials and General Art Terms

General

A material made up of oxygen, silicon and metal.

Silk Textiles

General

A natural fiber that is soft and luxurious; it may be woven into many different types of weights.   Most often silk is made from cultivated worms.

Silk Emulsion Painting

Product

A type of water-based acrylic or vinyl paint that contains a soft sheen.  It is a durable, hardwearing paint that comes in either a satin or matte finish.

sill Carpentry

General
The member of a structure's frame that sits on the lowest level of the main support of the frame.

Silverpoint Art Materials and General Art Terms

Product

A process of drawing using a piece of silver wire to draw on ground that has been prepared with Chinese white. Da Vinci is one example of an artist who used this method to create many of his drawings.  The technique allows one to create many strokes and faulty marks before finding the “ideal” mark on a drawing because the silver wire leaves only a small trace of metal at each stroke. 

Similar (...in math terms) Math

Technical

Figures that have the same shape, but are not the same in size. 

simultaneous contrast Color

General
The result that happens when two colors are placed side by side and viewed together or one after the other.

single binding Quilting

General
A one-layered piece of fabric used to cover the raw edge of a quilt.

Single Reel Film

Equipment

A single reel is approximately one thousand feet of film in 35mm.

Single System Film

Technical

The recording, editing or projecting of picture and sound on the same piece of film, as opposed to other kinds of cameras that may record them separately.  Using a single system brings along with it a few editing disadvantages.  For this reason, it is normal to use a double system for shooting and editing.

single-block quilt Quilting

General
A quilt pattern that showcases one very big block as the top of the quilt.

Sinopia Art Materials and General Art Terms

Product

A reddish brown chalk that can be used to draw out frescoes.  It can also be used to create sketches and preparatory drawings for other works. 

Sisal Carpets/Rugs

General

An African and South American low-cost grass that may be tightly or roughly woven together.

Situationism Art Styles/Movements

General

(1957-1972)
Artists impacted by the 20th century avant-gardes, Lettrism,  Surrealism, Dada, Marxism ideas formed a small group that came to be known as the art movement Situationism.  The  “suppression of art” was the prime focus of the Lettrist International group.  They, like the Surrealists and Dadaists, wished to fuse together culture and art together, and have them be united in people’s everyday lives. The Situationist International was created in 1957 and spread its ideas throughout Europe into the 1960s.  The group was interested in change – both political and social.  Eventually, the group segmented into three groups, including the Antinational, the Situationist Bauhaus, and the Second Situationist International.  Asger Jorn and Guy Debord were important developers of the movement.  They and others worked to make culture and the totality of a person living in the capitalist system to see art as part of their daily living.  Kronstadt, the Makhnovists, and Spain were major influences of the group.  As the group developed, they made claims that they were not interested in a leadership system or followers of the group; however, in practice, any dissenting minorities were expelled from the group and they were careful about who was allowed to join the group.  In 1972 the first Situationist International fell apart.

 

Size Art Materials and General Art Terms

Product

A substance spread over a surface that acts as a penetrating sealer.  It is used to reduce its absorbency as well as to separate it from other coatings. 

Skeleton Letter Calligraphy

General

The basic form of a letter displaying its most important identifying characteristics. 

Sketch Drawing

General

A sketch is a quickly drawn, usually simple, drawing that is completed often for practice, as a means to remember information for a future piece of artwork, or as a means to decipher the essence of a person, place or thing.  Artists frequently use thumbnail sketches in order to work out the best composition and design for a piece of artwork to save time and prevent mistakes. 

skylight Carpentry

Product
A roof that contains glazing that has been framed.

slag Welding

General
Contamination of the metal from applying heat to a metal section and boiling away dirt and scale from the air. Slag is frequently present over the arc-welded bead in a hardened flux as well as at the kerf from oxyacetylene torch cutting.

slag inclusion Welding

General
Contaminated weld from flux stuck in the weld bead, or dirt from the base metal or welding rod.

Slant Calligraphy

General

In calligraphy, a slant is a letter’s slope in relation from the vertical.

Slant Line Calligraphy

General

In calligraphy, a slant line is a guideline that displays the appropriate slant. 

sleeper Carpentry

General
Timber that acts as support for structures placed on top of it. The term also refers to wood pieces placed in or on a concrete floor to which is then added finish flooring.

slicing Cosmetology

Technical
Slicing is a technique that both refers to hair coloring and cutting.  In relation to hair cutting, slicing is similar to slide cutting, but with the difference that more amounts of hair are taken away than in slide cutting.  This hair technique creates a very defined look. 

 

slide cutting Cosmetology

Technical

A hair cutting method that takes away excessive hair volume without changing the design of the cut encouraged for thick, medium hair.  This method helps to lift hair roots, create softness and adds movement to the hair.  Using this method for thinner hair may alter the intended results and so should be used with caution. 

slipstitch Quilting

General
Also known as an applique stitch. A type of stitch used to join a applique to the main fabric.

Slop Print Film

Product

A black and white dupe print of the work-print that is not timed.  A slop print does not contain splices, and hence is used for projection in a sound mix since the film cannot go out of sync.

Slope (...in math terms) Math

Technical

The measure of a line's steepness as expressed in the form --  >    slope=rise/run. 

Slubbed Yarns Textiles

General

Threads that have a rough texture.

slug Gardening

General
A mammal from the mollusk family. It prefers to live under stones and boards and eat leaves. Leaves that are chewed are often evidence of slug activity.

Slug (film) Film

General

Another term for filler.

Small Caps Graphic Design

General

Small caps are capital letters positioned at the x-height of the font. 
 
 

soap slivers/soapstone pencils Quilting

Product
Instruments that create marks that one can see on dark materials.

soffit Carpentry

General
The bottom side of a structure's members. Examples include beams, arches and staircases.

soft edges Art Materials and General Art Terms

General

An edge is the place where two different colors, textures or values meet.  Edges may be characterized in a variety of ways.  Soft edges blend together, making it difficult to distinguish where one texture/color/value stops and another begins.   

Soft Light Film

General

A light containing a surface built into it that functions as a bounce card.  The end result is a gentle, soft light on the subject matter. 

softwoods Carpentry

General
A group of evergreen trees containing scalelike or needle leaves. Some trees, such as larch, tamarack and cypress are considered softwoods although they are not classified as evergreens. Conifers is another term used for softwoods.

soil stack Carpentry

General
The upright main of a waste, vent piping or soil system.

soil test Gardening

Technical
Soil analysis to figure out its pH level as well as the prescence of nutrients.

solar furnace Carpentry

Product
Also known as thermosiphon.

solar orientation Carpentry

General
Positioning a structure on a building site in order to maximize the amount of sunlight it is exposed to.

Solarization Graphic Design

Technical

Solarization is a photographic image displayed in a manner in which the whites and blacks of the image are black in appearance; the midtones of the image lean more towards white in appearance. 

Sold Out Business Art

General

Sold out means that a limited edition print is no longer available for purchase at the issue price; instead, it is being sold at secondary market prices. 

soldering Welding

Technical
A process of joining metal through the use of molten solder without affecting the base metal; the molten solder adheres to the metal during the cooling process.

sole plate Carpentry

General
The strip on partition framing and walls that is closest to the ground. On a partition, a sole plate is held up by a closed surface, such as a concrete slab.

Soleus Artist Anatomy

General

Part of the lower leg, the soleus includes the posterior surfaces of tibia and fibula.    It is located at the achilles tendon to the bone of the heel.    It works the same way as the gastrocnemius; it is responsible for straightening the joint of the ankle, pointing the left or right foot, or lifting a person onto the ball of his/her foot.

Solid Graphic Design

General

Solid refers to the lines of type that do not contain space between each of the lines.

Solution (...in math terms) Math

Technical

The value of a variable that will make an open statement true. 

Sotto in su Art Perspective

General

In Italian this means "from below upwards."   Used in reference to a ceiling painting wherein the people, figures, and scenes are depicted foreshortened so that they appear to be suspended in space - and not contained within the flat structure of the picture plane. 

Sound Blanket Film

Product

A type of blanket placed on the camera to lessen the camera’s noise.  It is the same as a quilted mover’s blanket.

Sound Reader Film

Equipment

A device that is mounted on a bracket that snaps on a synchronizer; it is plugged into the squawk box.  It is used for reading magazine stock.

Space (drawing) Drawing

General

Space refers to the area between certain points within a drawing or painting.  Edges define space. 

Spacer Film

Equipment

A cylinder made of metal that contains a hole in its center and a plate at its end.  The spacer is used to put reels at equal intervals as the gangs of a synchronizer. 

span Carpentry

General
The measurement length between the supports in a structure. Examples of structure supports include beams, girders and piers.

spatter Welding

General
Accidental droplets that occur along the weld bead.

Special Edition Anime / Manga

Product

A special edition is manga printed in an individual issue or older graphic novel in the original Japanese format (bound on the right side and one reads it from right to left).  However, it should be noted that for the most part, manga is released nowadays “unflipped” in the United States; thus, the term is falling out of usage as it relates to these types of printings.
 
 

Specialist Finish Painting

Product

A type of finish designed for a particular area requiring special treatment.  Examples of such areas may include kitchen cupboards or radiators.  A kitchen cupboard might require a concrete melamine paint, whereas a radiator may require a silicone paint.  Each paint must cater to the particular area it is layered on.

species Gardening

General
A plant classification under a genus.

specific gravity Carpentry

General
The proportion of body weight to water weight of the same volume at a set temperature.

specification Carpentry

General
A document specifying the quality, type and number of materials needed for construction project.

specificity calculations Computer

General

Specificity refers to the weight of a selector ( its importance), along with the declarations related to the selector.  The values of specificity are cumulative with the values organized from right-to-left in importance.  A declaration is given more weight with the !important directive as opposed to non-important declarations.  The declaration keeps the specificity of its selectors; it is taken into account only as it relates to other important declarations.  

 

specimen plant Gardening

General
Also known as an accent plant. Plants that function in a design for a garden. These plants attract attention with their exciting colors and foliage.

spectrum Color

General
The range of colors created when white light goes through a prism - yellow, green blue, purple, orange and red.

Speed! Film

General

This term is called out to signal that the cameras are now rolling.  The term originated from the time when it took a little while for some equipment to get up to speed.

Spicing Tape Film

Product

A kind of clear tape that is used to splice film.  Spicing tape may be purchased in two forms, perforated or un-perforated.  The un-perforated version is used with a Guillotine, and the perforated version is used with a Rivas.   Transparent tape is used with pictures, whereas opaque white tape is used for sound when splicing.

Spider Film

Equipment

Another term for spreader.

Spikes Film

General

Small sections of tape positioned along the legs of furniture or a tripod; spikes are used in order to mark their placements so they can be efficiently returned to those same positions later.

Spine Artist Anatomy

General

A term describing a type of bone convex form, a spine is an elongated sharp ridge.

spiral binding Quilting

General
The material that covers the raw edge of a quilt that is created out of various colored strips.

splash block Carpentry

General
A masonry block that collects and transports roof drainage away from a structure.

Splice Film

Technical

A way of attaching two film pieces in order so they can project as a single un-broken piece.  A splice may be done in 3 ways, including as a cement splice, as a tape splice and as a ultra-sonic splice.  A cement splice is used for the original material, and the tape splice is generally used for editing.  When using Polyester base film, the ultra-sonic splice is used.

spline Carpentry

General
A section of wood inserted within a slot to create a joint for two members.

Split Leather

Technical

Because most hides are too thick for the majority of applications, hides are "split" to create a uniform thickness.  The process is done by a series of machine-cut layers which are then shaved to create uniform skins. 

split primaries Color

General
The six primaries utilized by artists to mix colors; the cool and warm pigment for every primary color.

Split Reel Film

Equipment

A reel that can be screwed apart in order to place film on the core between its two halves.  The film on the core becomes the film on the reel.  One should be careful not to screw the two halves too tightly together, because they may become difficult to separate.

Split Screen Film

General

Usually a split screen is a matte shot separated in the middle of the shot. 

Spool Down Film

Technical

The process of winding a 400 foot roll onto four 100 foot daylight spools in order to use it in a camera that is capable of handling 100 feet of film.  The process is done in total darkness so that the roll remains unexposed.  The film must be wound totally through in one complete cycle and then spooled down.  This ensures that the edge numbers are printed on the correct side and are not printed on the work-print.  

Spot Color Separation Graphic Design

Technical

Spot color separation involves the division of solid pre-mixed ink colors (such as brown or green) in offset printing.

Spot Meter Film

Equipment

A kind of meter used to take reflective light readings with a short telescopic sight.  The telescopic sight makes it possible for a person to take precise readings of a detailed area.

spot welding Welding

Technical
A welding method that uses clamping pressure and electrical resistance heating to bring together sheets of metal.

Spread Graphic Design

General

A spread is the joining of two facing pages that are created to work as a unit in a double-sided document.  A spread also refers to the inner panels of a brochure.

Spreader Film

Equipment

A device that includes 3 arms joined to a central hub that in turn is joined to the base of a tripod.  A spreader prevents the legs of the tripod from collapsing.

Spring Lock Film

Equipment

A spring-loaded clamp that attaches to a rewind in order to turn multiple reels together.

Sprocket Film

Equipment

A roller’s teeth that are capable of intersecting with the perforations in film.  Sprocket holes are the same thing as perf.

Sprue Welding

General
The hole through which a liquid material is poured into; smaller channels called "gates" attach it to the model.  The material leftover from the channel is also termed "sprue."  This extra material is taken off after the investment material is first removed in one of the steps needed to clean up a cast metal scuplture.  

 

Spun Film

Product

The term spun refers to spun glass diffusion material. 

square Carpentry

Equipment
A measurement unit used in construction.

square knot Quilting

General
A knot created out of two reverse half-knots which is often used to tie a quilt.

Square Measures Measures

Technical
  • 1 square inch = 6.452 square
  • =~ s/r//g
  • centimeters144 square inches = 1 square foot = 929.03 square centimeters 
  • =~ s/r//g
  • 9 square feet = 1 square yard = .8361 square meter 
  • 30 1/4 square yards = 1 square rod = 25.292 square meters 
  • 160 square rods or 4,840 square yards or 43,560 square feet = 1 acre = .4047 hectare 
  • 640 acres = 1 square mile = 259 hectares or 2.590 square kilometers

square-within-a-square unit Quilting

General
A square made up of smaller pieces by putting together the hypotenuse edges of four triangles along the sides of an on-point square or diagonally set square.

squared/butted corner seam Quilting

General
A seam created as one piece's edge is sewn alongside another edge at a 90 degree angle. This seam follows the same direction as the sides of the quilt. Often times bindings are finished with this type of seam.

Squaring Up Art Materials and General Art Terms

General

A way to transfer a picture to a bigger or smaller format without changing the picture’s proportions. 

squaring-off end of fabric Quilting

Technical
A method of cutting one edge of a piece of material so it lands perpendicular to the side next to it.

Squawk Box Film

Equipment

A little amplified speaker that is placed on an editing bench to take in sounds from the sound reader.

stain Color

General
Dye; the absorption of a transparent colorant by a particular surface material.

stained-glass applique Quilting

Technical
A method of taking black bias strips and blindstitching them over the raw edges of material pieces that are basted onto another piece of material. The intent is to replicate the effect of leading in stained-glass windows.

stairway, stair, or stairs Carpentry

General
A number of steps with small platforms; they are frequently used to allow for passge between two building levels.

stairwell Carpentry

General
An opening for the placement of stairs.

stake Gardening

General
A framework that plants use to hang on so they do not fall over.

Standing Elements Graphic Design

General

Elements in a page design that are repeated in an identical manner in every page in both content and page position.  Footers with automatic page numbers are examples of standing elements.
 
 

Standoff Graphic Design

General

Standoff is the amount of space that exists between two text blocks that wrap, or a graphic and a clock of text.

static position Computer

General

 Static position refers to one type of layout of absolutely positioned elements.  If an element is in a ‘static position’ it is placed where its edge would normally be positioned.


static positioning Computer

General

Static positioning is one way that an element can be positioned with CSS.  If an element is positioned statically, the box of the element is created as normal.  Block-level elements create a rectangular box that is part of the flow of the document.  Inline-level boxes create one or multiple line boxes that flow inside the element’s of their par 

station mark Carpentry

General
A point of reference; the place at which a level-transit is positioned.

Station Point Art Perspective

General

A station point is used in linear perspective as a stationary point from which a viewer is related to the object/figure being rendered.  It can be thought of as the point of reference from which all things in the artwork can be related to.  The station point may be very high or very low. High = bird's-eye-view.  Low = worm's eye view.   It is important to determine the correct station point when starting a piece of work, because the station point has a key role in determining how the viewer understands one’s composition and relates to the subject matter.  It may also be referred to as "vantage point". 

steel heat-treating Welding

Technical
Achieving specific metal properties - such as corrosion resistance or microstructure - by heating and quickly cooling steel back to its solid state.

Steenbeck Film

Equipment

A type of flatbed brand that is well-known and popular.  Sometimes the term flatbed is used instead of Steenbeck.

Stele Calligraphy

General

A stele is a standing pillar or slab that displays an inscription.

stell-frame construction Carpentry

General
A kind of construction in which a steel frame or steel members act as the support for the other structural members.

Stem Calligraphy

General

A stem is the foundational vertical stroke in a letter’s form.

stenciling Quilting

Technical
A method of using a stencil to mark a motif on the top of a quilt.

stepped footing Carpentry

General
A footing that switches grade levels at set measurements to allow for an inclining site.

Sternocleidomastoid Artist Anatomy

General

Part of the next and throat, the sternocleidomastoid includes the sternum and the medial third of the clavicle.     It is located at the mastoid process on the skull.    The sternocleidomastoid is responsible for bending the head laterally to the same side, bringing the ear toward the shoulder.  It is also responsible for rotating the head – allowing the face to turn away. The head rolls toward the back from both of its sides working together. 

stickers Carpentry

General
Pieces of wood dividing the layers of a lumber pile to allow for ventilation.

stickout Welding

General
Wire or tungsten electrode measurement that goes past the cup, gyun or gas lens.

stile Carpentry

General
The vertical exterior pieces of blinds, doors, screens or sashes.

Stinger Film

Equipment

A term used sometimes by electricians for an extension cord. 

stippling Quilting

Technical
A surface texture that is created by making tightly packed stitches on the background of a quilt. Motifs are elevated from its surroundings because of the density of the quilt.

stitch weld Welding

Technical
Cost effective and time efficient tack-welding techinque with 3/4" long weld beads.

stolon Gardening

General
Also known as a stolon. It is a stem that expands over the soil which has the capacity to root along the way. Weeds are able to grow and expand by means of runners.

stool Carpentry

General
An interior trim member that is molded and functions as a window frame sill cap or sash. Rabbeting or beveled-rabbeting are two techniques used on stools to prepare them for window frame sills.

stoop Carpentry

General
A small additional structure placed on the exterior of a building; examples include platforms and verandas.

story Carpentry

General
Anyone of the floor levels of a building.

story pole Carpentry

General
A section of wood used to arrange and transfer measurements of items such as stairways, siding and shingle courses, and window openings.

Storyboard Drawing Animation

General

A number of animation art drawings or just one drawing that functions as a visual plot line of the film.  Usually these drawings show the main theme or a particular scene in the film. 

straight of grain Quilting

General
The crosswise and lengthwise threads of a piece of woven material. When the grain is parallel to the selvage (lengthwise grain) it has the least give when pulled.

straight set Quilting

General
An organization of blocks in which the edges of the blocks are aligned parallel with the edges of a quilt.

straightedge Carpentry

General
A piece of straight metal or wood that is used to arrange or ensure the correct layout of a project.

Strainer Art Materials and General Art Terms

General

A type of wooden chassis that is used for textile supports.  Its corners are firm and stable. 

Streamer Film

Equipment

A streamer is a little speaker positioned on an editing bench that takes in sound from the sound reader; the term originated from the fact that when a streamer is projected, it looks like a streamer trailing over the image screen. 

Stress Graphic Design

General

Stress is the axis that the strokes are created around in a typeface; stress may be vertical or oblique (positive or negative).  Stress is not the angle of the strokes.  Italics, for example, are created with slanted strokes.  However, italics do not necessarily contain oblique stress. 

stress cracking Welding

General
Cracking at a weld resulting from strain from temperature or molecular changes.

stress-relief heat-treating Welding

Technical
Heating metal sections to 2/3 the melting point and then letting the areas cool gradually, permitting the molecules to become relaxed and preventing strain.

stressed skin Carpentry

General
Two facings that make up a panel. Each facing is glued on one side and joined to the opposite side of an interior framework to make the panel.

Stretcher Art Materials and General Art Terms

General

A type of wooden chassis used for textile supports.  It contains corners that are expandable. 

strike plate Carpentry

General
A metal piece inserted into the surface of a door frame side jamb to connect to the bolt or latch when shutting the door.

stringer bead Welding

General
A type of weld bead that is created without oscillation; a straight weld bead.

strip or string patchwork Quilting

General
A kind of patchwork quilt that contains several material strips that are haphazardly sewn together into strip sets. These are then cut into different kinds of shapes and then joined with other shapes to create the top of the quilt.

strip set Quilting

General
An organization of blocks in which the blocks are placed verically in rows, rather than horizontally. Sashing divides the rows to set them apart. Also known as a bar set.

strip-piecing Quilting

Technical
A method in which pieces of material are fabric and attached lengthwise to order to create a strip set that has the visual effect of striped fabric. This strip set is then cut at set measurements over the seam lines in order to create segments. Strip-piecing is the term used to call these segments that are used to create block units.

Stripe Film

Product

Stripe refers to 35mm magazine stock that includes a stripe of magnetic tape instead of a full coating included on full-coat.  A balance stripe is used in stripe in order to stop warping from occurring.

Stroke Weight Graphic Design

General

The degree of contrast between the thin and thick strokes in a typeface.  Various typefaces contain particular stroke-weight characteristics. 

strongback Carpentry

General
A support made of wood and shaped like the letter L; it is joined to ceiling joists in order bolster their strength, keep them level and maintain the spaces between them.

structural window wall panel Carpentry

General
also known as a factory-assembled structural wall panel. A window unit positioned into a wall panel at a factory site.

stud Carpentry

General
One of many upright metal or wood members in partitions and walls.

Study Art Materials and General Art Terms

General

A flushed out painting or drawing created from one section or multiple sections of what the final composition will be. 

 

style Color

General
An artist's sense of expression; the choice of colors and techniques an artist uses in his/her art

style precedence Computer

General

Style precedence refers to the determination of which styles are ultimately selected and applied to the html elements of a website.  An XHTML or HTML document may include inline styles, import and link to several external style sheets, and include embedded stylesheets.  Rules from all these style sources may differ from one another, thus CSS uses the method of the cascade to determine which style takes precedence among these rules.  Specificity and inheritance are the main parts of the cascade system that determine style precedence.  

Style Sheet Graphic Design

General

A style sheet involves the typographic specifications included within tagged text in desktop publishing programs.  Style sheets may be used to prepare headings, titles and the attributes of text blocks (like tables), and the text used along with images.  Style sheets are used in order to create an efficient means of changing attributes and ensuring everything is uniform. 

subfloor Carpentry

General
Panels placed over floor joists in preparation for the layer of the finished floor.

Subhead Graphic Design

General

Subhead is a phrase that follows a headline.  A subhead is presented in a smaller size than the main headline because it is secondary in importance to the head. 

submerged-arc welding Welding

Technical
Preventing atmospheric contamination by submerging an electric arc in a powder flux.

Subscript Graphic Design

General

A subscript is a character a little smaller in size in comparison to the remainder of the font.  Subscript is placed under the baseline; it is used within chemical equations, and as a base denotation in mathematics.  It may be used as the denominator of fractions.

substractive color Color

General
The color reflected from a mixture of paint that absorbs every color but the local color of an object.

Substrate Paper

General

The surface upon which a wall covering is spread over. 

successive contrast Color

General
The complementary color seen after viewing a particular color; the afterimage one sees after seeing a certain color.

succulent Gardening

General
A plant with stems or leaves that store an ample supply of water.

suckers Gardening

General
Secondary shoots that originate from buds.

Suede Leather

Product

A soft, velvety appearance of a leather surface usually created by buffing a split of good quality. 

sugar Welding

General
The crystallization that takes place within a weld.

Super 16 Film

Product

A type of film format that was originally designed for blow up to 35mm.  It uses up the place on the film that is normally used for the soundtrack, and uses the area for a wider picture with a single perf 16mm film.

Super Speed Film

Equipment

A fast and efficient prime lens; it is usually a T-stop of 1.3. 

Superdeformed / SD Anime / Manga

General

Superdeformed refers to a very small caricature rendition of an anime character.  Usually they are visible in comedy and omake anime.  Animation from the United States does not contain these types of characters. 

Superficial Artist Anatomy

General

The term superficial is a descriptive word regarding the locations of the body.  The term superficial signifies moving toward the surface of a form that is solid (like a leg).

Superimposition Film

General

A superimposition is actually the same thing as a double exposure; however, sometimes “superimposition” is used when referring specifically to a double exposure completed through optical printing - such as super-imposed titles for example.

Superscript Graphic Design

General

Superscript is a character that is a little smaller than the remainder of the font.  Superscript is placed over the baseline, and functions in footnote markers.  It is sometimes used as the numerator of fractions. 

Supinate Artist Anatomy

General

To supinate as it relates to muscles is to turn upward in regards to the forearm.  A supinator is a muscle that supinates.

Supplementary angles Math

Technical

Two angles whose sum of their measures equals 180 degrees. 

Support Art Materials and General Art Terms

General

The main support for a painting, including any items such as cotton, paper, wall…etc
 
 

Surface Drawing

General

Surface refers to the tangible structure/texture of the painting area or drawing paper upon which one works to create an image.  The surface of the material used may be smooth, glossy, hard, rough, or soft. The surface upon which one works plays a key role in how the texture of the painting/drawing appears once the artwork is completed.  Any number of methods may be used to create a desired surface.  Possible materials to create a surface texture include sand, rubbing, scratching, building layers, using objects such as buttons/pins and erasing.

surfaced lumber Carpentry

Product
Lumber that has been run through a planer in order to finish it.

Surrealism Art Styles/Movements

General

(1920s-1930s)  Surrealism was both a art and literary movement that stressed the significance of letting one’s imagination rule through the use of the sub-conscious without the hindrances of logic and normal standards.  The anti-rationalist characteristic that stemmed from the Dadaist movement was a part of Surrealism.  However, Surrealism involved more playful and spontaneous in spirit.  Ways of thinking about how a viewer perceives the world around himself helped to shape the movement.  The movement was begun in 1924 in the city Paris by Andre Breton, the author of the ‘Manifeste du surrealisme.’  His writings encouraged the expression of one’s imagination through the use of dreams.  His writings attracted many artists of the Dadaist movement.  The Surrealist movement was helped along in its development during the 1920s and 1930s with the famous artist Salvador Dali.  He, along with the other movement’s artists, stressed using the subconscious part of the brain to provide the content for the imagery.  The artists used a realistic style to paint their irrational images.  Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung, men who developed psychoanalytical theories, played a profound influence on the movement’s development.  And techniques such as automatism (free association) assisted the artists to put their theories into play in order to get their sub-conscious to become reality in their paintings and literary works.  Artists who used automatism to help create their work were called Absolute Surrealists.  And artists who focused on making connections amongst material and abstract forms were called Veristic Surrealists.  Their aim was to manipulate objects from reality into their paintings, as opposed to the Absolute Surrealists who tried to create imagery from their own minds.  The Surrealist movement had a big impact on the later movements of Magic Realism and Abstract Expressionism.  Moreover, the movement encouraged the idea of maintaining expressive thought in one’s artwork.  Key artists of the movement include: Marcel Duchamp, Georgia O'Keeffe, Max Ernst, Sir Henry Moore, Rene Magritte, Joan Miro, Salvador Dali, Pablo Picass, Man Ray, Dorothea Tanning, and MC Escher.
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Symetry Math

Technical

The exact agreement of parts on opposite sides of line.  In contrast to asymetry where there is difference between two sides of a line - commonly to a higher degree (when asymetry is used to describe a lopsidedness or imbalance). 

synbiotic Fermentation

Product

A synbiotic is a product that contains both prebiotics and probiotics.  Yogurt is an example of a synbiotic.

Sync Film

General

The level at which picture and sound are successfully lined up.  If they are out-of-sync, the film can be difficult to watch because the picture will not correspond to the sound that the viewers are hearing.  If sound and picture are lined up well, they are said to be “in-sync.”  The term sync is applied to many types of picture and sound relationships, including voices, music, and sound effects.

Sync Mark Film

General

The place in time that the clapsticks strike each other at the start of a shot, and the sound on the soundtrack that happens at this time as well.  A sync mark may also refer to the “X” mark placed on a single frame at the start of a reel of picture that lines up with another sync mark on the sound roll.  A&B rolls include sync marks at the starting points of their rolls. 

Sync Sound Film

General

When a picture is being shot, the sound that is recorded at the same time as the picture is called sync sound.  A crystal or cable sync is used for sync sound in order for things to be lined up correctly and not be out-of-sync.  Sometimes the term is referred to as “lip sync” because the footage may include a number of people speaking.

Synchronizer Film

Equipment

A device used in the editing room for assembling, logging, syncing, measuring footage and checking sync.  The device includes a center axle along with multiple sprocket wheels (called gangs) that are joined to it.  A foot of film is equivalent to one revolution of the synchronizer.  Film is clamped into the wheels to the film can be measured with a footage counter.  It is a very helpful device because multiple items can be efficiently cut to the same length. 

Syncing Film

Technical

The process of lining up the picture and sound of a film prior to editing a sync sound film.  Syncing includes cutting the extra sound that happens between takes.  And it includes putting in a filler so the sound and picture are lined up throughout the film. 

Synthetic Fibers Textiles

General

Man-made threads including acrylic, polyster, and viscose. Synthetic fibers often closely mirror natural fibers but contain properties that enhance their durability and resistance to water and stains.