Words that start with S

You smell things with your nose. dogs and cats have much better senses of smell than people do. People can only smell very strong smells, like cooking food.

A smirk is a smile that is smug and slightly offensive. People often smirk at you when they think they know better than you do.

Smocking is a needlework technique that draws fabric together in a pattern of diamond shapes.

Smoke is given off when you burn something. Smoke is made up of byproduct gases and small particles from the burning process. Most of the particles are small specs of soot.
The smoke in the picture is a smoke bomb some students made in a science class at a school.

Something is smooth if you can run your fingers over it and not catch or snag your fingers on the surface. A smooth surface has no bumps or imperfections. The opposite of smooth is rough.

Someone is smug if they are very confident of their ability to do something, but at the same time are calm and complacent about it, as if they can do it very easily.

Snails can be found on land and in the water, both freshwater and the sea. A snail without a shell is called a slug. Snails range in size from smaller than your little fingernail to a sea snail that can grow to 30 inches long. The biggest land snail is only grows to 12 inches long. They come in a wide variety of colours and patterns.
Snails have a pair of eyes on stalks and a pair of feelers below them, to stop it bumping into things. It can suck both its feelers and eyes into its body for safety, and it can hide in its shell if it is disturbed. Snails have one foot that they "walk" with. They eat by scraping the top layer of their food with their tongue, which is covered in tiny sharp teeth. If you listen hard to a snail when it is eating, you can hear it scraping.

Snake plant is also called viper's bowstring hemp, mother-in-law's tongue or Saint George's sword. It is a very hardy plant, and spreads by growing below the ground and then sending up new leaves.

Snapdragons are an old-fashioned flower. The flower can be squeezed to make it open like a dragon's mouth, which is why they are called snapdragons.
They should be planted in well-drained soil in full sun. They can be planted at any time of year, and take about 8-10 weeks to flower. They come in a big range of colours, but shades of pink and white are most common.

A sneeze is a sudden explosion of air from your nose and mouth. You usually sneeze if something tickles the inside of your nose, or if you have a cold.
It is a good idea to cover your nose and mouth when you sneeze, like the man in the picture. A lot of mucous can come out when you sneeze and can travel a long way. If you are sick, you can make other people sick by sneezing near them.