Emily Dickinson Lexicon

SIDE-SAD-DLE, n. [side and saddle.]

A saddle for a woman's seat on horseback.

SIDE-SAD-DLE-FLOW-ER, n.

A species of Sarracenia, or Sarrzinia.

SIDES-MAN, n. [side and man.]

1. An assistant to the churchwarden.
2. A party man. – Milton.

SIDE-TAK-ING, n.

A taking sides, or engaging in a party. – Hall.

SIDE-WAYS, or SIDE-WISE, adv. [side and way; but sidewise is the proper combination.]

1. Toward one side; inclining; as, to hold the head sidewise.
2. Laterally; on one side; as, the refraction of light sidewise. – Newton.

SID-ING, n.

The attaching of one's self to a party.

SID-ING, ppr.

Joining one side or party.

SI'DLE, v.i.

1. To go or move side foremost; as, to sidle through a crowd.
2. To lie on the side. – Swift.

SIEGE, n. [Fr. siége, a seat, a siege, the see of a bishop; Norm. sage, a seat; It. seggia, seggio; Arm. sich, sicha, sich enn. The radical sense is to set, to fall or to throw down; Sax. sigan, to fall, set or rush down. These words seem to be connected with sink, and with the root of seal, L. sigillum.]

1. The setting of an army around or before a fortified place for the purpose of compelling the garrison to surrender; or the surrounding or investing of a place by an army, and approaching it by passages and advanced works, which cover the besiegers from the enemy's fire. A siege differs from a blockade, as in a siege the investing army approaches the fortified place to attack and reduce it by force; but in a blockade, the army secures all the avenues to the place to intercept all supplies, and waits till famine compels the garrison to surrender.
2. Any continued endeavor to gain possession. Love stood the siege, and would not yield his breast. – Dryden.
3. Seat; throne. [Obs.] – Spenser.
4. Rank; place; class. [Obs.] – Shak.
5. Stool. [Not in use.] – Brown.

SIEGE, v.t.

To besiege. [Not in use.] – Spenser.

SI'EN-ITE, n.

A compound granular rock composed of quartz, hornblend and feldspar, of a grayish color; so called, because there are many ancient monuments consisting of this rock, brought from Syene, in Upper Egypt. – Lunier.

SI-ES'TA, n. [It.]

A short sleep taken in the afternoon.

SIEUR, n. [Fr.]

A title of respect used by the French.

SIEVE, n. [siv; Sax. sife, syfe; G. sieb; D. zeef, zift; the sifter. See Sift.]

An utensil for separating flour from bran, or the fine part of any pulverized or fine substance from the coarse, by the hand; as, a fine sieve; a coarse sieve. It consists of a hoop with a hair bottom, and performs in the family the service of a bolter in a mill.

SIFT, v.t. [Sax. siftan; G. sieben; D. ziften.]

1. To separate by a sieve; as the fine part of a substance from the coarse; as, to sift meal; to sift powder; to sift sand or lime.
2. To separate; to part. – Dryden.
3. To examine minutely or critically; to scrutinize. Let the principles of the party be thoroughly sifted. We have sifted your objections. – Hooker.

SIFT'ED, pp.

Separated by a sieve; purified from the coarser parts; critically examined.

SIFT'ER, n.

One that sifts; that which sifts; a sieve.

SIFT'ING, ppr.

Separating the finer from the coarser part by a sieve; critically examining.

SIG, n.

A Saxon word signifying victory, is used in names, as in Sigbert, bright victory. It answers to the Greek νικ in Nicander, and the L. vic, Victorinus.

SIGH, n.

A single deep respiration; a long breath; the inhaling of a larger quantity of air than usual, and the sudden emission of it. This is an effort of nature to dilate the lungs and give vigor to the circulation of the blood, when the action of the heart and arteries is languid from grief depression of spirits, weakness or want of exercise. Hence sighs are indications of grief or debility.

SIGH, v.i. [Sax. sican, to sigh; D. zugt, a sigh; zugten, to sigh; Dan. sukker; Sw. sucka; allied perhaps to suck, a drawing in of the breath.]

To inhale a larger quantity of air than usual and immediately expel it; to suffer a deep single respiration. He sighed deeply in his spirit. – Mark viii.

SIGH, v.t.

1. To lament; to mourn. Ages to come and men unborn / Shall bless her name and sigh her fate. – Prior.
2. To express by sighs. The gentle swain … sighs back her grief. – Hoole.

SIGH-ER, n.

One that sighs.

SIGH-ING, n.

The act of suffering a deep respiration, or taking a long breath.

SIGH-ING, ppr.

Suffering a deep respiration; taking a long breath.