s

• Dix-neuvième lettre de l'alphabet anglais, consonne. Désigne le plus souvent le son sourd /s/, mais peut se voiser. L'une des lettres les plus fréquentes, sert à former le pluriel et le possessif. S'emploie comme abréviation pour sud, petite taille, soufre (chimie) et seconde (temps).

The nineteenth letter of the English alphabet and the fifteenth consonant, representing the voiceless alveolar sibilant sound /s/ as in 'sun' or the voiced /z/ as in 'rose'. As a grapheme, 'S' is one of the most frequently used letters in English, crucial for forming plurals, possessives, and third-person singular verb conjugations. Its curved, serpentine shape resembles a snake. It functions as an abbreviation for south, small size, a symbol for sulfur in chemistry, a unit of time in seconds, and the nineteenth item in a sequence.

1. The nineteenth letter of the English alphabetA1formal

   The uppercase or lowercase character (S, s) that constitutes the nineteenth symbol in the Latin-based English alphabet, classified as a consonant. Its primary sound is a voiceless alveolar sibilant /s/, though it voices to /z/ in certain positions. It is the most common letter for forming plurals (cats, dogs) and possessives (John's). Its serpentine shape gives it the nickname 'the snake letter'.

   La dix-neuvième lettre de l'alphabet anglais

   • The word 'sun' begins with the letter S.
   • Add an S to 'cat' to make it plural.
   • The hissing sound of S resembles a snake.
   • In the NATO phonetic alphabet, S is 'Sierra'.
   • The lowercase s curves like a ribbon in cursive writing.

2. An abbreviation for southA1formal

   The uppercase letter S used as the standard abbreviation for the cardinal direction south. It is found on compasses, maps, weather reports, and in regional designations. It is the opposite of N for north and is a fundamental element of geographic and navigational literacy.

   Sud (abréviation)

   • The compass needle points to N, so S is the opposite direction.
   • They migrated S for the winter.
   • The S side of the mountain gets more sun.
   • The map legend has N at the top and S at the bottom.
   • South Carolina is abbreviated SC, with S standing for South.

3. An abbreviation for small sizeA1informal

   The letter S used as a standard label in clothing, food, and product sizing to indicate a small size, typically representing the smallest option in a range of standard sizes. It is positioned below medium (M) and often has an extra-small (XS) variant. It is universally recognized in retail and service industries.

   S (taille petite)

   • I need a smaller size, please—this M is too big, do you have an S?
   • The coffee sizes are S, M, and L.
   • She always wears an S in designer dresses.
   • An S fries is perfect for a light snack.
   • The S bottle of water is 330 ml.

4. The symbol for sulfur in chemistryB1formalscientific

   The one-letter chemical symbol representing the element sulfur (or sulphur), atomic number 16. It is a bright yellow, non-metallic solid at room temperature. It is the tenth most abundant element in the universe and is essential for life, occurring in amino acids and many proteins. It is widely used in vulcanization of rubber, gunpowder, and sulfuric acid production.

   S (symbole chimique du soufre)

   • Sulfur, symbolized by S, has a distinct yellow color.
   • Sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄) contains one S atom.
   • The rotten egg smell is due to hydrogen sulfide (H₂S).
   • S is an essential macronutrient for plants alongside N, P, and K.
   • Gunpowder is a mixture of charcoal, saltpeter, and S.

5. The abbreviation for seconds (time)A2formalscientific

   The lowercase letter s used as the international standard symbol for the second, the base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI). It is defined by the caesium-133 atomic clock. It is used globally in science, engineering, and everyday life for precise measurement of short time intervals and as a denominator in speed and frequency units.

   symbole de la seconde (unité de temps)

   • The race was won in just 9.58 s.
   • The exposure time for the photograph was 1/1000 s.
   • The light turns red for 30 s before changing to green.
   • He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.5 s.
   • The SI base unit for time is the second, symbolized by s.