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during World War I and before and during World War II.
There is a famous song which was sung by British soldiers
that begins 'We're going to hang out our washing on the
Siegfried Line...'
**Sie-mens** /'si:mənz/ *trademark* a German company that makes
ELECTRONIC and TELECOMMUNICATIONS products such as
MOBILE PHONES
**si-en-na** /si'enə/ *n* [U] earthy material which is brownish
yellow (in the form of **raw sienna**), and reddish brown when
burned (**burnt sienna**), used as colouring matter for paint
**si-er-ra** /si'erə/ *n* [often pl.] a row, range, or area of sharply-
pointed mountains: *hiking in the high sierras*
**Sierra** *trademark* a type of medium-sized car that was produced
by Ford in the UK in the 1980s and early 1990s
'Sierra ,Club, the a US organization that tries to protect the
environment, especially natural areas such as forests, moun-
tains, and rivers. The Sierra Club is also a social club for
people who like to HIKE.
**Sierra Le·one** /siˌerə li'əʊn/ a country in West Africa
between Liberia and Guinea. Population: 5,614,743 (2002).
Capital: Freetown. For much of the 1990s until 2000, there
was a CIVIL WAR in the country between opposing military
groups. —Sierra Leonean *n*, *adj*
Sierra Ma·dre, the /siˌerə 'ma:dreɪ/ a group of mountain
RANGES in Mexico
Sierra Ne'vada, the 1 also the **Sierras** a mountain RANGE
in California, which separates California from the rest of the
US 2 a mountain RANGE in southern Spain
**si-es-ta** /si'estə/ *n* a short sleep after the midday meal, as is
the custom in many warm countries: *I think I'll have/take a*
*short siesta.* ➝ compare NAP
**sieve**¹ /sɪv/ *n* a tool or container, made of a wire or plastic
net on a frame, or of a solid sheet with holes, used for
separating large and small solid bits, or solid things from
liquid: *Put the soup through a sieve.* | (*informal*) *I'm afraid I've got*
*a memory/mind like a sieve.* (=easily forget things.)
**sieve**² *v* [T] 1 to put through a sieve: *Sieve the sauce to get the*
*lumps out.* 2 [+obj+adv/prep, especially OUT] to separate with a
sieve: *You'll need to sieve out the stones from the soil.*
**sift** /sɪft/ *v* 1 [T] to put (something non-liquid) through a
sieve, sifter, or net: *Sift the flour first.* 2 [I(through);T] to make
a close and thorough examination of (things in a mass or
group): *She sifted through her papers to find the lost letter.* |
*We must sift the evidence very carefully before we come to any*
*conclusions.* 3 [T+obj+adv/prep, especially OUT, from] to separate,
especially by carefully examining: *It's hard to sift (out) the*
*truth from the lies in this case.*
**sift·er** /'sɪftə/ *n* [often in comb.] a container with many small
holes in the top, for scattering or cleaning powdery foods: *a*
*flour sifter* ➝ compare SHAKER
**sigh**¹ /saɪ/ *v* [I] 1 to let out a deep breath slowly and with a
sound, usually expressing sadness, tiredness, or satisfaction:
*She sighed with relief/with despair.* | *He thought of all the*
*opportunities he had missed, and sighed.* 2 (especially of the
wind) to make a sound like this 3 [(for)] *lit* to feel a mixture
of sadness and fond desire, especially about something past,
far away etc; grieve: *sighing for her lost youth*
**sigh**² *n* an act or sound of sighing: *We all heaved/let out*
*(=made) a sigh of relief when we heard that they were safe.*
**sight**¹ /saɪt/ *n* 1 [U] the power of seeing; EYESIGHT; VISION: *He*
*lost his sight* (=was blinded) *in an accident.* | *He's got good*
*sight for a man of his age.* | *Her sight is failing.* ➝ see also
SECOND SIGHT 2 [S;U(of)] the seeing of something: *The crowd*
*waited for a sight of the Queen passing by.* | *The house is*
*hidden from sight behind trees.* (=you cannot see it) | *I always*
*faint at the sight of* (=when I see) *blood.* | *I caught sight of*
*(=saw for a moment) my old friend in town today.* | *I saw her*
*for a moment but then lost sight of her* (=could no longer see
her) *in the crowd.* | (*fig.*) *I can't bear/stand the sight of her.*
(=I dislike her very much) | *At first sight* (=when seen or
considered for the first time) *it looked like a simple accident,*
*but later the police became suspicious.* 3 [C] something that
is seen: *What a beautiful sight those roses make!* | *the familiar*
*sight of the postman going along the street* 4 [U] presence in
one's view; the range of what can be seen: *She's too careful*
*with her children - she never lets them out of her sight.* | *The*
boat was *within sight of land.* | *The train came round the*
*bend into sight.* | *Keep out of sight!* (=make sure no one
sees you) | (*fig.*) *Peace is now in sight.* (=likely to come soon) |
(*fig.*) *The strike has now lasted six months, and there is still no*
*end in sight.* ➝ see also LINE OF SIGHT 5 [C usually pl.]
something worth seeing, especially a place visited by tour-
ists: *to see the sights of London* ➝ see also SIGHTSEEING 6 [C
often pl.] a part of an instrument or weapon which guides the
eye in aiming: *To aim, line up the front and rear sights on the*
*gun.* | *I had the deer in my sights but it moved before I could*
*fire.* 7 [S] *informal* something which looks very bad or makes
people laugh: *What a sight you are, with paint all over your*
*clothes.* | *This room looks a sight. It's the untidiest place I've*
*ever seen!* 8 [S] *informal* a lot; a great deal: *This car is costing me*
*a darn sight more to run than I expected.* | *It's a jolly sight*
*wetter this summer than last.* 9 **at/on sight** as soon as seen
or shown, without delay: *The guard had orders to shoot on*
*sight.* (=without finding out who was there) 10 **by sight** by
recognition, not by personal knowledge of someone: *I only*
*know her by sight.* 11 **in the sight of** *lit* in the judgment or
opinion of: *We are all equal in the sight of God.* 12 **out of
sight** especially AmE extremely good: *That curry you made was*
*really out of sight.* 13 **out of sight, out of mind** something
that is not seen is soon forgotten: *If you don't want Billy to*
*break that toy, put it away; out of sight, out of mind.* 14 **set
one's sights** (on) aim (at); direct one's efforts (towards):
'*She's set her sights on becoming a secretary.*' '*I would have*
*thought she could have set her sights a bit higher than*
*that.*' 15 **sight for sore eyes** *informal* a person or thing that one
is glad to see at last; a welcome sight 16 **sight unseen**
without a chance of seeing or examining: *I bought the*
*antique books sight unseen.* ➝ see also **lose sight of** (LOSE)
**sight**² *v* [T] to get a view of, especially after a time of looking;
see for the first time: *The sailors gave a shout when they*
*sighted land.* | *Several rare birds have been sighted in this*
*area.*
**sight-ed** /'saɪtɪd/ *adj* (of a person) able to see; not blind ➝
see also CLEAR-SIGHTED, FARSIGHTED, LONGSIGHTED, SHORT-
SIGHTED
**sight-ing** /'saɪtɪŋ/ *n* a case of someone or something being
sighted: *There have been several sightings of these rare*
*birds/of the escaped murderer in this area.*
**sight-less** /'saɪtləs/ *adj* *lit* or *tech* unable to see; blind
**sight-read** /'saɪt riːd/ *v* **sight-read** /'saɪt red/ [-T] to play or
sing (written music) when one looks at it for the first time,
without practice —**er** /'saɪt ˌriːdə/ *n* —**ing** *n* [U]
' **sight screen** *n* (in cricket) a large, usually white, movable
SCREEN placed at the edge of a cricket field behind the
BOWLER and used to help the BATSMAN see the ball more
clearly
**sight·see-ing** /'saɪtˌsiːɪŋ/ *n* [U] the visiting of famous or
interesting places, especially by tourists: *Some people like to*
*lie on the beach, but I prefer (to go) sightseeing.* | *a sightseeing*
*holiday* ➝ see also SIGHT
**sight-se-er** /'saɪtˌsiːə/ *n* a person who goes sightseeing
**sign**¹ /saɪn/ *n* 1 [C[of]] a
standard mark; something
which is seen and represents
a generally-known meaning;
SYMBOL: *Crowns, stars, and*
*stripes are signs of military*
*rank.* | *The number -5 begins*
*with the sign -, the minus*
*sign.* | *He was wearing red*
*suspenders with dollar signs*
*running down them.* 2 [C] a
movement of the body
intended to express a par-
ticular meaning or com-
mand; signal: *Don't ring the*
*bell yet; wait until I give the sign.* | [+to-v/that] *She put her*
*finger to her lips as a sign to be quiet/a sign that we should be*
*quiet.* 3 [C] a notice giving information, warning, directions
etc: *Pay attention to the traffic/road signs.* | *Can't you read*
*that sign? It says 'No Smoking'.* 4 [of] something that
shows or points to the presence or likely future existence of
a particular condition, fact or quality: *Swollen ankles can be a*
*sign of heart disease.* | *The new tough laws are being*