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sie ge men|tal|ity N‑SING If a group of people have a siege mentality , they think that other people are constantly trying to harm or defeat them, and so they care only about protecting themselves. □  Police officers had a siege mentality that isolated them from the people they served.

si|es|ta /sie stə/ (siestas ) N‑COUNT A siesta is a short sleep or rest which you have in the early afternoon, especially in hot countries. □  They have a siesta during the hottest part of the day.

sieve /s I v/ (sieves , sieving , sieved )

1 N‑COUNT A sieve is a tool used for separating solids from liquids or larger pieces of something from smaller pieces. It consists of a metal or plastic ring with a wire or plastic net underneath, which the liquid or smaller pieces pass through. □  Press the raspberries through a fine sieve to form a puree.

2 VERB When you sieve a substance, you put it through a sieve. □ [V n] Cream the margarine in a small bowl, then sieve the icing sugar into it.

sift /s I ft/ (sifts , sifting , sifted )

1 VERB If you sift a powder such as flour or sand, you put it through a sieve in order to remove large pieces or lumps. □ [V n] Sift the flour and baking powder into a medium-sized mixing bowl.

2 VERB If you sift through something such as evidence, you examine it thoroughly. □ [V + through ] Police officers have continued to sift through the wreckage following yesterday's bomb attack. □ [V n] Brook has sifted the evidence and summarises it clearly.

sigh ◆◇◇ /sa I / (sighs , sighing , sighed )

1 VERB When you sigh , you let out a deep breath, as a way of expressing feelings such as disappointment, tiredness, or pleasure. □ [V prep/adv] Michael sighed wearily. □ [V ] Dad sighed and stood up. ● N‑COUNT Sigh is also a noun. □  She kicked off her shoes with a sigh.

2 VERB If you sigh something, you say it with a sigh. □ [V with quote] 'Oh, sorry. I forgot.'—'Everyone forgets,' the girl sighed.

3 PHRASE If people breathe or heave a sigh of relief , they feel happy that something unpleasant has not happened or is no longer happening. □  There was a big sigh of relief once the economic reform plan was agreed. COLLOCATIONS sigh NOUN 1

adjective + sigh : audible, deep, long, weary; collective

verb + sigh : breathe, emit, heave; hear VERB 2

sigh+ adverb : audibly, deeply, heavily, loudly; inwardly, wearily, wistfully

sight ◆◆◇ /sa I t/ (sights , sighting , sighted )

1 N‑UNCOUNT [oft poss N ] Someone's sight is their ability to see. □  My sight is failing, and I can't see to read any more. □  I use the sense of sound much more than the sense of sight.

2 N‑SING The sight of something is the act of seeing it or an occasion on which you see it. □ [+ of ] I faint at the sight of blood. □ [+ of ] The sight of him entering a room could flood her with desire.

3 N‑COUNT [oft adj N ] A sight is something that you see. □ [+ of ] We encountered the pathetic sight of a family packing up its home.

4 VERB If you sight someone or something, you suddenly see them, often briefly. □ [V n] The security forces sighted a group of young men that had crossed the border.

5 N‑COUNT [usu pl] The sights of a weapon such as a rifle are the part which helps you aim it more accurately.

6 N‑PLURAL The sights are the places that are interesting to see and that are often visited by tourists. □ [+ of ] I am going to show you the sights of our wonderful city.