Glossary of terms
| sabotage | to deliberately damage or destroy an object during a war |
| salient | a battlefield feature or bulge that projects into enemy territory, making troops vulnerable to enemy troops on multiple sides |
| salvage | to save useful or valuable items from a damaged ship or building |
| salvo | the firing of several guns or missiles at the same time in a battle |
| sanctions | measures taken by countries to restrict trade and official contact with a country that has broken international law |
| sapper | a soldier whose job is to do building, digging and similar construction work |
| scapegoat | a person who is publicly blamed for something bad that has happened, even though it was not their fault |
| screening | a military tactic that uses either a body of cavalry to screen the advance of an attacking infantry force or a naval force to protect the main body of ships |
| scuttle | to sink a ship deliberately |
| separatist | a person who wants their own separate government or is involved in separatist activities |
| serge | a strong woollen cloth used to make clothes, such as nurses' uniform dresses |
| shell | a metal container full of an explosive substance and fired from a large gun; (verb) to fire shells at something from a large gun - shelled, shelling, shellfire |
| shell shock | a confused or nervous mental condition of people who have been under fire in a war |
| shrapnel | consists of small pieces of metal that are scattered from exploding bombs or shells |
| siege | a military tactic where soldiers surround a place in an attempt to force its people to come out or give up control of the place |
| signaller | a radio or telephone operator in the armed forces who relays messages from the battle field to headquarters, governments or non-government organisations |
| skirmish | a small short-lived military battle |
| smoke shell | a shell filled with white phosphorus fired by artillery to screen advancing troops |
| sniper | a person who shoots at people from a hidden position |
| Somme | a river in northern France where battles took place during World War I |
| sovereignty | the power a country has to govern itself or another country or state |
| squalor | very dirty, unpleasant conditions |
| stalemate | a military situation where two opposing forces find that further action is either impossible or pointless |
| stall | a compartment in a stable or shed for confining or feeding an animal |
| Stolen Generations | describes the children of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent who were forcibly removed from their families from the mid-1800s to the 1970s under various federal and state laws |
| strafe | to attack a place from an aircraft by flying low and firing a lot of bullets - also 'ground strafing' |
| stretcher case | someone who has to be taken away on a stretcher because they are too injured or sick to walk |
| strong-point | a crucial point in a defensive position, usually strongly fortified and heavily armed, and protected by other positions nearby |
| surrender | to give up to an enemy or to relinquish control or power over something |