16-letter words containing a, b, h

smooth breathing — a symbol (') used in the writing of Greek to indicate that the initial vowel over which it is placed is unaspirated.
south sea bubble — the financial crash that occurred in 1720 after the South Sea Company had taken over the national debt in return for a monopoly of trade with the South Seas, causing feverish speculation in their stocks
southern baptist — a member of the Southern Baptist Convention, founded in Augusta, Georgia, in 1845, that is strictly Calvinistic and active in religious publishing and education.
spanish bluebell — a bulbous plant, Endymion hispanicus, of the lily family, native to Spain and Portugal, having blue, white, or pink, bell-shaped flowers.
st. john's-bread — carob (def 2).
stab in the back — to pierce or wound with or as if with a pointed weapon: She stabbed a piece of chicken with her fork.
steamboat gothic — a florid architectural style suggesting the gingerbread-decorated construction of river boats of the Victorian period.
sth rings a bell — If you say that something rings a bell, you mean that it reminds you of something, but you cannot remember exactly what it is.
strawberry shrub — Carolina allspice
stretcher bearer — a person who helps to carry a stretcher, esp in wartime
stretcher-bearer — a person who helps carry a stretcher, as in removing wounded from a battlefield.
stroboradiograph — a stroboscopic radiograph.
submarine chaser — a small patrol vessel, 100–200 feet (30–60 meters) long, designed for military operations against submarines.
subtropical high — one of several highs, as the Azores and Pacific highs, that prevail over the oceans at latitudes of about 30 degrees N and S. Also called subtropical anticyclone. Compare high (def 37).
take the biscuit — Take the biscuit means the same as take the cake.
take the liberty — do sth without permission
take the trouble — If you take the trouble to do something, you do something which requires a small amount of additional effort.
teachable moment — a specific occurrence, situation, or experience that can be used to teach people about something more general: Her death created a teachable moment about prescription drug abuse.
thalidomide baby — a baby that has physical abnormalities due to the drug thalidomide being taken by the mother while the baby was still a developing fetus
that's as may be — even so
the amazon basin — the catchment area of the River Amazon
the arabian gulf — the arm of the Arabian Sea between SW Iran and Arabia; important for the oilfields on its shores
the barren lands — a region of tundra in N Canada, extending westwards from Hudson Bay: sparsely inhabited, chiefly by Inuit
the beaver state — a name for the state of Oregon
the best part of — most of
the black forest — a hilly wooded region of SW Germany, in Baden-Württemberg: a popular resort area
the easter bunny — the rabbit that brings Easter eggs
the eastern bloc — (formerly) the Soviet bloc
the great gatsby — a novel (1925) by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
the red brigades — a group of urban guerrillas, based in Italy, who kidnapped and murdered the former Italian prime minister Aldo Moro (1916–78) in 1978
the subsidiariat — a collective term for the news sources that would not survive without being subsidized directly (by a government, etc), or indirectly (through sharing a parent company with another more profitable revenue source)
the unobservable — something that cannot be observed
the urban league — a civil rights organization based in New York City that advocates on behalf of African Americans and against racial discrimination in the United States
the war-disabled — those people who have been disabled by war
the wheel blacks — the international wheelchair rugby football team of New Zealand
three-ball match — a match among three players each of whom plays a ball.
thrombocytopenia — an abnormal decrease in the number of blood platelets.
thumbnail sketch — small preliminary drawing
tibetan buddhism — the form of Mahayana Buddhism that developed and is practiced primarily in Tibet and some nearby nations: its spiritual leader is the Dalai Lama
to beat the band — a company of persons or, sometimes, animals or things, joined, acting, or functioning together; aggregation; party; troop: a band of protesters.
to break the ice — If you break the ice at a party or meeting, or in a new situation, you say or do something to make people feel relaxed and comfortable.
to cut both ways — If you say that something cuts both ways, you mean that it can have two opposite effects, or can have both good and bad effects.
to miss the boat — If you say that someone has missed the boat, you mean that they have missed an opportunity and may not get another.
to pass the buck — If you pass the buck, you refuse to accept responsibility for something, and say that someone else is responsible.
to rock the boat — If you say that someone is rocking the boat, you mean that they are upsetting a calm situation and causing trouble.
tobacco hornworm — the larva of a hawk moth, Manduca sexta, having a hornlike structure at its posterior end and feeding on the leaves of tobacco and other plants of the nightshade family.
tracheobronchial — of, relating to, or affecting the trachea and bronchi.
tread the boards — to set down the foot or feet in walking; step; walk.
typhoid bacillus — the bacterium Salmonella typhosa, causing typhoid fever.
umbilical hernia — a hernia of the umbilicus.

Was this page helpful?

Yes No

Thank you for your feedback! Tell your friends about this page

Tell us why?