16-letter words containing a, c, d, e
- american mustard — a mild yellow mustard
- american tragedy — a novel (1925) by Theodore Dreiser.
- aminoacetic acid — glycine.
- amusement arcade — An amusement arcade is a place where you can play games on machines which work when you put money in them.
- anabolic steroid — Anabolic steroids are drugs which people, especially athletes, take to make their muscles bigger and to give them more strength.
- analog recording — a method of sound recording in which an input audio waveform is converted to an analogous waveform.
- angle of advance — the angle in excess of 90° that a steam-engine valve gear is in advance of the crank
- animated cartoon — a film produced by photographing a series of gradually changing drawings, etc, which give the illusion of movement when the series is projected rapidly
- anode dark space — the dark region between the anode glow and the anode in a vacuum tube, occurring when the pressure is low.
- anode resistance — (of a vacuum tube at a given level of output) the ratio of a small change in voltage of the anode to the corresponding small change in anode current.
- answer-back code — a unique code that identifies the telex machine to which a message is sent
- apical dominance — suppression of the development of lateral buds in a growing plant shoot, caused by hormones produced in the tip of the shoot.
- apple of discord — a golden apple inscribed "For the fairest". It was claimed by Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite, to whom Paris awarded it, thus beginning a chain of events that led to the Trojan War
- applied research — research that is put to practical use
- applied sciences — sciences that are put to practical use
- aquidneck island — an island in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island.
- arctic red river — a river in the W Northwest Territories, Canada, flowing NW to the Mackenzie River. 310 miles (500 km) long.
- armed forces day — the third Saturday in May, observed in some areas of the U.S. as a holiday in honor of all branches of the armed forces.
- around the clock — continuing without pause or interruption: an around-the-clock guard on the prisoner.
- around-the-clock — all day and all night
- arsenic trioxide — a white poisonous powder used in the manufacture of glass and as an insecticide, rat poison, and weedkiller. Formula: As2O3
- ascending rhythm — rising rhythm.
- ascidian tadpole — the free-swimming larva of an ascidian, having a tadpole-like tail containing the notochord and nerve cord
- ask for feedback — If you ask for feedback, you ask someone, such as a guest in a hotel, to tell you if they enjoyed their stay and what could be improved.
- assigned counsel — any private lawyer designated by a city or county court to represent indigent defendants in criminal cases at public expense.
- assisted suicide — suicide committed with the assistance of a physician by a person terminally ill or in unmanageable pain
- associate degree — An associate degree is a college degree that is awarded to a student who has completed a two-year course of study.
- associated state — a nation with limited sovereignty, especially a former colony that now assumes responsibility for domestic affairs but continues to depend on the colonial ruler for defense and foreign policy.
- aston dark space — the dark region between the cathode and the cathode glow in a vacuum tube, occurring when the pressure is low.
- athanasian creed — a profession of faith widely used in the Western Church which, although formerly attributed to Athanasius, probably originated in Gaul between 381 and 428 ad
- atmospheric tide — a movement of atmospheric masses caused by the gravitational attraction of the sun and moon and by daily solar heating.
- attendance order — (in Britain) an order issued by a court requiring a young offender to attend a specified place at specified times in order to carry out unpaid work, usually as an alternative to being fined
- attendance sheet — an official document for listing those attending a meeting, class, course, etc
- atwood's machine — a device consisting of two unequal masses connected by a string passed over a pulley, used to illustrate the laws of motion.
- audience chamber — a room where a monarch or head of state conducts formal interviews
- audience figures — the number of people regularly watching a television programme or listening to a radio programme
- audio conference — a meeting that is conducted by the use of audio telecommunications
- auditory vesicle — the pouch that is formed by the invagination of an ectodermal placode and that develops into the internal ear.
- automatic redial — a telephone service feature whereby the last number dialed is automatically called again, either after a specified time or when activated by the user.
- azodicarbonamide — (chemistry) An organic chemical, a yellow to orange red, odorless, crystalline powder, used in food industry as a food additive, a flour bleaching agent and improving agent and in foaming plastics.
- babe-in-a-cradle — a tall orchid, Epiblema grandiflorum, of SW Australia with lilac to mauve flowers
- back-seat driver — If you refer to a passenger in a car as a back-seat driver, they annoy you because they constantly give you advice.
- background check — an investigation into a person's origins and previous history
- background noise — any type of noise that is not the sound that you are specifically listening to or monitoring
- background paper — a report or other piece of writing that is intended to provide contextual and historical information that will help people understand a particular topic or situation
- badminton racket — the type of racket used in games of badminton
- balance of trade — A country's balance of trade is the difference in value, over a period of time, between the goods it imports and the goods it exports.
- balearic islands — a group of islands in the W Mediterranean, consisting of Majorca, Minorca, Ibiza, Formentera, Cabrera, and 11 islets: a province of Spain. Capital: Palma, on Majorca. Pop: 1 071 500 (2003 est). Area: 5012 sq km (1935 sq miles)
- bankruptcy order — a court order appointing a receiver to manage the property of a debtor or bankrupt
- banned substance — In sport, banned substances are drugs that competitors are not allowed to take because they could artificially improve their performance.