15-letter words containing a, c, h, i
- bronchial tubes — the bronchi or their smaller divisions
- brush discharge — a slightly luminous electrical discharge between points of high charge density when the charge density is insufficient to cause a spark or around sharp points on a highly charged conductor because of ionization of air molecules in their vicinity
- brushback pitch — a fast ball deliberately thrown at or too near a batter's head
- buckinghamshire — a county in SE central England, containing the Vale of Aylesbury and parts of the Chiltern Hills: the geographic and ceremonial county includes Milton Keynes, which became an independent unitary authority in 1997. Administrative centre: Aylesbury. Pop (excluding Milton Keynes): 478 000 (2003 est). Area (excluding Milton Keynes): 1568 sq km (605 sq miles)
- butterfly chair — a lightweight chair consisting of a piece of canvas, leather, etc. slung from a framework of metal bars
- byzantine chant — liturgical plainsong identified with the Eastern Orthodox Church and dating from the Byzantine Empire.
- caernarvonshire — (until 1974) a county of NW Wales, now part of Gwynedd
- caffe macchiato — a hot beverage consisting of espresso and a small amount of foamed milk.
- calf diphtheria — a disease of the throat in young calves caused by Fusobacterium necrophorum, resulting in breathing difficulty and a painful cough
- calydonian hunt — the pursuit by Meleager, Atalanta, and others of a savage boar (Calydonian boar) sent by Artemis to lay waste to Calydon.
- camphorated oil — a liniment consisting of camphor and peanut oil, used as a counterirritant
- canadian french — the French language as spoken in Canada, esp in Quebec
- canadian shield — (in Canada) the wide area of Precambrian rock extending west from the Labrador coast to the basin of the Mackenzie and north from the Great Lakes to Hudson Bay and the Arctic: rich in minerals
- canadian whisky — a blended whisky made in Canada from rye and other grains
- cape chelyuskin — a cape in N central Russia, in N Siberia at the end of the Taimyr Peninsula: the northernmost point of Asia
- captain's chair — a hardwood armchair having a low, curved back, formed of a single rail supported by spindles, and a saddle seat
- cardinal humour — any of the four bodily fluids (blood, phlegm, choler or yellow bile, melancholy or black bile) formerly thought to determine emotional and physical disposition
- carding machine — card2 (defs 1, 2).
- carmarthenshire — a county of S Wales, formerly part of Dyfed (1974–96): on Carmarthen Bay, with the Cambrian Mountains in the N: generally agricultural (esp dairying). Administrative centre: Carmarthen. Pop: 176 000 (2003 est). Area: 2398 sq km (926 sq miles)
- carrying charge — the opportunity cost of unproductive assets, such as goods stored in a warehouse
- cashier's check — A cashier's check is one which a cashier signs and which is drawn on a bank's own funds.
- cassini-huygens — a NASA-ESA spacecraft launched in 1997 to study Saturn and its moons; Cassini entered orbit around the planet in 2004 and released the Huygens probe which landed on Titan in 2005
- catastrophising — Present participle of catastrophise.
- catastrophizing — Present participle of catastrophize.
- catch (on) fire — to begin burning; ignite
- catharine wheel — Catherine wheel.
- cathedral choir — the choir, traditionally consisting of boys and men, that sings in cathedral services
- catherine wheel — A Catherine wheel is a firework in the shape of a circle which spins round and round.
- catheterisation — Alternative spelling of catheterization.
- catheterization — to introduce a catheter into.
- catholic church — any of several Churches claiming to have maintained continuity with the ancient and undivided Church
- catholic school — a school that includes instruction in Roman Catholic faith in its curriculum, with teachers who are often nuns or monks
- caustic alcohol — sodium ethylate.
- central heating — Central heating is a heating system for buildings. Air or water is heated in one place and travels round a building through pipes and radiators.
- cephalothoracic — the anterior part of the body in certain arachnids and crustaceans, consisting of the coalesced head and thorax.
- chagas' disease — a form of trypanosomiasis found in South America, caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, characterized by fever and, often, inflammation of the heart muscles
- chain lightning — lightning that zigzags across the sky
- chairpersonship — a person who presides over a meeting, committee, board, etc.
- chamois leather — soft cleaning cloth
- chandler period — the period of the oscillation (Chandler wobble) of the earth's axis, varying between 416 and 433 days.
- channel captain — the most powerful member, and often the one that decides specifications, in a channel for distributing goods (which usually consists of a manufacturer, wholesaler, and retailer). The channel captain is sometimes the manufacturer but in the case of a chain store it may be the retailer
- channel catfish — a food fish, Ictalurus punctatus, common in fresh waters throughout central U.S.
- channel hopping — (chat) To rapidly switch channels on IRC, or a GEnie chat board. This term may derive from the TV idiom, "channel surfing".
- channel islands — a group of islands in the English Channel, off the NW coast of France, consisting of Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Brechou or Brecqhou, Sark, Herm, Jethou, and Lihou (all between them representing the British Kingdom Crown Dependencies of the Bailiwick of Jersey and the Bailiwick of Guernsey) - the only part of the duchy of Normandy remaining to Britain - and the Roches Douvres and the Îles Chausey (which belong to France). Pop: 149 878 (2001). Area: 194 sq km (75 sq miles)
- channel surfing — to change from one channel on a television set to another with great or unusual frequency, especially by using a remote control.
- channel-hopping — Channel-hopping means switching quickly between different television channels because you are looking for something interesting to watch.
- channel-surfing — Channel-surfing is the same as channel-hopping.
- chantilly-sauce — a town in N France, N of Paris: lace manufacture.
- chao k'uang-yin — (Tʾai Tsu) 927–976 a.d, Chinese emperor 960–976: founder of the Sung dynasty.
- character piece — a short, simple piece, usually for piano, of a type developed chiefly during the 19th century, often of a descriptive or seemingly improvisatory character.