19-letter words containing a, c, i, o, u
- semibituminous coal — a coal intermediate between bituminous and anthracite coal in hardness, yielding the maximum heat of any ordinary steam coal.
- semiconductor laser — a laser in which a semiconductor is the light-emitting source, used in many medical procedures.
- senatorial courtesy — the practice in the U.S. Senate of confirming only those presidential appointees approved by both senators from the state of the appointee, or by the senior senator of the president's party.
- sentential function — an expression that contains one or more variables and becomes meaningful when suitable constant terms are substituted for them.
- sexual inter-course — genital contact, especially the insertion of the penis into the vagina followed by orgasm; coitus; copulation.
- sexual reproduction — reproduction involving the union of gametes.
- sharp-focus realism — photorealism.
- smokestack industry — A smokestack industry is a traditional industry such as heavy engineering or manufacturing, rather than a modern industry such as electronics.
- social security act — a law passed in 1935 providing old-age retirement insurance, a federal-state program of unemployment compensation, and federal grants for state welfare programs.
- sodium metasilicate — a white, granular sodium silicate, Na 2 SiO 3 , soluble in water: used in detergents and in bleaching and cleaning products.
- south african dutch — the Boers.
- south pacific ocean — the part of the Pacific Ocean extending S from the Equator to the Antarctic continent.
- south san francisco — a city in central California.
- specular reflection — Specular reflection is reflection of heat or light in which the angles of different parts of the surface are important.
- speculative fiction — a broad literary genre encompassing any fiction with supernatural, fantastical, or futuristic elements
- stationery cupboard — a cupboard where things like paper, pens and paper clips are kept
- subtractive process — a process of color photography in which the colors are formed by combination of cyan, yellow, and magenta lights.
- synchronous machine — an alternating-current machine in which the average speed of normal operation is exactly proportional to the frequency of the system to which it is connected.
- tanizaki jun-ichiro — 1886–1965, Japanese novelist, whose works, such as Some Prefer Nettles (1929) and The Makioka Sisters (1943–48), reflect the tension between Western values and Japanese traditions
- teacher-pupil ratio — the number of teachers relative to the number of pupils in a particular school
- tehachapi mountains — a transverse (E–W) mountain range in S central California. Highest peak, Double Mountain, 7982 feet (2433 meters).
- telescopic umbrella — an umbrella having parts that telescope
- the compassion club — (in Canada) a nonprofit organization that provides uncontaminated cannabis for medical purposes and natural therapies in a safe environment
- the vatican council — the second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, also known as Vatican II, which sat from 1962 to 1965, and among other things allowed the liturgy to be said in the local language, not Latin
- theatrical producer — a person who is responsible for all aspects of a theatrical production
- theological virtues — one of the three graces: faith, hope, or charity, infused into the human intellect and will by a special grace of God.
- therapeutic cloning — the permitted creation of cloned human tissues for surgical transplant
- to change your mind — If you change your mind, or if someone or something changes your mind, you change a decision you have made or an opinion that you had.
- to rack your brains — If you rack your brains, you try very hard to think of something.
- to stick out a mile — If you say that something or someone sticks out a mile or stands out a mile, you are emphasizing that they are very obvious and easy to recognize.
- to take the biscuit — If someone has done something very stupid, rude, or selfish, you can say that they take the biscuit or that what they have done takes the biscuit, to emphasize your surprise at their behaviour.
- torricellian vacuum — the vacuum at the top of a Torricellian tube
- total communication — the theory or practice of incorporating all means of communication, including speech, speechreading, auditory training, sign language, and writing, in the education of deaf or hearing-impaired children.
- traffic regulations — rules designed to expedite the flow of traffic and prevent collisions
- training instructor — a person who teaches people the skills they need for a particular field or profession
- tuamotu archipelago — a group of about 80 coral islands in the S Pacific, in French Polynesia. Pop: 15 973 (2002; including the Gambier Islands). Area: 860 sq km (332 sq miles)
- tussock caterpillar — the larva of a tussock moth.
- ultramicrochemistry — the branch of microchemistry dealing with minute quantities of material weighing one microgram or less.
- ultrasonic cleaning — the use of ultrasound to vibrate a piece to be cleaned while the piece is immersed in a cleaning fluid. The process produces a very high degree of cleanliness, and is used for jewellery and ornately shaped items
- unconstitutionality — not constitutional; unauthorized by or inconsistent with the constitution, as of a country.
- under consideration — being deliberated
- upper carboniferous — Pennsylvanian (defs 2, 4).
- vacuum distillation — a process of distillation employing a vacuum that by lowering the pressure on a liquid allows volatilization at a lower temperature than normal.
- vaginal intercourse — intercourse involving insertion of the penis into the vagina
- valencian community — region comprising three provinces of E Spain: 8,998 sq mi (23,305 sq km); pop. 4,029,000; cap. Valencia
- vapor recovery unit — A vapor recovery unit is a system for recovering vapors from inside sealed crude oil or condensate tanks, with a scrubber (= a device for removing unwanted substances) and compressor (= a device that raises pressure).
- velocity modulation — the modulation in velocity of a beam of electrons or ions caused by passing the beam through a high-frequency electric field, as in a cavity resonator
- victor emmanuel iii — 1869–1947, king of Italy 1900–46.
- vinculum matrimonii — the bond of matrimony.
- vocational guidance — the process of assisting a student to choose, prepare for, and enter an occupation for which he or she shows aptitude.