16-letter words containing a, c, k, n
- inter-packet gap — (networking) A time delay between successive data packets mandated by the network standard for protocol reasons. In Ethernet, the medium has to be "silent" (i.e., no data transfer) for a few microseconds before a node can consider the network idle and start to transmit. This is necessary for fairness reasons. The delay time, which approximately equals the signal propagation time on the cable, allows the "silence" to reach the far end so that all nodes consider the net idle.
- j. random hacker — (jargon) /J rand'm hak'r/ MIT jargon for a mythical figure; the archetypal hacker nerd. This may originally have been inspired by "J. Fred Muggs", a show-biz chimpanzee whose name was a household word back in the early days of TMRC, and was probably influenced by J. Presper Eckert (one of the co-inventors of the electronic computer). See random, Suzie COBOL.
- kangaroo closure — a form of closure in which the chair or speaker selects certain amendments for discussion and excludes others
- karyokinetically — In a karyokinetic manner; by means of karyokinesis.
- keep one's place — a particular portion of space, whether of definite or indefinite extent.
- kentucky warbler — a wood warbler, Oporornis formosus, of the U.S., olive-green above, yellow below, and marked with black on the face.
- kentucky windage — a method of correcting for windage, gravity, etc., by aiming a weapon to one side of the target instead of by adjusting the sights.
- keratoacanthomas — Plural form of keratoacanthoma.
- keyman insurance — life insurance taken out by a business firm on an essential or very important employee, with the firm as beneficiary.
- kit and caboodle — a set or collection of tools, supplies, instructional matter, etc., for a specific purpose: a first-aid kit; a sales kit.
- knapsack problem — the problem of determining which numbers from a given collection of numbers have been added together to yield a specific sum: used in cryptography to encipher (and sometimes decipher) messages.
- knitting machine — machine that knits yarn into fabric
- knock for a loop — a portion of a cord, ribbon, etc., folded or doubled upon itself so as to leave an opening between the parts.
- know one's place — a particular portion of space, whether of definite or indefinite extent.
- knuckle sandwich — a punch in the mouth with a clenched fist.
- labtech notebook — (tool, product) Commercial data aquisition software.
- lake saint clair — a lake between SE Michigan and Ontario: linked with Lake Huron by the St Clair River and with Lake Erie by the Detroit River. Area: 1191 sq km (460 sq miles)
- laughing jackass — kookaburra.
- like cat and dog — quarrelling savagely
- lipstick lesbian — a lesbian who is feminine in manner or appearance; a femme.
- little black ant — a widely distributed ant, Monomorium minimum, sometimes a household pest.
- mackinaw blanket — a thick woolen blanket, often woven with bars of color, formerly used in the northern and western U.S. by Indians, loggers, etc.
- magical thinking — a conviction that thinking is equivalent to doing, occurring in dreams, the thought patterns of children, and some types of mental disorders, especially obsessive-compulsive disorder.
- magnetic pick-up — a type of record player pick-up in which the stylus moves an iron core in a coil, causing a changing magnetic field that produces the current
- make a complaint — If a guest makes a complaint, they express their dissatisfaction with something.
- man on horseback — a military leader who presents himself as the savior of the country during a period of crisis and either assumes or threatens to assume dictatorial powers.
- mock examination — an examination, esp in a school, taken as practice before an official examination
- monkey-faced owl — barn owl.
- narcotraffickers — Plural form of narcotrafficker.
- narcotrafficking — the buying and selling of illegal drugs.
- nassella tussock — type of tussock grass
- near the knuckle — risqué
- necklace killing — an instance in which someone is killed by a burning tyre that has been placed around his or her neck.
- new jack (swing) — a style of rhythm-and-blues music blending rap, disco, funk, soul, etc. and characterized by aggressive, boastful, romantic lyrics
- not miss a trick — to be very alert
- nubuck (leather) — tanned leather similar to suede, but with the nap on the grain side
- nutcracker suite — a ballet and concert suite (1892) arranged by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky from his orchestral work for a ballet, The Nutcracker.
- observation deck — an area on a high building that is surrounded with railings or fencing and which provides panoramic views
- on the back foot — at a disadvantage; outmanoeuvred or outclassed by an opponent
- packet switching — a method of efficient data transmission whereby the initial message is broken into relatively small units, or packets, that are routed independently and subsequently reassembled.
- packet-switching — a method of efficient data transmission whereby the initial message is broken into relatively small units, or packets, that are routed independently and subsequently reassembled.
- packing fraction — Physics. a measure of the stability of an atomic nucleus, equal to 10 4 multiplied by the mass defect and divided by the mass number.
- pain in the neck — source of annoyance
- pharmacokinetics — the branch of pharmacology that studies the fate of pharmacological substances in the body, as their absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination.
- pork scratchings — small pieces of crisply cooked pork crackling, eaten cold as an appetizer with drinks
- punctuation mark — any of a group of conventional marks or characters used in punctuation, as the period, comma, semicolon, question mark, or dash.
- put a sock in it — be quiet!
- rack one's brain — If you rack your brains, you try very hard to think of something.
- round lake beach — a town in NE Illinois.
- run the blockade — to go past or through a blockade