12-letter words containing a, c, n, t, h
- calycanthemy — the abnormal development of the calyx of a flower into a structure resembling a corolla
- campaign hat — a felt hat with a broad, stiff brim and four dents in the crown, formerly worn by personnel in the U.S. Army and Marine Corps.
- camphorating — Present participle of camphorate.
- can't happen — (programming) The traditional program comment for code executed under a condition that should never be true, for example a file size computed as negative. Often, such a condition being true indicates data corruption or a faulty algorithm; it is almost always handled by emitting a fatal error message and terminating or crashing, since there is little else that can be done. Some case variant of "can't happen" is also often the text emitted if the "impossible" error actually happens. Although "can't happen" events are genuinely infrequent in production code, programmers wise enough to check for them habitually are often surprised at how frequently they are triggered during development and how many headaches checking for them turns out to head off. See also firewall code, professional programming.
- canine tooth — canine (def 2).
- cantharidian — cantharidal
- cardan shaft — A cardan shaft or cardan drive is a propeller shaft fitted with universal joints at each end.
- carthaginian — of or relating to Carthage or its inhabitants
- cartoonishly — in a cartoonish manner
- cartwheeling — Present participle of cartwheel.
- cash account — an account with a brokerage which stipulates that the client pays in full for any transactions, rather than being extended credit
- cash payment — an immediate payment in cash
- catch points — railway points designed to derail a train running back in the wrong direction to prevent collision with a following train
- catching pen — a pen adjacent to a shearer's stand containing the sheep ready for shearing
- catechumenal — Ecclesiastical. a person under instruction in the rudiments of Christianity, as in the early church; a neophyte.
- catherine ii — known as Catherine the Great. 1729–96, empress of Russia (1762–96), during whose reign Russia extended her boundaries at the expense of Turkey, Sweden, and Poland: she was a patron of literature and the arts
- chaetognaths — Plural form of chaetognath.
- chain letter — A chain letter is a letter, often with a promise of money, that is sent to several people who send copies on to several more people. Chain letters are illegal in some countries.
- chain stitch — an ornamental looped embroidery stitch resembling the links of a chain
- chakravartin — (in Indian philosophy, politics, etc.) an ideal, universal, enlightened ruler, under whom the world exists in justice and peace.
- chalcanthite — a blue secondary mineral consisting of hydrated copper sulphate in triclinic crystalline form. Formula: CuSO4.5H2O
- chandragupta — Greek name Sandracottos. died ?297 bc, ruler of N India, who founded the Maurya dynasty (325) and defeated Seleucus (?305)
- change front — to redeploy (a force in the field) so that its main weight of weapons points in another direction
- change point — a point to which a foresight and backsight are taken in levelling; turning point
- changepocket — a small pocket or compartment for holding coins.
- channel port — one of the English or French ports on the English Channel
- chanterelles — Plural form of chanterelle.
- chanticleers — Plural form of chanticleer.
- chapter ring — a ringlike band on the dial of a clock that bears the numerals or other symbols of the hours.
- charlatanism — the practice or method of a charlatan.
- chastisement — Chastisement is the same as punishment.
- chastizement — Alternative form of chastisement.
- chat-up line — A chat-up line is a remark that someone makes in order to start a conversation with someone they do not know but find sexually attractive.
- chateau wine — a wine produced from any of certain vineyards in the Bordeaux region of France
- chauvinistic — If you describe someone as chauvinistic, you believe that they think their own country is more important and morally better than any other.
- cheluviation — the leaching of chelates through soil
- chestnut oak — any of several North American oaks, as Quercus prinus, having serrate or dentate leaves resembling those of the chestnut.
- chiantishire — a nickname for Tuscany
- chichen itza — a village in Yucatán state in Mexico: site of important Mayan ruins
- chieftainess — a female chieftain
- china closet — a cabinet or cupboard for storing or exhibiting chinaware.
- chincoteague — a town on a small island in a lagoon (Chincoteague Bay) in E Virginia: annual wild pony roundup.
- chinese date — an Old World tree, Ziziphus jujuba, thriving in hot, dry regions.
- chinhuangtao — a seaport in NE Hebei province, in NE China, on the Bohai.
- chiropterans — Plural form of chiropteran.
- chitchatting — light conversation; casual talk; gossip.
- chlorinating — Present participle of chlorinate.
- chlorination — Chemistry. to combine or treat with chlorine. to introduce chlorine atoms into an organic compound by an addition or substitution reaction.
- chloroethane — ethyl chloride.
- chondroblast — a type of cell that develops into a chondrocyte or cartilage cell