16-letter words containing a, d, i, s, o
- norodom sihanouk — Prince Norodom [nawr-uh-dom,, -duh m] /ˈnɔr əˌdɒm,, -dəm/ (Show IPA), 1922–2004, Cambodian statesman: premier 1952–60; chief of state 1960–70 and 1975–76.
- nusslein-volhard — Christiane [kris-tee-ah-nuh,, kris-tyah-] /ˌkrɪs tiˈɑ nə,, krɪsˈtyɑ-/ (Show IPA), born 1942, German biologist: Nobel prize 1995.
- observation deck — an area on a high building that is surrounded with railings or fencing and which provides panoramic views
- observation ward — a ward in a hospital where patients are monitored
- odds are against — If you say that the odds are against something or someone, you mean that they are unlikely to succeed.
- oligosaccharides — Plural form of oligosaccharide.
- on the safe side — as a precaution
- orthodox judaism — Judaism as observed by Orthodox Jews.
- ostend manifesto — a declaration (1854) issued from Ostend, Belgium, by the U.S. ministers to England, France, and Spain, stating that the U.S. would be justified in seizing Cuba if Spain did not sell it to the U.S.
- panel discussion — a formal discussion before an audience for which the topic, speakers, etc., have been selected in advance.
- parts of lindsey — an area in E England constituting a former administrative division of Lincolnshire
- passage to india — a novel (1924) by E. M. Forster.
- pays de la loire — a region of W France, on the Bay of Biscay: generally low-lying, drained by the River Loire and its tributaries; agricultural
- pearls of wisdom — good advice, wise words
- pelagic division — the biogeographic realm or zone that comprises the open seas and oceans, including water of all depths.
- pentothal sodium — thiopental sodium
- personal details — details about a person such as their name and address
- pharmacodynamics — the branch of pharmacology dealing with the course of action, effect, and breakdown of drugs within the body.
- phase modulation — radio transmission in which the carrier wave is modulated by changing its phase to transmit the amplitude and pitch of the signal.
- phosphorous acid — a colorless, crystalline, water-soluble acid of phosphorus, H 3 PO 3 , from which phosphites are derived.
- pico de sao tome — an island in the Gulf of Guinea, off the W coast of Gabon, just N of the equator: the larger component of the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe. 318 sq. mi. (824 sq. km).
- picture postcard — postcard (def 1).
- piece d'occasion — something prepared or used for a special occasion.
- pocket billiards — pool2 (def 1).
- poisoned chalice — If you refer to a job or an opportunity as a poisoned chalice, you mean that it seems to be very attractive but you believe it will lead to failure.
- polycondensation — formation of a polymer by chemical condensation with the elimination of a small molecule, such as water.
- ponderosa (pine) — a yellow pine (Pinus ponderosa) of W North America, valued for its timber
- portuguese india — a former Portuguese overseas territory on the W coast of India, consisting of the districts of Gôa, Daman, and Diu: annexed by India December 1961. Capital: Gôa.
- posigrade rocket — an auxiliary rocket used to separate the sections of a multistage rocket, fired in the direction of flight.
- potassium iodide — a white, crystalline, water-soluble powder, KI, having a bitter saline taste: used chiefly in the manufacture of photographic emulsions, as a laboratory reagent, in the preparation of Gram's solution for biological staining, and in medicine as an expectorant and to treat thyroid conditions.
- predispositional — the fact or condition of being predisposed: a predisposition to think optimistically.
- prescription pad — a pad of prescriptions used by doctors, etc
- prestidigitation — sleight of hand; legerdemain.
- pribilof islands — a group of islands in the Bering Sea, off SW Alaska, belonging to the US: the breeding ground of the northern fur seal. Area: about 168 sq km (65 sq miles)
- pseudo-isidorian — of or relating to the collection of documents of the 9th century a.d. that consist chiefly of the Decretals, attributed to Isidore, archbishop of Seville, a.d. 600–36, and that were rejected as spurious in the 15th century.
- pseudo-patriotic — of, like, suitable for, or characteristic of a patriot.
- pseudo-political — of, relating to, or concerned with politics: political writers.
- pseudo-realistic — interested in, concerned with, or based on what is real or practical: a realistic estimate of costs; a realistic planner.
- pseudo-spiritual — of, relating to, or consisting of spirit; incorporeal.
- pseudocopulation — pollination of plants, esp orchids, by male insects while attempting to mate with flowers that resemble the female insect
- pseudohemophilia — a clotting disorder caused by abnormal factor VIII activity, and characterized by a prolonged bleeding time but without the delayed coagulation time of hemophilia.
- pseudohistorical — of, pertaining to, treating, or characteristic of history or past events: historical records; historical research.
- pseudoperipteral — having a freestanding colonnade at each end, with engaged columns at the sides.
- pullorum disease — a highly contagious, frequently fatal disease of young poultry caused by the bacterium Salmonella gallinarum (pullorum), transmitted by the infected hen during egg production, and characterized by weakness, loss of appetite, and diarrhea.
- pulse modulation — a type of modulation in which a train of pulses is used as the carrier wave, one or more of its parameters, such as amplitude, being modulated or modified in order to carry information
- quasi-democratic — pertaining to or of the nature of democracy or a democracy.
- quasi-diplomatic — of, relating to, or engaged in diplomacy: diplomatic officials.
- radiation levels — the levels of the emission or transfer of radiant energy or the levels of the particles emitted in the transfer of radiant energy, esp the particles and gamma rays emitted in nuclear decay
- radio evangelist — a Christian minister who devotes time to preaching on the radio
- radioimmunoassay — a test procedure that integrates immunologic and radiolabeling techniques to measure minute quantities of a substance, as a protein, hormone, or drug, in a given sample of body fluid or tissue.