18-letter words containing a, f, s
- state of the union — A State of the Union speech or address is a speech, given once a year, in which the president of the United States talks about the current political issues that affect the country as a whole and about his plans for the year ahead.
- statement of claim — law: first pleading
- statements of case — the formal written statements presented alternately by the plaintiff and defendant in a lawsuit setting out the respective matters relied upon
- stepping-off place — jumping-off place (def 2).
- stirling's formula — a relation that approximates the value of n factorial (n!), expressed as .
- strait of magellan — a strait between the mainland of S South America and Tierra del Fuego, linking the S Pacific with the S Atlantic. Length: 600 km (370 miles). Width: up to 32 km (20 miles)
- straits of florida — a sea passage between the Florida Keys and Cuba, linking the Atlantic with the Gulf of Mexico
- street certificate — a certificate showing ownership of a specified number of shares of stock: endorsed by the owner and guaranteed by a broker, it may be traded without formal transfer on the books of the corporation issuing the stock.
- structural formula — a chemical formula showing the linkage of the atoms in a molecule diagrammatically, as H–O–H.
- sub-classification — to arrange in subclasses.
- sub-saharan africa — the region of Africa to the south of the Sahara desert
- subsistence farmer — a farmer who consumes most of the produce he grows, leaving little or nothing to be marketed
- sugarloaf mountain — a mountain in SE Brazil in Rio de Janeiro, at the entrance to Guanabara Bay. 1280 feet (390 meters).
- sulfuric anhydride — sulfur trioxide.
- surface-to-surface — (of a missile, message, etc.) capable of traveling from a base on the surface of the earth to a target also on the surface.
- sutton-in-ashfield — a market town in N central England, in W Nottinghamshire. Pop: 41 951 (2001)
- sweptwing aircraft — an aircraft which has wings that are swept (usually) backwards
- take the wraps off — to reveal
- tale of two cities — a historical novel (1859) by Dickens.
- the bird has flown — the person in question has fled or escaped
- the final solution — the code name used by the Nazis to refer to the plan of mass murder of the Jews
- the first sea lord — the senior of the two serving naval officers who sits on the admiralty board of the Ministry of Defence
- the mosque of omar — the mosque in Jerusalem, Israel, built in 691 ad by caliph 'Abd al-Malik: the third most holy place of Islam; stands on the Temple Mount alongside the al-Aqsa mosque
- the queen of sheba — a queen of the Sabeans, who visited Solomon (I Kings 10:1–13)
- the worse for wear — If you say that someone is the worse for wear, you mean that they are tired, ill, or in a bad state because they have been very active, been through a difficult experience, or been drinking alcohol.
- thorfinn karlsefni — 980–after 1007, Icelandic navigator, explorer, and leader of early colonizing expedition to Vinland, in North America.
- to be said for sth — If you say there is a lot to be said for something, you mean you think it has a lot of good qualities or aspects.
- to feast your eyes — If you feast your eyes on something, you look at it for a long time with great attention because you find it very attractive.
- to play favourites — to display favouritism
- to pull a fast one — If you say that someone has pulled a fast one on you, you mean that they have cheated or tricked you.
- to save one's life — If you say that someone cannot do something to save their life, you are emphasizing that they do it very badly.
- transfer passenger — a traveller who changes from one plane, train, or bus to another, or to another form of transport
- transfinite number — an infinite cardinal or ordinal number.
- transmission shaft — a shaft that rotates transmitting motion from the engine to the differential gear
- transmogrification — to change in appearance or form, especially strangely or grotesquely; transform.
- transrectification — rectification occurring in one circuit as a result of the application of an alternating voltage to another circuit.
- treasury of merits — the superabundant store of merits and satisfactions, comprising those of Christ, the Virgin Mary, and the saints.
- treaty of rijswijk — a treaty signed at Rijswijk in the Netherlands in 1697, ending the War of the Grand Alliance
- triangle of forces — a triangle whose sides represent the magnitudes and directions of three forces whose resultant is zero and which are therefore in equilibrium
- tsaratanana massif — a mountain range in N Madagascar. Highest peak, 9436 feet (2876 meters).
- under the aegis of — guided or protected by
- universal suffrage — suffrage for all persons over a certain age, usually 18 or 21, who in other respects satisfy the requirements established by law.
- university faculty — a division within a university comprising one subject area, or a number of related subject areas
- ur of the chaldees — the city where Abraham was born, sometimes identified with the Sumerian city of Ur. Gen. 11:28, 31; 15:7; Neh. 9:7.
- warrant of fitness — a six-monthly certificate required for motor vehicles certifying mechanical soundness
- weather forecaster — meteorologist
- what has become of — If you wonder what has become of someone or something, you wonder where they are and what has happened to them.
- wild passionflower — the maypop, Passiflora incarnata.
- wildlife sanctuary — an area where wild animals and plants are protected
- woman of the house — lady of the house.