16-letter words containing a, g, o
- organophosphorus — Denoting synthetic organic compounds containing phosphorus, especially pesticides and nerve gases of this kind.
- ornithologically — In terms of ornithology.
- orographic cloud — any cloud whose existence and form are largely controlled by the disturbed flow of air over and around mountains, as the banner cloud and crest cloud.
- orthographically — In an orthographical manner; using proper spelling, capitalization and grammar.
- osculating plane — the plane containing the circle of curvature of a point on a given curve.
- osteoarchaeology — the branch of archaeology that deals with the study of bones found at archaeological sites
- otolaryngologist — Otorhinolaryngologist.
- out like a light — If someone goes out like a light, they fall asleep or become unconscious very quickly or immediately.
- over-imaginative — characterized by or bearing evidence of imagination: an imaginative tale.
- overcapitalizing — Present participle of overcapitalize.
- overcompensating — Present participle of overcompensate.
- overcomplicating — Present participle of overcomplicate.
- oxycalcium light — calcium light.
- pacific sturgeon — a dark gray sturgeon, Acipenser transmontanus, inhabiting marine and fresh waters along the northwestern coast of North America, valued as a food and sport fish.
- 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.
- paleoclimatology — the branch of paleogeography dealing with the study of paleoclimates.
- parser generator — A program which takes a formal description of a grammar (e.g. in BNF) and outputs source code for a parser which will recognise valid strings obeying that grammar and perform associated actions. Unix's yacc is a well known example.
- part way through — mid-way; before the end
- partial ordering — a relation defined on a set, having the properties that each element is in relation to itself, the relation is transitive, and if two elements are in relation to each other, the two elements are equal.
- passage to india — a novel (1924) by E. M. Forster.
- passenger pigeon — an extinct pigeon, Ectopistes migratorius, once found in great numbers in North America, noted for its sustained migratory flights.
- past progressive — a verb form consisting of an auxiliary be in the past tense followed by a present participle and used especially to indicate that an action or event was incomplete or in progress at a point of reference in the past, as was sleeping in I was sleeping when the phone rang.
- patched-together — makeshift; roughly made from disparate elements
- pelagic division — the biogeographic realm or zone that comprises the open seas and oceans, including water of all depths.
- pelican crossing — place to cross road
- pension mortgage — an arrangement whereby a person takes out a mortgage and pays the capital repayment instalments into a pension fund and the interest to the mortgagee. The loan is repaid out of the tax-free lump sum proceeds of the pension plan on the borrower's retirement
- percentage point — difference: one per cent
- peregrine falcon — a globally distributed falcon, Falco peregrinus, much used in falconry because of its swift flight: several subspecies are endangered.
- personal hygiene — bodily cleanliness
- personnel agency — an agency for placing employable persons in jobs; employment agency.
- petrol rationing — a scheme rationing the amount of petrol that an individual is allowed to purchase
- phagocytic index — the average number of bacteria ingested per phagocyte in an incubated mixture of bacteria, phagocytes, and blood serum: used in determining the opsonic index.
- phantasmagorical — having a fantastic or deceptive appearance, as something in a dream or created by the imagination.
- pharmacogenetics — the branch of pharmacology that examines the relation of genetic factors to variations in response to drugs.
- pharmacogenomics — the study of human genetic variability in relation to drug action and its application to medical treatment
- phenomenological — the study of phenomena.
- phonocardiograph — an instrument for graphically recording the sound of the heartbeat.
- phosphor fatigue — screen saver
- photochronograph — a device formerly used for taking a series of instantaneous photographs of a rapidly moving object.
- photocoagulation — a surgical technique using an intense beam of light from a laser or a xenon-arc bulb to seal blood vessels or coagulate tissue, used primarily in ophthalmology to repair detached retinas or to treat certain kinds of retinopathy.
- photograph album — bound book for photos
- photolithography — the technique or art of making photolithographs.
- photozincography — a type of photoengraving using a sensitized zinc plate.
- phylogenetically — the development or evolution of a particular group of organisms.
- physiognomically — the face or countenance, especially when considered as an index to the character: a fierce physiognomy.
- pitch-cone angle — (in a bevel gear) the apex angle of the truncated cone (pitch cone) which forms the reference surface on which the teeth of a bevel gear are cut
- platoon sergeant — the senior noncommissioned officer in a platoon, equivalent to sergeant first class.
- play off against — If you play people off against each other, you make them compete or argue, so that you gain some advantage.
- pneumatic trough — a trough filled with liquid, especially water, for collecting gases in bell jars or the like by displacement.
- pneumonic plague — a form of plague characterized by lung involvement.