14-letter words containing a, g, u, r
- regulator gene — any gene that exercises control over the expression of another gene or genes.
- relay language — a language, usually an internationally dominant one, which acts as a medium to translate other usually little-spoken languages
- repromulgation — to make known by open declaration; publish; proclaim formally or put into operation (a law, decree of a court, etc.).
- rheumatologist — a specialist in rheumatology, especially a physician who specializes in the treatment of rheumatic diseases, as arthritis, lupus erythematosus, and scleroderma.
- roentgenopaque — not permitting the passage of x-rays.
- rogue elephant — a vicious elephant that has been exiled from the herd.
- rolling launch — the process of introducing a new product into a market gradually
- rough as sacks — uncouth
- route flapping — flapping router
- rude awakening — If you have a rude awakening, you are suddenly made aware of an unpleasant fact.
- run out of gas — to go quickly by moving the legs more rapidly than at a walk and in such a manner that for an instant in each step all or both feet are off the ground.
- run up against — If you run up against problems, you suddenly begin to experience them.
- running battle — When two groups of people fight a running battle, they keep attacking each other in various parts of a place.
- running casing — Running casing is the process of screwing together pieces of pipe on a rig floor and lowering them into a hole.
- rutting season — a recurrent period of sexual excitement and reproductive activity in certain male ruminants, such as the deer, that corresponds to the period of oestrus in females
- sacrilegiously — pertaining to or involving sacrilege: sacrilegious practices.
- samuel gompers — Samuel, 1850–1924, U.S. labor leader, born in England: president of the American Federation of Labor 1886–94, 1896–1924.
- saratoga trunk — a type of large traveling trunk used mainly by women during the 19th century.
- sauropterygian — any of various Mesozoic marine reptiles of the superorder Sauropterygia, including the suborder Plesiosauria.
- saxe-altenburg — a former duchy in Thuringia in central Germany.
- saxifragaceous — belonging to the plant family Saxifragaceae.
- scavenger hunt — a game in which individuals or teams are sent out to accumulate, without purchasing, a series of common, outlandish, or humorous objects, the winner being the person or team returning first with all the items.
- scrape through — only just succeed
- security guard — a uniformed guard employed by a bank, airport, office building, etc., to maintain security.
- self-regulated — governed or controlled from within; self-regulating.
- self-slaughter — suicide.
- septuagenarian — of the age of 70 years or between 70 and 80 years old.
- shooting guard — the player responsible for attempting long-range shots
- signature loan — a loan requiring no collateral.
- signature tune — theme song (def 2).
- singular point — a point at which a given function of a complex variable has no derivative but of which every neighborhood contains points at which the function has derivatives.
- slaughterhouse — a building or place where animals are butchered for food; abattoir.
- slaughterously — murderously
- soul-searching — the act or process of close and penetrating analysis of oneself, to determine one's true motives and sentiments.
- sounding board — a thin, resonant plate of wood forming part of a musical instrument, and so placed as to enhance the power and quality of the tone.
- source program — an original computer program written by a programmer that is converted into the equivalent object program, written in machine language, by the compiler or assembler
- south georgian — a British island in the S Atlantic, about 800 miles (1290 km) SE of the Falkland Islands. About 1000 sq. mi. (2590 sq. km).
- spanish guitar — acoustic guitar.
- spermatogenous — producing spermatozoa.
- spermatogonium — one of the undifferentiated germ cells giving rise to spermatocytes.
- square-bashing — drill on a barrack square
- square-dancing — the activity of taking part in a square dance
- squeak through — to succeed, get through, survive, etc. by a narrow margin or with difficulty
- staghorn sumac — a sumac, Rhus typhina, of eastern North America, having leaves that turn scarlet, orange, and purple in the autumn.
- standard gauge — a standard of measure or measurement.
- stigmatiferous — (of a plant) having a stigma
- straight flush — a sequence of five consecutive cards of the same suit.
- straighten out — make straighter
- string quartet — a musical composition, usually in three or four movements, for four stringed instruments, typically two violins, viola, and cello.
- sturgeon's law — "Ninety percent of everything is crap". Derived from a quote by science fiction author Theodore Sturgeon, who once said, "Sure, 90% of science fiction is crud. That's because 90% of everything is crud." Oddly, when Sturgeon's Law is cited, the final word is almost invariably changed to "crap". Compare Ninety-Ninety Rule. Though this maxim originated in SF fandom, most hackers recognise it and are all too aware of its truth.