17-letter words containing a, l, e, s
- self-satisfaction — a usually smug satisfaction with oneself, one's achievements, etc.
- self-significance — importance; consequence: the significance of the new treaty.
- selkirk mountains — a mountain range in SW Canada, in SE British Columbia. Highest peak: Mount Sir Sandford, 3533 m (11 590 ft)
- semi-biographical — of or relating to a person's life: He's gathering biographical data for his book on Milton.
- semi-experimental — pertaining to, derived from, or founded on experiment: an experimental science.
- semi-permeability — permeable only to certain small molecules: a semipermeable membrane.
- semi-professional — actively engaged in some field or sport for pay but on a part-time basis: semiprofessional baseball players.
- semimicroanalysis — any analytical method in which the weight of the sample is between 10 and 100 milligrams.
- seminal principle — a potential, latent within an imperfect object, for attaining full development.
- senatus consultum — a decree of the senate of ancient Rome.
- sensory paralysis — impairment or loss of sensation in a part or area of the body
- sentimental value — personal, emotional significance
- separating funnel — a large funnel having a tap in its output tube, used to separate immiscible liquids
- septicemic plague — an especially dangerous form of plague in which the infecting organisms invade the bloodstream. Compare plague (def 2).
- sequential access — of or relating to a storage medium, as magnetic tape, in which records must be accessed by reading or writing from the beginning of the file.
- sequential-access — of or relating to a storage medium, as magnetic tape, in which records must be accessed by reading or writing from the beginning of the file.
- set on a pedestal — an architectural support for a column, statue, vase, or the like.
- set one's seal on — to mark with one's sign or seal
- set one's seal to — to mark with one's seal
- seven deadly sins — Christianity: worst vices
- sexual dimorphism — the condition in which the males and females in a species are morphologically different, as with many birds.
- sexual generation — the gametophyte generation in the alternation of generations in plants that produces a zygote from male and female gametes.
- sexual harassment — unwelcome sexual advances made by an employer or superior, especially when compliance is made a condition of continued employment or advancement.
- sexual preference — Someone's sexual preference is the same as their sexual orientation.
- shetland pullover — a thick woollen sweater made from Shetland wool
- shetland sheepdog — one of a breed of small sheepdogs resembling a miniature collie, raised originally in the Shetland Islands.
- shipping articles — articles of agreement.
- shit on a shingle — creamed chipped beef or ground beef in a sauce, served on toast.
- shoestring tackle — a tackle made around the ankles of the ball carrier.
- shorthold tenancy — letting of a dwelling for between one and five years at a fair rent
- shuttle diplomacy — diplomatic negotiations carried out by a mediator who travels back and forth between the negotiating parties.
- sickle cell trait — the usually asymptomatic hereditary condition that occurs when a person inherits from only one parent the abnormal hemoglobin gene characteristic of sickle cell anemia.
- side-valve engine — a type of internal-combustion engine in which the inlet and exhaust valves are in the cylinder block at the side of the pistons
- sidesaddle flower — a pitcher plant, Sarracenia purpurea.
- sidewall sampling — Sidewall sampling is the process of taking a sample from the wall of the borehole.
- signed and sealed — If you say that an agreement is signed and sealed, or signed, sealed and delivered, you mean that it is absolutely definite because everyone involved has signed all the legal documents.
- silk manufacturer — a person or business that is involved in the manufacture of silk thread and fabric
- silver star medal — a U.S. military decoration in the form of a bronze star with a small silver star at the center, awarded for gallantry in action
- similar triangles — triangles that are similar due to the equality of corresponding angles and the proportional similarity of the corresponding sides
- simulated leather — fake leather that is an imitation of real leather and is usually made from a cheaper material
- sinbad the sailor — a merchant in The Arabian Nights who makes seven adventurous voyages
- sinclair research — (company) A British microelectronics developer and manufacturer. Evolving from Sinclair Radionics in 1979, Sinclair Research was owned by Sir Clive Sinclair. Sinclair Radionics produced electronic components and devices (such as calculators and pocket radios and televisions), but Sinclair Research began by producing some of the first 8-bit home microcomputers. Sinclair produced five microcomputers from 1980 to 1987, all based on the Zilog Z80 microprocessor (except for the QL, which used the Motorola 68008 - a variant on the 68000). The 1K kit-build ZX80, introduced in 1980, was followed by the 1K ZX81 (expandable to 16K) in 1981, the 16K (expandable to 48K) ZX Spectrum in 1982 (then superseded by two distinct 48K models and a 128K model in 1986) and the QL (Quantum Leap) in 1984. A portable laptop computer, the Z88, was released in 1987 under the Cambridge Computers banner. Of them all, the ZX Spectrum was the best known, and it went on to become the most popular microcomputer of its time in the United Kingdom and in many other territories. This was partly due to its ease of use, and also due to its enormous software catalogue, covering games, word processing, music, programming and graphics. Glorious "mine's-better-than-yours" battles were fought (and still are today) between owners of Spectrums and Commodore 64s over who had the best machine. Sir Clive's financial problems in the mid-80s led him to sell the rights to the Sinclair brand to Amstrad in April 1986. This led to further models of the Spectrum being released from 1986 to 1988 and also an IBM PC-compatible based internally on Amstrad's own PC range. Sir Clive was not involved with the production of these computers, and no computer with the Sinclair name has been produced since.
- single-name paper — commercial paper bearing only the signature of the maker.
- single-track road — a road that is only wide enough for one vehicle
- slap on the wrist — a sharp blow or smack, especially with the open hand or with something flat.
- sleep deprivation — a condition in which you have not had enough sleep
- sleeping quarters — the rooms where people sleep in a large building or complex or on a boat etc
- slenderness ratio — aspect ratio (def 4a).
- slenderness-ratio — Aeronautics. the ratio of the span of an airfoil to its mean chord.
- sliding vane pump — A sliding vane pump is a pump in which the vanes (=flat parts) are the main sealing element between the suction and discharge areas.