17-letter words containing a, l, s, i
- ultimate strength — the quantity of the utmost tensile, compressive, or shearing stress that a given unit area of a certain material is expected to bear without failing.
- ultraconservative — extremely conservative, especially in politics.
- ultrametamorphism — metamorphism during which the temperature of a rock exceeds its melting point.
- uncircumscribable — to draw a line around; encircle: to circumscribe a city on a map.
- unclassified road — a road that has not been given a grade because it is of a basic standard
- uncle tom's cabin — an antislavery novel (1852) by Harriet Beecher Stowe.
- uncompassionately — having or showing compassion: a compassionate person; a compassionate letter.
- unconventionalist — not conventional; not bound by or conforming to convention, rule, or precedent; free from conventionality: an unconventional artist; an unconventional use of material.
- understandability — capable of being understood; comprehensible.
- undistinguishable — to mark off as different (often followed by from or by): He was distinguished from the other boys by his height.
- universal algebra — (logic) The model theory of first-order equational logic.
- universal grammar — a grammar that attempts to establish the properties and constraints common to all possible human languages.
- unofficial strike — a strike that is not approved by the strikers' trade union
- unpredictableness — not predictable; not to be foreseen or foretold: an unpredictable occurrence.
- unprofessionalism — not professional; not pertaining to or characteristic of a profession.
- unrealized losses — Unrealized losses are losses from the decrease in value of an asset that you still own.
- unsubstantiatable — to establish by proof or competent evidence: to substantiate a charge.
- unsympathetically — in a manner that is not characterized by feeling or showing sympathy
- urogenital system — the urinary tract and reproductive organs
- utopian socialism — (sometimes initial capital letter) an economic system based on the premise that if capital voluntarily surrendered its ownership of the means of production to the state or the workers, unemployment and poverty would be abolished.
- vaginal discharge — emission from the female genitalia
- valetudinarianism — the state, condition, or habits of a valetudinarian.
- van diemen's land — former name of Tasmania.
- vanity publishing — the practice of the author of a book paying all or most of the costs of its publication
- varix lymphaticus — a similar condition affecting an artery or lymphatic vessel
- vascular cylinder — stele (sense 3)
- vehicle insurance — Vehicle insurance is insurance purchased for cars, trucks, motorcycles, and other road vehicles.
- veiltail goldfish — an artificially bred, indoor variety of goldfish, usually golden or calico and of a spheroid shape, having a fully divided, drooping tail fin exceeding the body in length.
- velaric airstream — a current of mouth air produced by the action of the tongue, operant in forming click sounds.
- venereal diseases — sexually transmitted disease. Abbreviation: VD.
- ventilation shaft — a shaft in a mine, tunnel, or building used for providing ventilation or fresh air
- ventura publisher — Corel VENTURA
- vertical analysis — the conversion of an organization's profits and losses into overall percentages
- vestibular system — the sensory mechanism in the inner ear that detects movement of the head and helps to control balance
- vice-presidential — relating to a person who ranks immediately below the chief executive or head of state of a republic
- video disk player — a device that reads the information on a video disc
- visible radiation — electromagnetic radiation that causes the sensation of sight; light. It has wavelengths between about 380 and 780 nanometres
- visitors' gallery — a balcony in a building such as a parliament or court where members of the public can sit
- visually impaired — (of a person) having reduced vision so severe as to constitute a handicap.
- vocational school — a school offering instruction in one or more skilled or semiskilled trades or occupations.
- wade-giles system — a system of Romanization of Chinese, devised by Sir Thomas Francis Wade (1818–95) and adapted by Herbert Allen Giles (1845–1935), widely used in representing Chinese words and names in English, especially before the adoption of pinyin.
- wage-price spiral — a situation in which wage and price increases drive each other upward and cause inflation
- wallis and futuna — French overseas territory in the South Pacific, northeast of the Fiji Islands: it consists of two groups of islands (Wallis Islands and Futuna Islands): c. 106 sq mi (275 sq km); pop. 14,000
- wallowa mountains — a mountain range in NE Oregon. Highest peak, Sacajawea Peak, 9838 feet (2999 meters).
- wang laboratories — (body) Computer manufacturer, known for their office automation products and the Wang PC. Quarterly sales $208M, profits $3M (Aug 1994).
- war establishment — the full wartime complement of men, equipment, and vehicles of a military unit
- washing-up liquid — Washing-up liquid is a thick soapy liquid which you add to hot water to clean dirty dishes.
- washington island — an island off the Door Peninsula, NE Wisconsin, in NW Lake Michigan. 20 sq. mi. (50 sq. km).
- weather satellite — meteorological satellite.
- weeping lovegrass — any grass of the genus Eragrostis, as E. curvula (weeping lovegrass) and E. trichodes (sand lovegrass) cultivated as forage and ground cover.