15-letter words containing a, l
- amalgam gilding — a process of gilding metalwork in which the metal base is coated with an amalgam of gold and mercury, the latter subsequently being driven off by heat.
- amaranth family — the plant family Amaranthaceae, typified by herbaceous, often weedy plants having alternate or opposite leaves and small, chaffy flowers without petals in brightly colored dense clusters, including the cockscomb, pigweed, and amaranth.
- amaryllidaceous — of, relating to, or belonging to the Amaryllidaceae, a family of widely cultivated flowering plants having bulbs and including the amaryllis, snowdrop, narcissus, and daffodil
- ambisyllabicity — (poetry) The property of a consonant being analysed as acting simultaneously as the coda of one syllable and the onset of the following syllable.
- ambrose channel — a ship channel at the entrance to New York harbor, near Sandy Hook. 7½ miles (12 km) long.
- ambrosia beetle — any of various small beetles of the genera Anisandrus, Xyleborus, etc, that bore tunnels into solid wood, feeding on fungi growing in the tunnels: family Scolytidae (bark beetles)
- ambulance nurse — a nurse who works as part of an ambulance crew
- ambulance train — a train designed to carry sick or injured people
- ambulatory care — care given at a hospital to non-resident patients, including minor surgery and outpatient treatment
- american blight — any plant louse of the family Aphididae, characterized by a waxy secretion that appears like a jumbled mass of fine, curly, white cottony or woolly threads, as Eriosoma lanigerum (woolly apple aphid or American blight) and Prociphilus tessellatus (woolly alder aphid)
- american league — one of the two major professional U.S. baseball leagues, established in 1900. Abbreviation: A.L.
- american legion — an association of former member of the US armed forces
- american linden — any tree of the genus Tilia, as T. americana (American linden) or T. europaea (European linden) having fragrant yellowish-white flowers and heart-shaped leaves, grown as an ornamental or shade tree. Compare linden family.
- americanologist — a foreign expert or specialist in American cultural or political matters: a leading Americanologist in the Kremlin.
- amery ice shelf — an ice barrier in Antarctica, in the SW Indian Ocean, bordered by Enderby Land on the N and American Highland on the W.
- amicable number — either of a pair of positive integers in which each member is equal to the sum of the submultiples of the other, as 220 and 284.
- aminoglycosides — Plural form of aminoglycoside.
- ammunition belt — a belt for carrying ammunition
- ammunition clip — a device for storing rounds of ammunition and feeding them into a weapon
- amphiarthrodial — a joint permitting only slight motion, as that between the vertebrae.
- amphitheatrical — Having some of the characteristics of an amphitheatre.
- amyl propionate — a colorless liquid, C 8 H 16 O 2 , having an applelike odor, used chiefly as a scent in the manufacture of flavorings and perfume.
- anacoluthically — in an anacoluthic manner
- anaesthesiology — the science of administering anesthetics.
- anaesthetically — by means of an anaesthetic
- analog computer — a mechanical, electrical, or electronic computer that performs arithmetical operations by using some variable physical quantity, such as mechanical movement or voltage, to represent numbers
- analogous color — Art. any one of a group of related colors that are near each other on the color wheel, a circular chart that shows gradations of color: Red, orange, and yellow are analogous colors. Compare complementary color (def 1a).
- anamorphic lens — a component in the optical system of a film projector for converting standard 35mm film images into wide-screen format
- ancylostomiasis — infestation of the human intestine with blood-sucking hookworms, causing progressive anaemia
- andaman islands — a group of islands in the E Bay of Bengal, part of the Indian territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Area: 6408 sq km (2474 sq miles). Pop: 314 804 (2001)
- andes lightning — an electrical discharge of the corona type, occurring over mountains when the atmosphere is electrically disturbed.
- andrada e silva — José Bonifacio de [zhaw-ze baw-nee-fah-syoo di] /ʒɔˈzɛ ˌbɔ niˈfɑ syʊ dɪ/ (Show IPA), 1763–1838, Brazilian statesman and scientist: architect of Brazilian independence.
- andrographolide — (organic compound) A bitter labdane diterpenoid that is the main bioactive component of the medicinal plant Andrographis paniculata, effective against certain cancers.
- aneroid capsule — a box or chamber of thin metal, partially exhausted of air, used in the aneroid barometer and pressure altimeter.
- angel food cake — a light, spongy, white cake made with egg whites and no shortening
- angel's-trumpet — any of several plants belonging to the genera Brugmansia and Datura, of the nightshade family, having large, trumpet-shaped flowers in a variety of colors.
- angiomyolipomas — Plural form of angiomyolipoma.
- angle of attack — the acute angle between the chord line of an aerofoil and the undisturbed relative airflow
- angle of repose — the maximum angle to the horizontal at which rocks, soil, etc, will remain without sliding
- anglican church — any Church of the Anglican Communion or the Anglican Communion itself
- angular measure — the units used to measure angles. Compare angle1 (def 1c).
- animal behavior — behavior (def 2).
- animal charcoal — carbon obtained from the carbonization of organic tissue of animals.
- anisotropically — Physics. of unequal physical properties along different axes. Compare isotropic (def 1).
- ankylostomiasis — ancylostomiasis
- annapolis royal — a town in SE Canada in W Nova Scotia on an arm of the Bay of Fundy: the first settlement in Canada (1605). Pop: 550 (2001)
- annihilationism — the teaching or principle that trespassers and evildoers are completely destroyed rather than made to suffer in hell after death
- annihilationist — A person who believes that eternal punishment is the annihilation of both the body and the soul.
- annual parallax — the apparent displacement of an observed object due to a change in the position of the observer.
- annular eclipse — an eclipse of the sun in which the moon does not cover the entire disc of the sun, so that a ring of sunlight surrounds the shadow of the moon