12-letter words containing a, p, e, l
- pilot ladder — Jacob's ladder (def 2a).
- pimelic acid — a crystalline compound, C 7 H 1 2 O 4 , soluble in alcohol and ether: used in polymers and as a plasticizer.
- pine warbler — a warbler, Dendroica pinus, inhabiting pine forests of the southeastern U.S.
- pineal gland — a small, cone-shaped endocrine organ in the posterior forebrain, secreting melatonin and involved in biorhythms and gonadal development.
- pinealectomy — a surgical operation to remove the pineal gland
- pipe cleaner — a short length of twisted flexible wires covered with tufted fabric, used to clean the stem of a smoker's pipe and for various handicrafts.
- piperacillin — a broad-spectrum semisynthetic penicillin, C 2 3 H 2 6 N 5 NaO 7 , used against certain susceptible Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and certain anaerobes, especially P. aeruginosa.
- piss-elegant — displaying a contrived, often pretentious, sophistication, opulence, etc.
- pitch a tale — to tell a story, usually of a fantastic nature
- place-holder — Mathematics, Logic. a symbol in an expression that may be replaced by the name of any element of the set.
- placentation — Anatomy, Zoology. the formation of a placenta. the manner of placement or construction of a placenta.
- placentiform — shaped like a placenta, with a flat rounded form
- placentology — the scientific study of the placenta
- plagiohedral — (of a crystal) having faces arranged obliquely in a helix.
- plaid screen — [XEROX PARC] A "special effect" that occurs when certain kinds of memory smashes overwrite the control blocks or image memory of a bit-mapped display. The term "salt and pepper" may refer to a different pattern of similar origin. Though the term as coined at PARC refers to the result of an error, some of the X demos induce plaid-screen effects deliberately as a display hack.
- plain people — the Mennonites, Dunkers, and Amish people
- plain turkey — a bustard
- plain-spoken — candid; frank; blunt.
- plainclothes — Plainclothes police officers wear ordinary clothes instead of a police uniform.
- plane strain — Plane strain is a two-dimensional state of strain in which all the shape changes of a material happen on a single plane.
- plane stress — Plane stress is a two-dimensional state of stress in which all stress is applied in a single plane.
- plane ticket — entitlement to travel by aircraft
- planet earth — the world
- planet wheel — any of the gears in an epicyclic train surrounding and engaging with the sun gear.
- planetesimal — one of the small celestial bodies that, according to one theory (planetesimal hypothesis) were fused together to form the planets of the solar system.
- planlessness — the state or condition of being planless
- plano-convex — pertaining to or noting a lens that is plane on one side and convex on the other.
- planoconcave — pertaining to or noting a lens that is plane on one side and concave on the other.
- plant-cutter — any of several South American, passerine birds of the family Phytotomidae, superficially resembling grosbeaks but having serrated edges on the bill that aid in cutting leaves and other plant food.
- plasmasphere — a region of cool plasma surrounding the earth, extending 8000–25,000 miles (13,000–40,000 km) into space, and bounded by the plasmapause.
- plaster cast — any piece of sculpture reproduced in plaster of Paris.
- plasterboard — a material used for insulating or covering walls, or as a lath, consisting of paper-covered sheets of gypsum and felt.
- plasteriness — the state of being made of or resembling plaster
- platanaceous — relating to the family Platanaceae
- plate armour — armour made of thin metal plates, which superseded mail during the 14th century
- plate girder — an iron or steel beam built up from plates and shapes welded or riveted together, usually including a plate or plates for a web, four angle irons forming two flanges, and a pair of plates to reinforce the flanges.
- plate warmer — a device for warming plates
- platform bed — a bed, originating in Scandinavia in the 1930s, consisting of a simple shallow box for holding a mattress situated on a slightly recessed pedestal.
- plattdeutsch — the Low German vernacular dialects spoken in northern Germany.
- play chicken — to engage in a test of courage in which, typically, two vehicles are driven directly toward one another in order to see which driver will swerve away first
- play clothes — clothes that are suitable for playing in
- play it safe — a dramatic composition or piece; drama.
- play reading — the activity when a group of people read the parts of a play
- play therapy — a form of psychotherapy used chiefly with children, in which patients act out situations in play that are expressive of their emotional problems, conflicts, etc.
- player piano — a piano that can play automatically when the keys are actuated electronically or by a pneumatic device controlled by a piano roll.
- plea bargain — to engage in plea bargaining.
- plea-bargain — to engage in plea bargaining.
- plead guilty — defendant: declare guilt
- pleasantness — pleasing, agreeable, or enjoyable; giving pleasure: pleasant news.
- pleased with — satisfied or content with