15-letter words containing a, p, i, e
- penetration aid — a device or tactic, as the use of chaff or decoys or the maintaining of a low flight level, that helps an aircraft or missile to enter hostile air space.
- penetrativeness — the quality or condition of being penetrative
- pentaerythritol — a white, crystalline, water-soluble powder, C 5 H 1 2 O 4 , used chiefly in the manufacture of alkyd resins, varnishes, plasticizers, and explosives.
- perchloric acid — a colorless, syrupy hygroscopic liquid, HClO 4 , an acid of chlorine containing one more oxygen atom than chloric acid: used chiefly as a reagent in analytical chemistry.
- perforating gun — A perforating gun is a device used to make holes in oil and gas wells in preparation for production.
- performing arts — dance, drama, music
- period-rotation — a rather large interval of time that is meaningful in the life of a person, in history, etc., because of its particular characteristics: a period of illness; a period of great profitability for a company; a period of social unrest in Germany.
- perissosyllabic — (of a line of verse) containing more syllables than expected for the metre being used
- perpendicularly — vertical; straight up and down; upright.
- personal friend — a person who is a friend, rather than a colleague or acquaintance
- personal injury — injury to an individual
- personalization — to have marked with one's initials, name, or monogram: to personalize stationery.
- personification — the attribution of human nature or character to animals, inanimate objects, or abstract notions, especially as a rhetorical figure.
- peruvian balsam — Peru balsam.
- pessimistically — pertaining to or characterized by pessimism or the tendency to expect only bad outcomes; gloomy; joyless; unhopeful: His pessimistic outlook kept him from applying for jobs for which he was perfectly qualified.
- peter of amiens — c1050–1115, French monk: preacher of the first Crusade 1095–99.
- petit serjeanty — serjeanty in which the tenant renders services of an impersonal nature to the king, as providing him annually with an implement of war, as a lance or bow.
- phase-switching — a technique used in radio interferometry in which the signal from one of the two antennae is periodically reversed in phase before being multiplied by the signal from the other antenna
- phenakistoscope — an early form of a zoetrope in which figures are depicted in different poses around the edge of a disc. When the disc is spun, and the figures observed through the apertures around the edge of the disc, they appear to be moving
- phenazopyridine — a substance, C 1 1 H 1 2 ClN 5 , used as a lower urinary tract analgesic.
- phenolphthalein — a white, crystalline compound, C 2 0 H 1 4 O 4 , used as an indicator in acid-base titration and as a laxative.
- phenomenalistic — the doctrine that phenomena are the only objects of knowledge or the only form of reality.
- phenylhydrazine — a yellow, poisonous liquid or low-melting solid, C 6 H 8 N 2 , used in chemical analysis and organic synthesis.
- phenylketonuria — an inherited disease due to faulty metabolism of phenylalanine, characterized by phenylketones in the urine and usually first noted by signs of mental retardation in infancy.
- phoenix islands — a group of eight coral islands in the central Pacific: administratively part of Kiribati. Area: 28 sq km (11 sq miles). The islands and surrounding waters form the Phoenix Islands Protected Area, the world's largest marine protected area. Area: 410 500 sq km (158 500 sq miles)
- phonemicization — a grouping of phonemes
- phoneticization — the representation of speech in writing using a system in which individual symbols reflect speech sounds in a regular manner
- phosphocreatine — a compound, C 4 H 1 0 O 5 N 3 P, found chiefly in muscle, formed by the enzymatic interaction of an organic phosphate and creatine, the breakdown of which provides energy for muscle contraction.
- phosphorylative — of or relating to phosphorylation
- photodissociate — to split or break up molecules as a result of the absorption of photons
- photoelasticity — the phenomenon of double refraction of polarized light by a transparent substance under elastic stress, used to measure strain in elastic, transparent materials.
- photoexcitation — the creation of an increase in energy in atoms, molecules or ions caused by the absorption of a photon
- photoheliograph — an instrument for photographing the sun, consisting of a camera and a specially adapted telescope.
- photomechanical — noting or pertaining to any of various processes for printing from plates or surfaces prepared by the aid of photography.
- photorefractive — of or relating to a change in the index of refraction by spatial variations of the light intensity, as in a laser.
- phrasemongering — the act of coining memorable phrases
- phrenologically — in a manner relating to phrenology
- physical change — a usually reversible change in the physical properties of a substance, as size or shape: Freezing a liquid is a physical change.
- physical memory — (memory management) The memory hardware (normally RAM) installed in a computer. The term is only used in contrast to virtual memory.
- physicochemical — physical and chemical: the physicochemical properties of an isomer.
- physiotherapist — physical therapy.
- phytochemically — in a phytochemical manner
- phytopathogenic — of, possessing the properties of, or relating to a phytopathogen
- piano reduction — a musical score having the parts condensed or simplified in two staves, to render the music playable on the piano by one person.
- pick and choose — to choose or select from among a group: to pick a contestant from the audience.
- pick up the tab — If you pick up the tab, you pay a bill on behalf of a group of people or provide the money that is needed for something.
- pick-and-shovel — marked by drudgery; laborious: the pick-and-shovel work necessary to get a political campaign underway.
- pickaback plane — a powered airplane designed to be carried aloft by another airplane and released in flight.
- pickwick papers — (The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club) a novel (1837) by Charles Dickens.
- picture gallery — place where art is exhibited and sold