17-letter words containing a, r, e, l, i
- upper paleolithic — See under Paleolithic.
- urban exploration — a recreational activity in which people explore derelict urban structures such as abandoned sewers or underground railways or attempt to access areas which are closed to the public such as the roofs of skyscrapers
- urogenital system — the urinary tract and reproductive organs
- vaginal discharge — emission from the female genitalia
- valetudinarianism — the state, condition, or habits of a valetudinarian.
- vanilla-flavoured — having been flavoured with vanilla extract or essence
- variable-geometry — denoting an aircraft in which the wings are hinged to give the variable aspect ratio colloquially known as a swing-wing
- vascular cylinder — stele (sense 3)
- vehicle insurance — Vehicle insurance is insurance purchased for cars, trucks, motorcycles, and other road vehicles.
- 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.
- ventura publisher — Corel VENTURA
- vernacularization — to translate into the natural speech peculiar to a people.
- vertical analysis — the conversion of an organization's profits and losses into overall percentages
- vertical mobility — movement from one social level to a higher one (upward mobility) or a lower one (downward mobility) as by changing jobs or marrying.
- vertical planning — the planning of education delivered in schools discussed between teachers of different classes or grades
- vertical retailer — A vertical retailer is a retail business that designs, produces, and sells its own products, without using middlemen or wholesalers, so that it can satisfy customer demands very efficiently.
- 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
- victor emmanuel i — 1759–1824, king of Sardinia 1802–21.
- 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.
- voidable contract — a contract or agreement that is capable of being made of no legal effect or made void
- vulcan death grip — (jargon) A variant of Vulcan nerve pinch derived from a Star Trek classic epsisode where a non-existant "Vulcan death grip" was used to fool Romulans that Spock had killed Kirk.
- wage differential — the difference in wages between workers with different skills in the same industry or between those with comparable skills in different industries or localities
- wage-price spiral — a situation in which wage and price increases drive each other upward and cause inflation
- walk-in apartment — a ground-floor apartment having a private entrance directly from the street, rather than through a hallway of the building.
- 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
- water lily family — the plant family Nymphaeaceae, characterized by aquatic herbaceous plants having usually broad leaves, solitary, often showy flowers, and fruit in a variety of forms, and including the lotus (genus Nelumbo), spatterdock, water lily, and water shield.
- water tube boiler — a boiler for generating steam by passing water in tubes (water tubes) through flames and hot gases.
- water-tube boiler — a boiler for generating steam by passing water in tubes (water tubes) through flames and hot gases.
- 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.
- welfare economics — a branch of economics concerned with improving human welfare and social conditions chiefly through the optimum distribution of wealth, the relief or reduction of unemployment, etc.
- western australia — a state in W Australia. 975,920 sq. mi. (2,527,635 sq. km). Capital: Perth.
- white-tailed deer — a common North American deer, Odocoileus virginianus, having a tail with a white underside.
- william shoemaker — William Lee ("Willie") 1931–2003, U.S. jockey.
- williams syndrome — an abnormality in the genes involved in calcium metabolism, resulting in learning difficulties
- willow flycatcher — a North American flycatcher, Empidonax alnorum, of alder thickets and other moist areas, that has greenish-brown upper parts and whitish underparts and is almost indistinguishable except by voice from E. traillii (willow flycatcher)
- wire entanglement — a barbed-wire obstacle, usually mounted on posts and zigzagged back and forth along a front, designed to channel, delay, or halt an advance by enemy foot soldiers.
- wireless operator — a radio operator
- with half a heart — halfheartedly
- withdrawal method — a method of contraception in which the man withdraws his penis from the woman's vagina before ejaculation
- work-life balance — a situation in which one divides or balances one's time between work and activities outside of work: It's hard to achieve a reasonable work-life balance when you run your own business.
- wrangell-mountain — Mount, an active volcano in SE Alaska, in the Wrangell Mountains. 14,006 feet (4269 meters).
- yellow journalism — a color like that of egg yolk, ripe lemons, etc.; the primary color between green and orange in the visible spectrum, an effect of light with a wavelength between 570 and 590 nm.
- yellow water lily — any of several water lilies, as the spatterdock, Nuphar luteum, having yellow flowers.