15-letter words containing a, r, v, i
- valerian family — the plant family Valerianaceae, characterized by herbaceous plants and shrubs having simple or compound, opposite leaves, clusters of small flowers, and dry, indehiscent fruit, and including corn salad, spikenard (Nardostachys jatamansi), and valerian.
- vanishing cream — a cosmetic similar to cold cream but less oily, applied usually to the face and neck as a base, night cream, or moisturizer.
- vanishing spray — a substance that disperses without trace shortly after it is sprayed onto a surface, used in football to mark a temporary line behind which defenders must stand when a free kick is taken
- variable region — a configuration in the upper branches of the Y of an antibody molecule, unique in each antibody type, that binds with the determinant of a specific antigen.
- variant reading — an alternative interpretation of a word in a text to the one generally accepted
- varicocelectomy — the surgical removal or ligation of varicose veins in the scrotal sac.
- variola porcina — an acute infectious viral disease of pigs characterized by skin eruptions
- vascular tissue — plant tissue consisting of ducts or vessels, that, in the higher plants, forms the system (vascular system) by which sap is conveyed through the plant.
- vascularization — (of a tissue or embryo) to develop or extend blood vessels or other fluid-bearing vessels or ducts; become vascular.
- vasoconstrictor — a nerve or drug that causes vasoconstriction.
- vector addition — the process of finding one vector that is equivalent to the result of the successive application of two or more given vectors.
- vector analysis — the branch of calculus that deals with vectors and processes involving vectors.
- vegetable ivory — ivory (def 9).
- venture capital — funds invested or available for investment in a new or unproven business enterprise.
- venus hairstone — a variety of rutilated quartz, used as a gemstone.
- vermouth cassis — a mixed drink made with dry vermouth, crème de cassis, soda or mineral water, and cracked ice.
- vernier caliper — a caliper formed of two pieces sliding across one another, one having a graduated scale and the other a vernier.
- vernier compass — a compass on a transit (vernier transit) having a vernier for adjusting magnetic bearings to read as true bearings.
- vertical angles — one of two opposite and equal angles formed by the intersection of two lines.
- vertical circle — a great circle on the celestial sphere passing through the zenith.
- vestimentiferan — any of various marine tubeworms of the phylum Vestimentifera or Pogonophora, which live in upright tubes near hydrothermal vents.
- vicar apostolic — Roman Catholic Church. a titular bishop serving either in a district where no episcopal see has been established, or in one where the succession of bishops has been interrupted.
- vicar capitular — a cleric chosen by a cathedral chapter to manage a bishopric during a vacancy.
- vicar of christ — the pope, with reference to his claim to stand in the place of Jesus Christ and possess His authority in the church.
- vice chancellor — a substitute, deputy, or subordinate chancellor.
- vice-chancellor — a substitute, deputy, or subordinate chancellor.
- victor emmanuel — 1869–1947, king of Italy 1900–46.
- victoria island — an island off the coast of N Canada, in the Arctic Ocean. 80,340 sq. mi. (208,081 sq. km).
- victoria nyanza — Victoria (def 10).
- viewing gallery — an area in a building or outside for viewing an activity, the surrounding scenery, etc
- villeda morales — Ramón [rah-mawn] /rɑˈmɔn/ (Show IPA), 1909?–71, Honduran diplomat and statesman: president 1957–63.
- vindhya pradesh — a former state in central India: now part of Madhya Pradesh.
- vine phylloxera — a homopterous insect, Phylloxera vitifolia, typically feeding on vine juices
- viral infection — disease caused by a virus
- viral marketing — a marketing strategy that focuses on spreading information and opinions about a product or service from person to person, especially by using unconventional means such as the Internet or email: Which online social networks can help with viral marketing?
- virginian stock — a similar and related North American plant, Malcolmia maritima
- virtual machine — Also called system virtual machine. a self-contained operating environment that behaves as if it is a separate computer, with no access to the host operating system: When an application runs in a virtual machine, there is little chance that it will damage files or applications in the host system.
- virtual reality — a realistic and immersive simulation of a three-dimensional environment, created using interactive software and hardware, and experienced or controlled by movement of the body. Abbreviation: VR.
- virtual storage — a system whereby addressable memory is extended beyond main storage through the use of secondary storage managed by system software in such a way that programs can treat all of the designated storage as addressable main storage.
- visual literacy — the ability to apprehend or interpret pictures or other visual images.
- vitreous silica — silica glass
- volta river dam — a hydroelectric dam on the Volta river
- voltage divider — a resistor or series of resistors connected to a voltage source and used to provide voltages that are fractions of that of the source.
- voltaic battery — battery (def 1a).
- voronoi diagram — (mathematics, graphics) (Or "Voronoi tessellation", "Voronoi decomposition", "Dirichlet tessellation", After Georgy Feodosevich Voronoy) For a set S of points in a Euclidean space, the partition Vor(S) of the plane into the voronoi polygons associated with the members of S, where each polygon is defined by the set of points nearer to some given point in S than to any other point in S. The Voronoi diagram is the dual of the Delaunay triangulation of S.
- voyeuristically — of, relating to, or characteristic of a voyeur or of voyeurism.
- vulgar fraction — common fraction.
- vulnerabilities — capable of or susceptible to being wounded or hurt, as by a weapon: a vulnerable part of the body.
- well-advertised — to announce or praise (a product, service, etc.) in some public medium of communication in order to induce people to buy or use it: to advertise a new brand of toothpaste.
- wolverine state — Michigan (used as a nickname).