17-letter words containing a, s, h, d
- stage-door johnny — a man who often goes to a theater or waits at a stage door to court an actress.
- stannous chloride — a white, crystalline, water-soluble solid, SnCl 2 ⋅2H 2 O, used chiefly as a reducing and tinning agent, and as a mordant in dyeing with cochineal.
- statutory holiday — a public holiday; a holiday all workers are entitled to
- straw in the wind — If you say that an incident or piece of news is a straw in the wind, you mean that it gives an indication of what might happen in the future.
- stymphalian birds — a flock of predacious birds of Arcadia that were driven away and killed by Hercules as one of his labors.
- sulfurated potash — a yellowish-brown mixture consisting mainly of potassium polysulfides and potassium thiosulfate, used in treating mange.
- swaddling clothes — cloth for wrapping around a baby
- sydenham's chorea — a form of chorea affecting children, often associated with rheumatic fever
- tay-sachs disease — a rare fatal hereditary disease, occurring chiefly in infants and children, especially of eastern European Jewish origin, characterized by a red spot on the retina, gradual blindness, and paralysis.
- the driver's seat — the position of control or dominance
- the good old days — When people refer to the good old days, they are referring to a time in the past when they think that life was better than it is now.
- the last judgment — the occasion, after the resurrection of the dead at the end of the world, when, according to biblical tradition, God will decree the final destinies of all men according to the good and evil in their earthly lives
- the last sb heard — You can use expressions such as the last I heard and the last she heard to introduce a piece of information that is the most recent that you have on a particular subject.
- the life and soul — a person regarded as the main source of merriment and liveliness
- the lord's prayer — the, the prayer given by Jesus to His disciples, and beginning with the words Our Father. Matt. 6:9–13; Luke 11:2–4.
- the silken ladder — a one-act opera by Rossini, telling the story of Giulia, who is secretly married to Dorvil; he visits her bedroom every night by climbing up a ladder made of silk. Giulia's guardian, Dormont, expects her to marry Blansac, but she introduces Blansac to her cousin Lucilla; after much confusion, the two couples are joyfully united
- the tabloid press — (considered as a whole) newspapers with pages about 30 cm (12 inches) by 40 cm (16 inches), usually characterized by an emphasis on photographs and a concise and often sensational style
- thermal diffusion — the separation of constituents, often isotopes, of a fluid under the influence of a temperature gradient.
- thiopental sodium — a barbiturate, C 11 H 18 N 2 NaO 2 S, used as an anesthetic in surgery and, in psychiatry, for narcoanalysis and to stimulate recall of past events.
- thiosulfuric acid — an acid, H 2 S 2 O 3 , that may be regarded as sulfuric acid with one oxygen atom replaced by sulfur.
- thousandths-place — last in order of a series of a thousand.
- thread escutcheon — a raised metal rim around a keyhole.
- three mile island — an island in the Susquehanna River, near Middletown, Pennsylvania, SE of Harrisburg: scene of a near-disastrous accident at a nuclear plant in 1979 that raised the issue of nuclear-energy safety.
- three-dimensional — having, or seeming to have, the dimension of depth as well as width and height.
- throat sweetbread — sweetbread (def 2).
- tibetan highlands — Tibet, Plateau of.
- to stand a chance — If you say that someone stands a chance of achieving something, you mean that they are likely to achieve it. If you say that someone doesn't stand a chance of achieving something, you mean that they cannot possibly achieve it.
- to strike a chord — If something strikes a chord with you, it makes you feel sympathy or enthusiasm.
- to win hands down — If you win hands down, you win very easily.
- transdermal patch — a small piece of material used to mend a tear or break, to cover a hole, or to strengthen a weak place: patches at the elbows of a sports jacket.
- triskaidekaphobia — fear or a phobia concerning the number 13.
- trucial sheikdoms — an independent federation in E Arabia, formed in 1971, now comprising seven emirates on the S coast (formerly, Pirate Coast or Trucial Coast) of the Persian Gulf, formerly under British protection: Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm al-Qaiwain, Ras al-Khaimah (joined 1972), and Fujairah. About 32,300 sq. mi. (83,657 sq. km). Capital: Abu Dhabi. Abbreviation: U.A.E.
- try one's hand at — to attempt (to do something), esp. for the first time
- undistinguishable — to mark off as different (often followed by from or by): He was distinguished from the other boys by his height.
- utmost good faith — a principle used in insurance contracts, legally obliging all parties to reveal to the others any information that might influence the others' decision to enter into the contract
- vaginal discharge — emission from the female genitalia
- veiltail goldfish — an artificially bred, indoor variety of goldfish, usually golden or calico and of a spheroid shape, having a fully divided, drooping tail fin exceeding the body in length.
- washing-up liquid — Washing-up liquid is a thick soapy liquid which you add to hot water to clean dirty dishes.
- washington island — an island off the Door Peninsula, NE Wisconsin, in NW Lake Michigan. 20 sq. mi. (50 sq. km).
- well-accomplished — completed; done; effected: an accomplished fact.
- what does sb know — You can use expressions such as What does she know? and What do they know? when you think that someone has no right to comment on a situation because they do not understand it.
- wheatstone bridge — a circuit for measuring an unknown resistance by comparing it with known resistances.
- windowglass shell — capiz.
- windscreen washer — a small nozzle on the bonnet of a motor vehicle, from which jets of water are squirted electronically onto the windscreen to help clean it
- wooden-headedness — thick-headed, dull; stupid.
- wring one's hands — If someone wrings their hands, they hold them together and twist and turn them, usually because they are very worried or upset about something. You can also say that someone is wringing their hands when they are expressing sorrow that a situation is so bad but are saying that they are unable to change it.