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15-letter words containing a, s, u, r, i

  • self-authorized — given or endowed with authority: an authorized agent.
  • self-caricature — a picture, description, etc., ludicrously exaggerating the peculiarities or defects of persons or things: His caricature of the mayor in this morning's paper is the best he's ever drawn.
  • self-persuasion — the act of persuading or seeking to persuade.
  • self-regulating — adjusting, ruling, or governing itself without outside interference; operating or functioning without externally imposed controls or regulations: a self-regulating economy; the self-regulating market.
  • self-regulation — control by oneself or itself, as in an economy, business organization, etc., especially such control as exercised independently of governmental supervision, laws, or the like.
  • self-regulative — used for or capable of controlling or adjusting oneself or itself: a self-regulative device.
  • semi-articulate — uttered clearly in distinct syllables.
  • semi-figurative — of the nature of or involving a figure of speech, especially a metaphor; metaphorical and not literal: The word “head” has several figurative senses, as in “She's the head of the company.”. Synonyms: metaphorical, not literal, symbolic.
  • semi-industrial — of, pertaining to, of the nature of, or resulting from industry: industrial production; industrial waste.
  • semidocumentary — a film or television programme that is fictional but includes many factual events or details
  • semilunar valve — either of two valves, one in the aorta and one in the pulmonary artery, consisting of a set of three crescent-shaped flaps of tissue and serving to prevent blood from flowing back into the heart after contraction.
  • semimanufacture — a product which forms an intermediate stage in the manufacture of another, often more complex product
  • semitranslucent — imperfectly or almost translucent.
  • serum hepatitis — hepatitis B.
  • sesquicarbonate — a salt intermediate in composition between a carbonate and a bicarbonate or consisting of the two combined.
  • sesquicentenary — a hundred and fiftieth anniversary
  • siberian squill — a bulbous, Eurasian plant, Scilla siberica, of the lily family, having nodding, deep blue flowers.
  • silver quandong — an Australian tree, Elaeocarpus grandis: family Elaeocarpaceae
  • silviculturally — with reference to silviculture
  • simian virus 40 — SV 40.
  • simple fracture — a fracture in which the bone does not pierce the skin.
  • sinkiang uighur — an autonomous region in NW China, bordering Tibet, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Kirghizia, Tadzhikistan, Pakistan, and India: formerly a province. 635,830 sq. mi. (1,646,800 sq. km). Capital: Ürümqi.
  • sir arthur john — Sir (Arthur) John, 1904–2000, English actor and director.
  • sled cultivator — go-devil (def 5).
  • slumpflationary — of or relating to slumpflation
  • snafu principle — /sna'foo prin'si-pl/ [WWII Army acronym for "Situation Normal: All Fucked Up"] "True communication is possible only between equals, because inferiors are more consistently rewarded for telling their superiors pleasant lies than for telling the truth." - a central tenet of Discordianism, often invoked by hackers to explain why authoritarian hierarchies screw up so reliably and systematically. The effect of the SNAFU principle is a progressive disconnection of decision-makers from reality. This lightly adapted version of a fable dating back to the early 1960s illustrates the phenomenon perfectly: In the beginning was the plan, and then the specification; And the plan was without form, and the specification was void. And darkness was on the faces of the implementors thereof; And they spake unto their leader, saying: "It is a crock of shit, and smells as of a sewer." And the leader took pity on them, and spoke to the project leader: "It is a crock of excrement, and none may abide the odor thereof." And the project leader spake unto his section head, saying: "It is a container of excrement, and it is very strong, such that none may abide it." The section head then hurried to his department manager, and informed him thus: "It is a vessel of fertilizer, and none may abide its strength." The department manager carried these words to his general manager, and spoke unto him saying: "It containeth that which aideth the growth of plants, and it is very strong." And so it was that the general manager rejoiced and delivered the good news unto the Vice President. "It promoteth growth, and it is very powerful." The Vice President rushed to the President's side, and joyously exclaimed: "This powerful new software product will promote the growth of the company!" And the President looked upon the product, and saw that it was very good. After the subsequent disaster, the suits protect themselves by saying "I was misinformed!", and the implementors are demoted or fired.
  • snapping turtle — either of two large, edible, freshwater turtles of the family Chelydridae, of North and Central America, having a large head and powerful hooked jaws, especially the common snapping turtle, Chelydra serpentina.
  • social security — (usually initial capital letters) a program of old-age, unemployment, health, disability, and survivors insurance maintained by the U.S. federal government through compulsory payments by specific employer and employee groups.
  • socioculturally — from a sociocultural point of view
  • sodium arsenite — a white or grayish-white, water-soluble, poisonous powder, NaAsO 2 , used chiefly in arsenical soaps for hides, as an insecticide, and as a weed-killer.
  • sodium chlorate — a colorless, water-soluble solid, NaClO 3 , cool and salty to the taste, used chiefly in the manufacture of explosives and matches, as a textile mordant, and as an oxidizing and bleaching agent.
  • sodium citrates — the sodium salts of citric acid (monosodium citrate, disodium citrate, trisodium citrate)
  • sodium stearate — Sodium stearate is a salt of stearic acid used as a surfactant (= a substance that reduces the surface tension of a liquid and allows it to foam) in order to aid the solubility of hydrophobic substances in oral medicines.
  • source material — original, authoritative, or basic materials utilized in research, as diaries or manuscripts.
  • south australia — a state in S Australia. 380,070 sq. mi. (984,380 sq. km). Capital: Adelaide.
  • southern paiute — See under Paiute (def 2).
  • spawning ground — a place where fish deposit their eggs for fertilization
  • special feature — an article differing from the normal format and focusing on a particular topic
  • spinach-rhubarb — an Ethiopian plant, Rumex abyssinicus, of the buckwheat family, having leaves that are sometimes used as spinach and leafstalks sometimes used as rhubarb.
  • stamping ground — a habitual or favorite haunt.
  • static pressure — the pressure exerted by a fluid that is not moving or flowing.
  • statutory crime — a wrong punishable under a statute, rather than at common law.
  • steak au poivre — pepper steak (def 2).
  • stirrup leather — the strap that holds the stirrup of a saddle.
  • storm insurance — insurance cover against damage caused by windstorms
  • streptobacillus — any of various bacilli that form in chains.
  • structural iron — iron shaped for use in construction.
  • studio portrait — a photograph of a person taken in a studio
  • sub-corporation — an association of individuals, created by law or under authority of law, having a continuous existence independent of the existences of its members, and powers and liabilities distinct from those of its members. See also municipal corporation, public corporation.
  • subject-raising — a rule that moves the subject of a complement clause into the clause in which it is embedded, as in the derivation of He is likely to be late from It is likely that he will be late
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