20-letter words containing a, t, o, n, i

fission-track dating — the dating of samples of minerals by comparing the tracks in them by fission fragments of the uranium nuclei they contain, before and after irradiation by neutrons
fixed action pattern — a highly stereotyped pattern of behavior that is characteristic of a particular species.
fixed-price contract — a contract in which the price is preset and invariable, regardless of the actual costs of production.
florence nightingale — Florence ("the Lady with the Lamp") 1820–1910, English nurse: reformer of hospital conditions and procedures; reorganizer of nurse's training programs.
fontainebleau school — a group of artists, many of them Italian and Flemish, who worked on the decorations of the palace of Fontainebleau in the 16th century.
football hooliganism — the actions or behaviour of a football hooligan
for all one is worth — good or important enough to justify (what is specified): advice worth taking; a place worth visiting.
for sb's delectation — If you do something for someone's delectation, you do it to give them enjoyment or pleasure.
for your information — (FYI) A subseries of RFCs that are not technical standards or descriptions of protocols. FYIs convey general information about topics related to TCP/IP or the Internet. See also STD.
forbidden transition — an electronic transition in an atom, molecule, etc, that is not permitted by electric dipole selection rules
fore-and-aft topsail — gaff topsail (def 1).
formative assessment — ongoing assessment of a pupil's educational development within a particular subject area
forty-ninth parallel — an informal name for the Canadian border with the USA, which is in part delineated by the parallel line of latitude at 49°N
fourth international — a loose federation of small groups of radical socialists formed in 1936 under the leadership of Leon Trotsky and hostile to the Soviet Union. Compare international (def 6).
fractionating column — a long vertical cylinder used in fractional distillation, in which internal reflux enables separation of high and low boiling fractions to take place
frankfurt horizontal — Craniometry. the plane established when right and left poria and left orbitale are in the same horizontal plane.
frequency modulation — FM.
fridtjof nansen land — Franz Josef Land.
friends of the earth — an organization of environmentalists and conservationists whose aim is to promote the sustainable use of the earth's resources
front-end volatility — Front-end volatility is the ability of the fractions with lower boiling points, such as butane, to evaporate at normal temperatures.
front-to-back engine — an engine in which the crankshaft is arranged front to back along the axis of the vehicle
frosting on the cake — a sweet mixture, cooked or uncooked, for coating or filling cakes, cookies, and the like; icing.
fulminate of mercury — a gray, crystalline solid, Hg(CNO) 2 , used chiefly in the manufacture of commercial and military detonators.
fulminating compound — a fulminate.
function application — A function applied to (some of) its arguments. If it is not applied to all its argument then it is a "partial application". Application is usually written in the form f(x) but some languages such as command-line interpreters and many functional languages use juxtaposition: f x. Lisp places the parentheses around the whole application: (f x).
gastroduodenostomies — Plural form of gastroduodenostomy.
general postal union — former name of Universal Postal Union. Abbreviation: GPU.
general practitioner — a medical practitioner whose practice is not limited to any specific branch of medicine or class of diseases. Abbreviation: G.P.
generative phonology — a theory of phonology that uses a set of rules to derive phonetic representations from abstract underlying forms.
genetically modified — biologically altered
give one's right arm — to be prepared to make any sacrifice
give someone the air — a mixture of nitrogen, oxygen, and minute amounts of other gases that surrounds the earth and forms its atmosphere.
glucosamine sulphate — a compound used in some herbal remedies and dietary supplements, esp to strengthen joint cartilage
go against the grain — If you say that an idea or action goes against the grain, you mean that it is very difficult for you to accept it or do it, because it conflicts with your previous ideas, beliefs, or principles.
gorno-altai republic — a constituent republic of S Russia: mountainous, rising over 4350 m (14 500 ft) in the Altai Mountains of the south. Capital: Gorno-Altaisk. Pop: 202 900 (2002). Area: 92 600 sq km (35 740 sq miles)
grand unified theory — a possible future quantum field theory that would encompass both the electroweak theory and quantum chromodynamics. Abbreviation: GUT.
gravitational radius — Schwarzschild radius.
great northern diver — a large northern bird, Gavia immer, with a black-and-white chequered back and a black head and neck in summer: family Gaviidae (divers)
green mountain state — Vermont (used as a nickname).
group representation — representation in a governing body on the basis of interests rather than by geographical location.
guided visualization — a relaxation technique in which words, sounds, etc., are used to evoke positive mental images, feelings, and thoughts.
happy hunting ground — the North American Indian heaven, conceived of as a paradise of hunting and feasting for warriors and hunters.
he's no oil painting — he is not good-looking
health questionnaire — A health questionnaire is a list of questions about someone's health issued by underwriters before accepting a person as a risk.
heat of condensation — the heat liberated by a unit mass of gas at its boiling point as it condenses to a liquid: equal to the heat of vaporization.
heat of vaporization — the heat absorbed per unit mass of a given material at its boiling point that completely converts the material to a gas at the same temperature: equal to the heat of condensation.
helicopter parenting — a style of child rearing in which an overprotective mother or father discourages a child's independence by being too involved in the child's life: In typical helicopter parenting, a mother or father swoops in at any sign of challenge or discomfort.
helmeted guinea fowl — the common guinea fowl in its wild state.
heston and isleworth — a former borough, now part of Hounslow, in SE England, near London.
hexadecimal notation — a number system having a base 16; the symbols for the numbers 0–9 are the same as those used in the decimal system, and the numbers 10–15 are usually represented by the letters A–F. The system is used as a convenient way of representing the internal binary code of a computer

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