14-letter words containing a, u, t
- autoregulation — the continual automatic adjustment or self-regulation of a biochemical, physiological, or ecological system to maintain a stable state.
- autoresponders — Plural form of autoresponder.
- autosuggestion — a process of suggestion in which the person unconsciously supplies or consciously attempts to supply the means of influencing his own behaviour or beliefs
- autotetraploid — an individual or strain whose chromosome complement consists of four copies of a single genome due to doubling of an ancestral chromosome complement
- autotransplant — autograft.
- autotypography — a process in which drawings are executed on gelatin before being impressed on a soft metal plate to allow for printing
- auxiliary note — a nonharmonic note occurring between two harmonic notes
- auxiliary tone — a melodic ornamental tone following a principal tone by a step above or below and returning to the principal tone; embellishment.
- ave atque vale — hail and farewell: from an ode of Catullus in commemoration of his dead brother
- azimuth circle — a device for measuring azimuths, consisting of a graduated ring equipped with a sighting vane on each side, which fits concentrically over a compass.
- baccalaureates — Plural form of baccalaureate.
- back catalogue — A musical performer's back catalogue is the music which they recorded and released in the past rather than their latest recordings.
- back to nature — If you want to get back to nature, you want to return to a simpler way of living.
- balsam of tolu — tolu
- bamboo curtain — (esp in the 1950s and 1960s) the political and military barrier to communications around the People's Republic of China
- bamboo turning — turning of spindles and framing members to simulate the jointing of bamboo.
- bank annuities — British government bonds; consols
- barbour jacket — a hard-wearing waterproof waxed jacket
- bargain hunter — A bargain hunter is someone who is looking for goods that are value for money, usually because they are on sale at a lower price than normal.
- barium bromate — colorless, slightly water-soluble, poisonous crystals, Ba(BrO 3) 2 ⋅H 2 O, used in the preparation of certain bromates.
- barium sulfate — an odorless, tasteless, white powder, BaSO4, insoluble in water: it is used as a paint pigment, as a filler for paper, textiles , etc., and as an opaque substance that is ingested to aid in making diagnostic X-rays of the stomach and intestine
- barium-hydrate — Also called calcined baryta, barium oxide, barium monoxide, barium protoxide. a white or yellowish-white poisonous solid, BaO, highly reactive with water: used chiefly as a dehydrating agent and in the manufacture of glass.
- base community — (especially in South America) a group of people taking part in religious devotions and Bible study, who seek to apply this in their socioeconomic and political situation.
- basic industry — an industry which is highly important in a nation's economy
- basque country — Theregion comprising three provinces in N Spain, on the Bay of Biscay, inhabited by Basques: 2,803 sq mi (7,260 sq km); pop. 2,104,000
- bass guitarist — a player of the bass guitar
- basso continuo — continuo.
- bastard turtle — ridley (def 1).
- bastard-turtle — ridley (def 1).
- bateleur eagle — an African crested bird of prey, Terathopius ecaudatus, with a short tail and long wings: subfamily Circaetinae, family Accipitridae (hawks, etc)
- bathing beauty — an attractive girl in a swimming costume
- bathing trunks — Bathing trunks are shorts that a man wears when he goes swimming.
- battery backup — A battery backup is a system in some power supplies that switches between a main power source and a battery.
- battle cruiser — A battle cruiser is a large fast warship that is lighter than a battleship and moves more easily.
- battle fatigue — Battle fatigue is a mental condition of anxiety and depression caused by the stress of fighting in a war.
- beaten biscuit — a hard, unleavened biscuit, made to rise by pounding and folding the dough.
- beaufort scale — an international scale of wind velocities ranging for practical purposes from 0 (calm) to 12 (hurricane force). In the US an extension of the scale, from 13 to 17 for winds over 64 knots, is used
- beautification — Making beautiful, beautifying, improving the appearance of something.
- beauty contest — A beauty contest is a competition in which young women are judged to decide which one is the most beautiful.
- beauty culture — the skill or occupation of a beautician
- beauty pageant — A beauty pageant is the same as a beauty contest.
- beauty parlour — A beauty parlour is a place where women can go to have beauty treatments, for example to have their hair, nails or make-up done.
- bengal catechu — catechu.
- bermuda cutter — a marconi-rigged cutter.
- bermuda shorts — close-fitting shorts that come down to the knees
- beta geminorum — Pollux
- beta reduction — [lambda-calculus] The application of a lambda abstraction to an argument expression. A copy of the body of the lambda abstraction is made and occurrences of the bound variable being replaced by the argument. E.g. (\ x . x+1) 4 --> 4+1 Beta reduction is the only kind of reduction in the pure lambda-calculus. The opposite of beta reduction is beta abstraction. These are the two kinds of beta conversion. See also name capture.
- beta structure — a secondary structure occurring in many proteins, consisting of several polypeptide chains running in parallel or alternating directions and joined by intermolecular hydrogen bonds, creating a flexible, strong arrangement.
- beyond a doubt — to be uncertain about; consider questionable or unlikely; hesitate to believe.
- bib and tucker — an outfit of clothes (esp in the phrase best bib and tucker)