14-letter words containing c, d
- bidialectalism — the state of being bidialectal
- big red switch — (jargon) (BRS) IBM jargon for the power switch on a computer, especially the "Emergency Pull" switch on an IBM mainframe or the power switch on an IBM PC where it really is large and red. "This [email protected]%$% bitty box is hung again; time to hit the Big Red Switch." It is alleged that the emergency pull switch on an IBM 360/91 actually fired a non-conducting bolt into the main power feed; the BRSes on more recent mainframes physically drop a block into place so that they can't be pushed back in. People get fired for pulling them, especially inappropriately (see also molly-guard). Compare power cycle, three-finger salute, 120 reset; see also scram switch.
- bird sanctuary — an area of land in which birds are protected and encouraged to breed
- birdcage clock — lantern clock.
- black and blue — discolored, as by bruising; exhibiting ecchymosis: a black-and-blue mark on my knee.
- black and tans — Usually, Black and Tans. an armed force of about 6000 soldiers sent by the British government to Ireland in June, 1920, to suppress revolutionary activity: so called from the colors of their uniform.
- black bindweed — a twining polygonaceous European plant, Polygonum convolvulus, with heart-shaped leaves and triangular black seed pods
- black blizzard — a dust storm.
- black bullhead — a common freshwater catfish, Ictalurus melas, of North America, considered by some to be a food delicacy.
- black diamonds — carbonado1 .
- black redstart — a small, Passerine bird, Phoenicurus ochruros, found in Central and S Europe
- black-and-blue — (of the skin) discoloured, as from a bruise
- black-eyed pea — Black-eyed peas are beige seeds with black marks that are eaten as a vegetable. They are from a plant called the cowpea.
- bladder cancer — any cancer of the bladder
- blister-packed — presented in a blister pack
- block calendar — a calendar in the form of a block of sheets each printed with the date of one day
- blood-curdling — A blood-curdling sound or story is very frightening and horrible.
- board chairman — the chairman of the board of a company, etc
- bodice-ripping — A bodice-ripping film or novel is one which is set in the past and which includes a lot of sex scenes. You use this word especially if you do not think it is very good and is just intended to entertain people.
- body corporate — a group of persons incorporated to carry out a specific enterprise
- body mechanics — body exercises that are intended to improve one's posture, stamina, poise, etc.
- body of christ — the Christian Church
- body snatching — the act or practice of robbing a grave to obtain a cadaver for dissection.
- bomber command — a former unit of the Royal Air Force dedicated to tactical and strategic bombing, esp during WWII
- botanic garden — a place in which plants are grown, studied, and exhibited
- boulder canyon — a canyon of the Colorado River between Arizona and Nevada, above Boulder Dam.
- boundary fence — a fence between properties
- bow and scrape — to behave in an excessively deferential or obsequious way
- boxed comments — (programming) Comments that occupy several lines by themselves; so called because in assembler and C code they are often surrounded by a box in a style similar to this: /************************************************* * * This is a boxed comment in C style * *************************************************/ Common variants of this style omit the asterisks in column 2 or add a matching row of asterisks closing the right side of the box. The sparest variant omits all but the comment delimiters themselves; the "box" is implied. Opposite of winged comments.
- brachydactylia — abnormal shortness of the fingers and toes.
- brachydactylic — having abnormally short fingers or toes
- brachydiagonal — the shorter lateral axis of a rhombic prism
- brachypinakoid — the side parallel to the shorter horizontal axis in a crystal
- braddock hills — a town in SE Pennsylvania.
- bradford score — a measure of the amount of time during which an employee is absent from work, based on assigning a number of points according to the frequency and length of absences
- bradley effect — the distortion of opinion polls caused by the reluctance of respondents to admit to a preference that is regarded as socially unacceptable
- branched chain — an open chain of atoms with one or more side chains attached to it
- bread poultice — a poultice made from breadcrumbs
- breech-loading — (of a firearm) loaded at the breech
- breeding stock — animals specifically kept to breed from
- bridge circuit — any of several networks, such as a Wheatstone bridge, consisting of two branches across which a measuring device is connected. The resistance, capacitance, etc, of one component can be determined from the known values of the others when the voltage in each branch is balanced
- broad-spectrum — effective against a wide variety of diseases or microorganisms
- bronchodilator — any drug or other agent that causes dilation of the bronchial tubes by relaxing bronchial muscle: used, esp in the form of aerosol sprays, for the relief of asthma
- broom cupboard — a small cupboard or closet for storing brooms, mops, etc
- brushed cotton — cotton fabric that is brushed to remove excess lint and fibres to leave a soft, smooth finish
- bucket brigade — a line of persons passing buckets of water along in trying to put out a fire
- budget account — an account with a department store, etc, enabling a customer to make monthly payments to cover his or her past and future purchases
- budget deficit — the amount by which government expenditure exceeds income from taxation, customs duties, etc, in any one fiscal year
- building block — If you describe something as a building block of something, you mean it is one of the separate parts that combine to make that thing.
- cabeza de vaca — ˈÁl‧ˈvar Núñez (ˈɑlvɑʀˈnunjɛθ) ; älˈvärno̅oˈnyet h) 1490?-1557?; Sp. explorer in the Americas