17-letter words containing c, e, t, y
- methyl salicylate — a colorless, water-soluble liquid, C 8 H 8 O 3 , produced synthetically or by maceration and subsequent distillation from birch or gaultheria: used chiefly in perfumery and flavoring, and in medicine as a counterirritant in external preparations.
- methylacetic acid — propionic acid.
- microevolutionary — Of or pertaining to microevolution.
- micropaleontology — the branch of paleontology dealing with the study of microscopic fossils.
- microphanerophyte — any shrub or tree having a height of 2 to 8 metres
- militant tendency — (in Britain) a Trotskyist group formerly operating within the Labour Party
- military covenant — the supposed understanding that members of the armed forces and their families will be supported by the state in the event of injury or death in the course of duty
- monarch butterfly — a large, deep-orange butterfly, Danaus plexippus, having black and white markings, the larvae of which feed on the leaves of milkweed.
- monte carlo rally — an annual car rally the destination of which is Monte Carlo
- motorcycle engine — the engine of a motorcycle
- motorcycle racing — sport: competing on motorcycles
- multicollinearity — (statistics) A phenomenon in which two or more predictor variables in a multiple regression model are highly correlated, so that the coefficient estimates may change erratically in response to small changes in the model or data.
- mystical theology — the branch of theology dealing with mysticism and mystical experiences.
- national cemetery — a cemetery, maintained by the U.S. government, for persons who have served honorably in the armed forces.
- national security — defence of a country
- natural frequency — the frequency at which a system vibrates when set in free vibration
- negative catalyst — an inhibitor.
- nephelometrically — By means of nephelometry.
- neuropsychiatrist — A medical doctor specializing in neuropsychiatry; a medical doctor dealing with disorders that have both neurological and psychiatric features.
- neuropsychologist — A neurologist or psychologist whose speciality is neuropsychology.
- new scotland yard — See under Scotland Yard (def 1).
- non-discretionary — subject or left to one's own discretion.
- non-retroactivity — operative with respect to past occurrences, as a statute; retrospective: a retroactive law.
- non-stereotypical — a process, now often replaced by more advanced methods, for making metal printing plates by taking a mold of composed type or the like in papier-mâché or other material and then taking from this mold a cast in type metal.
- nonphotosynthetic — the complex process by which carbon dioxide, water, and certain inorganic salts are converted into carbohydrates by green plants, algae, and certain bacteria, using energy from the sun and chlorophyll.
- nuclear chemistry — the branch of chemistry concerned with nuclear reactions
- nursery education — education provided at a school for young children, usually from three to five years old
- nyquist frequency — (DSP) The highest frequency that can be represented in a digital signal of a specified sampling frequency. It is equal to one-half of the sampling rate. See Nyquist Theorem.
- occipital condyle — a protrusion on the occipital bone of the skull that forms a joint with the first cervical vertebra, enabling the head to move relative to the neck.
- off-site facility — An off-site facility is a facility which is not at the main industrial or commercial site.
- off-year election — (in the US) an election held in a year when a presidential election does not take place
- once over lightly — a hasty or superficial treatment, look, examination, etc.; once-over: The maid gave the room the once-over-lightly.
- once-over-lightly — a hasty or superficial treatment, look, examination, etc.; once-over: The maid gave the room the once-over-lightly.
- online dictionary — a dictionary that is available on the Internet or World Wide Web and accessed through a Web browser using a computer or a mobile device, primarily by typing a query term into a search box on the site. Online dictionaries like Dictionary.com offer immediate, direct access through large databases to a word's spelling and meanings, plus a host of ancillary information, including its variant spellings, pronunciation, inflected forms, origin, and derived forms, as well as supplementary notes on matters of interest or concern about how the word is used: Some people think online dictionaries will make print dictionaries obsolete.
- onomatopoetically — the formation of a word, as cuckoo, meow, honk, or boom, by imitation of a sound made by or associated with its referent.
- organic chemistry — the branch of chemistry, originally limited to substances found only in living organisms, dealing with the compounds of carbon.
- oystershell scale — a scale insect, Lepidosaphes ulmi, having a scale shaped like the shell of an oyster, which infests various deciduous trees and shrubs.
- palaeoclimatology — the study of climates of the geological past
- paleobiochemistry — the study of biochemical processes that occurred in fossil life forms.
- parachute payment — a payment made to alleviate hardship resulting from a sudden loss of income
- parathyroidectomy — the excision of a parathyroid gland.
- parcplace systems — (company) A company spun-off from Xerox PARC that developed the original version of VisualWorks.
- particle velocity — the velocity of a point in a medium that is undergoing wave motion.
- paternalistically — the system, principle, or practice of managing or governing individuals, businesses, nations, etc., in the manner of a father dealing benevolently and often intrusively with his children: The employees objected to the paternalism of the old president.
- peacock butterfly — a European nymphalid butterfly, Inachis io, having reddish-brown wings each marked with a purple eyespot
- perchloroethylene — tetrachloroethylene.
- peridot of ceylon — a honey-colored tourmaline, used as a gem: not a true peridot.
- personality clash — friction between two people who have different personalities or points of view
- phantom pregnancy — the occurrence of signs of pregnancy, such as enlarged abdomen and absence of menstruation, when no embryo is present, due to hormonal imbalance
- phenethyl alcohol — a colorless, viscous, slightly water-soluble liquid, C 8 H 1 0 O, having a faint roselike odor: used chiefly in perfumery.