17-letter words containing d, e, a, s
- stratified sample — a sample that is not drawn at random from the whole population, but separately from a number of disjoint strata of the population in order to ensure a more representative sample
- straw in the wind — If you say that an incident or piece of news is a straw in the wind, you mean that it gives an indication of what might happen in the future.
- strawberry blonde — woman: with reddish fair hair
- stuttgart disease — an often fatal intestinal disease in dogs, caused by any of several spirochetes of the genus Leptospira.
- subordinated debt — a debt that an unsecured creditor can only claim, in the event of a liquidation, after the claims of secured creditors have been paid
- subsidiary ledger — (in accounting) a ledger containing a group of detailed and related accounts the total of which is summarized in the control account.
- sudetes mountains — mountain range along the borders of N Czech Republic & SW Poland: highest peak, 5,259 ft (1,603 m)
- sulfurated potash — a yellowish-brown mixture consisting mainly of potassium polysulfides and potassium thiosulfate, used in treating mange.
- sum and substance — main idea, gist, or point: the sum and substance of an argument.
- sunday observance — the fact of keeping Sunday as a special day when people go to church
- sunday supplement — a special section incorporated in the Sunday editions of many newspapers, often containing features on books, celebrities, home entertainment, gardening, and the like.
- superaerodynamics — the branch of aerodynamics that deals with gases at very low densities.
- supervisory board — a board of management of which nonmanagerial workers are members, having supervisory powers over some aspects of management decision-making
- supply and demand — economy: basic market theory
- supreme commander — the military officer commanding all allied forces in a theater of war.
- surface condenser — a device condensing steam or vapor by passing it over a cool surface.
- surgical dressing — a dressing made of cotton, used for incisions made during surgery
- surrender to bail — to present oneself at court at the appointed time after having been on bail
- sustained-release — (of a drug or fertilizer) capable of gradual release of an active agent over a period of time, allowing for a sustained effect; timed-release; long-acting; prolonged-action; slow-release.
- sustentation fund — a fund, esp in the Church of Scotland, to augment the support of ministers
- swaddling clothes — cloth for wrapping around a baby
- sword and sorcery — a genre of literature and film, usually set in days of old with magic as well as sword fighting
- sword of damocles — Damocles (def 2).
- sydenham's chorea — a form of chorea affecting children, often associated with rheumatic fever
- take into custody — to arrest
- take second place — If one thing takes second place to another, it is considered to be less important and is given less attention than the other thing.
- take to one's bed — to remain in bed, esp because of illness
- tay-sachs disease — a rare fatal hereditary disease, occurring chiefly in infants and children, especially of eastern European Jewish origin, characterized by a red spot on the retina, gradual blindness, and paralysis.
- telescopic damper — a device with telescopic parts that reduce vibration in a motor vehicle
- the driver's seat — the position of control or dominance
- the good old days — When people refer to the good old days, they are referring to a time in the past when they think that life was better than it is now.
- the last judgment — the occasion, after the resurrection of the dead at the end of the world, when, according to biblical tradition, God will decree the final destinies of all men according to the good and evil in their earthly lives
- the last sb heard — You can use expressions such as the last I heard and the last she heard to introduce a piece of information that is the most recent that you have on a particular subject.
- the life and soul — a person regarded as the main source of merriment and liveliness
- the lord's prayer — the, the prayer given by Jesus to His disciples, and beginning with the words Our Father. Matt. 6:9–13; Luke 11:2–4.
- the silken ladder — a one-act opera by Rossini, telling the story of Giulia, who is secretly married to Dorvil; he visits her bedroom every night by climbing up a ladder made of silk. Giulia's guardian, Dormont, expects her to marry Blansac, but she introduces Blansac to her cousin Lucilla; after much confusion, the two couples are joyfully united
- the tabloid press — (considered as a whole) newspapers with pages about 30 cm (12 inches) by 40 cm (16 inches), usually characterized by an emphasis on photographs and a concise and often sensational style
- thermal diffusion — the separation of constituents, often isotopes, of a fluid under the influence of a temperature gradient.
- thiopental sodium — a barbiturate, C 11 H 18 N 2 NaO 2 S, used as an anesthetic in surgery and, in psychiatry, for narcoanalysis and to stimulate recall of past events.
- thousandths-place — last in order of a series of a thousand.
- thread escutcheon — a raised metal rim around a keyhole.
- three mile island — an island in the Susquehanna River, near Middletown, Pennsylvania, SE of Harrisburg: scene of a near-disastrous accident at a nuclear plant in 1979 that raised the issue of nuclear-energy safety.
- three-dimensional — having, or seeming to have, the dimension of depth as well as width and height.
- throat sweetbread — sweetbread (def 2).
- tibetan highlands — Tibet, Plateau of.
- to best advantage — If something is shown to good advantage or to best advantage, it is shown in a way that reveals its best features.
- to make ends meet — If you find it difficult to make ends meet, you can only just manage financially because you hardly have enough money for the things you need.
- to read sb's mind — If you can read someone's mind, you know what they are thinking without them saying anything.
- to stand a chance — If you say that someone stands a chance of achieving something, you mean that they are likely to achieve it. If you say that someone doesn't stand a chance of achieving something, you mean that they cannot possibly achieve it.
- to strike a chord — If something strikes a chord with you, it makes you feel sympathy or enthusiasm.