15-letter words containing d, e, l, a
- elastic rebound — a theory of earthquakes that envisages gradual deformation of the fault zone without fault slippage until friction is overcome, when the fault suddenly slips to produce the earthquake
- elder statesman — experienced, respected figure
- electra paradox — the supposed paradox that one may know something to be true of an object under one description but not another, as when Electra knew that Orestes was her brother but not that the man before her was her brother although he was Orestes. This shows the predicate "knows" to be intensional, that Electra's knowledge here is de dicto, and that the statement of it yields an opaque context
- electrodialyses — Plural form of electrodialysis.
- electrodialysis — Dialysis in which the movement of ions is aided by an electric field applied across the semipermeable membrane.
- electrodialytic — Relating to electrodialysis.
- electrodynamics — The branch of mechanics concerned with the interaction of electric currents with magnetic fields or with other electric currents.
- eleutherodactyl — (of a bird) having the hind toe free
- eleventh-grader — a student in the eleventh grade of high school
- embalming fluid — a liquid used to treat a dead body, which contains preservatives to retard putrefaction
- encyclopaedical — Of or pertaining to encyclopaediae.
- endocannibalism — A form of cannibalism, the eating of dead members of one's own social group, often associated with spiritual beliefs.
- endocrine gland — anatomy: hormone-secreting gland
- endolymphangial — (anatomy) Within a lymphatic vessel.
- endomycorrhizal — Of or pertaining to endomycorrhiza.
- ennerdale water — a lake in NW England, in Cumbria in the Lake District. Length: 4 km (2.5 miles)
- epidemiological — Of or pertaining to epidemiology.
- epsilon squared — (jargon) A quantity even smaller than epsilon, as small in comparison to epsilon as epsilon is to something normal; completely negligible. If you buy a supercomputer for a million dollars, the cost of the thousand-dollar terminal to go with it is epsilon, and the cost of the ten-dollar cable to connect them is epsilon squared. Compare lost in the underflow, lost in the noise.
- ethylenediamine — A viscous liquid used in making detergents and emulsifying agents.
- eudiometrically — By means of or in terms of eudiometry.
- evaporated milk — concentrated dairy product
- extended family — relatives
- extended pascal — A superset of ANSI and ISO Pascal with many enhancements, including modules, separate compilation, type schemata, variable-length strings, direct-access files, complex numbers, initial values, constant expressions. ANSI/IEEE770X3.160-1989 and ISO 10206.
- external degree — a degree gained by a student who studies extramurally
- extrajudicially — Outside of the legal system.
- extraordinarily — In an extraordinary manner.
- faint-heartedly — nervously
- false decretals — the Pseudo-Isidorian documents.
- federal holiday — a day which is a national holiday at the behest of the Federal Government
- federal reserve — In the United States, the Federal Reserve is the central banking system, which is responsible for setting policy on monetary matters such as money supply and interest rates.
- feelgood factor — When journalists refer to the feelgood factor, they mean that people are feeling hopeful and optimistic about the future.
- fetal diagnosis — prenatal determination of genetic or chemical abnormalities in a fetus, esp by amniocentesis
- field ambulance — a mobile medical unit that accepts casualties from forward units, treating the lightly wounded and stabilizing the condition of the seriously wounded before evacuating them to a hospital
- field artillery — artillery mobile enough to accompany troops in the field.
- fit as a fiddle — a musical instrument of the viol family.
- fixed liability — a liability, as a mortgage or debenture, that will not mature for a relatively long time.
- fixed satellite — a satellite in a geostationary orbit
- flame hardening — the surface hardening of ferrous metals by heating the metal with an oxyacetylene flame followed by rapid cooling
- flame retardant — a compound used in cloth and plastic material to raise the ignition point of the material, thus making it resistant to fire.
- flame-retardant — Flame-retardant is the same as fire-retardant.
- flannel-mouthed — speaking thickly, as if one's mouth were full of flannel
- flannelled fool — a cricketer
- flatbed scanner — a type of optical scanner having a flat, stationary surface on which a page is scanned by a moving head.
- flesh and blood — offspring or relatives: one's own flesh and blood.
- flight of ideas — a rapid flow of thought, manifested by accelerated speech with abrupt changes from topic to topic: a symptom of some mental illnesses, especially manic disorder.
- flinders island — an island off the coast of NE Tasmania: the largest of the Furneaux Islands. Pop: 850 (2004 est). Area: 2077 sq km (802 sq miles)
- floating screed — Building Trades. screed (def 3).
- flood insurance — insurance covering loss or damage to property arising from a flood, flood tide, or the like.
- floods of tears — If you say that someone was in floods of tears or in a flood of tears, you are emphasizing that they were crying with great intensity because they were very upset.
- florida current — the part of the Gulf Stream which extends from the Florida Strait to Cape Hatteras.