16-letter words containing d, i, p, r
- pharmacodynamics — the branch of pharmacology dealing with the course of action, effect, and breakdown of drugs within the body.
- phase difference — the difference between two sinusoidally varying quantities that have the same frequency, measured either as an angle or a time
- phonocardiograph — an instrument for graphically recording the sound of the heartbeat.
- phosphorous acid — a colorless, crystalline, water-soluble acid of phosphorus, H 3 PO 3 , from which phosphites are derived.
- photoperiodicity — the response, as affecting growth or reproduction, of an organism to the length of exposure to light in a 24-hour period.
- physical address — (memory management) The address presented to a computer's main memory in a virtual memory system, in contrast to the virtual address which is the address generated by the CPU. A memory management unit translates virtual addresses into physical addresses.
- phytoremediation — a process of decontaminating soil or water by using plants and trees to absorb or break down pollutants.
- picture moulding — the edge around a framed picture
- picture postcard — postcard (def 1).
- pierce's disease — a disease of grapes caused by a rickettsialike organism, characterized by dwarfing of vines, mottling of woody tissues, and plant death.
- pilot production — sth produced on a trial basis
- pinot chardonnay — Chardonnay.
- pithecanthropoid — of, relating to, or resembling the former genus Pithecanthropus or one of its members.
- platinum-iridium — (standard) A standard, against which all others of the same category are measured. Usage: silly. The notion is that one of whatever it is has actually been cast in platinum-iridium alloy and placed in the vault beside the Standard Kilogram at the International Bureau of Weights and Measures near Paris, as the bar defining the standard metre once was. "This garbage collection algorithm has been tested against the platinum-iridium cons cell in Paris." Compare golden.
- pocket billiards — pool2 (def 1).
- point de hongrie — flame stitch.
- polar coordinate — Usually, polar coordinates. one of two coordinates used to locate a point in a plane by the length of its radius vector and the angle this vector makes with the polar axis (polar angle)
- polyacrylic acid — a polymer of acrylic acid used as a sizing agent in the manufacture of nylon and other synthetic textiles.
- ponderosa (pine) — a yellow pine (Pinus ponderosa) of W North America, valued for its timber
- portuguese india — a former Portuguese overseas territory on the W coast of India, consisting of the districts of Gôa, Daman, and Diu: annexed by India December 1961. Capital: Gôa.
- posigrade rocket — an auxiliary rocket used to separate the sections of a multistage rocket, fired in the direction of flight.
- possession order — (in Britain) a court order that entitles a landlord legally to evict a tenant or squatter and regain possession of the property
- praetorian guard — the bodyguard of a military commander, especially the imperial guard stationed in Rome.
- pre-independence — Also, independency. the state or quality of being independent.
- predetermination — to settle or decide in advance: He had predetermined his answer to the offer.
- predispositional — the fact or condition of being predisposed: a predisposition to think optimistically.
- premier division — a football or soccer league division consisting of the top ten Scottish football teams
- prescription pad — a pad of prescriptions used by doctors, etc
- presence of mind — a calm state of mind that allows one to think clearly or act effectively in an emergency.
- preserved ginger — fresh ginger preserved in syrup and used in cooking, esp desserts
- pressure welding — the welding together of two objects by holding them together under pressure.
- pressurized suit — an airtight suit that can be inflated to maintain approximately normal atmospheric pressure on a person in space or at high altitudes.
- prestidigitation — sleight of hand; legerdemain.
- preunderstanding — to perceive the meaning of; grasp the idea of; comprehend: to understand Spanish; I didn't understand your question.
- prevost d'exiles — Antoine François [ahn-twan frahn-swa] /ɑ̃ˈtwan frɑ̃ˈswa/ (Show IPA), ("Abbé Prévost") 1697–1763, French novelist.
- pribilof islands — a group of islands in the Bering Sea, off SW Alaska, belonging to the US: the breeding ground of the northern fur seal. Area: about 168 sq km (65 sq miles)
- price leadership — the setting of the price of a product or service by a dominant firm at a level that competitors can match, in order to avoid a price war
- pride oneself on — to be proud of
- primary deviance — the violation of a norm or rule that does not result in the violator's being stigmatized as deviant.
- primary industry — an industry, as agriculture, forestry, or fishing, that deals in obtaining natural materials.
- primary producer — any green plant or any of various microorganisms that can convert light energy or chemical energy into organic matter.
- printer's reader — a person employed to read proofs and indicate errors
- private judgment — personal opinion formed independently of the expressed position of an institution, as in matters of religion or politics.
- private viewdata — an interactive video text system with restricted access
- privet andromeda — a spreading shrub, Lyonia ligustrina, of the eastern U.S., having leafless, white flowers in terminal clusters.
- privileged altar — an altar at which a plenary indulgence for a departed soul may be granted upon celebration of a Mass.
- process industry — business of treating raw materials
- production costs — the costs used in manufacturing a product
- program director — a chief executive responsible for selecting and scheduling programs.
- programme editor — someone responsible for editing, overseeing and selecting the content of radio or television programmes