17-letter words containing e, a
- american dialects — regional or social varieties of spoken American English identified by differences in grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation: principal dialect areas are now generally distinguished as Northern, Midland, and Southern
- american dog tick — a common tick, Dermacentor variabilis, that is the vector of Rocky Mountain spotted fever in the eastern U.S. and also carries tularemia.
- american flagfish — flagfish (def 1).
- american football — American football is a game similar to rugby that is played by two teams of eleven players using an oval-shaped ball. Players try to score points by carrying the ball to their opponents' end of the field, or by kicking it over a bar fixed between two posts.
- american foxhound — one of an American breed of medium-sized dogs having a smooth, glossy coat usually black, tan, and white in color, a square-cut muzzle, hanging ears, and a moderately high-set tail, used for hunting both in packs or individually, tailing the game by scent.
- american highland — a region in Antarctica, W of Enderby Land and E of Wilkes Land: discovered 1939.
- american hornbeam — any North American shrub or tree belonging to the genus Carpinus, of the birch family, yielding a hard, heavy wood, as C. caroliniana (American hornbeam)
- american mulberry — See under mulberry (def 2).
- american redstart — any of several small, Old World thrushes, usually with reddish-brown tails, especially Phoenicurus phoenicurus (European redstart)
- american wirehair — a breed of medium-large cat with a coarse wiry coat
- american woodbine — a North American plant, related to the honeysuckle, Lonicera caprifolium
- american wormseed — a plant with seeds used in medicine to treat worm infestation, Chenopodium ambrosioides
- american-flagfish — flagfish (def 1).
- aminobenzoic acid — a derivative of benzoic acid existing in three isomeric forms, the para- form being used in the manufacture of dyes and sunburn preventatives. Formula: NH2C6H4COOH
- aminoglutethimide — a hormone antagonist, C 13 H 16 N 2 O 2 , used in the treatment of Cushing's syndrome and breast cancer.
- ammonium chloride — a white soluble crystalline solid used chiefly as an electrolyte in dry batteries and as a mordant and soldering flux. Formula: NH4Cl
- ammonium selenate — a colorless, crystalline, water-soluble solid, (NH 4) 2 SeO 4 , used as a mothproofing agent.
- ammonium stearate — a tan, waxlike, water-insoluble solid, C 18 H 39 NO 2 , used chiefly in the manufacture of cosmetics.
- ammonium sulphate — a white soluble crystalline solid used mainly as a fertilizer and in water purification. Formula: (NH4)2SO4
- amoebic dysentery — inflammation of the intestines caused by the parasitic amoeba Endamoeba histolytica
- amphitheatrically — In a manner such as to appear to have some characteristics of an amphitheatre.
- an effort of will — If you do something difficult or painful by an effort of will, you manage to make yourself do it.
- an eye for an eye — You say 'an eye for an eye' or 'an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth' to refer to the idea that people should be punished according to the way in which they offended, for example if they hurt someone, they should be hurt equally badly in return.
- anabolic steroids — a synthetic derivative of testosterone, sometimes used by athletes to help increase weight and strength.
- anaesthesiologist — anesthesiology.
- analogue computer — (computer, hardware) A machine or electronic circuit designed to work on numerical data represented by some physical quantity (e.g. rotation or displacement) or electrical quantity (e.g. voltage or charge) which varies continuously, in contrast to digital signals which are either 0 or 1. For example, the turning of a wheel or changes in voltage can be used as input. Analogue computers are said to operate in real time and are used for research in design where many different shapes and speeds can be tried out quickly. A computer model of a car suspension allows the designer to see the effects of changing size, stiffness and damping.
- analytic geometry — the branch of geometry in which a coordinate graphing system makes visible, using points, lines, and curves, the numerical relationships of algebraic equations
- analytical engine — (history) A design for a general-purpose digital computer proposed by Charles Babbage in 1837 as a successor to his earlier special-purpose Difference Engine. The Analytical Engine was to be built from brass gears powered by steam with input given on punched cards. Babbage could never secure enough funding to build it, and so it was, and never has been, constructed.
- anchor escapement — an escapement in which wedge-shaped pallets engage with an escape wheel having pointed teeth, usually facing in the direction of revolution, so that the escape wheel recoils slightly at every release.
- ancienne noblesse — the ancient nobility, especially of the ancien régime.
- andes (mountains) — mountain system extending the length of W South America: highest peak, Aconcagua
- andreanof islands — a group of islands in the central Aleutian Islands, Alaska. Area: 3710 sq km (1432 sq miles)
- andrew fluegelman — (person) A successful attorney, editor of PC World Magazine, and author of the MS-DOS communications program PC-TALK III, written in 1982. He once owned the trademark "freeware" but it wasn't enforced after his disappearance. In 1985, Fluegelman was diagnosed with cancer. He was last seen a week later, on 1985-07-06, when he left his Marin County home to go to his office in Tiburon. He called his wife later that day and has not been heard from since. His car was found at Vista Point on the north end of the Golden Gate Bridge.
- aneroid barograph — an aneroid barometer equipped with an automatic recording mechanism.
- aneroid barometer — a device for measuring atmospheric pressure without the use of fluids. It consists of a partially evacuated metal chamber, the thin corrugated lid of which is displaced by variations in the external air pressure. This displacement is magnified by levers and made to operate a pointer
- anesthesiologists — Plural form of anesthesiologist.
- angle of friction — the angle of a plane to the horizontal when a body placed on the plane will just start to slide. The tangent of the angle of friction is the coefficient of static friction
- angostura bitters — a bitter aromatic tonic made from gentian and various spices and vegetable colourings, used as a flavouring in alcoholic drinks
- angra do heroismo — a port in the Azores, on Terceira Island. Pop: 35 581 (2001)
- angular frequency — the frequency of a periodic process, wave system, etc, expressed in radians per second
- angular leaf spot — a disease of plants, characterized by angular, watery spots on the leaves and fruit, caused by any of several bacteria, as Pseudomonas lachrymans.
- animal experiment — an experiment involving non-human animals
- anionic detergent — any of a class of synthetic compounds whose anions are alkali salts, as soap, or whose ions are ammonium salts.
- answering machine — An answering machine is the same as an answerphone.
- answering pennant — one of the flags of the International Code of Signals, a pennant of three red and two white vertical stripes, flown at the dip while a message is being interpreted and close up when it is understood.
- answering service — a business that answers telephone calls on behalf of another business or organization, taking messages from and providing information to callers
- anthraquinone dye — any of the class of dyes derived from anthraquinone, used for dyeing textiles, especially cotton, rayon, and silk.
- anthropogenically — In an anthropogenic way.
- anthropogeography — a branch of anthropology dealing with the geographical distribution of humankind and the relationship between human beings and their environment.
- anthropomorphises — Third-person singular simple present indicative form of anthropomorphise.