17-letter words containing e, n, o
- aerobic digestion — Aerobic digestion is a process which uses bacteria and oxygen to break down organic and biological waste.
- aerothermodynamic — Of or pertaining to aerothermodynamics.
- affaire d'honneur — a duel
- affiliation order — (formerly) an order made by a magistrates' court that a man adjudged to be the father of an illegitimate child shall contribute a specified periodic sum towards the child's maintenance
- afternoon session — a part of an event taking place in the afternoon
- aftershave lotion — a lotion, usually styptic and perfumed, for application to the face after shaving
- against the clock — If you are doing something against the clock, you are doing it in a great hurry, because there is very little time.
- age of discretion — the age at which a person is considered to be able to manage his or her own affairs
- agenbite of inwit — remorse of conscience
- agent provocateur — An agent provocateur is a person who is employed by the government or the police to encourage certain groups of people to break the law, so they can arrest them or make them lose public support.
- agreement to sell — a contract between two parties in which one party agrees to sell something to the other
- air-transportable — that can be transported by aircraft: air-transportable equipment.
- all well and good — If you say that something is all well and good, you are suggesting that it has faults or disadvantages, although it may appear to be correct or reasonable.
- allende meteorite — a carbonaceous chondrite meteorite that fell over northern Mexico in 1969: one of the largest recorded falls of a stony meteorite.
- alligator snapper — a large, freshwater snapping turtle (Macroclemys temmincki) of the SE U.S. and the Mississippi Valley, found chiefly in rivers and bayous: it may weigh up to 100 kg (220 lb)
- almanach de gotha — a publication giving statistical information on European royalty.
- alpha-fetoprotein — a protein that forms in the liver of the human fetus. Excessive quantities in the amniotic fluid and maternal blood may indicate spina bifida in the fetus; low levels may point to Down's syndrome
- altamonte springs — a city in central Florida.
- alternating group — the subgroup consisting of all even permutations, of the group of all permutations of a finite set.
- aluminum chloride — a yellow-white, crystalline, water-soluble solid that in its white hydrated form, AlCl 3 ⋅6H 2 O, is used chiefly as a wood preservative and in its yellow-white anhydrous form, AlCl 3 , chiefly as a catalyst.
- 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 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 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 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
- 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
- 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
- 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)
- 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 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.