17-letter words containing e, n, t, h
- trigger mechanism — a physiological or psychological process caused by a stimulus and resulting in a usually severe reaction.
- try one's hand at — to attempt (to do something), esp. for the first time
- ts'ao hsueh-ch'in — (Ts'ao Chan) c1717–63, Chinese novelist: author of The Dream of the Red Chamber.
- turkish towelling — woven cloth which is used to make towels, wash cloths, etc
- turn of the screw — a short novel (1898) by Henry James.
- turn on the charm — If someone turns on the charm, they behave in a way that seems very friendly but which you think is insincere, often in order to obtain something or deceive someone.
- twelfth amendment — an amendment to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1804, providing for election of the president and vice president by the electoral college: should there be no majority vote for one person, the House of Representatives (one vote per state) chooses the president and the Senate the vice president.
- twenty-four hours — the time taken by the Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis; a whole day
- tyrant flycatcher — flycatcher (def 2).
- ultimate strength — the quantity of the utmost tensile, compressive, or shearing stress that a given unit area of a certain material is expected to bear without failing.
- under the counter — (of merchandise) sold clandestinely.
- under the sign of — during that portion of the year when the sun is passing through and thus subject to the influence of (a specified sign of the zodiac)
- under the weather — the state of the atmosphere with respect to wind, temperature, cloudiness, moisture, pressure, etc.
- under-the-counter — (of merchandise) sold clandestinely.
- undistinguishable — to mark off as different (often followed by from or by): He was distinguished from the other boys by his height.
- undulatory theory — wave theory (def 1).
- unsympathetically — in a manner that is not characterized by feeling or showing sympathy
- up/raise the ante — If you up the ante or raise the ante, you increase your demands when you are in dispute or fighting for something.
- ventilation shaft — a shaft in a mine, tunnel, or building used for providing ventilation or fresh air
- ventura publisher — Corel VENTURA
- victoriano huerta — Victoriano [beek-taw-ryah-naw] /ˌbik tɔˈryɑ nɔ/ (Show IPA), 1854–1916, Mexican general: provisional president of Mexico 1913–14.
- voice synthesizer — a computer system that is used to artificially produce the human voice
- vulcan death grip — (jargon) A variant of Vulcan nerve pinch derived from a Star Trek classic epsisode where a non-existant "Vulcan death grip" was used to fool Romulans that Spock had killed Kirk.
- war establishment — the full wartime complement of men, equipment, and vehicles of a military unit
- warehousing costs — the costs involved in storing goods in a warehouse
- washington square — a short novel (1881) by Henry James.
- water on the knee — an accumulation of fluid in the knee cavity caused by inflammation and trauma to the cartilages or membranes of the knee joint.
- weather-resistant — resisting the effects of severe weather, as rain or cold: weather-resistant cloth for topcoats.
- welsh nationalism — the political belief that Wales should be independent
- welsh nationalist — a person who believes that Wales should be independent
- welshman's button — an angler's name for a species of caddis fly, Sericostoma personatum
- wet one's whistle — to make a clear musical sound, a series of such sounds, or a high-pitched, warbling sound by the forcible expulsion of the breath through a small opening formed by contracting the lips, or through the teeth, with the aid of the tongue.
- what does sb know — You can use expressions such as What does she know? and What do they know? when you think that someone has no right to comment on a situation because they do not understand it.
- wheatstone bridge — a circuit for measuring an unknown resistance by comparing it with known resistances.
- white-nationalism — white supremacy.
- white-pine weevil — a brown beetle, Pissodes strobi, the larvae of which feed on the terminal buds and shoots of white pine and other conifers.
- white-winged dove — a common dove, Zenaida asiatica, of the southwestern U.S. to Chile.
- whiter than white — extremely clean and white
- wimshurst machine — a device for the production of electric charge by electrostatic induction, consisting of two oppositely rotating glass or mica disks carrying metal strips upon which charges are induced and subsequently removed by contact with metallic combs.
- winchester bushel — a unit of dry measure containing 4 pecks, equivalent in the U.S. (and formerly in England) to 2150.42 cubic inches or 35.24 liters (Winchester bushel) and in Great Britain to 2219.36 cubic inches or 36.38 liters (Imperial bushel) Abbreviation: bu., bush.
- wings of the dove — a novel (1902) by Henry James.
- winter heliotrope — a creeping perennial, Petasites fragrans, related to the butterbur, having lilac to heliotrope-coloured flowers smelling of vanilla: found chiefly on road verges
- with a difference — If you describe a job or holiday, for example, as a job with a difference or a holiday with a difference, you mean that the job or holiday is very interesting and unusual.
- with a heavy hand — in a heavy manner; without delicacy or grace
- without exception — all included
- woman of the hour — a woman honored by a group.
- world without end — for ever
- worth every penny — If you say that something or someone is worth every penny, you mean that they are worth all the money that is spent on them.
- worth one's while — a period or interval of time: to wait a long while; He arrived a short while ago.
- write the book on — to be the definitive authority or expert on