12-letter words containing e, o, t, h
- ken thompson — (person) The principal inventor of the Unix operating system and author of the B language, the predecessor of C. In the early days Ken used to hand-cut Unix distribution tapes, often with a note that read "Love, ken". Old-timers still use his first name (sometimes uncapitalised, because it's a login name and mail address) in third-person reference; it is widely understood (on Usenet in particular) that without a last name "Ken" refers only to Ken Thompson. Similarly, Dennis without last name means Dennis Ritchie (and he is often known as dmr). Ken was first hired to work on the Multics project, which was a huge production with many people working on it. Multics was supposed to support hundreds of on-line logins but could barely handle three. In 1969, when Bell Labs withdrew from the project, Ken got fed up with Multics and went off to write his own operating system. People said "well, if zillions of people wrote Multics, then an OS written by one guy must be Unix!". There was some joking about eunichs as well. Ken's wife Bonnie and son Corey (then 18 months old) went to visit family in San Diego. Ken spent one week each on the kernel, file system, etc., and finished UNIX in one month along with developing SPACEWAR (or was it "Space Travel"?). See also back door, brute force, demigod, wumpus.
- kenny method — a method of treating poliomyelitis, in which hot, moist packs are applied to affected muscles to relieve spasms and pain, and a regimen of exercises is prescribed to prevent deformities and to strengthen the muscles.
- keratohyalin — (biology) A protein structure found in granules in the stratum granulosum of the epidermis, which may be involved in keratinization, and in Hassall corpuscles in the thymus.
- khornerstone — A multipurpose benchmark from Workstation Labs used in various periodicals. The source is not free. Results are published in "UNIX Review".
- kinetography — a camera for taking pictures for a kinetoscope.
- kitchen foil — aluminium foil used in cooking or storing food
- kitchen soap — heavy-duty soap intended for use in the kitchen
- kosher-style — (of a cuisine, restaurant, etc.) featuring traditional Jewish dishes, but not adhering to the dietary laws: kosher-style cooking.
- lahore party — a modern sect, divided into an older group (Qadianis) and a newer group (Lahore party)
- leaf through — one of the expanded, usually green organs borne by the stem of a plant.
- leatherbound — Bound in leather.
- leatherwoods — Plural form of leatherwood.
- leiotrichous — Having smooth hair.
- leopard moth — a moth, Zeuzera pyrina, having white wings spotted with black and larvae that bore into the wood of various trees and shrubs.
- leptocephali — Plural form of leptocephalus.
- life history — the series of living phenomena exhibited by an organism in the course of its development from inception to death.
- light bomber — a small airplane designed to carry light bomb loads relatively short distances, especially one having a gross loaded weight of less than 100,000 pounds (45,000 kg).
- light comedy — a play or film which deals with its subject matter in an amusing and lighthearted way
- light-footed — stepping lightly or nimbly; light of foot; nimble.
- lion-hearted — exceptionally courageous or brave.
- liothyronine — A form of thyroid hormone used to treat hypothyroidism and myxedema coma.
- lithogenesis — (geology) The formation of sedimentary rock.
- lithographed — Simple past tense and past participle of lithograph.
- lithographer — a person who works at lithography.
- lithopedions — Plural form of lithopedion.
- lithospermum — any annual or perennial herbs and small shrubs of the genus lithospermum, of the borage family, native to Europe, N America, and northern Asia, and having white, blue, or yellow flowers
- lithospheric — Of or pertaining to the lithosphere.
- lithotripter — a device used for fragmenting kidney stones with ultrasound waves.
- lithotritise — to perform a lithotrity
- lithotritize — to perform a lithotrity on
- little horse — the constellation Equuleus.
- little hours — the canonical hours of prime, terce, sext, and nones in the divine office
- little rhody — Rhode Island (used as a nickname).
- live through — experience or endure
- live yoghurt — yoghurt that contains live bacteria
- loathfulness — (rare) The condition of being loathful; reluctance.
- lobster moth — a large sombre-hued prominent moth, Stauropus fagi, that when at rest resembles dead leaves. The modified thoracic legs of the larva, carried curled over its body, look like a lobster's claw
- loir-et-cher — a department in central France. 2479 sq. mi. (6420 sq. km). Capital: Blois.
- long clothes — dress-like garments formerly worn by a baby
- long-sighted — farsighted; hypermetropic.
- lophophorate — Of or relating to small aquatic invertebrates belonging to a group of phyla characterized by the possession of lophophores. They include bryozoans, brachiopods, and phoronids.
- loud-mouthed — If you describe someone as loud-mouthed, you are critical of them because they talk a lot, especially in an unpleasant, offensive, or stupid way.
- lower depths — a play (1902) by Maxim Gorki.
- luncheonette — a small restaurant or lunchroom where light meals are served.
- luteotrophic — affecting the corpus luteum.
- lycanthropes — Plural form of lycanthrope.
- lyophilizate — A lyophilizate is a freeze-dried product.
- lysolecithin — any compound of lecithin produced by the removal of one of the fatty acid groups by hydrolysis
- machicolated — Having machicolations.
- machine bolt — a threaded fastener, used with a nut for connecting metal parts, having a thread diameter of about 1/4 inch (6.4 mm) or more and a square or hexagonal head for tightening by a wrench.