17-letter words containing h, e, a, t, c, o
- memetic algorithm — (algorithm) A genetic algorithm or evolutionary algorithm which includes a non-genetic local search to improve genotypes. The term comes from the Richard Dawkin's term "meme". One big difference between memes and genes is that memes are processed and possibly improved by the people that hold them - something that cannot happen to genes. It is this advantage that the memetic algorithm has over simple genetic or evolutionary algorithms. These algorithms are useful in solving complex problems, such as the "Travelling Salesman Problem," which involves finding the shortest path through a large number of nodes, or in creating artificial life to test evolutionary theories. Memetic algorithms are one kind of metaheuristic. (07 July 1997)
- merchant of death — a company, nation, or person that sells military arms on the international market, usually to the highest bidder and without scruple or regard for political ramifications.
- metabolic pathway — biochemistry: sequence of reactions within a cell or organism
- method invocation — (programming) In object-oriented programming, the way the program looks up the right code to run when a method with a given name is called ("invoked") on an object. The method is first looked for in the object's class, then that class's superclass and so on up the class hierarchy until a method with the given name is found (the name is "resolved"). Generally, method lookup cannot be performed at compile time because the object's class is not known until run time. This is the case for an object method whereas a class method is just an ordinary function (that is bundled with a given class) and can be resolved at compile time (or load time in the case of a dynamically loaded library).
- methyl isocyanate — Chemistry. a highly toxic, flammable, colorless liquid, CH 3 NCO, used as an intermediate in the manufacture of pesticides: in 1984, the accidental release of a cloud of this gas in Bhopal, India, killed more than 1700 people and injured over 200,000.
- microphanerophyte — any shrub or tree having a height of 2 to 8 metres
- modulo arithmetic — modular arithmetic
- monarch butterfly — a large, deep-orange butterfly, Danaus plexippus, having black and white markings, the larvae of which feed on the leaves of milkweed.
- mont-saint-michel — a rocky islet near the coast of NW France, in an inlet of the Gulf of St. Malo: famous abbey and fortress.
- mystical theology — the branch of theology dealing with mysticism and mystical experiences.
- nanotechnological — Of, pertaining to, or by means of nanotechnology.
- near-earth object — a comet or asteroid pushed by the gravitational attraction of nearby planets into an orbit that allows it to enter the earth's orbit and thereby pose a danger of collision. Abbreviation: NEO.
- neo-scholasticism — a contemporary application of Scholasticism to modern problems and life.
- nephelometrically — By means of nephelometry.
- neuropathological — (medicine) Of, pertaining to, or arising from neuropathology, the pathology of nerve tissue.
- neuropsychiatrist — A medical doctor specializing in neuropsychiatry; a medical doctor dealing with disorders that have both neurological and psychiatric features.
- ninth commandment — “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor”: ninth of the Ten Commandments.
- non-thermoplastic — soft and pliable when heated, as some plastics, without any change of the inherent properties.
- nonaccomplishment — Something that does not achieve the intended goal.
- nonteaching staff — employees within an academic or vocational environment whose jobs do not involve teaching
- north miami beach — a city in SE Florida.
- northern michigan — the peninsula between lakes Superior and Michigan constituting the N part of Michigan. Abbreviation: U.P.
- nuclear threshold — the point in war at which a combatant brings nuclear weapons into use
- omphalomesenteric — (anatomy) Of or pertaining to the umbilicus and mesentery.
- on the face of it — the front part of the head, from the forehead to the chin.
- on the off chance — the absence of any cause of events that can be predicted, understood, or controlled: often personified or treated as a positive agency: Chance governs all.
- on the off-chance — If you do something on the off-chance, you do it because you hope that it will succeed, although you think that this is unlikely.
- on the pig's back — successful; established
- on the wrong tack — a short, sharp-pointed nail, usually with a flat, broad head.
- opisthobranchiate — (zoology) Of or pertaining to the Opisthobranchiata.
- organic chemistry — the branch of chemistry, originally limited to substances found only in living organisms, dealing with the compounds of carbon.
- overhead camshaft — a camshaft in an automotive engine that is located in the cylinder head over the engine block rather than in the block. Abbreviation: OHC.
- oystershell scale — a scale insect, Lepidosaphes ulmi, having a scale shaped like the shell of an oyster, which infests various deciduous trees and shrubs.
- pacific northwest — the region of North America lying north of the Columbia River and west of the Rockies
- paleobiochemistry — the study of biochemical processes that occurred in fossil life forms.
- parathyroidectomy — the excision of a parathyroid gland.
- pebbleweave cloth — an irregularly textured material made from twisted yarn
- pentachlorophenol — a white, crystalline, water-insoluble powder, C 6 Cl 5 OH, used chiefly in fungicides, disinfectants, and wood preservatives.
- personality clash — friction between two people who have different personalities or points of view
- petrarchan sonnet — a sonnet form popularized by Petrarch, consisting of an octave with the rhyme scheme abbaabba and of a sestet with one of several rhyme schemes, as cdecde or cdcdcd.
- phantom pregnancy — the occurrence of signs of pregnancy, such as enlarged abdomen and absence of menstruation, when no embryo is present, due to hormonal imbalance
- phenethyl alcohol — a colorless, viscous, slightly water-soluble liquid, C 8 H 1 0 O, having a faint roselike odor: used chiefly in perfumery.
- phenyl isocyanate — a liquid reagent, C 7 H 5 NO, having an unpleasant, irritating odor: used chiefly for identifying alcohols and amines.
- phonetic alphabet — an alphabet containing a separate character for each distinguishable speech sound.
- photoreactivation — a process that repairs DNA damaged by ultraviolet light using an enzyme that requires visible light.
- phototherapeutics — the branch of therapeutics that deals with the curative use of light rays.
- photovoltaic cell — a photocell in which an electromotive force is generated by a photovoltaic effect.
- platinic chloride — chloroplatinic acid.
- pocket battleship — a small heavily armed and armored warship serving as a battleship because of limitations imposed by treaty.
- point of purchase — designating or in use at a retail outlet where an item can be purchased; point-of-sale: point-of-purchase displays to entice the buyer.