17-letter words containing h, o, l, n, y
- palaeoethnobotany — the study of fossil seeds and grains to further archaeological knowledge, esp of the domestication of cereals
- paleoanthropology — the study of the origins and predecessors of the present human species, using fossils and other remains.
- parathyroid gland — any of several small oval glands usually lying near or embedded in the thyroid gland.
- pastoral symphony — the Symphony No. 6 in F major (1807–08) by Ludwig van Beethoven.
- penalty shoot-out — In football, a penalty shoot-out is a way of deciding the result of a game that has ended in a draw. Players from each team try to score a goal in turn until one player fails to score and their team loses the game.
- perchloroethylene — tetrachloroethylene.
- personality clash — friction between two people who have different personalities or points of view
- 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.
- phenylformic acid — benzoic acid.
- philanthropically — of, pertaining to, engaged in, or characterized by philanthropy; benevolent: a philanthropic foundation.
- pile on the agony — to exaggerate one's distress for sympathy or greater effect
- play along (with) — to join in or cooperate (with)
- play with oneself — a dramatic composition or piece; drama.
- plymouth brethren — a religious sect founded c. 1827, strongly Puritanical in outlook and prohibiting many secular occupations for its members. It combines elements of Calvinism, Pietism, and millenarianism, and has no organized ministry
- polymorphonuclear — (of a leukocyte) having a lobulate nucleus.
- polystyrene chips — small pieces of polystyrene used for insulating or packing
- polyvinyl alcohol — a colorless, water-soluble, thermoplastic resin, derived by the hydrolysis of polyvinyl acetate: used chiefly as an adhesive and as a sizing agent in the manufacture of textiles, paper, and plastics.
- psychoeducational — designating or of psychological methods, as intelligence tests, used in evaluating learning ability
- psycholinguistics — the study of the relationship between language and the cognitive or behavioral characteristics of those who use it.
- pull your head in — be quiet!
- pythagorean scale — the major scale as derived acoustically by Pythagoras from the perfect fifth.
- reticulate python — a python, Python reticulatus, of southeastern Asia and the East Indies, sometimes growing to a length of 32 feet (10 meters): usually considered to be the largest snake in the world.
- rocket technology — the technology of the design, operation, maintenance, and launching of rockets
- school playground — school's outdoor recreation area
- shopping bag lady — bag lady (def 1).
- shopping-bag lady — bag lady (def 1).
- shorthold tenancy — letting of a dwelling for between one and five years at a fair rent
- spherical polygon — a closed figure formed by arcs of great circles on a spherical surface.
- spondylolisthesis — the forward displacement of a vertebra.
- sulfonyl chloride — a colorless liquid, SO 2 Cl 2 , having a very pungent odor and corrosive to the skin and mucous membranes: used as a chlorinating or sulfonating agent.
- synchronistically — coincidence in time; contemporaneousness; simultaneousness.
- synthetic biology — the application of computer science techniques to create artificial biological systems
- the black country — the formerly heavily industrialized region of central England, northwest of Birmingham
- the underemployed — underemployed people
- trichloroethylene — a colorless, poisonous liquid, C 2 HCl 3 , used chiefly as a degreasing agent for metals and as a solvent, especially in dry cleaning, for fats, oils, and waxes. Abbreviation: TCE.
- uncomprehendingly — to understand the nature or meaning of; grasp with the mind; perceive: He did not comprehend the significance of the ambassador's remark.
- undulatory theory — wave theory (def 1).
- whiskey rebellion — a revolt of settlers in western Pennsylvania in 1794 against a federal excise tax on whiskey: suppressed by militia called out by President George Washington to establish the authority of the federal government.
- woolly rhinoceros — an extinct rhinoceros; Coelodonta antiquitatis
- youth-and-old-age — a stiff-growing, erect composite plant, Zinnia elegans, of Mexico, having large, solitary flowers with yellow-to-purple disks and usually red rays.
- youthful offender — a young delinquent, especially a first offender, usually from 14 to 21 years old, whom the court tries to correct and guide rather than to punish as a criminal.
- yuzhno-sakhalinsk — a city in the SE Russian Federation in Asia, on S Sakhalin Island.