12-letter words containing h, p, s
- spatter-dash — Also called spatter dash. an exterior wall finish composed of mortar and fine pebbles mixed together and dashed against the wall. Compare pebble dash.
- speakerphone — a telephone or telephone attachment equipped with both loudspeaker and microphone, thus permitting the instrument to be used without being held.
- spearfishing — any of several fishes of the genus Tetrapturus, resembling the sailfish but having the first dorsal fin much less developed: inhabiting all seas, but rare.
- spearheading — the sharp-pointed head that forms the piercing end of a spear.
- spectrograph — a spectroscope for photographing or producing a representation of a spectrum.
- speech maker — a person who makes a formal speech
- speech organ — any part of the body, as the tongue, velum, diaphragm, or lungs, that participates, actively or passively, voluntarily or involuntarily, in the production of the sounds of speech.
- speech sound — any of the set of distinctive sounds of a given language. Compare phoneme.
- speechifying — Speechifying is the making of speeches, especially because you want to appear important.
- speechwriter — a person who writes speeches for others, usually for pay.
- spellchecker — a computer program for checking the spelling of words in an electronic document.
- spermaphytic — able to produce seeds
- spermophytic — able to produce seed
- sphacelation — the process of mortification
- sphenography — the art of writing in cuneiform characters.
- sphericality — the state of being a sphere
- sphincterial — relating to a sphincter
- sphragistics — the scientific study of seals or signet rings.
- sphygmograph — an instrument for recording the rapidity, strength, and uniformity of the arterial pulse.
- sphygmometer — a device which measures the rate of the pulse
- sphygmophone — a device by which a pulse may be heard
- sphygmoscope — a device for studying or examining the pulse
- spiderhunter — any of several sunbirds of the genus Arachnothera, of southern Asia and the East Indies, having dull-colored plumage and a long bill.
- spin fishing — spinning (def 3).
- spin machine — an organization or group of people acting together to present news or information in a way that creates a particular desired impression
- spinach beet — chard, a plant cultivated for its edible leaves
- spinsterhood — Disparaging and Offensive. a woman still unmarried beyond the usual age of marrying.
- spinstership — the state of being a spinster
- spirochaetal — resulting from spirochaetes
- splash guard — a large flap behind a rear tire to prevent mud, water, etc., from being splashed on the following vehicle.
- splotchiness — the state or condition of being splotchy
- sponge cloth — any cloth loosely woven of coarse yarn to produce a spongy look or texture, especially one constructed in honeycomb weave.
- sponsorships — a person who vouches or is responsible for a person or thing.
- sporophorous — the state of being or functioning as a sporophore
- sportfishing — fishing with a rod and reel for sport, especially for saltwater sport fish from a motorboat.
- sports shirt — a long- or short-sleeved soft shirt for informal wear by men, having a squared-off shirttail that may be left outside the trousers, usually worn without a tie.
- spotlighting — a strong, focused light thrown upon a particular spot, as on a small area of a stage or in a television studio, for making some object, person, or group especially conspicuous.
- sprachgefuhl — a sensitivity to language, especially for what is grammatically or idiomatically acceptable in a given language.
- sprechgesang — a vocal style intermediate between speech and singing but without exact pitch intonation.
- sprechstimme — sprechgesang.
- sprightfully — in a sprightful manner
- spring catch — a catch for an interior or cabinet door that has a bolt operated by a spring.
- spring vetch — any of several mostly climbing plants belonging to the genus Vicia, of the legume family, having pinnate leaves ending in tendrils and bearing pealike flowers, especially V. sativa (spring vetch) cultivated for forage and soil improvement.
- spud-bashing — the task of peeling potatoes, given as a punishment
- stabilograph — an instrument for measuring body sway.
- starch syrup — glucose (def 2).
- starch-syrup — a sugar, C 6 H 12 O 6 , having several optically different forms, the common dextrorotatory form (dextroglucose, or -glucose) occurring in many fruits, animal tissues and fluids, etc., and having a sweetness about one half that of ordinary sugar, and the rare levorotatory form (levoglucose, or -glucose) not naturally occurring.
- steeplechase — a horse race over a turf course furnished with artificial ditches, hedges, and other obstacles over which the horses must jump.
- steganograph — a piece of coded writing; cipher
- stegophilist — a person who enjoys climbing up the outside of buildings