15-letter words containing h, s, t, r
- at arm's length — If you hold something at arm's length, you hold it away from your body with your arm straight.
- at death's door — If you say that someone is at death's door, you mean they are very ill indeed and likely to die.
- at full stretch — If you are at full stretch, your arm is straight and extended as far as possible, usually because you are trying to reach something that is almost too far away.
- at right angles — If two things are at right angles, they are situated so that they form an angle of 90° where they touch each other. You can also say that one thing is at right angles to another.
- at short notice — Notice is used in expressions such as 'at short notice', 'at a moment's notice' or 'at twenty-four hours' notice', to indicate that something can or must be done within a short period of time.
- at the controls — If someone is at the controls of a machine or other piece of equipment, they are operating it.
- at the earliest — At the earliest means not before the date or time mentioned.
- atherosclerosis — a degenerative disease of the arteries characterized by patchy thickening of the inner lining of the arterial walls, caused by deposits of fatty material; a form of arteriosclerosis
- atherosclerotic — Of, pertaining to, or afflicted with atherosclerosis.
- athlete's heart — enlargement of the heart, caused by continued, heavy physical exertion
- athletic sports — sports, esp track and field events, in which athleticism is required
- atmospherically — pertaining to, existing in, or consisting of the atmosphere: atmospheric vapors.
- austria-hungary — the Dual Monarchy established in 1867, consisting of what are now Austria, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia, and Bosnia-Herzegovina, and parts of Poland, Romania, Ukraine, and Italy. The empire was broken up after World War I
- autobiographers — Plural form of autobiographer.
- autobiographies — Plural form of autobiography.
- autoradiographs — Plural form of autoradiograph.
- back-scratching — a reciprocal exchange of favors, aid, or compliments
- bacterial ghost — a bacterial cell that is emptied and filled artificially with another substance
- bacteriophagous — Pertaining to the predation and consumption of bacterium.
- barium sulphate — a white insoluble fine dense powder, used as a pigment, as a filler for paper, rubber, etc, and in barium meals. Formula: BaSO4
- bathroom scales — scales typically kept in a bathroom for people to weigh themselves
- bathurst island — an island off the coast of N Nunavut, Canada, in the Arctic Archipelago: present south of the North Magnetic Pole nearby. 7609 sq. mi. (19,707 sq. km).
- battleship gray — a subdued bluish gray.
- be short on sth — If someone or something is short on a particular good quality, they do not have as much of it as you think they should have.
- bedford heights — a town in N Ohio.
- before the mast — as an apprentice seaman
- beside the mark — not striking the point aimed at
- biogeochemistry — the science of biological, chemical, and geological aspects of the environment
- biostratigraphy — the examination of the ages of rock strata by using fossils
- bloody butchers — a hardy plant, Trillium sessile, common from New York to Georgia and westward, having stalkless, purple or green flowers.
- bohemian forest — a mountain range between the SW Czech Republic and SE Germany. Highest peak: Arber, 1457 m (4780 ft)
- booster cushion — an extra seat or cushion placed on an existing seat for a child to sit on in a car
- borscht circuit — summer resort hotels in the Catskills and White Mountains, where entertainment is provided for the guests
- boustrophedonic — of or relating to lines written in opposite directions
- brachistochrone — the curve between two points through which a body moves under the force of gravity in a shorter time than for any other curve; the path of quickest descent
- brachystomatous — having a short proboscis, as certain insects.
- bragging rights — notional privileges that are gained by defeating a close rival
- branchiostegous — branchiostegal.
- breach of trust — a violation of duty by a trustee or any other person in a fiduciary position
- breathing space — A breathing space is a short period of time between two activities in which you can recover from the first activity and prepare for the second one.
- brights-disease — a disease characterized by albuminuria and heightened blood pressure.
- bristol channel — an inlet of the Atlantic, between S Wales and SW England, merging into the Severn estuary. Length: about 137 km (85 miles)
- bristol fashion — clean and neat, with newly painted and scrubbed surfaces, brass polished, etc
- british america — British North America.
- british council — an organization founded (1934) to extend the influence of British culture and education throughout the world
- british english — the English language as spoken and written in England and as distinguished esp. from American English
- british library — the British national library, formed in 1973 from the British Museum library and other national collections: housed mainly in the British Museum until 1997 when a purpose-built library in St Pancras, London, was completed
- british telecom — the popular name for British Telecommunications Group plc, the dominant fixed line telecommunications and broadband internet provider in the United Kingdom
- bronchial tubes — the bronchi or their smaller divisions
- brother-in-arms — a fellow soldier or comrade in a shared struggle