14-letter words containing i, c, e, n
- beseechingness — the quality or state of being beseeching
- beta reduction — [lambda-calculus] The application of a lambda abstraction to an argument expression. A copy of the body of the lambda abstraction is made and occurrences of the bound variable being replaced by the argument. E.g. (\ x . x+1) 4 --> 4+1 Beta reduction is the only kind of reduction in the pure lambda-calculus. The opposite of beta reduction is beta abstraction. These are the two kinds of beta conversion. See also name capture.
- betting office — a licensed bookmaker's premises not on a racecourse where bets can be placed on horses, teams, and other competitors
- bib and tucker — an outfit of clothes (esp in the phrase best bib and tucker)
- bicycle-racing — the act or sport of riding or traveling by bicycle, motorcycle, etc.
- binary counter — (electronics, hardware) A digital circuit which has a clock input and a number of count outputs which give the number of clock cycles. The output may change either on rising or falling clock edges. The circuit may also have a reset input which sets all outputs to zero when asserted. The counter may be either a synchronous counter or a ripple counter.
- binary package — (software) An archive file that contains all files and directories that must be installed in order to make a working installation of the program(s) included in the package, and the maintainer scripts necessary for the installation. A binary package is usually specific to a certain platform, in contrast to a source package.
- bioaeronautics — the use of aircraft in the discovery, development, and protection of natural and biological resources
- biocontainment — the confinement, as by sealed-off chambers, of materials that are harmful or potentially harmful to life.
- biocybernetics — the branch of cybernetics that deals with the control and communication systems of living organisms
- bioelectronics — a branch of electronics that deals with electronic devices, implants, etc. used in medicine and biological research
- bioequivalence — the equality of strength, bioavailability, and dosage of various drug products
- bioluminescent — the production of light by living organisms.
- bioprospecting — searching for plant or animal species for use as a source of commercially exploitable products, such as medicinal drugs
- black bindweed — a twining polygonaceous European plant, Polygonum convolvulus, with heart-shaped leaves and triangular black seed pods
- black selenium — an allotropic form of selenium occurring as a black, amorphous, water-insoluble, light-sensitive powder: used chiefly in photoelectric cells.
- blanket stitch — a strong reinforcing stitch for the edges of blankets and other thick material
- blanket-stitch — a basic sewing stitch in which widely spaced, interlocking loops, or purls, are formed, used for cutwork, as a decorative finish for edges, etc.
- bodice-ripping — A bodice-ripping film or novel is one which is set in the past and which includes a lot of sex scenes. You use this word especially if you do not think it is very good and is just intended to entertain people.
- body mechanics — body exercises that are intended to improve one's posture, stamina, poise, etc.
- bone porcelain — bone china.
- booking office — A booking office is a room where tickets are sold and booked, especially in a theatre or station.
- boring machine — a machine that bores holes, tunnels, etc
- botanic garden — a place in which plants are grown, studied, and exhibited
- bowling crease — a line marked at the wicket, over which a bowler must not advance fully before delivering the ball
- branch officer — (in the British navy since 1949) any officer who holds warrant
- branched chain — an open chain of atoms with one or more side chains attached to it
- branchiostegal — of or relating to the operculum covering the gill slits of fish
- braunschweiger — a smoked liver sausage, named after the city of Braunschweig
- brazil current — a warm current in the Atlantic Ocean flowing SE along the E coast of Brazil.
- brecknockshire — a historic county in S Wales, now part of Powys, Gwent, and Mid Glamorgan.
- breech-loading — (of a firearm) loaded at the breech
- breeding stock — animals specifically kept to breed from
- broken society — a perceived or apparent general decline in moral values
- bronchial tube — Your bronchial tubes are the two tubes which connect your windpipe to your lungs.
- bronchiectasis — chronic dilation of the bronchi or bronchial tubes, which often become infected
- brunswick stew — a stew originally made with squirrel and onions, and now usually with rabbit or chicken and corn, okra, onions, tomatoes, lima beans, etc.
- bubonic plague — Bubonic plague is a serious infectious disease spread by rats. It killed many people during the Middle Ages.
- business class — Business class seating on an aeroplane costs less than first class but more than economy class.
- business cycle — the recurrent fluctuation between boom and depression in the economic activity of a capitalist country
- business lunch — a lunch at which business is discussed or transacted
- cable trunking — Cable trunking is an enclosure usually with a rectangular cross section, and with one removable or hinged side, that is used to protect cables and provide space for other electrical equipment.
- cache conflict — (storage) A sequence of accesses to memory repeatedly overwriting the same cache entry. This can happen if two blocks of data, which are mapped to the same set of cache locations, are needed simultaneously. For example, in the case of a direct mapped cache, if arrays A, B, and C map to the same range of cache locations, thrashing will occur when the following loop is executed: See also ping-pong.
- cadmium bronze — an alloy of copper with about 1 percent cadmium.
- cadmium orange — a yellow color approaching orange.
- cafeteria plan — a fringe-benefit plan under which employees may choose from among various benefits those that best fit their needs, up to a specified dollar value.
- cairngormstone — (mineral, rare) A yellow or smoky brown variety of rock crystal, found especially in the mountains of w Cairngorm in Scotland.
- calamine brass — an alloy of zinc carbonate and copper, formerly used to imitate gold.
- call screening — a facility that plays an announcement and records messages, enabling the person called to decide whether or not to answer the call
- caloric energy — energy measured in calories