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22-letter words containing i, c, f, t

  • non-constructive proof — (logic)   (Or "existence proof") A proof that something exists that does not provide an example of that thing or a method for finding an example. (A constructive proof does provide such an example or method). For example, for any pair of finite real numbers n < 0 and p > 0 there exists a real number 0 < k < 1 such that f(k) = (1-k)*n + k*p = 0. A non-constructive proof might proceed by observing that as k changes continuously from 0 to 1, f(k) changes continuously from n to p and, since they lie either side of zero, f(k) must pass through zero for some intermediate value of k. This proof does not tell us what that value of k is, only that it exists.
  • nonspecific urethritis — nongonococcal urethritis.
  • nonspecular reflection — the diffuse reflection of sound or light waves
  • obstruction of justice — a criminal offence that involves attempting to obstruct the process of law
  • office of fair trading — a government department established in the UK in 1973, which acts as an economic regulator, responsible for ensuring fairness in consumer protection and competition law
  • open source definition — (standard)   (OSD) Definition of distribution terms for open source software, promoted by the Open Source Initiative.
  • other side of the coin — a piece of metal stamped and issued by the authority of a government for use as money.
  • out-of-body experience — a vivid feeling of being detached from one's body, usually involving observing it and its environment from nearby
  • outline specifications — preliminary specifications or plans on which later plans are based
  • particular affirmative — a proposition of the form “Some S is P.” Symbol: I.
  • partnerships for peace — a subsidiary organization of NATO, comprising former Warsaw Pact countries that wish to be allied with NATO but have not been granted full NATO membership: established in 1994
  • picture of dorian gray — a novel (1891) by Oscar Wilde.
  • portuguese east africa — former name of Mozambique (def 1).
  • portuguese west africa — a republic in SW Africa: formerly an overseas province of Portugal; gained independence Nov. 11, 1975. 481,226 sq. mi. (1,246,375 sq. km). Capital: Luanda.
  • positive reinforcement — encouragement
  • post office department — former name of United States Postal Service.
  • potassium ferricyanide — a bright-red, crystalline, water-soluble, poisonous solid, K 3 Fe(CN) 6 , used chiefly in the manufacture of pigments, as Prussian blue, and of paper, especially blueprint paper.
  • potassium ferrocyanide — a lemon-yellow, crystalline, water-soluble solid, K 4 Fe(CN) 6 ⋅3H 2 O, used chiefly in casehardening alloys having an iron base and in dyeing wool and silk.
  • practice makes perfect — If you say 'practice makes perfect', you mean that it is possible to learn something or develop a skill if you practise enough. People often say this to encourage someone to keep practising.
  • primary rate interface — (PRI) A type of ISDN connection. In North America and Japan, this consists of 24 channels, usually divided into 23 B channels and 1 D channel, and runs over the same physical interface as T1. Elsewhere the PRI has 31 user channels, usually divided into 30 B channels and 1 D channel and is based on the E1 interface. PRI is typically used for connections such as one between a PBX (private branch exchange, a telephone exchange operated by the customer of a telephone company) and a CO (central office, of the telephone company) or IXC (inter exchange carrier, a long distance telephone company).
  • propositional function — sentential function.
  • public domain software — public domain
  • radio direction finder — a navigational aid establishing a fix by means of the bearings of two known radio stations. Abbreviation: RDF.
  • range of accommodation — the range of distance over which an object can be accurately focused on the retina by accommodation of the eye.
  • rapid deployment force — a U.S. military organization consisting of one Marine division and four Army divisions, established in 1979 to respond quickly to any distant threat to national interests.
  • rejoice in the name of — If you say that a person or thing rejoices in the name of something, you mean that they have a silly or amusing name.
  • reproduction furniture — furniture that is made in an imitation or copy of a past style
  • run interference (for) — to accompany (the ball carrier) in order to block opposing players
  • safety-critical system — A computer, electronic or electromechanical system whose failure may cause injury or death to human beings. E.g. an aircraft or nuclear power station control system. Common tools used in the design of safety-critical systems are redundancy and formal methods. See also aeroplane rule.
  • sales force automation — (business)   (Sales Automation, SFA, SFFA, Sales & Field Force Automation) Software to support sales reps. The software gives sales representitives access to contacts, appointments and e-mail. It is likely to be integrated with Customer Relationship Management systems and Opportunity Management Systems.
  • santa cruz de tenerife — a seaport on NE Tenerife island, in the W Canary Islands.
  • save the children fund — a development agency which raises money for deprived children around the world
  • sb can whistle for sth — If you say that someone can whistle for a particular thing, you mean that you are not willing or able to give it to them.
  • scientific creationism — the belief that the account of creation in the early chapters of Genesis is scientifically as well as religiously valid and that it can be supported by scientific evidence apart from scriptural authority.
  • search the fucking web — (web, jargon)   (Always abbreviated STFW) A response implying that an inquirer could have easily found an answer to his question using Google or some other web search engine. It is now often quicker and more productive to search the World-Wide Web than to RTFM.
  • second consonant shift — the consonant shift by which High German became differentiated from other Germanic languages.
  • service set identifier — (networking)   (SSID) A 32-character unique identifier that distinguishes one wireless network from another. All devices attempting to connect to a specific network use the same SSID, which appears in the header of packets. Because an SSID can be intercepted, it does not supply any security to the network.
  • set one's face against — impudence; boldness: to have the face to ask such a rude question.
  • short end of the stick — a branch or shoot of a tree or shrub that has been cut or broken off.
  • social differentiation — the distinction made between social groups and persons on the basis of biological, physiological, and sociocultural factors, as sex, age, or ethnicity, resulting in the assignment of roles and status within a society.
  • south african republic — former name of Transvaal.
  • specific heat capacity — the heat required to raise unit mass of a substance by unit temperature interval under specified conditions, such as constant pressure: usually measured in joules per kelvin per kilogram
  • speckle interferometry — a photographic technique for clarifying the telescopic images of a star by taking short exposures of the electronic images of the star's speckle pattern and extrapolating properties of the starlight to create a more accurate composite image.
  • stereospecific polymer — an organic polymer in which the steric arrangements of groups on asymmetric carbon atoms occur in a regular sequence
  • strait of juan de fuca — a strait between Vancouver Island (Canada) and NW Washington (US). Length: about 129 km (80 miles). Width: about 24 km (15 miles)
  • stratford de redcliffe — 1st Viscount (Stratford Canning) 1786–1880, English diplomat.
  • struggle for existence — the competition in nature among organisms of a population to maintain themselves in a given environment and to survive to reproduce others of their kind.
  • suffice it to say that — let us say no more than that; I shall just say that
  • surface effect vehicle — ACV (def 2).
  • sweet william catchfly — a southern European plant, Silene armeria, of the pink family, having a flat-topped cluster of pink flowers.
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