15-letter words containing i, s, o, t, a
- spiral notebook — a notebook held together by a coil of wire passed through small holes punched at the back edge of the covers and individual pages
- spirits of salt — a solution of hydrochloric acid in water
- spirochaetaemia — the presence of spirochaetes in the blood
- spit and polish — great care in maintaining smart appearance and crisp efficiency: The commander was concerned more with spit and polish than with the company's morale.
- sporting chance — an even or fair opportunity for a favorable outcome in an enterprise, as winning in a game of chance or in any kind of contest: They gave the less experienced players a sporting chance by handicapping the experts.
- stable equation — a differential equation each solution of which tends to zero as the independent variable increases to infinity. Compare transient (def 6).
- stage direction — an instruction written into the script of a play, indicating stage actions, movements of performers, or production requirements.
- stalactite work — (in Islamic architecture) intricate decorative corbeling in the form of brackets, squinches, and portions of pointed vaults.
- stamford bridge — a village in N England, east of York: site of a battle (1066) in which King Harold of England defeated his brother Tostig and King Harald Hardrada of Norway, three weeks before the Battle of Hastings
- stamping ground — a habitual or favorite haunt.
- stand in awe of — to respect and fear
- standardization — to bring to or make of an established standard size, weight, quality, strength, or the like: to standardize manufactured parts.
- standing orders — Military. (formerly) a general order always in force in a command and establishing uniform procedures for it; standard operating procedure.
- star attraction — the main or most popular attraction, as of a tourist destination, etc
- star connection — a connection used in a polyphase electrical device or system of devices in which the windings each have one end connected to a common junction, the star point, and the other end to a separate terminal
- starfish flower — carrion flower (def 2).
- start something — to cause a disturbance or trouble
- starting blocks — the rigid blocks adjustable at an angle and mounted on a track against which a runner's shoes are placed to aid in starting
- starting pistol — a pistol used to give the signal to start a race
- starvation diet — insufficient food to stay alive
- state education — education provided by the state; education which is not private
- state socialism — the theory, doctrine, and movement advocating a planned economy controlled by the state, with state ownership of all industries and natural resources.
- station officer — a person who is in charge of a fire station
- stationary wave — standing wave.
- statutory crime — a wrong punishable under a statute, rather than at common law.
- steak au poivre — pepper steak (def 2).
- steam reforming — a process in which methane from natural gas is heated, with steam, usually with a catalyst, to produce a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen used in organic synthesis and as a fuel
- stereologically — by way of stereology or in a stereological manner
- stereotypically — in a stereotypical manner
- stigmatophilist — a person who has stigmatophilia
- stop at nothing — to be prepared to do anything; be unscrupulous or ruthless
- storage disease — a metabolic disorder characterized by excessive storage in certain cells of normal metabolic intermediates, as fats, iron, and carbohydrates.
- storm insurance — insurance cover against damage caused by windstorms
- straightforward — going or directed straight ahead: a straightforward gaze.
- strait of canso — a channel in Canada, between the Nova Scotia mainland and S Cape Breton Island
- strait of dover — a strait between SE England and N France, linking the English Channel with the North Sea. Width: about 32 km (20 miles)
- strait of tiran — a strait between the Gulf of Aqaba and the Red Sea. Length: 16 km (10 miles). Width: 8 km (5 miles)
- streamline flow — the flow of a fluid past an object such that the velocity at any fixed point in the fluid is constant or varies in a regular manner.
- strephosymbolia — a condition of perceiving objects as their mirror image and, specifically, having difficulty in distinguishing letters in words
- streptobacillus — any of various bacilli that form in chains.
- stretch a point — a sharp or tapering end, as of a dagger.
- structural iron — iron shaped for use in construction.
- studio audience — spectators on a TV set
- studio portrait — a photograph of a person taken in a studio
- sub-corporation — an association of individuals, created by law or under authority of law, having a continuous existence independent of the existences of its members, and powers and liabilities distinct from those of its members. See also municipal corporation, public corporation.
- subalimentation — hypoalimentation.
- subcivilization — a division of a civilization
- subconjunctival — the mucous membrane that lines the exposed portion of the eyeball and inner surface of the eyelids.
- suboptimization — a situation which is less than optimal
- suborganization — an organization within a larger organization