16-letter words containing l, a, c, t, o, s
- occasional table — a small table with no regular use
- optical illusion — something that deceives by producing a false or misleading impression of reality.
- optical scanning — the process of interpreting data in printed, handwritten, bar-code, or other visual form by a device (optical scanner or reader) that scans and identifies the data.
- optical tweezers — a laser device used to study, manipulate, or trap a microscopic object, as a microorganism or cell, with nanometer precision.
- osculating plane — the plane containing the circle of curvature of a point on a given curve.
- osteoarchaeology — the branch of archaeology that deals with the study of bones found at archaeological sites
- over-speculation — the contemplation or consideration of some subject: to engage in speculation on humanity's ultimate destiny.
- paratuberculosis — Johne's disease.
- pascal's theorem — the theorem that the lines joining adjacent vertices of a hexagon intersect the same straight line if alternate vertices lie on two intersecting straight lines.
- passport control — identity check at airport, etc.
- pectoralis major — the larger of the two large chest muscles that assist in movements of the shoulder and upper arm
- pectoralis minor — the smaller of the two large chest muscles that assist in movements of the shoulder and upper arm
- pentatonic scale — a scale having five tones to an octave, as one having intervals that correspond to the five black keys of a piano octave.
- people's charter — the principles or movement of a party of political reformers, chiefly workingmen, in England from 1838 to 1848: so called from the document (People's Charter or National Charter) that contained a statement of their principles and demands.
- personal effects — belongings
- personality cult — deliberately cultivated adulation of a person, esp a political leader
- phantasmagorical — having a fantastic or deceptive appearance, as something in a dream or created by the imagination.
- philanthropistic — a person who practices philanthropy.
- plainclothes man — a detective or police officer who wears civilian clothes while on duty
- play-action pass — a pass play designed to deceive the defense by appearing to be a running play, in which the quarterback fakes a hand-off to a back before throwing a forward pass.
- pocket billiards — pool2 (def 1).
- police constable — police officer
- policy statement — a declaration of the plans and intentions of an organization or government
- political asylum — asylum provided by one nation to refugees, especially political refugees, from another nation.
- political system — a coordinated set of principles, laws, ideas, and procedures relating to a particular form of government, or the form of government itself: Democracy is a political system in which citizens govern themselves.
- polycondensation — formation of a polymer by chemical condensation with the elimination of a small molecule, such as water.
- post-apocalyptic — of or like an apocalypse; affording a revelation or prophecy.
- postencephalitic — inflammation of the substance of the brain.
- practical reason — (in Kantian ethics) reason applied to the problem of action and choice, especially in ethical matters.
- pre-solicitation — the act of soliciting.
- prismatic colors — the colors of the visible spectrum produced by passing white light through a prism; red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet
- processing plant — a factory where raw materials are treated or prepared by a special method, esp one where food is treated in order to preserve it
- pseudo-political — of, relating to, or concerned with politics: political writers.
- pseudo-realistic — interested in, concerned with, or based on what is real or practical: a realistic estimate of costs; a realistic planner.
- pseudocopulation — pollination of plants, esp orchids, by male insects while attempting to mate with flowers that resemble the female insect
- pseudohistorical — of, pertaining to, treating, or characteristic of history or past events: historical records; historical research.
- psychoanalytical — a systematic structure of theories concerning the relation of conscious and unconscious psychological processes.
- ptolemaic system — a system elaborated by Ptolemy and subsequently modified by others, according to which the earth was the fixed center of the universe, with the heavenly bodies moving about it.
- public relations — (used with a plural verb) the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc.
- public transport — fare-paying travel
- punctuationalism — punctuated equilibrium.
- quasi-diplomatic — of, relating to, or engaged in diplomacy: diplomatic officials.
- quasi-historical — of, pertaining to, treating, or characteristic of history or past events: historical records; historical research.
- radiosymmetrical — radially symmetrical.
- rattle so's cage — If someone rattles your cage, they do something which is intended to make you feel nervous.
- reclassification — categorization in a different way
- recreational sex — sex for the purpose of pleasure rather than reproduction, without the commitment of a relationship
- releasing factor — a substance usually of hypothalamic origin that triggers the release of a particular hormone from an endocrine gland.
- relocation costs — payment made by an employer or a government agency to cover removal expenses and other costs incurred by an employee who is required to take up employment elsewhere
- replacement cost — fee to obtain new version of sth