17-letter words containing l, e, t, s, h
- omphalomesenteric — (anatomy) Of or pertaining to the umbilicus and mesentery.
- on the half shell — served raw, with seasonings, on a half shell
- out at the elbows — the bend or joint of the human arm between upper arm and forearm.
- oystershell scale — a scale insect, Lepidosaphes ulmi, having a scale shaped like the shell of an oyster, which infests various deciduous trees and shrubs.
- paleobiochemistry — the study of biochemical processes that occurred in fossil life forms.
- partially sighted — unable to see properly so that even with corrective aids normal activities are prevented or seriously hindered
- past life therapy — a form of hypnosis or meditation based on the belief that an individual's present problems are rooted in events that occurred before birth in this life
- pastoral theology — the branch of theology dealing with the responsibilities of members of the clergy to the people under their care.
- penalty shoot-out — In football, a penalty shoot-out is a way of deciding the result of a game that has ended in a draw. Players from each team try to score a goal in turn until one player fails to score and their team loses the game.
- perpetual spinach — a variety of spinach that keeps producing edible leaves
- personality clash — friction between two people who have different personalities or points of view
- phenyl isocyanate — a liquid reagent, C 7 H 5 NO, having an unpleasant, irritating odor: used chiefly for identifying alcohols and amines.
- phlebotomus fever — sandfly fever.
- photoluminescence — luminescence induced by the absorption of infrared radiation, visible light, or ultraviolet radiation.
- play with oneself — a dramatic composition or piece; drama.
- plug and feathers — an apparatus for splitting stone, consisting of two tapered bars (feathers) inserted into a hole drilled into the stone, between which a narrow wedge (plug) is hammered to spread them.
- pocket battleship — a small heavily armed and armored warship serving as a battleship because of limitations imposed by treaty.
- polioencephalitis — a disease characterized by inflammation of the gray matter of the brain.
- polystyrene chips — small pieces of polystyrene used for insulating or packing
- positive theology — a theological approach or tradition in which the nature of God is thought to be knowable and is understood through positive statements. See also cataphasis (def 2).
- preferential shop — a shop in which union members are preferred, usually by agreement of an employer with a union.
- pseudo-historical — of, pertaining to, treating, or characteristic of history or past events: historical records; historical research.
- psychoeducational — designating or of psychological methods, as intelligence tests, used in evaluating learning ability
- pull one's weight — the amount or quantity of heaviness or mass; amount a thing weighs.
- push the envelope — a flat paper container, as for a letter or thin package, usually having a gummed flap or other means of closure.
- put on the gloves — to box
- pythagorean scale — the major scale as derived acoustically by Pythagoras from the perfect fifth.
- racial harassment — persecution on the basis of race
- rehospitalization — the act, process, or state of being hospitalized.
- reverse lightning — a faint discharge of blue light from the top of a thunderstorm cloud that propagates upward: extends approximately from the bottom to the top of the stratosphere and is not detectable from the ground.
- rhetorical stress — stress required by the meaning of a line, as distinguished from that required by the meter.
- rhinoceros beetle — any of several scarabaeid beetles, especially of the genus Dynastes, which comprises the largest beetles, characterized by one or more horns on the head and prothorax.
- rhode island bent — a European pasture grass, Agrostis tenuis, naturalized in North America, having red flower clusters.
- salt of the earth — an individual or group considered as representative of the best or noblest elements of society.
- save shoe leather — to avoid wearing out shoes, as by taking a bus rather than walking
- saved by the bell — a hollow instrument of cast metal, typically cup-shaped with a flaring mouth, suspended from the vertex and rung by the strokes of a clapper, hammer, or the like.
- say the unsayable — to express an opinion thought to be too controversial to mention
- scarlet firethorn — a Eurasian evergreen, thorny shrub, Pyracantha coccinea, of the rose family, having white, hairy flower clusters and bright red berries.
- scarlet lightning — scarlet lychnis.
- schmidt telescope — a wide-angle reflecting telescope used primarily for astronomical photography, in which spherical aberration and coma are reduced to a minimum by means of a spherical mirror with a corrector plate near its focus.
- school attendance — a measure of the number of children who attend school and the amount of time they are present
- scrape the barrel — to be forced to use one's last and weakest resource
- self-annihilation — self-destruction; suicide.
- settlement houses — the act or state of settling or the state of being settled.
- sexual harassment — unwelcome sexual advances made by an employer or superior, especially when compliance is made a condition of continued employment or advancement.
- sheltered housing — accommodation designed esp for the elderly or infirm consisting of a group of individual premises, often with some shared facilities and a caretaker
- shetland pullover — a thick woollen sweater made from Shetland wool
- shetland sheepdog — one of a breed of small sheepdogs resembling a miniature collie, raised originally in the Shetland Islands.
- shipping articles — articles of agreement.
- shit on a shingle — creamed chipped beef or ground beef in a sauce, served on toast.