15-letter words containing l, e, t, u, p
- paurometabolous — designating or of a group of insect orders, as orthopterans or hemipterans, in which metamorphosis to the adult state from the juvenile state is gradual and without any sudden, radical change of body form
- pearly nautilus — nautilus (def 1).
- pectoral muscle — muscle of the chest
- pedunculate oak — a large deciduous oak tree, Quercus robur, of Eurasia, having lobed leaves and stalked acorns
- penal servitude — imprisonment together with hard labor.
- pendulum effect — Also called pendulum law. Physics. a law, discovered by Galileo in 1602, that describes the regular, swinging motion of a pendulum by the action of gravity and acquired momentum.
- penshurst place — a 14th-century mansion near Tunbridge Wells in Kent: birthplace of Sir Philip Sidney; gardens laid out from 1560
- percussion tool — a power driven tool which operates by striking rapid blows: the power may be electricity or compressed air
- perpetual check — a continuing series of checks resulting in a drawn game because they cannot be halted or evaded without resulting in checkmate or a serious disadvantage.
- perseus cluster — a cluster of about 500 galaxies in the direction of the constellation Perseus, grouped around a particular Seyfert galaxy that is an intense radio source (Perseus A)
- petroleum ether — a volatile mixture of the higher alkane hydrocarbons, obtained as a fraction of petroleum and used as a solvent
- petroleum jelly — sticky substance used as lubricant
- pheasant coucal — a brown and black, red-eyed Australian bird, Centropus phasianinus, with a pheasantlike tail.
- phenylketonuria — an inherited disease due to faulty metabolism of phenylalanine, characterized by phenylketones in the urine and usually first noted by signs of mental retardation in infancy.
- phenylketonuric — an inherited disease due to faulty metabolism of phenylalanine, characterized by phenylketones in the urine and usually first noted by signs of mental retardation in infancy.
- photomultiplier — an extremely sensitive detector of light and of other radiation, consisting of a tube in which the electrons released by radiation striking a photocathode are accelerated, greatly amplifying the signal obtainable from small quantities of radiation.
- picture element — (graphics) (pixel) The smallest resolvable rectangular area of an image, either on a screen or stored in memory. Each pixel in a monochrome image has its own brightness, from 0 for black to the maximum value (e.g. 255 for an eight-bit pixel) for white. In a colour image, each pixel has its own brightness and colour, usually represented as a triple of red, green and blue intensities (see RGB). Compare voxel.
- picture gallery — place where art is exhibited and sold
- picture library — A picture library is a collection of photographs that is held by a particular company or organization. Newspapers or publishers can pay to use the photographs in their publications.
- pierrot lunaire — a cycle of 21 songs (1912) for voice and instruments, by Arnold Schönberg, written in Sprechgesang style and set to poems of Albert Giraud in German translation.
- plantaginaceous — relating to or belonging to the family Plantaginaceae
- planter's punch — a punch made with rum, lime juice, sugar, and water or soda.
- plastic surgeon — doctor who performs cosmetic surgery
- plastic surgery — the branch of surgery dealing with the repair or replacement of malformed, injured, or lost organs or tissues of the body, chiefly by the transplant of living tissues.
- platinum blonde — a person, especially a girl or woman, whose hair is of a pale blond or silver color, usually colored artificially by bleaching or dyeing.
- play favourites — to display favouritism
- plug compatible — of or relating to computers or peripheral devices that are functionally equivalent to, and may be substituted for, other models.
- plug-compatible — of or relating to computers or peripheral devices that are functionally equivalent to, and may be substituted for, other models.
- plunket society — the Royal New Zealand Society for the Health of Women and Children
- pneumatic drill — a percussive power drill powered by compressed air
- poke mullock at — to ridicule
- polyisobutylene — a polymer of isobutylene, used chiefly in the manufacture of synthetic rubber.
- polyphemus moth — a large, yellowish-brown American silkworm moth, Antheraea polyphemus, having a prominent eyespot on each hind wing and feeding on cherry, apple, and other trees.
- polyunsaturated — of or noting a class of animal or vegetable fats, especially plant oils, whose molecules consist of carbon chains with many double bonds unsaturated by hydrogen atoms and that are associated with a low cholesterol content of the blood.
- popeye catalufa — See under catalufa.
- popular culture — cultural activities or commercial products reflecting, suited to, or aimed at the tastes of the general masses of people.
- portugal laurel — Prunus lusitanica; type of cherry
- positive column — the luminous region between the Faraday dark space and the anode glow in a vacuum tube, occurring when the pressure is low.
- post-revolution — an overthrow or repudiation and the thorough replacement of an established government or political system by the people governed.
- postdevaluation — the period following the devaluation of a currency
- practical nurse — a person who has not graduated from an accredited school of nursing but whose vocation is caring for the sick.
- pre-contractual — a preexisting contract that legally prevents a person from making another contract of the same nature.
- preagricultural — existing or occurring prior to the introduction of agriculture; of or relating to a society existing at this time
- preequalization — preemphasis.
- prelate nullius — a prelate having independent jurisdiction over a district not under a diocesan bishop.
- preternaturally — out of the ordinary course of nature; exceptional or abnormal: preternatural powers.
- production line — an arrangement of machines or sequence of operations involved with a single manufacturing operation or production process. Compare assembly line, line1 (def 29).
- pseudo-critical — inclined to find fault or to judge with severity, often too readily.
- pseudo-military — of, for, or pertaining to the army or armed forces, often as distinguished from the navy: from civilian to military life.
- pseudo-national — of, relating to, or maintained by a nation as an organized whole or independent political unit: national affairs.