17-letter words containing l, o, a, r
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- operation sealion — the codename for Hitler's proposed invasion (1940) of Great Britain
- opportunistically — adhering to a policy of opportunism; practicing opportunism.
- optical astronomy — the branch of observational astronomy using telescopes to observe or photograph celestial objects in visible light.
- optical carrier 3 — (networking) (OC-3) A SONET rate of 3 * 51.84 = 155.52 megabits per second, which matches STS-3.
- optical carrier n — (networking) (OC-n) A SONET rate of n times 51.84 megabits per second.
- optical isomerism — stereoisomerism in which the isomers are identical in molecular weight and most chemical and physical properties but differ in their effect on the rotation of polarized light.
- orange flower oil — neroli oil.
- oregon crab apple — a shrub or small tree, Malus fusca, of the rose family, of the northwestern coast of North America, having hairy leaves, white flowers, and yellow or green oblong fruit.
- organized militia — a former military organization functioning under both state and federal authority.
- orthogonal matrix — a matrix that is the inverse of its transpose so that any two rows or any two columns are orthogonal vectors
- orthogonalization — (mathematics) The process of converting a set of functions or vectors into orthogonal ones.
- osculating circle — circle of curvature.
- otolaryngological — Pertaining to otolaryngology.
- otolaryngologists — Plural form of otolaryngologist.
- out of all reason — unreasonable
- outline agreement — a contract, etc, setting out the preliminary terms or guidelines for an agreement; a preliminary agreement
- overhead lighting — lighting which throws light downwards by being situated on the ceiling or having a downward shade, etc
- overreach oneself — to fail because of trying to do more than one can
- oystershell scale — a scale insect, Lepidosaphes ulmi, having a scale shaped like the shell of an oyster, which infests various deciduous trees and shrubs.
- pair annihilation — Physics. annihilation (def 3a).
- palace revolution — a challenge to or overthrow of a sovereign or other leader by members of the ruling family or group.
- palaeoarchaeology — the branch of archaeology concerned with the earliest fossil remains
- paleoanthropology — the study of the origins and predecessors of the present human species, using fossils and other remains.
- paleobiochemistry — the study of biochemical processes that occurred in fossil life forms.
- paleobiogeography — the study of the distribution of ancient plants and animals and their relation to ancient geographic features.
- paleoconservative — a person advocating an older, traditional type of conservatism, especially in politics.
- palette of narmer — a king of Egypt identified by modern scholars as the Menes of tradition and depicted as the unifier of Upper and Lower Egypt on an ancient slate tablet (Narmer Palette or Palette of Narmer) c3200 b.c. with relief carvings on both sides.
- paradoxical sleep — REM sleep.
- parallel computer — parallel processor
- parallelogram law — Mathematics, Physics. a rule for adding two vectors, as forces (parallelogram of forces) by placing the point of application of one at the point of origin of the other and obtaining their sum by constructing the line connecting the two remaining end points, the sum being the diagonal of the parallelogram whose adjacent sides are the two vectors.
- parathyroid gland — any of several small oval glands usually lying near or embedded in the thyroid gland.
- parker house roll — a soft dinner roll made by folding a flat disk of dough in half.
- particle velocity — the velocity of a point in a medium that is undergoing wave motion.
- particularization — to make particular.
- parts per million — the number of units (of a substance) present in a million units of another substance
- pastoral symphony — the Symphony No. 6 in F major (1807–08) by Ludwig van Beethoven.
- pastoral theology — the branch of theology dealing with the responsibilities of members of the clergy to the people under their care.
- pathological liar — a person who tells lies frequently, with no rational motive for doing so.
- patriarchal cross — a Latin cross having a shorter crosspiece above the customary one.
- peacock butterfly — a European nymphalid butterfly, Inachis io, having reddish-brown wings each marked with a purple eyespot
- peer of the realm — any of a class of peers in Great Britain and Ireland entitled by heredity to sit in the House of Lords.
- peloponnesian war — a war between Athens and Sparta, 431–404 b.c., that resulted in the transfer of hegemony in Greece from Athens to Sparta.
- pentachlorophenol — a white, crystalline, water-insoluble powder, C 6 Cl 5 OH, used chiefly in fungicides, disinfectants, and wood preservatives.
- pentylenetetrazol — a white, crystalline, bitter-tasting, water-soluble powder, C 6 H 1 0 N 4 , used as a respiratory and circulatory stimulant, especially in the treatment of barbiturate poisoning, and to induce a convulsive state in the treatment of certain mental diseases.
- periodical cicada — seventeen-year locust.
- peripheral vision — all that is visible to the eye outside the central area of focus; side vision.
- personal computer — a compact computer that uses a microprocessor and is designed for individual use, as by a person in an office or at home or school, for such applications as word processing, data management, financial analysis, or computer games. Abbreviation: PC.
- personal distance — personal space.
- personal equation — the tendency to personal bias that accounts for variation in interpretation or approach and for which allowance must be made.