12-letter words containing m, a, o, s
- plastic bomb — a bomb made of plastic explosive.
- plastic foam — expanded plastic.
- pleiochasium — a flowering system in which several buds come out at the same time
- plumbaginous — containing graphite.
- plumulaceous — having the texture of down.
- pneumatocyst — the cavity of a pneumatophore.
- poison sumac — a shrub or small tree, Rhus vernix (or Toxicodendron vernix), of swampy areas of the eastern U.S., having pinnate leaves and causing severe dermatitis when touched by persons sensitive to it.
- pole compass — (formerly) a ship's compass elevated on a wooden pole to isolate it as much as possible from local magnetism.
- policymakers — a person responsible for making policy, especially in government.
- pollyannaism — an excessively or blindly optimistic person.
- polygamistic — a person who practices or favors polygamy.
- polyomavirus — any of a genus (Polyomavirus) of papovaviruses that naturally infect wild and laboratory mice, and that cause tumors when injected into newborn mice
- pomona glass — an American art glass having one of its surfaces stained a pale amber color and the other surface etched.
- porismatical — porismatic
- post-primary — first or highest in rank or importance; chief; principal: his primary goals in life.
- postal meter — a postal franking machine
- postimperial — of, relating to, or designating the period after an empire
- postliminary — of or relating to postliminy
- postmedieval — occurring or existing after the Middle Ages, of or related to the period after the Middle Ages
- postmeridian — of or relating to the afternoon.
- postorgasmic — of or relating to the period after an orgasm
- postromantic — of or relating to the period after Romanticism
- postvagotomy — of or occurring in the period after a vagotomy
- potamologist — a specialist in potamology
- power-stream — to stream and watch (multiple videos, episodes of a TV show, etc.) in one sitting or over a short period of time.
- praseodymium — a rare-earth, metallic, trivalent element, named from its green salts. Symbol: Pr; atomic weight: 140.91; atomic number: 59; specific gravity: 6.77 at 20°C.
- preadmission — (in a reciprocating engine) admission of steam or the like to the head of the cylinder near the end of the stroke, as to cushion the force of the stroke or to allow full pressure at the beginning of the return stroke.
- primulaceous — belonging to the plant family Primulaceae.
- problematics — problems or difficulties in a particular situation or subject
- progymnasium — (in Europe) a school that prepares pupils for secondary education (the gymnasium)
- promuscidate — shaped like a proboscis
- propagandism — the art, system, or use of propaganda
- proper psalm — a psalm used only on a particular day or feast
- protoplasmic — Biology. (no longer in technical use) the colloidal and liquid substance of which cells are formed, excluding horny, chitinous, and other structural material; the cytoplasm and nucleus.
- psammophytic — relating to psammophytes
- pseudamphora — a Mycenaean vase having a spherical body, a spout on the shoulder, and a handle, curving across the top, supported by a solid conical neck.
- pseudoanemia — Pathology. a quantitative deficiency of the hemoglobin, often accompanied by a reduced number of red blood cells and causing pallor, weakness, and breathlessness.
- pseudomartyr — someone falsely or inaccurately called a martyr
- pseudorandom — noting or pertaining to random numbers generated by a definite computational process to satisfy a statistical test.
- psychomachia — conflict of the soul
- put to shame — the painful feeling arising from the consciousness of something dishonorable, improper, ridiculous, etc., done by oneself or another: She was overcome with shame.
- quadrumanous — four-handed; having all four feet adapted for use as hands, as monkeys.
- quasi-famous — having a widespread reputation, usually of a favorable nature; renowned; celebrated: a famous writer. Synonyms: famed, notable, illustrious. Antonyms: unknown, obscure.
- quasi-normal — conforming to the standard or the common type; usual; not abnormal; regular; natural.
- quota system — a system, originally determined by legislation in 1921, of limiting by nationality the number of immigrants who may enter the U.S. each year.
- rachiotomies — Plural form of rachiotomy.
- ragman rolls — Usually, ragman rolls. a series of documents in which the Scottish nobles acknowledged their allegiance to Edward I of England, 1291–92 and 1296.
- ram sth home — If something rams home a message or a point, it makes it clear in a way that is very forceful and that people are likely to listen to.
- rambunctious — difficult to control or handle; wildly boisterous: a rambunctious child.
- ramentaceous — resembling or covered with ramenta.