17-letter words containing m, a
- alternate plumage — (of birds having more than one plumage in their cycle of molts) the plumage of the second molt, usually brighter than the basic plumage.
- alternative music — independent pop music
- aluminum chloride — a yellow-white, crystalline, water-soluble solid that in its white hydrated form, AlCl 3 ⋅6H 2 O, is used chiefly as a wood preservative and in its yellow-white anhydrous form, AlCl 3 , chiefly as a catalyst.
- aluminum silicate — any of a group of naturally occurring, water-insoluble substances, obtained from clay or synthesized, containing varying amounts of oxides of aluminum and silicon, Al 2 O 3 and Si 2 O 3 , and used in the manufacture of glass, ceramics, paints, printing inks, rubber, and plastics.
- amateur dramatics — theatrical performances by amateur players
- ambivalent sexism — a theory that sexism toward women is multidimensional, one form (hostile sexism) reflecting negative views of women who challenge traditional gender roles, and the other form (benevolent sexism) reflecting positive views of women who conform to these roles.
- ambrette-seed oil — a yellow oil expressed from ambrette seeds, used as a fixative in the manufacture of perfume.
- ambulance service — the public organization that operates ambulances in a country
- american chestnut — any of the several deciduous trees constituting the genus Castanea, of the beech family, having toothed, oblong leaves and bearing edible nuts enclosed in a prickly bur, and including C. dentata (American chestnut) which has been virtually destroyed by the chestnut blight, C. sativa (European chestnut) C. mollissima (Chinese chestnut) and C. crenata (Japanese chestnut)
- american dialects — regional or social varieties of spoken American English identified by differences in grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation: principal dialect areas are now generally distinguished as Northern, Midland, and Southern
- american dog tick — a common tick, Dermacentor variabilis, that is the vector of Rocky Mountain spotted fever in the eastern U.S. and also carries tularemia.
- american flagfish — flagfish (def 1).
- american football — American football is a game similar to rugby that is played by two teams of eleven players using an oval-shaped ball. Players try to score points by carrying the ball to their opponents' end of the field, or by kicking it over a bar fixed between two posts.
- american foxhound — one of an American breed of medium-sized dogs having a smooth, glossy coat usually black, tan, and white in color, a square-cut muzzle, hanging ears, and a moderately high-set tail, used for hunting both in packs or individually, tailing the game by scent.
- american highland — a region in Antarctica, W of Enderby Land and E of Wilkes Land: discovered 1939.
- american hornbeam — any North American shrub or tree belonging to the genus Carpinus, of the birch family, yielding a hard, heavy wood, as C. caroliniana (American hornbeam)
- american mulberry — See under mulberry (def 2).
- american redstart — any of several small, Old World thrushes, usually with reddish-brown tails, especially Phoenicurus phoenicurus (European redstart)
- american wirehair — a breed of medium-large cat with a coarse wiry coat
- american woodbine — a North American plant, related to the honeysuckle, Lonicera caprifolium
- american wormseed — a plant with seeds used in medicine to treat worm infestation, Chenopodium ambrosioides
- american-flagfish — flagfish (def 1).
- amino-acid dating — a method used to date an organic geological or archaeological specimen, as a fossil or mummified body, by determining how much change has occurred in the amino-acid structure of that specimen.
- aminobenzoic acid — a derivative of benzoic acid existing in three isomeric forms, the para- form being used in the manufacture of dyes and sunburn preventatives. Formula: NH2C6H4COOH
- aminoglutethimide — a hormone antagonist, C 13 H 16 N 2 O 2 , used in the treatment of Cushing's syndrome and breast cancer.
- ammonium chloride — a white soluble crystalline solid used chiefly as an electrolyte in dry batteries and as a mordant and soldering flux. Formula: NH4Cl
- ammonium selenate — a colorless, crystalline, water-soluble solid, (NH 4) 2 SeO 4 , used as a mothproofing agent.
- ammonium stearate — a tan, waxlike, water-insoluble solid, C 18 H 39 NO 2 , used chiefly in the manufacture of cosmetics.
- ammonium sulphate — a white soluble crystalline solid used mainly as a fertilizer and in water purification. Formula: (NH4)2SO4
- amoebic dysentery — inflammation of the intestines caused by the parasitic amoeba Endamoeba histolytica
- amor vincit omnia — love conquers everything
- amphidromic point — a point of almost zero tidal fluctuation on the ocean surface, represented on a chart of cotidal lines by a point from which these lines radiate.
- amphitheatrically — In a manner such as to appear to have some characteristics of an amphitheatre.
- anagrammatization — Transformation of a word, etc. into its anagram.
- analogue computer — (computer, hardware) A machine or electronic circuit designed to work on numerical data represented by some physical quantity (e.g. rotation or displacement) or electrical quantity (e.g. voltage or charge) which varies continuously, in contrast to digital signals which are either 0 or 1. For example, the turning of a wheel or changes in voltage can be used as input. Analogue computers are said to operate in real time and are used for research in design where many different shapes and speeds can be tried out quickly. A computer model of a car suspension allows the designer to see the effects of changing size, stiffness and damping.
- analytic geometry — the branch of geometry in which a coordinate graphing system makes visible, using points, lines, and curves, the numerical relationships of algebraic equations
- analytical cubism — the early phase of cubism, chiefly characterized by a pronounced use of geometric shapes and by a tendency toward a monochromatic use of color.
- anchor escapement — an escapement in which wedge-shaped pallets engage with an escape wheel having pointed teeth, usually facing in the direction of revolution, so that the escape wheel recoils slightly at every release.
- andes (mountains) — mountain system extending the length of W South America: highest peak, Aconcagua
- andrew fluegelman — (person) A successful attorney, editor of PC World Magazine, and author of the MS-DOS communications program PC-TALK III, written in 1982. He once owned the trademark "freeware" but it wasn't enforced after his disappearance. In 1985, Fluegelman was diagnosed with cancer. He was last seen a week later, on 1985-07-06, when he left his Marin County home to go to his office in Tiburon. He called his wife later that day and has not been heard from since. His car was found at Vista Point on the north end of the Golden Gate Bridge.
- aneroid barometer — a device for measuring atmospheric pressure without the use of fluids. It consists of a partially evacuated metal chamber, the thin corrugated lid of which is displaced by variations in the external air pressure. This displacement is magnified by levers and made to operate a pointer
- anglo-catholicism — the tradition or form of worship in the Anglican Church that emphasizes Catholicity, the apostolic succession, and the continuity of all churches within the communion with pre-Reformation Christianity as well as the importance of liturgy and ritual.
- angra do heroismo — a port in the Azores, on Terceira Island. Pop: 35 581 (2001)
- animal experiment — an experiment involving non-human animals
- anomalistic month — the interval between two successive passages of the moon through perigee; 27.55455 days
- answering machine — An answering machine is the same as an answerphone.
- anthropomorphises — Third-person singular simple present indicative form of anthropomorphise.
- anthropomorphized — Simple past tense and past participle of anthropomorphize.
- anthropomorphosis — transformation into human form
- anthroposemiotics — The study of human communication.