16-letter words containing m, o, s, a, i, c
- nuclear emulsion — a photographic emulsion in the form of a thick block, used to record the tracks of elementary particles.
- ohmic resistance — resistance (def 3a).
- orthosympathetic — Of or pertaining to the sympathetic component of the autonomic nervous system.
- overcompensating — Present participle of overcompensate.
- overcompensation — a pronounced striving to neutralize and conceal a strong but unacceptable character trait by substituting for it an opposite trait.
- panoramic screen — a very wide screen, as of a television, etc
- pascal's limacon — limaçon.
- pectoralis major — the larger of the two large chest muscles that assist in movements of the shoulder and upper arm
- pectoralis minor — the smaller of the two large chest muscles that assist in movements of the shoulder and upper arm
- phantasmagorical — having a fantastic or deceptive appearance, as something in a dream or created by the imagination.
- pharmacodynamics — the branch of pharmacology dealing with the course of action, effect, and breakdown of drugs within the body.
- pharmacogenetics — the branch of pharmacology that examines the relation of genetic factors to variations in response to drugs.
- pharmacogenomics — the study of human genetic variability in relation to drug action and its application to medical treatment
- pharmacokinetics — the branch of pharmacology that studies the fate of pharmacological substances in the body, as their absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination.
- phase microscope — a microscope that utilizes the phase differences of light rays transmitted by different portions of an object to create an image in which the details of the object are distinct despite their near-uniformity of refractive index.
- physiognomically — the face or countenance, especially when considered as an index to the character: a fierce physiognomy.
- pico de sao tome — an island in the Gulf of Guinea, off the W coast of Gabon, just N of the equator: the larger component of the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe. 318 sq. mi. (824 sq. km).
- plainclothes man — a detective or police officer who wears civilian clothes while on duty
- pocono mountains — ridge of the Appalachians, in E Pa.: resort area: c. 2,000 ft (610 m) high
- policy statement — a declaration of the plans and intentions of an organization or government
- political asylum — asylum provided by one nation to refugees, especially political refugees, from another nation.
- political system — a coordinated set of principles, laws, ideas, and procedures relating to a particular form of government, or the form of government itself: Democracy is a political system in which citizens govern themselves.
- post-romanticism — romantic spirit or tendency.
- price comparison — Price comparison is comparing the price of the same product in different outlets.
- primary consumer — (in the food chain) an animal that feeds on plants; a herbivore.
- prismatic colors — the colors of the visible spectrum produced by passing white light through a prism; red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet
- proxime accessit — the person coming next after the winner in a competitive examination or an academic prize giving; runner-up
- ptolemaic system — a system elaborated by Ptolemy and subsequently modified by others, according to which the earth was the fixed center of the universe, with the heavenly bodies moving about it.
- punctuationalism — punctuated equilibrium.
- quasi-commercial — of, relating to, or characteristic of commerce.
- quasi-compulsory — required; mandatory; obligatory: compulsory education.
- quasi-democratic — pertaining to or of the nature of democracy or a democracy.
- quasi-diplomatic — of, relating to, or engaged in diplomacy: diplomatic officials.
- queen's champion — a hereditary official at British coronations, representing the king (King's Champion) or the queen (Queen's Champion) who is being crowned, and having originally the function of challenging to mortal combat any person disputing the right of the new sovereign to rule.
- radiosymmetrical — radially symmetrical.
- rambunctiousness — difficult to control or handle; wildly boisterous: a rambunctious child.
- rectus abdominis — a long flat muscle that extends along the whole length of both sides of the abdomen. It flexes the vertebral column, particularly the lumbar portion; it also tenses the anterior abdominal wall and assists in compressing the abdominal contents
- royal commission — (in Britain) a body set up by the monarch on the recommendation of the prime minister to gather information about the operation of existing laws or to investigate any social, educational, or other matter. The commission has prescribed terms of reference and reports to the government on how any change might be achieved
- sado-masochistic — Something that is sado-masochistic is connected with the practice of sado-masochism.
- sales commission — Sales commission is the percentage of the value of a sale that a sales associate or sales representative may earn.
- saxo grammaticus — c1150–1206? Danish historian and poet.
- sedimentary rock — rock formed from compacted minerals
- self-containment — the state of being self-contained.
- self-proclaiming — to announce or declare in an official or formal manner: to proclaim war.
- semiconservative — disposed to preserve existing conditions, institutions, etc., or to restore traditional ones, and to limit change.
- semidomesticated — living in a state of partial domestication.
- senate committee — a committee formed from the upper chamber of the legislature in, for example, the US, Canada, Australia, etc
- session musician — a studio musician, esp one who works freelance
- severance motion — an application made to a judge or court for the division into separate parts of a joint estate, contract, etc
- sharia-compliant — (of a product or service) produced or offered in accordance with the doctrines of the sharia