17-letter words containing n, g, a
- to say nothing of — You use to say nothing of when you mention an additional thing which gives even more strength to the point you are making.
- to steal a glance — If you steal a glance at someone or something, you look at them quickly so that nobody sees you looking.
- tongue-and-groove — the technique of making a joint between two boards by means of a tongue along the edge of one board that fits into a groove along the edge of the other board
- trading standards — consumer organization
- traditional logic — formal logic based on syllogistic formulas, especially as developed by Aristotle.
- trailing geranium — an ivy-leaved variety of geranium, Pelargonium peltatum
- transignification — (in the Eucharist) a change in the significance of the bread and wine to symbolize the body and blood of Christ.
- transition region — a thin and very irregular layer of the sun's atmosphere that separates the hot corona from the much cooler chromosphere.
- transverse engine — an engine which is fitted side-to-side across the axis of a vehicle
- travelling people — Gypsies or other itinerant people: a term used esp by such people of themselves
- triangular matrix — a square matrix in which either all the entries above the principal diagonal, or all the entries below the principal diagonal, are zero.
- trifoliate orange — a spiny, Chinese orange tree, Poncirus trifoliata, used as a stock in grafting and for hedges.
- trigger mechanism — a physiological or psychological process caused by a stimulus and resulting in a usually severe reaction.
- turbinado (sugar) — a partially refined, granulated, pale-brown sugar obtained by washing raw sugar in a centrifuge until most of the molasses is removed
- ultimate strength — the quantity of the utmost tensile, compressive, or shearing stress that a given unit area of a certain material is expected to bear without failing.
- undistinguishable — to mark off as different (often followed by from or by): He was distinguished from the other boys by his height.
- unimaginativeness — the quality of being unimaginative
- unipalm group plc — (company) A company floated in March 1994.
- universal algebra — (logic) The model theory of first-order equational logic.
- universal grammar — a grammar that attempts to establish the properties and constraints common to all possible human languages.
- unix brain damage — Something that has to be done to break a network program (typically a mailer) on a non-Unix system so that it will interoperate with Unix systems. The hack may qualify as "Unix brain damage" if the program conforms to published standards and the Unix program in question does not. Unix brain damage happens because it is much easier for other (minority) systems to change their ways to match non-conforming behaviour than it is to change all the hundreds of thousands of Unix systems out there. An example of Unix brain damage is a kluge in a mail server to recognise bare line feed (the Unix newline) as an equivalent form to the Internet standard newline, which is a carriage return followed by a line feed. Such things can make even a hardened jock weep.
- unlawful wounding — an offence committed when a person maliciously wounds another person
- urogenital system — the urinary tract and reproductive organs
- user brain damage — (humour) (UBD) A description (usually abbreviated) used to close a trouble report obviously due to utter cluelessness on the user's part. Compare pilot error; opposite: PBD; see also brain-damaged, PEBCAK.
- utagawa kuniyoshi — original name Igusa Magosabwo. 1797–1861, Japanese painter and printmaker of the ukiyo-e school, best known for his prints of warriors and landscapes
- vaginal discharge — emission from the female genitalia
- vale of glamorgan — a county borough of S Wales, created in 1996 from parts of South Glamorgan and Mid Glamorgan. Administrative centre: Barry. Pop: 121 200 (2003 est). Area: 295 sq km (114 sq miles)
- vanity publishing — the practice of the author of a book paying all or most of the costs of its publication
- vasovagal syncope — a faint brought on by excessive activity of the vagus nerve, causing the heart to slow and the blood pressure to fall. It can be caused by fear, choking, or stomach cramps and has no lasting effects
- vegetable tanning — the act or process of tanning hide by the infusion of plant extract.
- verkhoyansk range — a mountain range in the Sakha Republic, in E Siberia, Russia. About 600 miles (970 km) long.
- vertical planning — the planning of education delivered in schools discussed between teachers of different classes or grades
- vila nova de gaia — a city in NW Portugal.
- village community — an early form of community organization in which land belonged to the village, the arable land being allotted to the members or households of the community by more or less permanent arrangements and the waste or excess land remaining undivided.
- vinaigrette sauce — a tart sauce of oil, vinegar, and seasonings, sometimes including chopped capers, pickles, etc., usually served cold with salads.
- visitation rights — the legal right granted to a divorced or separated parent to visit a child in the custody of the other parent.
- vulcan death grip — (jargon) A variant of Vulcan nerve pinch derived from a Star Trek classic epsisode where a non-existant "Vulcan death grip" was used to fool Romulans that Spock had killed Kirk.
- wage differential — the difference in wages between workers with different skills in the same industry or between those with comparable skills in different industries or localities
- wage negotiations — talks between workers and employers over rates of pay
- waitangi tribunal — (in New Zealand) a government tribunal empowered to examine and make recommendations on Māori claims under the Treaty of Waitangi
- waiting for godot — a play (1952) by Samuel Beckett.
- walk on eggshells — to be very cautious or diplomatic for fear of upsetting someone
- wang laboratories — (body) Computer manufacturer, known for their office automation products and the Wang PC. Quarterly sales $208M, profits $3M (Aug 1994).
- warehousing costs — the costs involved in storing goods in a warehouse
- washing-up liquid — Washing-up liquid is a thick soapy liquid which you add to hot water to clean dirty dishes.
- washington island — an island off the Door Peninsula, NE Wisconsin, in NW Lake Michigan. 20 sq. mi. (50 sq. km).
- washington square — a short novel (1881) by Henry James.
- wedding breakfast — meal served at wedding reception
- weeping lovegrass — any grass of the genus Eragrostis, as E. curvula (weeping lovegrass) and E. trichodes (sand lovegrass) cultivated as forage and ground cover.
- well-acknowledged — widely recognized; generally accepted: an acknowledged authority on Chinese art.