14-letter words containing n, o, i, r
- be in bad odor — to be in ill repute
- beard-stroking — deep thought
- belo horizonte — a city in SE Brazil, the capital of Minas Gerais state. Pop: 5 304 000 (2005 est)
- bernicle goose — barnacle goose
- beta geminorum — Pollux
- beta reduction — [lambda-calculus] The application of a lambda abstraction to an argument expression. A copy of the body of the lambda abstraction is made and occurrences of the bound variable being replaced by the argument. E.g. (\ x . x+1) 4 --> 4+1 Beta reduction is the only kind of reduction in the pure lambda-calculus. The opposite of beta reduction is beta abstraction. These are the two kinds of beta conversion. See also name capture.
- beta-endorphin — a potent endorphin released by the anterior pituitary gland in response to pain, trauma, exercise, or other forms of stress.
- big government — a form of government characterized by high taxation and public spending and centralization of political power
- bildungsromane — a type of novel concerned with the education, development, and maturing of a young protagonist.
- binary counter — (electronics, hardware) A digital circuit which has a clock input and a number of count outputs which give the number of clock cycles. The output may change either on rising or falling clock edges. The circuit may also have a reset input which sets all outputs to zero when asserted. The counter may be either a synchronous counter or a ripple counter.
- binary fission — asexual reproduction in unicellular organisms by division into two daughter cells
- bioaeronautics — the use of aircraft in the discovery, development, and protection of natural and biological resources
- biocybernetics — the branch of cybernetics that deals with the control and communication systems of living organisms
- biodegradation — to decay and become absorbed by the environment: toys that will biodegrade when they're discarded.
- bioelectronics — a branch of electronics that deals with electronic devices, implants, etc. used in medicine and biological research
- bioengineering — People sometimes use bioengineering to talk about genetic engineering.
- bioinformatics — the branch of information science concerned with large databases of biochemical or pharmaceutical information
- bioprospecting — searching for plant or animal species for use as a source of commercially exploitable products, such as medicinal drugs
- bioregionalism — the conviction that environmental and social policies should be determined by the bioregion rather than economics or politics
- bioregionalist — someone who believes in bioregionalism
- bioremediation — the use of plants to extract heavy metals from contaminated soils and water
- bipolarisation — the act of bipolarising
- bipolarization — the action of rendering something bipolar
- birthing stool — a stool constructed to allow a woman in labour to give birth in a sitting position
- block printing — printing from hand engraved or carved blocks of wood or linoleum
- blood grouping — the ascertainment of a person's blood group
- blood relation — A blood relation or blood relative is someone who is related to you by birth rather than by marriage.
- blood-curdling — A blood-curdling sound or story is very frightening and horrible.
- blotting paper — Blotting paper is thick soft paper that you use for soaking up and drying ink on a piece of paper.
- blurred vision — a condition which makes it impossible to see clearly
- board chairman — the chairman of the board of a company, etc
- boarding house — A boarding house is a house which people pay to stay in for a short time.
- boarding party — group of officers or sailors who board a ship
- boatswain bird — tropic bird.
- bobbin turning — turning of furniture legs, stretchers, etc., to resemble a continuous row of bobbins.
- bodice-ripping — A bodice-ripping film or novel is one which is set in the past and which includes a lot of sex scenes. You use this word especially if you do not think it is very good and is just intended to entertain people.
- bone porcelain — bone china.
- bone turquoise — fossilized bone or tooth stained blue with iron phosphate and used as a gemstone
- bony labyrinth — an intricate combination of paths or passages in which it is difficult to find one's way or to reach the exit. Synonyms: maze, network, web.
- borders region — a former local government region in S Scotland, formed in 1975 from Berwick, Peebles, Roxburgh, Selkirk, and part of Midlothian; replaced in 1996 by Scottish Borders council area
- boring machine — a machine that bores holes, tunnels, etc
- borrowing rate — the interest rate at which money may be borrowed, esp an official rate set by a central bank
- boston terrier — a short stocky smooth-haired breed of terrier with a short nose, originally developed by crossing the French and English bulldogs with the English bull terrier
- botanic garden — a place in which plants are grown, studied, and exhibited
- bottle turning — the turning of the legs of chairs, tables, etc., in manufacturing to give certain sections an ornamental, bottlelike form.
- bound moisture — Bound moisture is liquid in a solid, which exerts a vapor pressure that is less than the pure liquid would do at the same temperature.
- bound variable — (in the functional calculus) a variable occurring in a quantifier and in a sentential function within the scope of the quantifier.
- boundary rider — an employee on a sheep or cattle station whose job is to maintain fences in good repair and to prevent stock from straying
- bowling crease — a line marked at the wicket, over which a bowler must not advance fully before delivering the ball
- bowstring hemp — a hemplike fibre obtained from the sansevieria