15-letter words containing n, o, r, s, e
- source language — the language in which a text appears that is to be translated into another language. Compare target language (def 1).
- southern blight — a disease of peanuts, tomatoes, and other plants, caused by a fungus, Sclerotium rolfsii, affecting the roots and resulting in rapid wilting.
- southern gothic — a literary genre depicting life in the southern US and featuring grotesque themes and imagery
- southern lights — aurora australis.
- southern paiute — See under Paiute (def 2).
- spanish trefoil — alfalfa.
- spare no effort — do all you can
- spark generator — an alternating-current power source with a condenser discharging across a spark gap.
- speed indicator — an instrument for counting the number of revolutions of a gasoline engine.
- spelling reform — an attempt to change the spelling of English words to make it conform more closely to pronunciation.
- spermatogenesis — the origin and development of spermatozoa.
- spheroidization — the conversion of grains into spheroids
- spinous process — a spinelike process of a bone, especially the dorsal projection from the center of the arch of a vertebra.
- spiny cocklebur — a cocklebur, Xanthium spinosum, introduced into North America from Europe.
- spiral notebook — a notebook held together by a coil of wire passed through small holes punched at the back edge of the covers and individual pages
- spirits of wine — alcohol (def 1).
- splanchnopleure — the double layer formed by the association of the lower layer of the lateral plate of mesoderm with the underlying entoderm, which develops into the embryonic viscera.
- sport one's oak — to shut this door as a sign one does not want visitors
- sporting chance — an even or fair opportunity for a favorable outcome in an enterprise, as winning in a game of chance or in any kind of contest: They gave the less experienced players a sporting chance by handicapping the experts.
- sports medicine — a field of medicine concerned with the functioning of the human body during physical activity and with the prevention and treatment of athletic injuries.
- squadron leader — air-force officer
- squirrel monkey — either of two small, long-tailed monkeys, Saimiri oerstedii of Central America and S. sciureus of South America, having a small white face with black muzzle and gold, brown, or greenish fur: S. oerstedii is endangered.
- stage direction — an instruction written into the script of a play, indicating stage actions, movements of performers, or production requirements.
- stand to reason — a basis or cause, as for some belief, action, fact, event, etc.: the reason for declaring war.
- standing orders — Military. (formerly) a general order always in force in a command and establishing uniform procedures for it; standard operating procedure.
- star connection — a connection used in a polyphase electrical device or system of devices in which the windings each have one end connected to a common junction, the star point, and the other end to a separate terminal
- star-nosed mole — a North American mole, Condylura cristata, having a starlike ring of fleshy processes around the end of the snout.
- start something — to cause a disturbance or trouble
- starvation diet — insufficient food to stay alive
- station officer — a person who is in charge of a fire station
- stationary wave — standing wave.
- steam generator — steam-producing power plant
- steam reforming — a process in which methane from natural gas is heated, with steam, usually with a catalyst, to produce a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen used in organic synthesis and as a fuel
- steering column — the shaft that connects the steering wheel to the steering gear assembly of an automotive vehicle.
- steroidogenesis — the formation of steroids, as by the adrenal cortex, testes, and ovaries.
- stillson wrench — a large wrench having adjustable jaws that tighten as the pressure on the handle is increased
- stilpnosiderite — a resinous variety of limonite with a black-brown colour
- stocking filler — A stocking filler is a small present that is suitable for putting in a Christmas stocking.
- stone the crows — an expression of surprise, dismay, etc
- stony meteorite — any of various meteorites composed mainly of rock-forming silicates, especially olivine, plagioclase, and pyroxene, and classified as achondrites or chondrites.
- storm insurance — insurance cover against damage caused by windstorms
- strawberry roan — a horse with a reddish coat that is liberally flecked with white hairs.
- streamline flow — the flow of a fluid past an object such that the velocity at any fixed point in the fluid is constant or varies in a regular manner.
- stress position — an enforced body position, applied esp in the interrogation of detainees, which causes the victim pain by concentrating a large amount of his or her weight on a small number of muscles, joints, etc
- stretch a point — a sharp or tapering end, as of a dagger.
- string together — arrange coherently
- strobe lighting — a high-intensity flashing beam of light produced by rapid electrical discharges in a tube or by a perforated disc rotating in front of an intense light source: used in discotheques, etc
- strontium oxide — a white insoluble solid substance used in making strontium salts and purifying sugar. Formula: SrO
- subcommissioner — a member of a subcommission
- subcontraoctave — the octave below the contraoctave, which is three octaves below the middle C octave on a standard keyboard