15-letter words containing n, o, s, a, c
- phenakistoscope — an early form of a zoetrope in which figures are depicted in different poses around the edge of a disc. When the disc is spun, and the figures observed through the apertures around the edge of the disc, they appear to be moving
- phenomenalistic — the doctrine that phenomena are the only objects of knowledge or the only form of reality.
- phosphocreatine — a compound, C 4 H 1 0 O 5 N 3 P, found chiefly in muscle, formed by the enzymatic interaction of an organic phosphate and creatine, the breakdown of which provides energy for muscle contraction.
- physicalization — to express in physical terms; give form or shape to: The dancers physicalized the mood of the music.
- pick and choose — to choose or select from among a group: to pick a contestant from the audience.
- pick-and-shovel — marked by drudgery; laborious: the pick-and-shovel work necessary to get a political campaign underway.
- pictorial janus — K. Kahn, Xerox. Visual extension of Janus. Requires Strand88 and a PostScript interpreter.
- pistachio green — a light or medium shade of yellow green.
- pithecanthropus — a former genus of extinct hominids whose members have now been assigned to the proposed species Homo erectus.
- plainclothesman — a police officer, especially a detective, who wears ordinary civilian clothes while on duty.
- planck constant — the fundamental constant of quantum mechanics, expressing the ratio of the energy of one quantum of radiation to the frequency of the radiation and approximately equal to 6.624 × 10− 27 erg-seconds. Symbol: h.
- plantaginaceous — relating to or belonging to the family Plantaginaceae
- plastic surgeon — doctor who performs cosmetic surgery
- plate tectonics — a theory of global tectonics in which the lithosphere is divided into a number of crustal plates, each of which moves on the plastic asthenosphere more or less independently to collide with, slide under, or move past adjacent plates.
- plumbaginaceous — belonging to the Plumbaginaceae, the leadwort family of plants.
- police marksman — a police officer skilled in precision shooting, esp with a sniper rifle
- policy issuance — Policy issuance is the process of creating an insurance policy and providing it to the policyholder.
- polycrystalline — (of a rock or metal) composed of aggregates of individual crystals.
- pontifical mass — (sometimes lowercase) Roman Catholic Church. a High Mass celebrated by a bishop or other prelate.
- postconsonantal — immediately following a consonant.
- postinoculation — the act or process of inoculating.
- postman's knock — a children's party game in which a kiss is exchanged for a pretend letter
- postvaccination — occurring after a vaccination
- power macintosh — Power Mac
- pre-acquisition — the act of acquiring or gaining possession: the acquisition of real estate.
- pre-romanticism — romantic spirit or tendency.
- press of canvas — the most sail a vessel can carry under given conditions
- prince of wales — Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall ("The Black Prince") 1330–76, English military leader (son of Edward III).
- principal focus — focal point (def 1).
- prism binocular — Usually, prism binoculars. Optics. binocular (def 1).
- process heating — Process heating is heating, usually from steam, which is used to increase the temperature in a process vessel.
- processionalist — a member of a procession
- procrastinating — to defer action; delay: to procrastinate until an opportunity is lost.
- procrastination — the act or habit of procrastinating, or putting off or delaying, especially something requiring immediate attention: She was smart, but her constant procrastination led her to be late with almost every assignment.
- procrastinative — to defer action; delay: to procrastinate until an opportunity is lost.
- procrastinatory — to defer action; delay: to procrastinate until an opportunity is lost.
- procreativeness — the quality of being procreative
- procrustean bed — a plan or scheme to produce uniformity or conformity by arbitrary or violent methods.
- prognostication — the act of prognosticating.
- prognosticators — to forecast or predict (something future) from present indications or signs; prophesy.
- proscenium arch — the arch separating the stage from the auditorium
- prostate cancer — cancer of the prostate
- pseudo-romantic — of, relating to, or of the nature of romance; characteristic or suggestive of the world of romance: a romantic adventure.
- pseudopregnancy — Pathology, Veterinary Pathology. false pregnancy.
- psychodiagnosis — a psychological examination using psychodiagnostic techniques.
- psychohistorian — a person who writes psychohistory
- pyrocrystalline — crystallized from a molten magma or highly heated solution.
- quantifications — Plural form of quantification.
- quarter section — (in surveying and homesteading) a square tract of land, half a mile on each side, thus containing ¼ sq. mi. or 160 acres. Abbreviation: q.s.
- quasi-conscious — aware of one's own existence, sensations, thoughts, surroundings, etc.