17-letter words containing o, b, s, e
- the carboniferous — the Carboniferous period or rock system
- the joke is on sb — If you say that the joke is on a particular person, you mean that they have been made to look very foolish by something.
- the tabloid press — (considered as a whole) newspapers with pages about 30 cm (12 inches) by 40 cm (16 inches), usually characterized by an emphasis on photographs and a concise and often sensational style
- the whole shebang — The whole shebang is the whole situation or business that you are describing.
- theory of numbers — number theory.
- throat sweetbread — sweetbread (def 2).
- to best advantage — If something is shown to good advantage or to best advantage, it is shown in a way that reveals its best features.
- to cook the books — If you say that someone has cooked the books, you mean that they have changed figures or a written record in order to deceive people.
- to get to know sb — If you get to know someone, you find out what they are like by spending time with them.
- to keep the books — to keep written records of the finances of a business or other enterprise
- to read sb's mind — If you can read someone's mind, you know what they are thinking without them saying anything.
- toothbrush holder — a container or rack in a bathroom where toothbrushes are kept when not in use
- transferable vote — a vote that is transferred to a second candidate indicated by the voter if the first is eliminated from the ballot
- transonic barrier — sound barrier.
- triboluminescence — luminescence produced by friction, usually within a crystalline substance.
- triskaidekaphobia — fear or a phobia concerning the number 13.
- troilus butterfly — spicebush swallowtail.
- turbosupercharger — (formerly) a turbocharger.
- uncle tom's cabin — an antislavery novel (1852) by Harriet Beecher Stowe.
- uncomfortableness — causing discomfort or distress; painful; irritating.
- unreconstructible — not capable of being reconstructed.
- visible radiation — electromagnetic radiation that causes the sensation of sight; light. It has wavelengths between about 380 and 780 nanometres
- wang laboratories — (body) Computer manufacturer, known for their office automation products and the Wang PC. Quarterly sales $208M, profits $3M (Aug 1994).
- wardrobe mistress — a woman in charge of keeping theatrical costumes cleaned, pressed, and in wearable condition.
- welshman's button — an angler's name for a species of caddis fly, Sericostoma personatum
- what does sb know — You can use expressions such as What does she know? and What do they know? when you think that someone has no right to comment on a situation because they do not understand it.
- wheatstone bridge — a circuit for measuring an unknown resistance by comparing it with known resistances.
- whiskey rebellion — a revolt of settlers in western Pennsylvania in 1794 against a federal excise tax on whiskey: suppressed by militia called out by President George Washington to establish the authority of the federal government.
- white blood cells — any of various nearly colorless cells of the immune system that circulate mainly in the blood and lymph and participate in reactions to invading microorganisms or foreign particles, comprising the B cells, T cells, macrophages, monocytes, and granulocytes.
- working substance — a substance, usually a fluid, that undergoes changes in pressure, temperature, volume, or form as part of a process for accomplishing work.
- zebra swallowtail — a swallowtail butterfly, Papilio marcellus, having black and greenish-white stripes on the wings.
- zero-coupon bonds — Zero-coupon bonds are bonds with no coupons that do not pay interest, and are sold at a large discount from their face value.