16-letter words containing o, c, t, y, l
- political asylum — asylum provided by one nation to refugees, especially political refugees, from another nation.
- political system — a coordinated set of principles, laws, ideas, and procedures relating to a particular form of government, or the form of government itself: Democracy is a political system in which citizens govern themselves.
- polycondensation — formation of a polymer by chemical condensation with the elimination of a small molecule, such as water.
- polyvinyl acetal — any of the class of thermoplastic resins derived by the condensation of an aldehyde with polyvinyl alcohol.
- post-apocalyptic — of or like an apocalypse; affording a revelation or prophecy.
- postcode lottery — a situation in which the standard of medical care, education, etc, received by the public varies from area to area, depending on the funding policies of various health boards, local authorities, etc
- primary election — primary (def 15a).
- primary electron — in thermionics, any of the electrons falling on a body, distinguished from those emitted by it
- process theology — a form of theology that emphasizes the close relation of human beings, nature, and God.
- programmatically — by using a computer program: You can set the value in each field programmatically with a simple algorithm. The background shapes can be programmatically drawn and animated.
- prophylactically — defending or protecting from disease or infection, as a drug.
- propylthiouracil — a white crystalline compound, C 7 H 1 0 N 2 OS, that interferes with the synthesis of thyroid hormone by the thyroid gland: used in the treatment of hyperthyroidism.
- psychoanalytical — a systematic structure of theories concerning the relation of conscious and unconscious psychological processes.
- psychotechnology — the body of knowledge, theories, and techniques developed for understanding and influencing individual, group, and societal behavior in specified situations.
- ptolemaic system — a system elaborated by Ptolemy and subsequently modified by others, according to which the earth was the fixed center of the universe, with the heavenly bodies moving about it.
- pyloric stenosis — an abnormal narrowing of the valve at the outlet from the stomach, preventing normal passage of food into the small intestine.
- radiosymmetrical — radially symmetrical.
- restriction play — a limited number of opening moves that are predetermined by their chance selection from an accepted list.
- sclerenchymatous — supporting or protective tissue composed of thickened, dry, and hardened cells.
- security council — the division of the United Nations charged with maintaining international peace, composed of five permanent members (U.S., Russian Federation, France, United Kingdom, and the People's Republic of China) and ten temporary members, each serving for two years.
- selective memory — an ability to remember some facts while apparently forgetting others, especially when they are inconvenient
- self-deprecatory — belittling or undervaluing oneself; excessively modest.
- self-exculpatory — intended to excuse oneself from blame or guilt
- simply-connected — (of a set or domain) having a connected complement.
- slang dictionary — a specialized dictionary covering the words, phrases, and idioms that reflect the least formal speech of a language. These terms are often metaphorical and playful, and are likely to be evanescent as the spoken language changes from one generation to another. Much slang belongs to specific groups, as the jargon of a particular class, profession, or age group. Some is vulgar. Some slang terms have staying power as slang, but others make a transition into common informal speech, and then into the standard language. An online slang dictionary, such as the Dictionary.com Slang Dictionary, provides immediate information about the meaning and history of a queried term and its appropriateness or lack of appropriateness in a range of social and professional circumstances.
- social pathology — a social factor, as poverty, old age, or crime, that tends to increase social disorganization and inhibit personal adjustment.
- social secretary — a personal secretary employed to make social appointments and handle personal correspondence.
- sodium cyclamate — a white, crystalline, water-soluble powder, NaC 6 NH 1 2 SO 3 , that has been used as a sweetening agent: banned by the FDA in 1970.
- speech pathology — the scientific study and treatment of defects, disorders, and malfunctions of speech and voice, as stuttering, lisping, or lalling, and of language disturbances, as aphasia or delayed language acquisition.
- stonecrop family — the plant family Crassulaceae, characterized by succulent herbaceous plants and shrubs with simple, fleshy leaves, clusters of small flowers, and dry, dehiscent fruit, and including hen-and-chickens, houseleek, kalanchoe, live-forever, orpine, sedum, and stonecrop.
- synchrocyclotron — a type of cyclotron that synchronizes its accelerating voltage with particle velocity in order to compensate for the relativistic mass increase of the particle as it approaches the speed of light.
- tephrochronology — a geochronologic technique based on the dating of layers of volcanic ash.
- tertiary college — a college system incorporating the secondary school sixth form and vocational courses
- the body politic — the people of a nation or the nation itself considered as a political entity; the state
- the leonine city — a district of Rome on the right bank of the Tiber fortified by Pope Leo IV
- thermoplasticity — soft and pliable when heated, as some plastics, without any change of the inherent properties.
- thionyl chloride — a clear, pale yellow or red, fuming, corrosive liquid, SOCl 2 , used chiefly in organic synthesis.
- to call it a day — If you call it a day, you decide to stop what you are doing because you are tired of it or because it is not successful.
- to try your luck — If someone tries their luck at something, they try to succeed at it, often when it is very difficult or there is little chance of success.
- triboelectricity — electricity generated by friction.
- trinitroglycerin — nitroglycerin.
- tropical cyclone — a cyclone that originates over a tropical ocean area and can develop into the destructive storm known in the U.S. as a hurricane, in the western Pacific region as a typhoon, and elsewhere by other names. Compare extratropical cyclone, hurricane (def 1), willy-willy.
- two-stroke cycle — See under two-cycle.
- typhoid bacillus — the bacterium Salmonella typhosa, causing typhoid fever.
- unapologetically — containing an apology or excuse for a fault, failure, insult, injury, etc.: An apologetic letter to his creditors explained the delay.
- uncoincidentally — happening by or resulting from coincidence; by chance: a coincidental meeting.
- unconfirmability — to establish the truth, accuracy, validity, or genuineness of; corroborate; verify: This report confirms my suspicions.
- unconventionally — not conventional; not bound by or conforming to convention, rule, or precedent; free from conventionality: an unconventional artist; an unconventional use of material.
- unenforceability — to put or keep in force; compel obedience to: to enforce a rule; Traffic laws will be strictly enforced.
- utility function — a function relating specific goods and services in an economy to individual preferences