18-letter words containing o, p, s

stepping-off place — jumping-off place (def 2).
stroustrup, bjarne — Bjarne Stroustrup
subatomic particle — physics:
subject complement — a word or a group of words, usually functioning as an adjective or noun, that is used in the predicate following a copula and describes or is identified with the subject of the sentence, as sleepy in The travelers became sleepy.
subsidiary company — a company whose controlling interest is owned by another company.
summary proceeding — a mode of trial authorized by statute to be held before a judge without the usual full hearing.
super giant slalom — a slalom race in which the course is longer and has more widely spaced gates than in a giant slalom.
super royal octavo — a book size, 63⁄4 by 101⁄4 inches
super royal quarto — a book size, 101⁄4 by 131⁄2 inches
superior vena cava — See under vena cava.
superstring theory — any supersymmetric string theory in which each type of elementary particle is treated as a vibration of a single fundamental string (superstring) at a particular frequency.
supporting actress — an actress playing a supporting role
supportive therapy — any treatment, such as the intravenous administration of certain fluids, designed to reinforce or sustain the physiological well-being of a patient
supraorbital ridge — browridge.
surveyor's compass — an instrument used by surveyors for measuring azimuths.
sustaining program — a radio or television program without a commercial sponsor.
symphony orchestra — a large orchestra composed of wind, string, and percussion instruments and organized to perform symphonic compositions.
system-programming — a program, as an operating system, compiler, or utility program, that controls some aspect of the operation of a computer (opposed to application program).
systematic phoneme — a phonological unit in generative phonology representing an underlying form that takes into account the relationship between phonological patterns and morphological variation, as the unit underlying the second vowel in both derive and derivative.
systems programmer — a person whose job is to program systems software
take the wraps off — to reveal
telephone sex line — a telephone line operated by a phone-sex worker that offers phone sex to paying customers
television company — a company that broadcasts programmes by television
temporal summation — the act or process of summing.
temporary hardness — hardness of water due to the presence of magnesium and calcium hydrogencarbonates, which can be precipitated as carbonates by boiling
the bottomless pit — the underworld; hell
the encyclopedists — the writers of the French Encyclopedia (1751-72) edited by Diderot and d'Alembert, which contained the advanced ideas of the period
the heavens opened — it started pouring with rain
the lords temporal — (in Britain) peers other than bishops in their capacity as members of the House of Lords
the palmetto state — a nickname for South Carolina
the powers that be — You can refer to people in authority as the powers that be, especially when you want to say that you disagree with them or do not understand what they say or do.
thiosulphuric acid — an unstable acid known only in solutions and in the form of its salts. Formula: H2S2O3
to all appearances — apparently
to cast aspersions — If you cast aspersions on someone or something, you suggest that they are not very good in some way.
to get a bad press — If someone or something gets a bad press, they are criticized, especially in the newspapers, on television, or on radio. If they get a good press, they are praised.
to gussy sb/sth up — to give (a person or thing) a smarter or more interesting appearance
to learn the ropes — If you are learning the ropes, you are learning how a particular task or job is done.
to lick into shape — If you lick, knock, or whip someone or something into shape, you use whatever methods are necessary to change or improve them so that they are in the condition that you want them to be in.
to pick and choose — If you pick and choose, you carefully choose only things that you really want and reject the others.
to play favourites — to display favouritism
to pull a fast one — If you say that someone has pulled a fast one on you, you mean that they have cheated or tricked you.
to put years on sb — if you say that something such as an experience or a way of dressing has put years on someone, you mean that it has made them look or feel much older
to scrape a living — If you say that someone scrapes a living or scratches a living, you mean that they manage to earn enough to live on, but it is very difficult. In American English, you say they scrape out a living or scratch out a living.
to speak your mind — If you speak your mind, you say firmly and honestly what you think about a situation, even if this may offend or upset people.
to spill the beans — If you spill the beans, you tell someone something that people have been trying to keep secret.
to spill your guts — if someone spills their guts, they tell you everything about something secret or private
to stop at nothing — If you say that someone will stop at nothing to get something, you are emphasizing that they are willing to do things that are extreme, wrong, or dangerous in order to get it.
to sweep the board — If someone sweeps the board in a competition or election, they win nearly everything that it is possible to win.
to watch your step — If someone tells you to watch your step, they are warning you to be careful about how you behave or what you say so that you do not get into trouble.
torsion-free group — a group in which every element other than the identity has infinite order.

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