16-letter words containing o, p, t, e
- tangential point — a point at which a geometric line, curve, plane, or curved surface touches another curve or surface but does not intersect it
- tax depreciation — Tax depreciation is depreciation in a company's internal financial records that is different from the amount that is used for the internal books.
- telephone number — digits dialled to reach sb by phone
- telescopic sight — a telescope mounted on a rifle, etc, used for sighting
- telespectroscope — a combination of a telescope and a spectroscope, used for spectroscopic analysis of radiation from stars and other celestial bodies
- temperature spot — a sensory area in the skin that selectively responds to increased or decreased temperature; a warm spot or a cold spot.
- tephrochronology — a geochronologic technique based on the dating of layers of volcanic ash.
- terminal adaptor — (networking, hardware) (TA) Equipment used to adapt Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) Basic Rate Interface (BRI) channels to existing terminal equipment standards such as EIA-232 and V.35. A Terminal Adaptor is typically packaged like a modem, either as a stand-alone unit or as an interface card that plugs into a computer or other communications equipment (such as a router or PBX). A Terminal Adaptor does not interoperate with a modem; it replaces it.
- terms of payment — The terms of payment of a sale state how and when an invoice is to be paid.
- thalamencephalon — the diencephalon.
- the anthropocene — a proposed term for the present geological epoch (from the time of the Industrial Revolution onwards), during which humanity has begun to have a significant impact on the environment
- the best part of — most of
- the body politic — the people of a nation or the nation itself considered as a political entity; the state
- the devil to pay — Theology. (sometimes initial capital letter) the supreme spirit of evil; Satan. a subordinate evil spirit at enmity with God, and having power to afflict humans both with bodily disease and with spiritual corruption.
- the dispossessed — people who have had property or possessions taken away
- the first couple — the US president and their spouse
- the gospel truth — the unquestionable truth
- the great powers — the states or nations of the world with the most economic, political and military strength
- the heavens open — If the heavens open, it suddenly starts raining very heavily.
- the herring-pond — the Atlantic Ocean
- the long paddock — a stockroute or roadside area offering feed to sheep and cattle in dry times
- the moving party — a person who applies to a court or judge with the aim of obtaining a ruling in their favour
- the open college — (in Britain) a college of art founded in 1987 for mature students studying foundation courses in arts and crafts by television programmes, written materials, and tutorials
- the opposite sex — women in relation to men or men in relation to women
- the preconscious — preconscious mental activity
- the yellow press — (formerly) popular newspapers publishing sensational stories
- theatre workshop — a theatre company that is noted for the unconventional theatrical performances it puts on, especially with reference to a company based in the East End of London from 1953 to 1973 that was founded in 1945 by Joan Littlewood
- thermoacidophile — any organism, especially a type of archaebacterium, that thrives in strongly acidic environments at high temperatures.
- thermoplasticity — soft and pliable when heated, as some plastics, without any change of the inherent properties.
- three-point line — Basketball. a field goal worth three points, made from behind a specified line (three-point line)
- three-point play — a play in which a player sinks the free throw that was awarded when the player was fouled while scoring a basket.
- three-point turn — When the driver of a vehicle does a three-point turn, he or she turns the vehicle by driving forwards in a curve, then backwards in a curve, and then forwards in a curve.
- thrombocytopenia — an abnormal decrease in the number of blood platelets.
- thrombophlebitis — the presence of a thrombus in a vein accompanied by inflammation of the vessel wall.
- through-composed — having different music for each verse: a through-composed song. Compare strophic (def 2).
- tightrope walker — performer who walks on high wire
- to bite your lip — If you bite your lip or your tongue, you stop yourself from saying something that you want to say, because it would be the wrong thing to say in the circumstances.
- to change places — If you change places with another person, you start being in their situation or role, and they start being in yours.
- to coin a phrase — You say 'to coin a phrase' to show that you realize you are making a pun or using a cliché.
- to compare notes — If you compare notes with someone on a particular subject, you talk to them and find out whether their opinion, information, or experience is the same as yours.
- to dip your toes — If you dip your toes into something or dip your toes into the waters of something, you start doing that thing slowly and carefully, because you are not sure whether it will be successful or whether you will like it.
- to get bad press — If someone or something gets bad press, they are criticized, especially in the newspapers, on television, or on radio. If they get good press, they are praised.
- to keep a secret — If you say that someone can keep a secret, you mean that they can be trusted not to tell other people a secret that you have told them.
- to lose the plot — If someone loses the plot, they become confused and do not know what they should do.
- to pass judgment — If you pass judgment on someone or something, you give your opinion about it, especially if you are making a criticism.
- to pass the buck — If you pass the buck, you refuse to accept responsibility for something, and say that someone else is responsible.
- to pass the time — If you do something to pass the time you do it because you have some time available and not because you really want to do it.
- to pay dividends — If something pays dividends, it brings advantages at a later date.
- to play for time — If you play for time, you try to make something happen more slowly, because you do not want it to happen or because you need time to think about what to do if it happens.
- to play the fool — If you play the fool or act the fool, you behave in a playful, childish, and foolish way, usually in order to make other people laugh.