16-letter words containing o, t, a, l
- hell-for-leather — characterized by reckless determination or breakneck speed: The sheriff led the posse in a hell-for-leather chase.
- hemagglutination — the clumping of red blood cells.
- hemangioblastoma — (medicine) Any of several benign neoplasm tumours of the brain.
- hematocrit-value — a centrifuge for separating the cells of the blood from the plasma.
- hematocrystallin — (biology, archaic) hemoglobin.
- hemolytic anemia — an anemic condition characterized by the destruction of red blood cells: seen in some drug reactions and in certain infectious and hereditary disorders.
- henley-on-thames — a city in SE Oxfordshire, in S England: annual rowing regatta.
- herman hollerith — (person) The promulgator of the punched card. Hollerith was born on 1860-02-29 and died on 1929-11-17. He graduated from Columbia University, NewYork, NY, USA. He joined the US Census Bureau as a statistician where he used a punched card device to help analyse the 1880 US census data. This punched card system stored data in 80 columns. This "80-column" concept has carried forward in various forms into modern applications. In 1896, Hollerith founded the Tabulating Machine Company to exploit his invention and in 1924 his firm became part of IBM. The Hollerith system was used for the 1911 UK census. A correspondant writes: Wasn't Hollerith's original machine first used for the 1990 US census? And I think I am right in saying that the physical layout was a 20x12 grid of round holes. The one I have seen (picture only, unfortunately, not the real thing) did not use 'columns' as such but holes were grouped into irregularly-shaped fields, such that each hole had a more-or-less independent function.
- hermaphroditical — Alternative form of hermaphroditic.
- hesitation waltz — a waltz based on the frequent use of a step that consists of a pause and glide.
- heterometabolism — insect development in which the young hatch in a form very similar to the adult and then mature without a pupal stage
- heterometabolous — undergoing development in which the young are born adultlike in form, often maturing without a pupal stage.
- heteropalindrome — Something that spells something else when reversed, a semordnilap.
- hexachloroethane — a colorless crystalline compound, C 2 Cl 6 , with a camphorlike odor, soluble in alcohol and ether, insoluble in water: used in organic synthesis and pyrotechnics, as a retarding agent in fermentation, and as a solvent.
- hierophantically — In a hierophantic manner; in the manner of a hierophant.
- histopathologist — A person involved in histopathology.
- historical novel — a novel within the genre of historical fiction.
- hole in the wall — an opening through something; gap; aperture: a hole in the roof; a hole in my sock.
- hole-in-the-wall — A hole-in-the-wall machine is a machine built into the wall of a bank or other building, which allows people to take out money from their bank account by using a special card.
- holier-than-thou — obnoxiously pious; sanctimonious; self-righteous.
- home health aide — a worker, usually trained and state-certified, who provides care for elderly, sick, or disabled people in their own home.
- home heating oil — fuel oil for domestic central heating
- home-equity loan — a loan that uses equity in the borrower's home as collateral.
- homeric laughter — loud, hearty laughter, as of the gods.
- horary astrology — a method through which the answer to a question is sought by casting and interpreting a horoscope for the precise moment one learns of an event, problem, career opportunity, etc.
- horizontal plane — flat surface parallel to the horizon
- horizontal union — a labor union organized by skills or trades of its members rather than by industries.
- horsetail agaric — the shaggy-mane.
- horticulturalist — Misspelling of horticulturist.
- hospital corners — a fold on a bed sheet or blanket made by tucking the foot or head of the sheet straight under the mattress with the ends protruding and then making a diagonal fold at the side corner of the sheet and tucking this under to produce a triangular corner.
- hospital service — the whole organization of government funded hospitals, their staff, and the services they provide
- hospitalizations — Plural form of hospitalization.
- hostile takeover — a takeover that is not approved by the management of the corporation being acquired or that is accomplished through the secret purchase of stock.
- hot stove league — devotees of a sport, especially baseball, who meet for off-season talks.
- hot-stove league — devotees of a sport, especially baseball, who meet for off-season talks.
- hot-water bottle — a bag, usually of rubber, for holding hot water to apply warmth to some part of the body, as the feet.
- hydroformylation — the addition of a hydrogen atom and the formyl group to a double bond of a hydrocarbon by reaction with a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst.
- hyperaccumulator — a plant that absorbs toxins, such as heavy metals, to a greater concentration than that in the soil in which it is growing
- hyperstimulation — to rouse to action or effort, as by encouragement or pressure; spur on; incite: to stimulate his interest in mathematics.
- hyperventilation — excessively rapid and deep breathing.
- hypoalimentation — insufficient or inadequate nourishment.
- hypocoristically — In a hypocoristic manner.
- iconoclastically — In an iconoclastic way.
- ill-gotten gains — Ill-gotten gains are things that someone has obtained in a dishonest or illegal way.
- image consultant — imagemaker.
- immethodicalness — Lack of method; the quality of being immethodical.
- immigration laws — regulations on incoming foreigners
- immunohematology — the study of blood and blood-forming tissue in relation to the immune response.
- immunomodulation — Any of several adjustments in the level of an immune response.
- immunomodulatory — (medical) Having the ability to alter or regulate immune functions.