12-letter words containing o, u, a, n
- astroturfing — a PR tactic used in politics and advertising in which actors are paid to display overt and apparently spontaneous grassroots support for a particular product, policy, or event
- asynchronous — An asynchronous electric machine is one in which the magnetic field and the rotation are not exactly the same.
- athos, mount — autonomous monastic district occupying the tip of the easternmost prong of the Chalcidice peninsula, NE Greece: 130 sq mi (337 sq km); pop. 1,500
- attenborough — Sir David. born 1926, British naturalist and broadcaster; noted esp for his TV series Life on Earth (1978), The Living Planet (1983), The Life of Birds (1998), The Life of Mammals (2002), and First Life (2010)
- attitudinous — (informal) Having a bold and possibly unfriendly attitude; sassy.
- attributions — Plural form of attribution.
- au contraire — on the contrary
- auction room — a room in a building where auctions take place
- auction sale — an instance of items being sold by auction
- auction site — a commercial website on which items are sold by internet auction
- auctioneered — Simple past tense and past participle of auctioneer.
- augmentation — the act of augmenting or the state of being augmented
- auroral zone — the region surrounding the north or south geomagnetic pole in which the auroral phenomena take place.
- auscultation — the diagnostic technique in medicine of listening to the various internal sounds made by the body, usually with the aid of a stethoscope
- austronesian — of or relating to Austronesia, its peoples, or their languages
- autoanalysis — Psychoanalysis. self-analysis.
- autoanalyzer — any of various automatic devices that test and analyze chemicals, blood, etc.
- autoantibody — an antibody reacting with an antigen that is a part of the organism in which the antibody is formed
- autochangers — Plural form of autochanger.
- autochthonal — Existing where it was formed or born; native, aboriginal, indigenous.
- autochthones — Alternative spelling of autochthons.
- autochthonic — pertaining to autochthons; aboriginal; indigenous (opposed to heterochthonous).
- autogenously — In an autogenous manner; spontaneously.
- autographing — Present participle of autograph.
- autohypnosis — the process or result of self-induced hypnosis
- autohypnotic — Of or pertaining to autohypnosis; self-hypnotizing.
- autoignition — Automotive. the spontaneous ignition of fuel when introduced into the combustion chamber of an internal-combustion engine, as a result either of glowing carbon in the chamber or of the heat of compression.
- autoimmunity — (pathology, immunology) The condition where one's immune system attacks one's own tissues, i.e., an autoimmune disorder.
- autoinjector — A medical device designed to deliver a single dose of a particular, typically life-saving, drug.
- automatizing — Present participle of automatize.
- automobiling — (dated) present participle of automobile.
- autonomously — Government. self-governing; independent; subject to its own laws only. pertaining to an autonomy, or a self-governing community.
- autorotation — the continuous rotation of a body in an airflow, such as that of the rotor blades of a helicopter in an unpowered descent
- autoxidation — oxidation by exposure to atmospheric oxygen
- autumn olive — a spiny shrub (Elaeagnus umbellata) of the oleaster family, having leaves covered with silvery or brown scales
- averruncator — a long pair of shears used for pruning the higher branches of trees
- ayuntamiento — (in Spain) a municipal council
- baba gannouj — a salad of cooked eggplant, olive oil, garlic, etc.
- baba ghanouj — a Middle Eastern dish, a puree of broiled eggplant usually with garlic, lemon juice, and tahini, eaten with pita as an appetizer
- baby-bouncer — a seat on springs suspended from a door frame, etc, in which a baby may be placed for exercise
- back country — The back country is an area that is a long way from any city and has very few people living in it.
- backcourtman — any of the players stationed in the backcourt; a guard
- backgrounded — Simple past tense and past participle of background.
- backgrounder — A backgrounder is a short article in a newspaper or magazine that provides background information about a particular subject.
- backsolution — The process or result of backsolving.
- bank account — A bank account is an arrangement with a bank which allows you to keep your money in the bank and to take some out when you need it.
- banner cloud — a plume-shaped cloud extending downwind from an isolated mountain peak. Also called cloud banner. Compare cap cloud (def 1).
- banquet room — A banquet room is a room in a hotel where large formal meals for many people can be held.
- barbados nut — an ornamental, tropical American tree, Jatropha curcas, of the spurge family, having ivylike leaves, small, yellow or greenish-yellow flowers, and olive-shaped fruit yielding a purgative, poisonous oil.
- barcalounger — a type of reclinable armchair with an extendable footrest