12-letter words containing o, y, s, t
- oral history — information of historical or sociological importance obtained usually by tape-recorded interviews with persons whose experiences and memories are representative or whose lives have been of special significance.
- oral society — a society that has not developed literacy
- orchestrally — In an orchestral manner.
- origin story — a backstory, or established background narrative, that informs the identity and motivations of heroes and villains in a comic book or similar fictional work: The superhero’s origin story begins with a tragic accident that left him scarred, but also resulted in his supernatural powers.
- ornithoscopy — divination from the observation of birds
- oscillometry — an instrument for measuring oscillations, especially those of the arterial pulse.
- osteichthyes — the class comprising the bony fishes.
- out of style — no longer fashionable
- outlandishly — In an outlandish manner.
- outrageously — In an outrageous manner; to an outrageous degree.
- overmodestly — in an extremely modest manner
- oversubtlety — the quality of being too subtle
- owen stanley — a mountain range on New Guinea in SE Papua New Guinea. Highest peak, Mt. Victoria, 13,240 feet (4036 meters).
- oyster plant — salsify.
- oyster sauce — thick oyster-flavoured Asian relish
- oyster shell — oyster's hard outer covering
- oyster white — a slightly grayish white; off-white.
- palynologist — the study of live and fossil spores, pollen grains, and similar plant structures.
- pantisocracy — a community, social group, etc, in which all have rule and everyone is equal
- parasitology — the branch of biology dealing with parasites and the effects of parasitism.
- passionately — having, compelled by, or ruled by intense emotion or strong feeling; fervid: a passionate advocate of socialism.
- pastry board — a flat board on which pastry is rolled
- pearl oyster — any of several marine bivalve mollusks of the family Pteriidae, some of which form pearls of great value, inhabiting waters of eastern Asia and off the coasts of Panama and Baja California.
- penalty shot — a free shot at the goal defended only by the goalkeeper, awarded to an offensive player for certain defensive violations.
- penalty spot — a point within the penalty area and 12 yards (about 11 m) from the goal, from which a penalty kick may be taken
- penny stocks — Penny stocks are high-risk stock that sells for a very low price outside of the main stock exchange.
- perspiratory — of, relating to, or stimulating perspiration.
- petrophysics — the analysis of the constitution and characteristics of rocks
- phagocytoses — phagocytize.
- phagocytosis — Physiology. the ingestion of a smaller cell or cell fragment, a microorganism, or foreign particles by means of the local infolding of a cell's membrane and the protrusion of its cytoplasm around the fold until the material has been surrounded and engulfed by closure of the membrane and formation of a vacuole: characteristic of amebas and some types of white blood cells.
- phenocrystic — relating to a phenocryst
- phosphatidyl — an atom or group of atoms containing one or more unpaired electrons derived from a phosphatide
- photoanalyst — a person who analyzes and interprets photographs, especially a military specialist in aerial or satellite photography.
- phototypeset — to set (type matter) by phototypesetting
- phrontistery — a place or establishment for thinking, studying, or learning
- phycologists — the branch of botany dealing with algae.
- physiologist — a specialist in physiology.
- physogastric — pertaining to the swollen, membranous abdomen of certain insects, especially termite and ant queens.
- physostomous — having the mouth and air bladder connected by an air duct.
- phytobenthos — microscopic plants that live in the bottom of the ocean
- phytogenesis — the origin and development of plants.
- phytophagous — herbivorous.
- pityrosporum — a genus of fungi that live on the skin, esp that of the scalp and face, present in conditions such as dandruff and dermatitis
- plastocyanin — a blue protein found in green plants and in some bacteria
- play clothes — clothes that are suitable for playing in
- pneumatocyst — the cavity of a pneumatophore.
- pneumocystis — any protozoan of the genus Pneumocystis, esp P. carinii, which is a cause of pneumonia in people whose immune defences have been lowered by drugs or a disease
- point system — Printing. a system for grading the sizes of type bodies, leads, etc., that employs the point as a unit of measurement. Compare point (def 48a).
- polycentrism — the doctrine that a plurality of independent centers of leadership, power, or ideology may exist within a single political system, especially Communism.
- polychaetous — of or relating to the genus Polychaeta