13-letter words containing p, a, c, t
- auction pitch — a variety of all fours in which players bid to determine the trump or pitch.
- autapomorphic — (biology) Describing any characteristic that has evolved in only a single species (or other taxon).
- autocephalous — (of an Eastern Christian Church) governed by its own national synods and appointing its own patriarchs or prelates
- autographical — Relating to, or used in, the process of autography.
- autoprojector — (theory) A self-applicable partial evaluator.
- back-up light — a light on the rear of a motor vehicle to warn others that the vehicle is being reversed
- bacteriophage — a virus that is parasitic in a bacterium and multiplies within its host, which is destroyed when the new viruses are released
- bacteriophagy — the action of a bacteriophage
- bacterioscopy — the examination of bacteria with a microscope.
- badminton cup — a long refreshing drink of claret with soda water and sugar
- balanced step — any of a series of staircase winders so planned that they are nearly as wide at the inside of the stair as the adjacent fliers.
- band spectrum — a spectrum consisting of a number of bands of closely spaced lines that are associated with emission or absorption of radiation by molecules
- baroreceptors — Plural form of baroreceptor.
- batch-process — to perform batch processing on (files)
- benthopelagic — relating to species living at the bottom of the sea
- berber carpet — a type of plain coloured carpeting, usually cream, oatmeal or light brown
- best practice — Best practice is the way of running a business or providing a service that is recognized as correct or most effective.
- beta particle — a high-speed electron or positron emitted by a nucleus during radioactive decay or nuclear fission
- beta receptor — a receptor, found on the surface of some cells of the sympathetic nervous system, that is stimulated by certain adrenergic substances: such stimulation results in certain physiological responses, such as acceleration of the action of the heart and dilatation of the arteries supplying heart and skeletal muscles
- beta-receptor — a site on a cell, as of the heart, that, upon interaction with epinephrine or norepinephrine, controls heartbeat and heart contractability, vasodilation, smooth muscle inhibition, and other physiological processes.
- biocompatible — not rejected by the body
- black panther — (in the US) a member of a militant Black political party (1965–82) founded to end the political dominance of White people
- block capital — a sans-serif letter with lines of uniform weight.
- boycott apple — (legal) Some time before 1989, Apple Computer, Inc. started a lawsuit against Hewlett-Packard and Microsoft, claiming they had breeched Apple's copyright on the look and feel of the Macintosh user interface. In December 1989, Xerox failed to sue Apple Computer, claiming that the software for Apple's Lisa computer and Macintosh Finder, both copyrighted in 1987, were derived from two Xerox programs: Smalltalk, developed in the mid-1970s and Star, copyrighted in 1981. Apple wanted to stop people from writing any program that worked even vaguely like a Macintosh. If such look and feel lawsuits succeed they could put an end to free software that could substitute for commercial software. In the weeks after the suit was filed, Usenet reverberated with condemnation for Apple. GNU supporters Richard Stallman, John Gilmore and Paul Rubin decided to take action against Apple. Apple's reputation as a force for progress came from having made better computers; but The League for Programming Freedom believed that Apple wanted to make all non-Apple computers worse. They therefore campaigned to discourage people from using Apple products or working for Apple or any other company threatening similar obstructionist tactics (e.g. Lotus and Xerox). Because of this boycott the Free Software Foundation for a long time didn't support Macintosh Unix in their software. In 1995, the LPF and the FSF decided to end the boycott.
- brachypterous — having very short or incompletely developed wings
- brachytherapy — a form of radiotherapy in which sealed sources of radioactive material are inserted temporarily into body cavities or directly into tumours
- bracket creep — an advance into a higher income tax bracket resulting from an increase in nominal income: the higher taxes, when combined with the effects of inflation, may produce a decline in real income
- breast pocket — The breast pocket of a man's coat or jacket is a pocket, usually on the inside, next to his chest.
- breeches part — a male role played by an actress.
- butcher paper — heavy, moisture-resistant paper, as used for wrapping meat.
- c corporation — A C corporation is a type of corporation which is taxed on its income.
- cainotophobia — Alternative form of cainophobia.
- calligraphist — fancy penmanship, especially highly decorative handwriting, as with a great many flourishes: She appreciated the calligraphy of the 18th century.
- callithumpian — relating to or resembling a callithump
- camp-drafting — a competitive test, esp at an agricultural show, of horsemen's skill in drafting cattle
- campanologist — the principles or art of making bells, bell ringing, etc.
- camping stool — a stool which is suitable for use in temporary quarters, on holiday, etc, esp by being portable and easy to set up
- camping stove — a portable stove powered by butane gas canisters, designed to be used for cooking while camping
- campylobacter — a rod-shaped bacterium that causes infections in cattle and man. Unpasteurized milk infected with campylobacter is a common cause of gastroenteritis
- candidateship — candidature
- candy striper — a volunteer worker in a hospital
- candy-striped — (esp of clothing fabric) having narrow coloured stripes on a white background
- candy-striper — a person, often a teenager, who works as a volunteer in a hospital.
- cap-and-trade — denoting a scheme which allows companies with high greenhouse gas emissions to buy an emission allowance from companies which have fewer emissions, in a bid to reduce the overall impact to the environment
- cape hatteras — a promontory off the E coast of North Carolina, on Hatteras Island, which is situated between Pamlico Sound and the Atlantic: known as the "Graveyard of the Atlantic" for its danger to shipping
- cape-flattery — Cape, a cape in NW Washington, on the Olympic Peninsula, at the entrance to Juan de Fuca Strait.
- capellmeister — a person in charge of an orchestra, esp in an 18th-century princely household
- capital asset — fixed asset.
- capital gains — Capital gains are the profits that you make when you buy something and then sell it again at a higher price.
- capital goods — Capital goods are used to make other products. Compare consumer goods.