12-letter words containing p, a, n, e
- sloped roman — a roman (vertical) typeface, usually sans serif, i.e. without the small, decorative, terminal strokes with which some typefaces are designed. The typeface is made to slope (usually to the right), but not generally to the same degree as a true italic typeface
- snail's pace — an extremely slow rate: The work progresses at a snail's pace.
- snake-hipped — having thin, sinuous hips.
- snappishness — the quality of being sharp or irritable
- snobographer — a person who writes about snobs
- snow leopard — a long-haired, leopardlike feline, Panthera (Uncia) uncia, of mountain ranges of central Asia, having a relatively small head and a thick, creamy-gray coat with rosette spots: an endangered species.
- soprano clef — a sign locating middle C on the bottom line of the staff.
- space-saving — that saves space.
- spaciousness — containing much space, as a house, room, or vehicle; amply large.
- spade guinea — a guinea decorated with a spade-shaped shield, coined during the reign of George III
- spanish heel — a high, curved heel with a straight heel breast, used on women's shoes.
- spanish rice — rice prepared with chopped onions, tomatoes, green peppers, and sometimes diced ham, seasoned with cayenne pepper and mixed with butter.
- spatter cone — a low, steep-sided volcanic cone built up of droplets or blobs of lava erupted from a fissure or vent.
- speakerphone — a telephone or telephone attachment equipped with both loudspeaker and microphone, thus permitting the instrument to be used without being held.
- spearfishing — any of several fishes of the genus Tetrapturus, resembling the sailfish but having the first dorsal fin much less developed: inhabiting all seas, but rare.
- spearheading — the sharp-pointed head that forms the piercing end of a spear.
- specialising — to pursue some special line of study, work, etc.; have a specialty: The doctor specializes in gastroenterology.
- speciational — relating to speciation
- speech organ — any part of the body, as the tongue, velum, diaphragm, or lungs, that participates, actively or passively, voluntarily or involuntarily, in the production of the sounds of speech.
- speed dating — an organized social event in which participants have one-on-one conversations typically limited to less than ten minutes, for the purpose of meeting people they would like to date.
- speedballing — the practice of taking cocaine and heroin together intravenously
- speedboating — the act, practice, or sport of traveling in a speedboat.
- speedskating — a form of ice skating in which contestants race against each other or the clock over various distances
- spermagonium — Botany, Mycology. spermogonium.
- spermatozoon — one of the minute, usually actively motile gametes in semen, which serve to fertilize the ovum; a mature male reproductive cell.
- sphacelation — the process of mortification
- sphenography — the art of writing in cuneiform characters.
- sphincterial — relating to a sphincter
- spider plant — Also called ribbon plant. a plant, Chlorophytum comosum, of the lily family, native to southern Africa, that has long, narrow leaves and clusters of white flowers and is widely cultivated as a houseplant.
- spin machine — an organization or group of people acting together to present news or information in a way that creates a particular desired impression
- spinach beet — chard, a plant cultivated for its edible leaves
- spinal nerve — any of a series of paired nerves that originate in the nerve roots of the spinal cord and emerge from the vertebrae on both sides of the spinal column, each branching out to innervate a specific region of the neck, trunk, or limbs.
- splatterpunk — a form of fiction featuring extremely graphic violence.
- splenization — the transformation of something into a spleenlike tissue
- splenomegaly — enlargement of the spleen.
- sponged ware — spongeware.
- sprechgesang — a vocal style intermediate between speech and singing but without exact pitch intonation.
- spring break — a vacation from school or college during the spring term, lasting about a week.
- spring water — water from natural underground source
- spring-clean — to subject (a place) to a spring-cleaning.
- spur gearing — a system of spur gears.
- square piano — a piano with a rectangular, horizontal body.
- stanley pool — a lake between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Congo-Brazzaville, formed by a widening of the River Congo. Area: 829 sq km (320 sq miles)
- state prison — a prison maintained by a state for the confinement of felons.
- statesperson — a statesman or stateswoman, a respected senior politician
- stauropegion — (in an autocephalous church) a monastery subject directly to the primate.
- steganograph — a piece of coded writing; cipher
- stenographer — a person who specializes in taking dictation in shorthand.
- stenographic — the art of writing in shorthand.
- stenophagous — (of an animal) feeding on a limited variety of foods (opposed to euryphagous).