17-letter words containing p, c, e
- polyvinyl acetate — a colorless, odorless, nontoxic, transparent, thermoplastic, water-insoluble resin used as an adhesive in certain paints and as an intermediate in the synthesis of polyvinyl acetal and polyvinyl alcohol.
- port orford cedar — a tall tree, Chamaecyparis lawsoniana, of coastal Oregon, having flattened, scalelike foliage and wood highly valued as timber.
- portable computer — (computer) (Commonly, "laptop") A portable personal computer you can carry with one hand. Some laptops run so hot that it would be quite uncomforable to actually use them on your lap for long. The term "notebook" is often used to describe these, though it also implies a low weight (less than 2kg). A "luggable" is one you could carry in one hand but is so heavy you wouldn't want to. One that can by easily operated while held in one hand is a "palmtop". The computer considered by most historians to be the first true portable computer was the Osborne 1 but see the link below for other contenders.
- positive electron — positron.
- positive eugenics — the study of or belief in the possibility of improving the qualities of the human species or a human population, especially by such means as discouraging reproduction by persons having genetic defects or presumed to have inheritable undesirable traits (negative eugenics) or encouraging reproduction by persons presumed to have inheritable desirable traits (positive eugenics)
- positive feedback — Electronics. the process of returning part of the output of a circuit, system, or device to the input, either to oppose the input (negative feedback) or to aid the input (positive feedback) acoustic feedback.
- post-independence — Also, independency. the state or quality of being independent.
- post-resurrection — the act of rising from the dead.
- postbaccalaureate — bachelor's degree.
- potassium acetate — a white, crystalline, deliquescent, water-soluble powder, KC 2 H 3 O 2 , used chiefly as a reagent in analytical chemistry.
- potassium cyanide — a white, granular, water-soluble, poisonous powder, KCN, having a faint almondlike odor, used chiefly in metallurgy and photography.
- prairie provinces — the Canadian provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta, which lie in the N Great Plains region of North America: the chief wheat and petroleum producing area of Canada
- pre-communication — the act or process of communicating; fact of being communicated.
- pre-concentration — the act of concentrating; the state of being concentrated.
- pre-configuration — the relative disposition or arrangement of the parts or elements of a thing.
- pre-incorporation — the act of incorporating or the state of being incorporated.
- pre-modifications — an act or instance of modifying.
- pre-qualification — a quality, accomplishment, etc., that fits a person for some function, office, or the like.
- pre-technological — of or relating to technology; relating to science and industry.
- precision bombing — aerial bombing in which bombs are dropped, as accurately as possible, on a specific, usually small, target.
- precision casting — investment casting.
- predatory pricing — If a company practises predatory pricing, it charges a much lower price for its products or services than its competitors in order to force them out of the market.
- prefect apostolic — the administrator, usually below the rank of bishop, in charge of a prefecture apostolic.
- preference shares — a share of preferred stock.
- prerogative court — a former ecclesiastical court in England and Ireland for the trial of certain testamentary cases.
- prescription drug — medication available only on doctor's instruction
- presentation copy — a copy of a book given by the publisher or author
- presiding officer — the person who presides over the Scottish Parliament or Welsh Assembly
- press association — an organization formed for the purpose of gathering news for transmittal to its members. Compare news agency.
- pressurized cabin — the cabin of an aircraft in which the air has been pressurized
- price maintenance — measures taken by manufacturers to maintain the price charged for their goods by resellers
- primary education — junior, elementary schooling
- primary processes — the generally unorganized mental activity characteristic of the unconscious and occurring in dreams, fantasies, and related processes.
- primary structure — Biochemistry. the basic sequence of amino acids in a polypeptide or protein.
- priority check-in — Priority check-in at a hotel is an arrangement which allows a guest to check in without waiting in a line.
- private detective — a detective who is not a member of an official force but is employed by private parties.
- private education — education provided by a private individual or organization, rather than by the state or a public body
- private placement — a sale of an issue of securities by the issuing company directly to a limited number of investors, often only one or two large institutional investors, such as a bank or an insurance company (opposed to public offering): required to be cleared but not registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
- private secretary — a person who attends to the individual or confidential correspondence, files, etc., of a business executive, official, or the like.
- pro forma invoice — an invoice issued before an order is placed or before the goods are delivered giving all the details and the cost of the goods
- probability curve — a curve that describes the distribution of probability over the values of a random variable.
- probation officer — an officer who investigates and reports on the conduct of offenders who are free on probation.
- product placement — Product placement is a form of advertising in which a company has its product placed where it can be clearly seen during a film or television programme.
- production number — a specialty number or routine, usually performed by the entire cast consisting of musicians, singers, dancers, stars, etc., of a musical comedy, vaudeville show, or the like.
- production system — (programming) A production system consists of a collection of productions (rules), a working memory of facts and an algorithm, known as forward chaining, for producing new facts from old. A rule becomes eligible to "fire" when its conditions match some set of elements currently in working memory. A conflict resolution strategy determines which of several eligible rules (the conflict set) fires next. A condition is a list of symbols which represent constants, which must be matched exactly; variables which bind to the thing they match and "<> symbol" which matches a field not equal to symbol. Example production systems are OPS5, CLIPS, flex.
- production values — the quality of a media production (such as a film) in regards to elements such as colours, quality, style, etc
- proficiency badge — an insignia or device granted by the Girl Scouts and worn especially on a uniform to indicate special achievement.
- profile component — attainment targets in different subjects brought together for the general assessment of a pupil
- programmed camera — a camera with electronic facilities for setting both aperture and shutter speed automatically on the basis of a through-the-lens light value and a given film speed
- project assurance — The process of specifying the support system: techniques, internal standards, measurements, tools, and training for a project; counselling the project team in the application of these elements and monitoring the adherence to the standards.