17-letter words containing p, i, r, o
- repertory society — a group that supports amateur performances of plays by its members
- reported question — A reported question is a question which is reported using a clause beginning with a word such as 'why' or 'whether', as in 'I asked her why she'd done it'.
- reproductive cell — gamete.
- republic of china — People's Republic of, a country in E Asia. 3,691,502 sq. mi. (9,560,990 sq. km). Capital: Beijing.
- republic of korea — a former country in E Asia, on a peninsula SE of Manchuria and between the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea: a kingdom prior to 1910; under Japanese rule 1910–45; now divided at 38° N into North Korea and South Korea. Compare Korean War.
- republic of palau — a republic comprising a group of islands in the W Pacific, in the W Caroline Islands; administratively part of the UN Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands 1947–87; entered into an agreement of free association with the US (1980); became fully independent in 1994. Chief island: Babelthuap. Capital: Ngerulmud on Babelthuap (functions moved from Koror in 2006). Pop: 21 108 (2013 est). Area: 476 sq km (184 sq miles)
- republic of yemen — Republic of, a country in S Arabia, formed in 1990 by the merger of the Yemen Arab Republic and the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen. 207,000 sq. mi. (536,130 sq. km). Capital: Aden.
- republic-of-china — People's Republic of, a country in E Asia. 3,691,502 sq. mi. (9,560,990 sq. km). Capital: Beijing.
- res ipsa loquitur — the rule that an injury is due to the defendant's negligence when that which caused it was under his or her control or management and the injury would not have happened had proper management been observed.
- rescue operations — operations or organized procedures to bring people or a person out of danger, attack, harm, etc
- respiratory chain — a series of mitochondrial proteins that transport electrons of hydrogen, released in the Krebs cycle, from acetyl coenzyme A to inhaled oxygen to form H 2 O: the energy released in the process is conserved as ATP.
- respiratory tract — the passages through which air enters and leaves the body
- reticulate python — a python, Python reticulatus, of southeastern Asia and the East Indies, sometimes growing to a length of 32 feet (10 meters): usually considered to be the largest snake in the world.
- return of capital — A return of capital is a situation in which you receive back money that was previously invested.
- return on capital — A return on capital is any earnings that you receive from the capital that you have invested.
- rhodope mountains — a mountain range in SE Europe, in the Balkan Peninsula extending along the border between Bulgaria and Greece. Highest peak: Golyam Perelik (Bulgaria), 2191 m (7188 ft)
- ribbon microphone — a microphone that utilizes a metal ribbon suspended in a magnetic field.
- ribonucleoprotein — a substance composed of RNA in close association with protein; a nucleoprotein containing RNA. Abbreviation: RNP.
- rocket propulsion — propulsion of an object by thrust developed by a rocket.
- role-playing game — a game in which participants adopt the roles of imaginary characters in an adventure under the direction of a Game Master.
- roll with a punch — to move in the same direction as a punch thrown at one so as to lessen its force
- roseate spoonbill — a tropical New World spoonbill, Ajaia ajaja, having rose-colored plumage and a bare head.
- rotation of crops — a system of rotating in a fixed order the kinds of crops, as grain or grass, grown in the same field, to maintain soil fertility
- round-trip ticket — a ticket entitling a passenger to travel to his or her destination and back again
- rubber plantation — an estate in a tropical country where rubber trees are grown on a large scale
- sacrifice paddock — a grassed area allowed to be grazed completely, to be cultivated and resown later
- safety precaution — a precaution that is taken in order to ensure that something is safe and not dangerous
- saint christopher — Saint, died a.d. c250, Christian martyr.
- scheme repository — A collection of free Scheme programs.
- schizophrenogenic — causative of schizophrenia.
- scrophulariaceous — belonging to the Scrophulariaceae, the figwort family of plants.
- self-appreciation — gratitude; thankful recognition: They showed their appreciation by giving him a gold watch.
- self-presentation — an act of presenting.
- self-preservation — preservation of oneself from harm or destruction.
- self-purification — a natural process of purifying, as the ability of a body of water to rid itself of pollutants.
- self-reproduction — the act or process of reproducing.
- semi-biographical — of or relating to a person's life: He's gathering biographical data for his book on Milton.
- semi-professional — actively engaged in some field or sport for pay but on a part-time basis: semiprofessional baseball players.
- sensitivity group — a group of persons participating in sensitivity training.
- sensory paralysis — impairment or loss of sensation in a part or area of the body
- separation center — a place at which military personnel are processed for release from active service.
- separation energy — binding energy (def 1).
- sexual dimorphism — the condition in which the males and females in a species are morphologically different, as with many birds.
- shooting practice — practice in shooting for soldiers or other people who shoot guns
- shopping precinct — pedestrian area with shops
- simple microscope — a microscope having a single lens.
- sino-japanese war — the war (1894–95) between China and Japan over the control of Korea that resulted in the nominal independence of Korea and the Chinese cession to Japan of Formosa and the Pescadores.
- six-speed gearbox — a gearbox containing a system of six gears
- slap on the wrist — a sharp blow or smack, especially with the open hand or with something flat.
- sleep deprivation — a condition in which you have not had enough sleep