16-letter words containing p, l, o, a

superior general — the superior of an order or congregation.
supernationalism — an extreme or fanatical loyalty or devotion to a nation.
supranationalism — outside or beyond the authority of one national government, as a project or policy that is planned and controlled by a group of nations.
take one's lumps — a piece or mass of solid matter without regular shape or of no particular shape: a lump of coal.
take one's place — to take up one's usual or specified position
tangential point — a point at which a geometric line, curve, plane, or curved surface touches another curve or surface but does not intersect it
terminal adaptor — (networking, hardware) (TA) Equipment used to adapt Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) Basic Rate Interface (BRI) channels to existing terminal equipment standards such as EIA-232 and V.35. A Terminal Adaptor is typically packaged like a modem, either as a stand-alone unit or as an interface card that plugs into a computer or other communications equipment (such as a router or PBX). A Terminal Adaptor does not interoperate with a modem; it replaces it.
thalamencephalon — the diencephalon.
the devil to pay — Theology. (sometimes initial capital letter) the supreme spirit of evil; Satan. a subordinate evil spirit at enmity with God, and having power to afflict humans both with bodily disease and with spiritual corruption.
the long paddock — a stockroute or roadside area offering feed to sheep and cattle in dry times
thermoacidophile — any organism, especially a type of archaebacterium, that thrives in strongly acidic environments at high temperatures.
thermoplasticity — soft and pliable when heated, as some plastics, without any change of the inherent properties.
three-point play — a play in which a player sinks the free throw that was awarded when the player was fouled while scoring a basket.
throw for a loop — a portion of a cord, ribbon, etc., folded or doubled upon itself so as to leave an opening between the parts.
tightrope walker — performer who walks on high wire
to change places — If you change places with another person, you start being in their situation or role, and they start being in yours.
to play for time — If you play for time, you try to make something happen more slowly, because you do not want it to happen or because you need time to think about what to do if it happens.
to play the fool — If you play the fool or act the fool, you behave in a playful, childish, and foolish way, usually in order to make other people laugh.
to speak volumes — If something such as an action speaks volumes about a person or thing, it gives you a lot of information about them.
topical-sentence — a sentence that expresses the essential idea of a paragraph or larger section, usually appearing at the beginning.
topsail schooner — a sailing vessel fore-and-aft rigged on all of two or more masts with square sails above the foresail, and often with a square sail before the foresail.
transport police — the national police force for railways in Britain, which protects rail operators, staff and passengers
trapezoidal rule — a numerical method for evaluating the area between a curve and an axis by approximating the area with the areas of trapezoids.
trial separation — an experimental period of living apart
triple-expansion — noting a power source, especially a steam engine, using the same fluid at three successive stages of expansion to do work in three or more cylinders.
tropical cyclone — a cyclone that originates over a tropical ocean area and can develop into the destructive storm known in the U.S. as a hurricane, in the western Pacific region as a typhoon, and elsewhere by other names. Compare extratropical cyclone, hurricane (def 1), willy-willy.
two-tailed pasha — a distinctive vanessid butterfly of S Europe, Charaxes jasius, having mottled brown wings with a yellow-orange margin and frilled hind edges
twofold purchase — a purchase using a double standing block and a double running block so as to give a mechanical advantage of four or five, neglecting friction, depending on whether the hauling is on the standing block or the running block.
typhoid bacillus — the bacterium Salmonella typhosa, causing typhoid fever.
ultramicroscopic — an instrument that uses scattering phenomena to detect the position of objects too small to be seen by an ordinary microscope.
unaccomplishable — to bring to its goal or conclusion; carry out; perform; finish: to accomplish one's mission.
unapologetically — containing an apology or excuse for a fault, failure, insult, injury, etc.: An apologetic letter to his creditors explained the delay.
under bare poles — (of a sailing vessel) with no sails set
unimpressionable — easily impressed or influenced; susceptible: an impressionable youngster.
unimproved value — the valuation of land for rating purposes, disregarding the value of buildings or other development
unproportionally — having due proportion; corresponding.
upsilon particle — the 20th letter of the Greek alphabet (Υ, υ).
vapor channeling — Vapor channeling exists when vapor flow is distributed in an unequal way in a distillation vessel or stage.
vegetable sponge — loofah (def 2).
ventriculography — radiography of the ventricles of the heart after injection of a contrast medium
videodisc player — an electronic device for playing videodiscs through a television set.
virginia cowslip — a perennial woodland plant (Mertensia virginica) of the borage family, native to E North America and having clusters of blue or purple, bell-shaped flowers
voluntary helper — a person who aids or assists in a specified function of one's own accord and without compulsion or promise of remuneration
walk a tightrope — be in a precarious position
well-compensated — to recompense for something: They gave him ten dollars to compensate him for his trouble.
willow ptarmigan — a ptarmigan, Lagopus lagopus, of arctic and subarctic regions of the New and Old Worlds, having brown, mottled plumage in summer and white plumage in winter.
windfall profits — Windfall profits are excessive profits with a non-business cause such as a natural disaster.
windowpane shell — capiz.
world bank group — the collective name for the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the International Finance Corporation, and the International Development Association, whose headquarters are all in Washington
xenotransplanted — Transplanted by xenotransplantation.

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