17-letter words containing p, l
- self-interpreting — to give or provide the meaning of; explain; explicate; elucidate: to interpret the hidden meaning of a parable.
- self-perpetuating — continuing oneself in office, rank, etc., beyond the normal limit.
- self-presentation — an act of presenting.
- self-preservation — preservation of oneself from harm or destruction.
- self-priming pump — A self-priming pump is a pump that will clear its passages of air and start pumping.
- 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-experimental — pertaining to, derived from, or founded on experiment: an experimental science.
- semi-monopolistic — a person who has a monopoly.
- semi-permeability — permeable only to certain small molecules: a semipermeable membrane.
- semi-professional — actively engaged in some field or sport for pay but on a part-time basis: semiprofessional baseball players.
- seminal principle — a potential, latent within an imperfect object, for attaining full development.
- sensory paralysis — impairment or loss of sensation in a part or area of the body
- separating funnel — a large funnel having a tap in its output tube, used to separate immiscible liquids
- septicemic plague — an especially dangerous form of plague in which the infecting organisms invade the bloodstream. Compare plague (def 2).
- set on a pedestal — an architectural support for a column, statue, vase, or the like.
- settlement option — any of the options, other than immediate payment in a lump sum, by which the policyholder or beneficiary may choose to have the benefits of a policy paid.
- sexual dimorphism — the condition in which the males and females in a species are morphologically different, as with many birds.
- sexual preference — Someone's sexual preference is the same as their sexual orientation.
- sheepswool sponge — wool sponge.
- shepherd's needle — a European umbelliferous plant, Scandix pectenveneris, with long needle-like fruits
- shetland pullover — a thick woollen sweater made from Shetland wool
- shetland sheepdog — one of a breed of small sheepdogs resembling a miniature collie, raised originally in the Shetland Islands.
- shipping articles — articles of agreement.
- shopping bag lady — bag lady (def 1).
- shopping-bag lady — bag lady (def 1).
- shuttle diplomacy — diplomatic negotiations carried out by a mediator who travels back and forth between the negotiating parties.
- sidewall sampling — Sidewall sampling is the process of taking a sample from the wall of the borehole.
- silk-screen print — a type of print made with a stencil and a fine mesh screen. Ink is applied to and forced through the small holes in the screen leaving the covered area free from ink
- simple microscope — a microscope having a single lens.
- simplicity itself — If you say that something is simplicity itself, you are emphasizing that it is very simple or easy.
- single supplement — A single supplement is an additional sum of money that a hotel charges for one person to stay in a room meant for two people.
- single-name paper — commercial paper bearing only the signature of the maker.
- 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
- sleeper terrorist — a terrorist who is not currently active but assumes a guise in order to be in position, unsuspected, for future terrorist activities
- sleeping position — the position that you sleep in
- sleeping problems — difficulties in getting to sleep or in staying asleep
- sleeping quarters — the rooms where people sleep in a large building or complex or on a boat etc
- sleeping sickness — Also called African sleeping sickness, African trypanosomiasis. a generally fatal disease, common in parts of Africa, characterized by fever, wasting, and progressive lethargy: caused by a parasitic protozoan, Trypanosoma gambiense or T. rhodesiense, that is carried by a tsetse fly, Glossina palpalis.
- sliding vane pump — A sliding vane pump is a pump in which the vanes (=flat parts) are the main sealing element between the suction and discharge areas.
- slip-joint pliers — pliers having a sliding joint, permitting the span of the jaws to be adjusted.
- social enterprise — a business organization that works to benefit society as a whole
- social psychology — the psychological study of social behavior, especially of the reciprocal influence of the individual and the group with which the individual interacts.
- sodium-vapor lamp — an electric lamp in which sodium vapor is activated by current passing between two electrodes, producing a yellow, glareless light: used on streets and highways.
- software platform — a major piece of software, as an operating system, an operating environment, or a database, under which various smaller application programs can be designed to run.
- spanish civil war — the civil war in Spain 1936–39.
- spanish influenza — the pandemic respiratory infection that spread throughout the world during 1917–18.
- sparc xterminal 1 — (computer) Sun's lowest cost networked Unix desktop, it is board-upgradeable to a SPARC 4. It comes with a choice of frame buffers: 8-bit colour, Turbo GX, or Turbo GX plus. This product was expected to replace the SPARCclassic X. UK availability was planned for March 1995.