12-letter words containing p, o, i, r
- parasitology — the branch of biology dealing with parasites and the effects of parasitism.
- parasol pine — stone pine (def 1).
- parasphenoid — a bone next to the sphenoid bone in the skull of some animals
- paring gouge — a woodworker's gouge having the bezel on the concave face.
- parish house — a building used by a church chiefly for administrative and social purposes.
- parity error — (storage, communications) An error discovered by the inclusion of a parity bit.
- parkinsonian — (sometimes initial capital letter) of, related to, or resembling Parkinson's disease.
- parkinsonism — Parkinson's disease.
- parma violet — a variety of the sweet violet, Viola odorata, that is the source of an essential oil used in perfumery.
- parmigianino — (Girolamo Francesco Maria Mazzola) 1503–40, Italian painter.
- paroccipital — of or relating to the part of the skull next to the mastoid process; paramastoid
- parochialise — to make parochial.
- parochialism — a parochial character, spirit, or tendency; excessive narrowness of interests or view; provincialism.
- parochialist — a parochial character, spirit, or tendency; excessive narrowness of interests or view; provincialism.
- parochialize — to make parochial.
- paroemiology — the study of proverbs
- paronomastic — the use of a word in different senses or the use of words similar in sound to achieve a specific effect, as humor or a dual meaning; punning.
- parrot tulip — a variety of the cultivated tulip Tulipa gesnerana, having variously colored, often double flowers with fringed petals.
- parsimonious — characterized by or showing parsimony; frugal or stingy.
- partial tone — one of the pure tones forming a part of a complex tone.
- participator — to take or have a part or share, as with others; partake; share (usually followed by in): to participate in profits; to participate in a play.
- particolored — having different colors in different areas or patches; variegated: a parti-colored dress.
- parting shot — a threat, insult, condemnation, sarcastic retort, or the like, uttered upon leaving.
- partitioning — Partitioning is when a solute is distributed between two phases in a separation process.
- parvifoliate — (of plants) having small leaves in comparison with the size of the stem
- pas de trois — a dance for three dancers.
- passionfruit — any edible fruit of a passionflower, as the maypop.
- patroclinous — inheritance in which the traits of the offspring are derived primarily from the paternal parent (opposed to matrocliny).
- patron saint — a saint regarded as the special guardian of a person, group, trade, country, etc.
- payout ratio — the ratio between dividends paid out and earnings per share of common stock within a time period.
- peabody bird — the white-throated sparrow.
- pearl hominy — whole or ground hulled corn from which the bran and germ have been removed by bleaching the whole kernels in a lye bath (lye hominy) or by crushing and sifting (pearl hominy)
- pectoral fin — (in fishes) either of a pair of fins usually situated behind the head, one on each side, and corresponding to the forelimbs of higher vertebrates.
- pectoriloquy — vocalization through the chest wall, indicating a cavity or consolidation of the lung
- pedomorphism — a speeding up of the rate of development, resulting in an adult form that has the appearance of its larval or juvenile ancestor.
- pelecaniform — of, or having the nature of, an order (Pelecaniformes) of swimming birds having all four toes connected in a webbed foot, including pelicans and cormorants
- pelvic floor — muscles beneath the pelvis
- pend oreille — a river in NE Washington, N Idaho, and SE British Columbia, flowing NW to the Columbia River. 130 miles (209 km) long.
- pentacrinoid — a larval crinoid resembling members of the genus Pentacrinus
- perceptional — the act or faculty of perceiving, or apprehending by means of the senses or of the mind; cognition; understanding.
- percussional — of or relating to percussion
- peremptorily — leaving no opportunity for denial or refusal; imperative: a peremptory command.
- perfectation — the action or process of becoming or causing to become perfect or complete
- perfidiously — deliberately faithless; treacherous; deceitful: a perfidious lover.
- perforations — the holes punched that allow individual stamps, coupons, etc to be easily separated
- performative — (of an expression or statement) performing an act by the very fact of being uttered, as with the expression “I promise,” that performs the act of promising.
- perfusionist — a medical technician or nurse who monitors and operates equipment that oxygenates the blood, as during open-heart surgery
- perichoresis — the relationship between or interlinking of the three Persons of the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit)
- pericynthion — the point at which a spacecraft launched from earth into a lunar orbit is nearest the moon
- perinatology — a field of medicine focusing on problems emerging during the perinatal period.