13-letter words containing p, o, t, a, l, e
- optical fiber — optical fibre
- optical fibre — (communications) (fibre optics, FO, US "fiber", light pipe) A plastic or glass (silicon dioxide) fibre no thicker than a human hair used to transmit information using infra-red or even visible light as the carrier (usually a laser). The light beam is an electromagnetic signal with a frequency in the range of 10^14 to 10^15 Hertz. Optical fibre is less susceptible to external noise than other transmission media, and is cheaper to make than copper wire, but it is much more difficult to connect. Optical fibres are difficult to tamper with (to monitor or inject data in the middle of a connection), making them appropriate for secure communications. The light beams do not escape from the medium because the material used provides total internal reflection. See also FDDI, Optical Carrier n, SONET.
- optical mouse — (hardware) Any kind of mouse that uses visible light or infrared to detect changes in its position.
- optical wedge — a wedge-shaped filter whose transmittance decreases from one end to the other: used as an exposure control device in sensitometry.
- orthocephalic — having a medium or intermediate relation between the height of the skull and the breadth or length.
- orthoepically — In terms of correct pronunciation.
- orthopaedical — Pertaining to orthopaedics; characteristic of orthopaedia.
- osteoplasties — Plural form of osteoplasty.
- outmanipulate — to surpass in manipulation
- over-populate — to fill with an excessive number of people, straining available resources and facilities: Expanding industry has overpopulated the western suburbs.
- overpopulated — to fill with an excessive number of people, straining available resources and facilities: Expanding industry has overpopulated the western suburbs.
- overpotential — overvoltage.
- overspeculate — to engage in thought or reflection; meditate (often followed by on, upon, or a clause).
- pact of steel — a military alliance concluded between Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy on May 22, 1939, committing each to assist the other in the event of war with another power and pledging that neither would seek a separate peace or armistice.
- palaeoclimate — the climate of a prehistoric age
- palaeocrystic — consisting of former glacial formation
- palaeocurrent — an ancient current, esp of water, evidence of which has been preserved in sedimentary rocks as fossilized ripple marks, etc
- palaeontology — Palaeontology is the study of fossils as a guide to the history of life on Earth.
- paleethnology — (formerly) the branch of ethnology concerned with the earliest or most primitive human societies.
- paleo-asiatic — a member of any of various Mongoloid peoples of northeastern Asia.
- paleomagnetic — Geology. magnetic polarization acquired by the minerals in a rock at the time the rock was deposited or solidified.
- paleotropical — belonging or pertaining to a geographical division comprising the Ethiopian and Oriental regions.
- pallet loader — A device employing a vertical lift platform for the mechanical loading or unloading of pallets of freight
- palletization — to place (materials) upon pallets for handling or moving.
- palos heights — a city in NE Illinois, near Chicago.
- pantheologist — a student of, or expert in, pantheology
- paradise lost — an epic poem (1667) by John Milton.
- parallel port — (hardware) An interface from a computer system where data is transferred in or out in parallel, that is, on more than one wire. A parallel port carries one bit on each wire thus multiplying the transfer rate obtainable over a single wire. There will usually be some control signals on the port as well to say when data is ready to be sent or received. The commonest kind of parallel port is a printer port, e.g. a Centronics port which transfers eight bits at a time. Disks are also connected via special parallel ports, e.g. SCSI or IDE.
- parental home — a school for problem children.
- parietal bone — either of a pair of membrane bones forming, by their union at the sagittal suture, part of the sides and top of the skull.
- parietal lobe — the middle part of each cerebral hemisphere behind the central sulcus.
- parnell shout — a social occasion where each person in a group pays for his or her own entertainment or meal
- parquet floor — flooring made of inlaid wood
- parsons table — a square or rectangular table, often of lightweight material, with straight legs that are square in cross section and of the same thickness as the top extending from the corners flush with the top so as to appear jointless.
- parti-colored — having different colors in different areas or patches; variegated: a parti-colored dress.
- particleboard — a boardlike building material made by compressing sawdust or wood particles with a resin binder
- partitionable — a division into or distribution in portions or shares.
- party-colored — having different colors in different areas or patches; variegated: a parti-colored dress.
- pastel orange — suntan (def 3).
- pastoral care — help with personal needs and problems given by a teacher
- patent holder — a person or company that holds a patent
- patripotestal — Anthropology. of or relating to the authority exercised by a father or a father's blood relatives.
- patrol leader — the leader of a division of a troop of Scouts or Guides
- peacock plant — a plant, Calathea makoyana, native to Brazil, having leaves that are spotted on the upper surface and purple on the lower surface.
- pearl tapioca — a food substance prepared from cassava in granular, flake, pellet (pearl tapioca) or flour form, used in puddings, as a thickener, etc.
- pedicellation — having a pedicel or pedicels.
- pelletization — the act of forming or shaping into pellets
- penalty point — an endorsement on a driving licence due to a motoring offence
- peneplanation — an area reduced almost to a plain by erosion.
- pentadelphous — (of a plant) having its stamens arranged in five groups; (of stamens) being arranged in five groups