16-letter words containing p, o, t, s

the gospel truth — the unquestionable truth
the great powers — the states or nations of the world with the most economic, political and military strength
the heavens open — If the heavens open, it suddenly starts raining very heavily.
the opposite sex — women in relation to men or men in relation to women
the preconscious — preconscious mental activity
the yellow press — (formerly) popular newspapers publishing sensational stories
theatre workshop — a theatre company that is noted for the unconventional theatrical performances it puts on, especially with reference to a company based in the East End of London from 1953 to 1973 that was founded in 1945 by Joan Littlewood
thermoplasticity — soft and pliable when heated, as some plastics, without any change of the inherent properties.
thrombophlebitis — the presence of a thrombus in a vein accompanied by inflammation of the vessel wall.
through-composed — having different music for each verse: a through-composed song. Compare strophic (def 2).
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 coin a phrase — You say 'to coin a phrase' to show that you realize you are making a pun or using a cliché.
to compare notes — If you compare notes with someone on a particular subject, you talk to them and find out whether their opinion, information, or experience is the same as yours.
to dip your toes — If you dip your toes into something or dip your toes into the waters of something, you start doing that thing slowly and carefully, because you are not sure whether it will be successful or whether you will like it.
to get bad press — If someone or something gets bad press, they are criticized, especially in the newspapers, on television, or on radio. If they get good press, they are praised.
to keep a secret — If you say that someone can keep a secret, you mean that they can be trusted not to tell other people a secret that you have told them.
to lose the plot — If someone loses the plot, they become confused and do not know what they should do.
to pass judgment — If you pass judgment on someone or something, you give your opinion about it, especially if you are making a criticism.
to pass the buck — If you pass the buck, you refuse to accept responsibility for something, and say that someone else is responsible.
to pass the time — If you do something to pass the time you do it because you have some time available and not because you really want to do it.
to pay dividends — If something pays dividends, it brings advantages at a later date.
to put sth right — If you put something right, you correct something that was wrong or that was causing problems.
to rest in peace — If you express the wish that a dead person may rest in peace, you are showing respect and sympathy for him or her. 'Rest in peace' or 'RIP' is also sometimes written on gravestones.
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.
to spend a penny — If someone says that they are going to spend a penny, they mean that they are going to go to the toilet.
to stop short of — If someone stops short of doing something, they come close to doing it but do not actually do it.
tongue depressor — a broad, thin piece of wood used by doctors to hold down the patient's tongue during an examination of the mouth and throat.
top drive system — A top drive system is a system which includes a motor that turns the drill string, used instead of the kelly.
topical-sentence — a sentence that expresses the essential idea of a paragraph or larger section, usually appearing at the beginning.
topless swimsuit — swimsuit which has no covering for the breasts
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.
torsion pendulum — a pendulum the weight of which is rotated alternately in opposite directions through a horizontal plane by the torsion of the suspending rod or spring: used for clocks intended to run a long time between windings.
transfer company — a company that transports people or luggage for a relatively short distance, as between terminals of two railroad lines.
transition point — Physics. a temperature at which a substance undergoes some abrupt change in its properties, as when it passes from the normal to the superconducting state.
transpeptidation — the process of transferring an amino acid or group of amino acids from one compound to another.
transport number — that fraction of the total electric current that anions and cations carry in passing through an electrolytic solution.
transport police — the national police force for railways in Britain, which protects rail operators, staff and passengers
trap-door spider — any of several burrowing spiders, of the family Ctenizidae, that construct a tubular nest with a hinged lid.
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.
troop the colors — to parade the colors, or flag, before troops
turn upside down — invert
two-party system — a political system consisting chiefly of two major parties, more or less equal in strength.
two-pot screamer — a person easily influenced by alcohol
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.
uncinate process — a curved, bony process on certain ribs of birds that projects backward and overlaps the succeeding rib, serving to strengthen the thorax.
undercompensated — to compensate or pay less than is fair, customary, or expected.

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