12-letter words containing p, r, a, u
- ashurbanipal — died ?626 bc, king of Assyria (?668–?626): son of Esarhaddon. He built the magnificent palace and library at Nineveh
- assurbanipal — Ashurbanipal
- at a premium — If something is at a premium, it is wanted or needed, but is difficult to get or achieve.
- atmospherium — an optical system used to simulate images of atmospheric phenomena, as cloud formations, storms, and day and night, on the inside of a dome.
- australopith — (archaeology, anthropology, paleonotology) Of or pertaining to the extinct hominid primates, of the genus Australopithecus, from the Pleistocene period.
- autapomorphy — (cladistics) A derived trait that is unique to a particular taxon.
- autoexposure — A device that sets the exposure automatically on a camera or other piece of equipment.
- autographing — Present participle of autograph.
- automorphism — the practice of seeing others as having the same characteristics as oneself
- bach trumpet — a modern small three-valved trumpet for playing clarino passages in Bach's music
- backpressure — a resistant pressure exerted by liquid or gas against the forward motion or flow of an exhaust or pipe system: Careful control of backpressure ensures an even supply of oil from the well.
- bankruptcies — Plural form of bankruptcy.
- barbecue pit — a trench in which wood or charcoal is burned for barbecuing
- barge couple — either of a pair of outside rafters along the gable end of a roof
- battle group — a group of warships usually consisting of at least one aircraft carrier, other surface ships, submarines, landing craft, etc
- bean sprouts — the sprouts of newly germinated mung beans, eaten as a vegetable, esp in Chinese dishes
- beauty strip — a narrow forest corridor left uncut alongside a road or body of water.
- beer parlour — a room in a tavern, hotel, etc in which beer is served
- benzal group — the bivalent group C 7 H 6 –, derived from benzaldehyde.
- black spruce — a coniferous tree, Picea mariana, of the northern regions of North America, growing mostly in cold bogs and having dark green needles
- brass plaque — a brass plate screwed to a wall or other structure and engraved with a name or other information, esp to commemorate an important event
- breastplough — a plough driven by the worker's breast, often used to pare turf
- breath group — a sequence of sounds articulated in the course of a single exhalation; an utterance or part of an utterance produced between pauses for breath.
- broad jumper — a participant in the long jump.
- buck private — a common soldier
- buck's party — a party for men only, esp one held for a man before he is married
- bumper guard — either of two vertical crosspieces attached to a bumper of a motor vehicle to prevent it from locking bumpers with another vehicle.
- bumping race — (esp at Oxford and Cambridge) a race in which rowing eights start an equal distance one behind the other and each tries to bump the boat in front
- burglarproof — safeguarded or secure against burglary.
- butter paper — a semi-transparent, waterproof paper used for wrapping butter, etc
- caliper rule — a graduated rule with one sliding jaw and one that is stationary
- camelopardus — a faint extensive constellation in the N hemisphere close to Ursa Major and Cassiopeia
- camper truck — a pickup truck having a camper mounted on the truck body.
- cap'n crunch — Captain Crunch
- caper spurge — a spurge, Euphorbia lathyris, producing latex that is considered a possible source of crude oil and gasoline.
- capitularies — Plural form of capitulary.
- capitulatory — the act of capitulating.
- capriciously — subject to, led by, or indicative of a sudden, odd notion or unpredictable change; erratic: He's such a capricious boss I never know how he'll react.
- carpophagous — feeding on fruit
- chandragupta — Greek name Sandracottos. died ?297 bc, ruler of N India, who founded the Maurya dynasty (325) and defeated Seleucus (?305)
- change purse — A change purse is a very small bag that people, especially women, keep their money in.
- chapeau bras — a small three-cornered hat, worn by gentlemen in full dress in the 18th century, that could be folded flat and carried under the arm.
- chapterhouse — the building attached to a cathedral, collegiate church, or religious house in which the chapter meets
- chorus pedal — an electronic device that creates the effect of more than one sound from a single source by combining a short delay with slight deviations in pitch
- chota nagpur — a plateau in E India, mainly in Jharkhand state since 2000: forested, with rich mineral resources and much heavy industry; produces chiefly lac (world's leading supplier), coal (half India's total output), and mica
- choux pastry — a very light pastry made with eggs, used for eclairs, etc
- cladocarpous — pleurocarpous.
- cladosporium — any of the species of fungi in the genus Cladosporium
- claim-jumper — a person who seizes another's claim of land, especially for mineral rights.
- cluster pack — a package containing a collection of related goods, sold as a single unit