14-letter words containing p, r, a, w
- pascal's wager — the argument put forth by Blaise Pascal that it is in one's best interest to believe in the existence of God, as it is a rational assumption and does no harm, and the possibility of eternal punishment in hell outweighs any advantage of believing otherwise.
- peacock-flower — royal poinciana.
- pelican-flower — a woody vine, Aristolochia grandiflora, of the West Indies, having heart-shaped leaves and purple-spotted, purple-veined flowers from 18 to 24 inches (46 to 61 cm) wide with a long, taillike structure at the tip of the corolla.
- peninsular war — the war (1808–14) fought in the Iberian Peninsula by British, Portuguese, and Spanish forces against the French, resulting in the defeat of the French: part of the Napoleonic Wars
- perimeter wall — a wall that serves as a boundary around something
- permanent wave — existing perpetually; everlasting, especially without significant change.
- persian walnut — English walnut.
- phase-wrapping — (MIT) wrap around.
- play with fire — a state, process, or instance of combustion in which fuel or other material is ignited and combined with oxygen, giving off light, heat, and flame.
- porcelain ware — articles made of porcelain, such as plates and cups
- postnatal ward — a ward in a hospital where women and their babies are provided with medical care immediately after the birth of the baby
- powder compact — make-up: small case of foundation
- powdered sugar — a sugar produced by pulverizing granulated sugar, especially a coarser variety used for fruits or cold beverages. Symbol: XX.
- power-assisted — a procedure for supplementing or replacing the manual effort needed to operate a device or system, often by hydraulic, electrical, or mechanical means.
- prawn cocktail — A prawn cocktail is a dish that consists of prawns, salad, and a sauce. It is usually eaten at the beginning of a meal.
- prawn-sandwich — characterizing or belonging to the type of spectator at a football match who is motivated to attend more by the corporate hospitality available than a true devotion to a particular club
- preventive law — consultation, as between lawyer and client, to prevent future litigation by dispensing legal advice, clarifying the terms of a contract, etc.
- preventive war — an attack against a possible enemy to prevent an attack by that enemy at a later time.
- primary growth — growth in vascular plants, especially an increase in length, that results from cell division and differentiation of an apical meristem.
- profit warning — a public announcement made by a company to shareholders and others warning that profits for a stated period will be much lower than had been expected
- propeller wash — the backwash from a propeller.
- public welfare — state aid to the poor
- railway police — the branch of the police force specializing in maintaining law and order and detecting crime on the railways
- railway porter — a person employed to carry luggage, parcels, supplies, etc at a railway station
- reactive power — Reactive power is the part of complex power that corresponds to storage and retrieval of energy rather than consumption.
- residual power — power retained by a governmental authority after certain powers have been delegated to other authorities.
- rip van winkle — (in a story by Washington Irving) a ne'er-do-well who sleeps 20 years and upon waking is startled to find how much the world has changed.
- ruby-tail wasp — any of various brightly coloured wasps of the family Chrysididae, having a metallic sheen, which parasitize bees and other solitary wasps
- saffron powder — the dried stigmas of the saffron crushed into powder, used to flavour or colour food
- sewing pattern — a guide or diagram that you follow to make clothes or other things using a needle and thread
- shrink-wrapped — A shrink-wrapped product is sold in a tight covering of thin plastic.
- spanner wrench — a spanner with a fixed opening that cannot be adjusted to different sizes
- sparkling wine — a wine that is naturally carbonated by a second fermentation.
- speak well for — to say or indicate something favorable about
- spectra yellow — a vivid yellow color.
- telegraph wire — a wire that transmits telegraph and telephone signals
- the lower paid — people who do not earn a lot of money
- the phoney war — a period of apparent calm and inactivity, esp the period at the beginning of World War II
- tripolitan war — a war (1801–05) that Tripoli declared on the United States because of American refusal to pay tribute for the safe passage of shipping in Barbary Coastal waters.
- trumpeter swan — a large, pure-white, wild swan, Cygnus buccinator, of North America, having a sonorous cry: once near extinction, the species is now recovering.
- two-name paper — commercial paper having more than one obligor, usually a maker and endorser, both of whom are fully liable.
- unpraiseworthy — not worthy of praise
- upwards of sth — A quantity that is upwards of a particular number is more than that number.
- vesper sparrow — a common finch, Pooecetes gramineus, of fields and pastures in North America, noted for its evening song.
- waiting period — a specified delay, required by law, between officially stating an intention and acting on it, as between securing a marriage license and getting married.
- walkaround pay — extra pay earned by an employee for accompanying an official inspector on a plant tour or around a job site.
- walking papers — notice of dismissal
- wall pellitory — pellitory (sense 1)
- walpurgisnacht — (especially in medieval German folklore) the evening preceding the feast day of St. Walpurgis, when witches congregated, especially on the Brocken.
- war department — the department of the federal government that, from 1789 until 1947, was responsible for defense and the military establishment: in 1947 it became the Department of the Army, which became part of the Department of Defense when it was established in 1949.