16-letter words containing p, r, e, a
- literacy project — a project, plan or scheme to increase literacy in a country, area, etc
- lizard peninsula — a promontory in SW England, in SW Cornwall: the southernmost point in Great Britain
- logical operator — any of the Boolean symbols or functions, as AND, OR, and NOT, denoting a Boolean operation; Boolean operator.
- lord proprietary — (in Colonial America) an owner, governor, or grantee of a proprietary colony
- lost-wax process — a process of investment casting in which a refractory mold is built up around a pattern of wax and then baked so as to melt and drain off the wax.
- lower palatinate — See under Palatinate (def 1).
- mach's principle — the proposition that there is no absolute space and that the inertia and acceleration of a body are determined by all of the matter of the universe.
- machine operator — someone who operates mechanical equipment
- macpherson strut — an automobile suspension-system component that consists of a strut combined with a spring and shock absorber and connects the wheel to the frame of the vehicle.
- macrolepidoptera — a collector's name for that part of the lepidoptera that comprises the butterflies and the larger moths (noctuids, geometrids, bombycids, springtails, etc): a term without taxonomic significance
- magnetic pyrites — Mineralogy. pyrrhotite.
- magnetoreceptors — Plural form of magnetoreceptor.
- make a pitch for — to give verbal support to
- malapportionment — (of a state or other political unit) poorly apportioned, especially divided, organized, or structured in a manner that prevents large sections of a population from having equitable representation in a legislative body.
- malpighian layer — the deep, germinative layer of the epidermis.
- malpractice suit — a lawsuit brought against a professional accused of illegal or unethical practices or neglect of duty
- man and superman — a comedy (1903) by G. B. Shaw.
- man booker prize — an annual prize for a work of Commonwealth or Irish fiction of £50,000, awarded as the Booker Prize from 1969–2002
- mangrove snapper — gray snapper.
- manic depression — bipolar disorder.
- manic-depressive — suffering from bipolar disorder.
- maremma sheepdog — a large strongly-built sheepdog of a breed with a long, slightly wavy, white coat
- mari el republic — a constituent republic of W central Russia, in the middle Volga basin. Capital: Yoshkar-Ola. Pop: 728 000 (2002). Area: 23 200 sq km (8955 sq miles)
- marriage partner — a person you are married to
- marriage portion — dowry.
- marseille prolog — (language) One of the two main dialects of Prolog, the other being Edinburgh Prolog. The difference is largely syntax. The original Marseille Interpreter (1973) was written in Fortran.
- matthew of paris — c1200–59, English chronicler.
- mechanoreception — The action of a mechanoreceptor.
- mechanoreceptive — Responsive to mechanical stimuli such as sound and touch.
- mechanoreceptors — Plural form of mechanoreceptor.
- media atropatene — an ancient region in NW Iran, formerly a part of Media.
- megacorporations — Plural form of megacorporation.
- megaphanerophyte — any tree with a height over 30 metres
- megasporogenesis — the formation and development of megaspores.
- menippean satire — a form of satire that is indirect and nonrealistic in approach and that consists typically of a loosely organized narrative incorporating a series of dialogues between representatives of various points of view
- menstrual cramps — pain in the lower abdomen as well as possibly in the lower back and legs associated with menstruation
- menstrual period — the bleeding from the womb that occurs approximately monthly in nonpregnant women of reproductive age
- mercantile paper — commercial paper.
- metamorphization — Process or action of metamorphizing.
- metamorphosising — Present participle of metamorphosise.
- methyl parathion — a synthetic pesticide, C 8 H 1 0 NO 5 PS, used in the control of mites and various insects, as aphids, boll weevils, and cutworms.
- microencapsulate — (transitive) To embed by means of microencapsulation.
- microgametophyte — (biology) Any gametophyte that develops from a microspore.
- microlepidoptera — a collector's name for the smaller moths: a term without taxonomic significance
- mineral deposits — amounts of minerals that occur naturally in particular areas
- miniature poodle — a breed of poodle, bred to be much smaller than standard poodles
- misapprehensions — Plural form of misapprehension.
- montpelier maple — a maple, Acer monspessulanum, that is native to southern Europe and Northwest Africa
- mortgage company — business providing loans to property buyers
- mortgage payment — instalment paid on a housebuyer's loan