15-letter words containing p, r, e, f, n, c
- pro-confederate — united in a league, alliance, or conspiracy.
- proper fraction — a fraction having the numerator less, or lower in degree, than the denominator.
- proper function — eigenfunction.
- public defender — a lawyer appointed or elected by a city or county as a full-time, official defender to represent indigents in criminal cases at public expense.
- public offering — a sale of a new issue of securities to the general public through a managing underwriter (opposed to private placement): required to be registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
- purified cotton — bleached and sterilized cotton from which the gross impurities, such as the seeds and waxy matter, have been removed: used for surgical dressings, tampons, etc
- redfin pickerel — See under pickerel (def 1).
- reference group — a group with which an individual identifies and whose values the individual accepts as guiding principles.
- reference point — a point used to find or describe the location of something
- reference strip — a strip of film used to help calculate and monitor the exposing and processing of photographs
- respecification — the act of specifying.
- scolopendriform — resembling scolopendra
- self perception — the act or faculty of perceiving, or apprehending by means of the senses or of the mind; cognition; understanding.
- self-censorship — the act or practice of censoring.
- self-perception — the act or faculty of perceiving, or apprehending by means of the senses or of the mind; cognition; understanding.
- self-preference — the act of preferring.
- self-production — produced by oneself or itself.
- self-protection — protection of oneself or itself.
- self-respecting — You can use self-respecting with a noun describing a particular type of person to indicate that something is typical of, or necessary for, that type of person.
- simple fraction — a ratio of two integers.
- snafu principle — /sna'foo prin'si-pl/ [WWII Army acronym for "Situation Normal: All Fucked Up"] "True communication is possible only between equals, because inferiors are more consistently rewarded for telling their superiors pleasant lies than for telling the truth." - a central tenet of Discordianism, often invoked by hackers to explain why authoritarian hierarchies screw up so reliably and systematically. The effect of the SNAFU principle is a progressive disconnection of decision-makers from reality. This lightly adapted version of a fable dating back to the early 1960s illustrates the phenomenon perfectly: In the beginning was the plan, and then the specification; And the plan was without form, and the specification was void. And darkness was on the faces of the implementors thereof; And they spake unto their leader, saying: "It is a crock of shit, and smells as of a sewer." And the leader took pity on them, and spoke to the project leader: "It is a crock of excrement, and none may abide the odor thereof." And the project leader spake unto his section head, saying: "It is a container of excrement, and it is very strong, such that none may abide it." The section head then hurried to his department manager, and informed him thus: "It is a vessel of fertilizer, and none may abide its strength." The department manager carried these words to his general manager, and spoke unto him saying: "It containeth that which aideth the growth of plants, and it is very strong." And so it was that the general manager rejoiced and delivered the good news unto the Vice President. "It promoteth growth, and it is very powerful." The Vice President rushed to the President's side, and joyously exclaimed: "This powerful new software product will promote the growth of the company!" And the President looked upon the product, and saw that it was very good. After the subsequent disaster, the suits protect themselves by saying "I was misinformed!", and the implementors are demoted or fired.
- super-efficient — performing or functioning in the best possible manner with the least waste of time and effort; having and using requisite knowledge, skill, and industry; competent; capable: a reliable, efficient assistant.
- superconfidence — great or extreme confidence, overconfidence
- superefficiency — the quality or condition of being superefficient
- superficialness — being at, on, or near the surface: a superficial wound.
- surface-ripened — (of cheese) ripened on the surface by molds or other microorganisms.
- traffic pattern — Aeronautics. a system of courses about an airfield that aircraft are assigned to fly when taking off, landing, or preparing to land.
- unfair practice — unfair competition.