16-letter words containing p, r, i, s
- thermoplasticity — soft and pliable when heated, as some plastics, without any change of the inherent properties.
- three-piece suit — men's formal outfit
- thrombophlebitis — the presence of a thrombus in a vein accompanied by inflammation of the vessel wall.
- 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 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 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.
- top drive system — A top drive system is a system which includes a motor that turns the drill string, used instead of the kelly.
- 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.
- transalpine gaul — an ancient region in W Europe, including the modern areas of N Italy, France, Belgium, and the S Netherlands: consisted of two main divisions, one part S of the Alps (Cisalpine Gaul) and another part N of the Alps (Transalpine Gaul)
- transfer pricing — the setting of a price for the transfer of raw materials, components, products, or services between the trading units of a large organization
- 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 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.
- turn upside down — invert
- ultramicroscopic — an instrument that uses scattering phenomena to detect the position of objects too small to be seen by an ordinary microscope.
- un-reprehensible — deserving of reproof, rebuke, or censure; blameworthy.
- uncinate process — a curved, bony process on certain ribs of birds that projects backward and overlaps the succeeding rib, serving to strengthen the thorax.
- uncomprehensible — capable of being comprehended or understood; intelligible.
- uncompromisingly — not admitting of compromise or adjustment of differences; making no concessions; inaccessible to flexible bargaining; unyielding: an uncompromising attitude.
- underconsumption — the act of consuming, as by use, decay, or destruction.
- unimpressionable — easily impressed or influenced; susceptible: an impressionable youngster.
- union membership — members of a trade union
- united provinces — (used with a singular or plural verb) former name of Uttar Pradesh.
- unpublished work — a literary work that has not been reproduced for sale or publicly distributed.
- unrepresentative — a person or thing that represents another or others.
- unresponsiveness — responding especially readily and sympathetically to appeals, efforts, influences, etc.: a responsive government.
- upland sandpiper — a large, field-inhabiting sandpiper, Bartramia longicauda, of eastern North America, resembling a plover: now protected and increasing in numbers.
- upsilon particle — the 20th letter of the Greek alphabet (Υ, υ).
- vapor combustion — Vapor combustion is a closed burn system used for treating liquid waste which contains volatile organic compounds.
- verneuil process — a process for making synthetic rubies, sapphires, spinels, etc., by the fusion at high temperatures of powdered compounds.
- videodisc player — an electronic device for playing videodiscs through a television set.
- virginia cowslip — a perennial woodland plant (Mertensia virginica) of the borage family, native to E North America and having clusters of blue or purple, bell-shaped flowers
- visible spectrum — the range of wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation that is normally visible, from 380 to 760 nm.
- vitruvius pollio — Marcus, flourished 1st century b.c, Roman architect, engineer, and author.
- washing-up water — water used for washing dishes
- water-base paint — latex paint.
- weatherstripping — A piece of weatherstrip material.
- west springfield — a city in SW Massachusetts, near Springfield.
- whited sepulcher — an evil person who feigns goodness; hypocrite. Matt. 23:27.
- whited sepulchre — hypocrite
- windfall profits — Windfall profits are excessive profits with a non-business cause such as a natural disaster.
- windscreen wiper — A windscreen wiper is a device that wipes rain from a vehicle's windscreen.
- windshield wiper — an electrically or pneumatically operated device consisting of a squeegee connected to a mechanical arm designed to wipe off rain, snow, etc., from a windshield or rear window.
- windward passage — a strait in the West Indies, between Cuba and Haiti. 50 miles (80 km) wide.
- wisconsin rapids — a city in central Wisconsin.