13-letter words containing r, e, p, l
- open interval — (mathematics) A type of interval (range of numbers) that does not include either of its endpoints. For example, when mixing red and blue paint, the proportion of red lies in the interval 0% to 100% but can't be exactly 0% or 100% or it wouldn't be a mixture.
- open learning — a system of further education on a flexible part-time basis
- openheartedly — Alt form open-heartedly.
- opera glasses — small binoculars
- operationally — able to function or be used; functional: How soon will the new factory be operational?
- optical drive — optical disk drive
- optical fiber — optical fibre
- optical fibre — (communications) (fibre optics, FO, US "fiber", light pipe) A plastic or glass (silicon dioxide) fibre no thicker than a human hair used to transmit information using infra-red or even visible light as the carrier (usually a laser). The light beam is an electromagnetic signal with a frequency in the range of 10^14 to 10^15 Hertz. Optical fibre is less susceptible to external noise than other transmission media, and is cheaper to make than copper wire, but it is much more difficult to connect. Optical fibres are difficult to tamper with (to monitor or inject data in the middle of a connection), making them appropriate for secure communications. The light beams do not escape from the medium because the material used provides total internal reflection. See also FDDI, Optical Carrier n, SONET.
- oropharyngeal — the part of the pharynx between the soft palate and the upper edge of the epiglottis.
- orthocephalic — having a medium or intermediate relation between the height of the skull and the breadth or length.
- orthoepically — In terms of correct pronunciation.
- orthopaedical — Pertaining to orthopaedics; characteristic of orthopaedia.
- over-planning — a scheme or method of acting, doing, proceeding, making, etc., developed in advance: battle plans.
- over-populate — to fill with an excessive number of people, straining available resources and facilities: Expanding industry has overpopulated the western suburbs.
- overamplified — amplified too much, causing distortion or discomfort, etc
- overappraisal — An appraisal that overvalues something.
- overdeveloped — Simple past tense and past participle of overdevelop.
- overflow pipe — a pipe which discharges excess or leaking water safely
- overland park — a town in E Kansas, near Kansas City.
- overpedalling — the overuse of the piano's pedals
- overpopulated — to fill with an excessive number of people, straining available resources and facilities: Expanding industry has overpopulated the western suburbs.
- overpotential — overvoltage.
- overspeculate — to engage in thought or reflection; meditate (often followed by on, upon, or a clause).
- painterliness — the quality of being painterly
- palaeocrystic — consisting of former glacial formation
- palaeocurrent — an ancient current, esp of water, evidence of which has been preserved in sedimentary rocks as fossilized ripple marks, etc
- paleosiberian — a group of languages comprising those languages of Siberia that are not affiliated with Indo-European, Altaic, Uralic, or Eskimo-Aleut and including the Chukotian family and the unrelated language isolates Ket, Nivkh, and Yukaghir; Paleo-Asiatic.
- paleotropical — belonging or pertaining to a geographical division comprising the Ethiopian and Oriental regions.
- pallet loader — A device employing a vertical lift platform for the mechanical loading or unloading of pallets of freight
- pandora shell — any marine bivalve of the genus Pandora, having a scimitar-shaped shell with a pronounced ridge along the hinge.
- pantagruelian — (in Rabelais' Pantagruel) the huge son of Gargantua, represented as dealing with serious matters in a spirit of broad and somewhat cynical good humor.
- pantagruelism — (in Rabelais' Pantagruel) the huge son of Gargantua, represented as dealing with serious matters in a spirit of broad and somewhat cynical good humor.
- pantie girdle — a girdle with a crotch.
- papaprelatist — a supporter of papal prelates
- paper lantern — a lantern made from paper (shading a candle etc); often hung at Chinese and Japanese festivals
- paper-clipped — to fasten together with one or more paper clips: Paper-clip these letters and file them.
- paper-shelled — having a thin, easily broken shell: paper-shelled nuts.
- paradise lost — an epic poem (1667) by John Milton.
- parainfluenza — an influenzalike respiratory infection of animals and humans, caused by any of several paramyxoviruses.
- paralipomenon — Chronicles.
- parallel bars — (used with a plural verb) a gymnasium apparatus consisting of two wooden bars on uprights, adjustable in height, and used for swinging, vaulting, balancing exercises, etc.
- parallel play — a form of play in which a very young child plays independently in the presence of another child or other children.
- parallel port — (hardware) An interface from a computer system where data is transferred in or out in parallel, that is, on more than one wire. A parallel port carries one bit on each wire thus multiplying the transfer rate obtainable over a single wire. There will usually be some control signals on the port as well to say when data is ready to be sent or received. The commonest kind of parallel port is a printer port, e.g. a Centronics port which transfers eight bits at a time. Disks are also connected via special parallel ports, e.g. SCSI or IDE.
- parallel turn — a turn, executed by shifting one's weight, in which the skis stay parallel
- parallel-park — to park directly behind another vehicle
- parallelistic — of, relating to, or of the nature of a parallelism.
- parallelogram — a quadrilateral having both pairs of opposite sides parallel to each other.
- paraphernalia — (sometimes used with a singular verb) equipment, apparatus, or furnishing used in or necessary for a particular activity: a skier's paraphernalia.
- paraphrasable — a restatement of a text or passage giving the meaning in another form, as for clearness; rewording.
- parasexuality — parasexual behaviour