17-letter words containing r, h, i
- thistle butterfly — any nymphalid butterfly of the genus Vanessa, as the red admiral or painted lady.
- thought-provoking — If something such as a book or a film is thought-provoking, it contains interesting ideas that make people think seriously.
- three mile island — an island in the Susquehanna River, near Middletown, Pennsylvania, SE of Harrisburg: scene of a near-disastrous accident at a nuclear plant in 1979 that raised the issue of nuclear-energy safety.
- three-dimensional — having, or seeming to have, the dimension of depth as well as width and height.
- three-piece suite — a set of three matching pieces of furniture, usually a combination of a sofa and chairs
- three-ring circus — a circus having three adjacent rings in which performances take place simultaneously.
- three-strikes law — a law that mandates a life sentence to a felon convicted for the third time.
- threshing machine — a machine for removing grains and seeds from straw and chaff.
- throat microphone — a microphone worn around the throat and actuated by vibrations of the larynx, used when background noise would obscure the sound of speech, as in an airplane cockpit.
- thuringian forest — a forested mountain region in central Germany: a resort area.
- tiglath-pileser i — died 1102? b.c, king of Assyria c1115–1102?.
- to have a tin ear — If you say that someone has a tin ear for something, you mean that they do not have any natural ability for it and cannot appreciate or understand it fully.
- to play with fire — If you say that someone is playing with fire, you mean that they are doing something dangerous that may result in great harm for them and cause many problems.
- to prime the pump — To prime the pump means to do something to encourage the success or growth of something, especially the economy.
- to raise the roof — If a group of people inside a building raise the roof, they make a very loud noise, for example by singing or shouting.
- to strike a chord — If something strikes a chord with you, it makes you feel sympathy or enthusiasm.
- to the bitter end — If you say that you will continue doing something to the bitter end, especially something difficult or unpleasant, you are emphasizing that you will continue doing it until it is completely finished.
- tortoiseshell cat — a domestic cat, especially a female one, of variegated black, yellow, and white coloring.
- travancore-cochin — a former Indian state that was a merger of Travancore and Cochin, two former princely states of India, and which became part of Kerala state in 1956
- trichloroethylene — a colorless, poisonous liquid, C 2 HCl 3 , used chiefly as a degreasing agent for metals and as a solvent, especially in dry cleaning, for fats, oils, and waxes. Abbreviation: TCE.
- trick photography — photography that creates an illusion
- trigger mechanism — a physiological or psychological process caused by a stimulus and resulting in a usually severe reaction.
- triskaidekaphobia — fear or a phobia concerning the number 13.
- trucial sheikdoms — an independent federation in E Arabia, formed in 1971, now comprising seven emirates on the S coast (formerly, Pirate Coast or Trucial Coast) of the Persian Gulf, formerly under British protection: Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm al-Qaiwain, Ras al-Khaimah (joined 1972), and Fujairah. About 32,300 sq. mi. (83,657 sq. km). Capital: Abu Dhabi. Abbreviation: U.A.E.
- turkish towelling — woven cloth which is used to make towels, wash cloths, etc
- twelve patriarchs — any of the sons of Jacob ((the twelve patriarchs),) from whom the tribes of Israel were descended.
- ultimate strength — the quantity of the utmost tensile, compressive, or shearing stress that a given unit area of a certain material is expected to bear without failing.
- ultrametamorphism — metamorphism during which the temperature of a rock exceeds its melting point.
- uncomprehendingly — to understand the nature or meaning of; grasp with the mind; perceive: He did not comprehend the significance of the ambassador's remark.
- under the sign of — during that portion of the year when the sun is passing through and thus subject to the influence of (a specified sign of the zodiac)
- unitary authority — (in the United Kingdom) a district administered by a single tier of local government, esp those districts of England that became administratively independent of the county councils in 1996–98
- up/raise the ante — If you up the ante or raise the ante, you increase your demands when you are in dispute or fighting for something.
- upper paleolithic — See under Paleolithic.
- vaginal discharge — emission from the female genitalia
- varix lymphaticus — a similar condition affecting an artery or lymphatic vessel
- vehicle insurance — Vehicle insurance is insurance purchased for cars, trucks, motorcycles, and other road vehicles.
- ventura publisher — Corel VENTURA
- victoriano huerta — Victoriano [beek-taw-ryah-naw] /ˌbik tɔˈryɑ nɔ/ (Show IPA), 1854–1916, Mexican general: provisional president of Mexico 1913–14.
- visitation rights — the legal right granted to a divorced or separated parent to visit a child in the custody of the other parent.
- voice synthesizer — a computer system that is used to artificially produce the human voice
- vulcan death grip — (jargon) A variant of Vulcan nerve pinch derived from a Star Trek classic epsisode where a non-existant "Vulcan death grip" was used to fool Romulans that Spock had killed Kirk.
- war establishment — the full wartime complement of men, equipment, and vehicles of a military unit
- warehouse receipt — a receipt for goods placed in a warehouse.
- warehousing costs — the costs involved in storing goods in a warehouse
- washington square — a short novel (1881) by Henry James.
- weather satellite — meteorological satellite.
- weather-resistant — resisting the effects of severe weather, as rain or cold: weather-resistant cloth for topcoats.
- weigh one's words — a unit of language, consisting of one or more spoken sounds or their written representation, that functions as a principal carrier of meaning. Words are composed of one or more morphemes and are either the smallest units susceptible of independent use or consist of two or three such units combined under certain linking conditions, as with the loss of primary accent that distinguishes black·bird· from black· bird·. Words are usually separated by spaces in writing, and are distinguished phonologically, as by accent, in many languages.
- west three rivers — a town in S Quebec, in E Canada.
- wheatstone bridge — a circuit for measuring an unknown resistance by comparing it with known resistances.