17-letter words containing s, a, d, o
- magellanic clouds — either of two irregular galactic clusters in the southern heavens that are the nearest independent star system to the Milky Way.
- maintained school — a school financially supported by the state
- maison de moliere — Comédie Française.
- majority decision — a decision supported by more than half the people involved
- make inroads into — to start to use up the supply of something
- maladministration — to administer or manage badly or inefficiently: The mayor was a bungler who maladministered the city budget.
- manganese dioxide — a blackish, crystalline or powdery substance, MnO2, that is a strong oxidizing agent, used in making batteries, matches, etc.
- manitoulin island — an island in N Lake Huron belonging to Canada. 80 miles (130 km) long.
- mean piston speed — The mean piston speed is the distance traveled by a piston in a specified amount of time.
- meat and potatoes — If you refer to the meat and potatoes of something, you mean its most basic, simple, and essential parts.
- meat-and-potatoes — fundamental; down-to-earth; basic: What are the meat-and-potatoes issues of the election?
- mexican stand-off — A Mexican stand-off is a situation in which neither of the people or groups in a conflict or dispute can win and neither wants to give in first.
- microdermabrasion — A cosmetic treatment in which the face is sprayed with exfoliant crystals to remove dead epidermal cells.
- microdistillation — the distillation of minute quantities of material.
- microencapsulated — Encapsulated using microencapsulation.
- mies van der rohe — Ludwig [luhd-wig] /ˈlʌd wɪg/ (Show IPA), 1886–1969, U.S. architect, born in Germany.
- minas de riotinto — a town in SW Spain: copper mines.
- misadministration — the management of any office, business, or organization; direction.
- misidentification — to identify incorrectly.
- mode of transport — means of travel
- modular sb-prolog — Modular Prolog
- mom and pop store — a small retail business, typically family-operated
- monkeygland sauce — a piquant sauce, made from tomatoes, ketchup, fruit chutney, garlic, spices, etc
- monoamine oxidase — a copper-containing enzyme that catalyzes the breakdown of monoamines. Abbreviation: MAO.
- moon and sixpence — a novel (1919) by W. Somerset Maugham.
- movable-do system — a system of solmization in which the syllable do can be transposed to the tonic of any key.
- mundane astrology — the astrology of worldly events, in contrast to the astrology of the individual: used especially in interpretations and forecasts involving politics, the stock market, weather, and disasters.
- muscle dysmorphia — a mental disorder primarily affecting males, characterized by obsessions about a perceived lack of muscularity, leading to compulsive exercising, use of anabolic steroids, etc. Compare body dysmorphic disorder.
- narrow-shouldered — having shoulders which do not extend very far from the neck; not broad-shouldered
- nasolacrimal duct — a membranous canal extending from the lacrimal sac to the nasal cavity, through which tears are discharged into the nose.
- nervous breakdown — (not in technical use) any disabling mental disorder requiring treatment.
- new scotland yard — See under Scotland Yard (def 1).
- nine days' wonder — an event or thing that arouses considerable but short-lived interest or excitement.
- non-consideration — the act of considering; careful thought; meditation; deliberation: I will give your project full consideration.
- non-demonstrative — characterized by or given to open exhibition or expression of one's emotions, attitudes, etc., especially of love or affection: She wished her fiancé were more demonstrative.
- non-discretionary — subject or left to one's own discretion.
- non-subordination — the act of placing in a lower rank or position: The refusal to allow women to be educated was part of society's subordination of women to men.
- nondiscriminating — differentiating; analytical.
- nondiscrimination — an act or instance of discriminating, or of making a distinction.
- nondiscriminatory — characterized by or showing prejudicial treatment, especially as an indication of bias related to age, color, national origin, religion, sex, etc.: discriminatory practices in housing; a discriminatory tax.
- nonunderstandable — Not understandable.
- nord-ostsee kanal — German name of Kiel Canal.
- northern rhodesia — former name of Zambia.
- northern sporades — a group of Greek islands in the Aegean, lying northeast of Euboea
- not one's idea of — not what one regards as (hard work, a holiday, etc)
- nuclear threshold — the point in war at which a combatant brings nuclear weapons into use
- nursery education — education provided at a school for young children, usually from three to five years old
- odds-on favourite — a person, team, horse, etc that is regarded as the most likely to win a competition
- odour of sanctity — sanctimoniousness
- of its own accord — If something happens of its own accord, it seems to happen by itself, without anyone making it happen.