17-letter words containing s, a, l
- unsympathetically — in a manner that is not characterized by feeling or showing sympathy
- urogenital system — the urinary tract and reproductive organs
- used-car salesman — a person who sells used cars
- utopian socialism — (sometimes initial capital letter) an economic system based on the premise that if capital voluntarily surrendered its ownership of the means of production to the state or the workers, unemployment and poverty would be abolished.
- vaginal discharge — emission from the female genitalia
- valence electrons — an electron of an atom, located in the outermost shell (valence shell) of the atom, that can be transferred to or shared with another atom.
- valetudinarianism — the state, condition, or habits of a valetudinarian.
- valsalva maneuver — a forced expiratory effort against a closed glottis that decreases intrathoracic pressure, hampering venous return to the heart, and that can be used to inflate the Eustachian tubes and adjust pressure in the middle ear.
- van diemen's land — former name of Tasmania.
- vanity publishing — the practice of the author of a book paying all or most of the costs of its publication
- varix lymphaticus — a similar condition affecting an artery or lymphatic vessel
- vascular cylinder — stele (sense 3)
- vasovagal syncope — a faint brought on by excessive activity of the vagus nerve, causing the heart to slow and the blood pressure to fall. It can be caused by fear, choking, or stomach cramps and has no lasting effects
- vehicle insurance — Vehicle insurance is insurance purchased for cars, trucks, motorcycles, and other road vehicles.
- veiltail goldfish — an artificially bred, indoor variety of goldfish, usually golden or calico and of a spheroid shape, having a fully divided, drooping tail fin exceeding the body in length.
- velaric airstream — a current of mouth air produced by the action of the tongue, operant in forming click sounds.
- venereal diseases — sexually transmitted disease. Abbreviation: VD.
- ventilation shaft — a shaft in a mine, tunnel, or building used for providing ventilation or fresh air
- ventura publisher — Corel VENTURA
- vertical analysis — the conversion of an organization's profits and losses into overall percentages
- vestibular system — the sensory mechanism in the inner ear that detects movement of the head and helps to control balance
- vice-presidential — relating to a person who ranks immediately below the chief executive or head of state of a republic
- video disk player — a device that reads the information on a video disc
- visible radiation — electromagnetic radiation that causes the sensation of sight; light. It has wavelengths between about 380 and 780 nanometres
- visitors' gallery — a balcony in a building such as a parliament or court where members of the public can sit
- visually impaired — (of a person) having reduced vision so severe as to constitute a handicap.
- vocational school — a school offering instruction in one or more skilled or semiskilled trades or occupations.
- wade-giles system — a system of Romanization of Chinese, devised by Sir Thomas Francis Wade (1818–95) and adapted by Herbert Allen Giles (1845–1935), widely used in representing Chinese words and names in English, especially before the adoption of pinyin.
- wage-price spiral — a situation in which wage and price increases drive each other upward and cause inflation
- walk on eggshells — to be very cautious or diplomatic for fear of upsetting someone
- wall street crash — the dramatic collapse of share prices on the New York Stock Exchange in October 1929, an important factor in the early stages of the Depression
- walleye surfperch — a common black and silvery surfperch (Hyperprosopon argenteum) found off the coast of California
- wallis and futuna — French overseas territory in the South Pacific, northeast of the Fiji Islands: it consists of two groups of islands (Wallis Islands and Futuna Islands): c. 106 sq mi (275 sq km); pop. 14,000
- wallowa mountains — a mountain range in NE Oregon. Highest peak, Sacajawea Peak, 9838 feet (2999 meters).
- wang laboratories — (body) Computer manufacturer, known for their office automation products and the Wang PC. Quarterly sales $208M, profits $3M (Aug 1994).
- war establishment — the full wartime complement of men, equipment, and vehicles of a military unit
- washing-up liquid — Washing-up liquid is a thick soapy liquid which you add to hot water to clean dirty dishes.
- washington island — an island off the Door Peninsula, NE Wisconsin, in NW Lake Michigan. 20 sq. mi. (50 sq. km).
- weather satellite — meteorological satellite.
- weeping lovegrass — any grass of the genus Eragrostis, as E. curvula (weeping lovegrass) and E. trichodes (sand lovegrass) cultivated as forage and ground cover.
- welfare economics — a branch of economics concerned with improving human welfare and social conditions chiefly through the optimum distribution of wealth, the relief or reduction of unemployment, etc.
- well-accomplished — completed; done; effected: an accomplished fact.
- well-demonstrated — to make evident or establish by arguments or reasoning; prove: to demonstrate a philosophical principle.
- well-investigated — to examine, study, or inquire into systematically; search or examine into the particulars of; examine in detail.
- welsh nationalism — the political belief that Wales should be independent
- welsh nationalist — a person who believes that Wales should be independent
- welshman's button — an angler's name for a species of caddis fly, Sericostoma personatum
- western australia — a state in W Australia. 975,920 sq. mi. (2,527,635 sq. km). Capital: Perth.
- white-nationalism — white supremacy.
- wild sarsaparilla — a low plant, Aralia nudicaulis, of the ginseng family, native to eastern North America, having a single, long-stalked, compound leaf and a ball-like cluster of greenish-yellow flowers.