16-letter words containing s, a, m, p
- hyperpituitarism — overactivity of the pituitary gland.
- hyperstimulation — to rouse to action or effort, as by encouragement or pressure; spur on; incite: to stimulate his interest in mathematics.
- hypervitaminosis — an abnormal condition caused by an excessive intake of vitamins.
- hypophosphatemia — (medicine) An electrolyte disturbance in which there is an abnormally low level of phosphate in the blood, most commonly seen when malnourished patients are given large amounts of carbohydrates, creating a high phosphorus demand in the cells of the body.
- ice-cream supper — an ice-cream social held in the late afternoon or early evening.
- image processing — (graphics) Computer manipulation of images. Some of the many algorithms used in image processing include convolution (on which many others are based), FFT, DCT, thinning (or skeletonisation), edge detection and contrast enhancement. These are usually implemented in software but may also use special purpose hardware for speed. Image processing contrasts with computer graphics, which is usually more concerned with the generation of artificial images, and visualisation, which attempts to understand (real-world) data by displaying it as an artificial image (e.g. a graph). Image processing is used in image recognition and computer vision. See also Pilot European Image Processing Archive.
- immunodepressant — preventing or diminishing the immune response
- impact extrusion — an extrusion process in which a slug of cold metal in a shallow die cavity is formed by the action of a rapidly moving punch that forces the metal through the die or back around the punch.
- impact structure — a large geologic formation, as a crater, created by a comet's or meteor's collision with a planet.
- impenetrableness — The quality of being impenetrable.
- imperishableness — The characteristic or property of being imperishable.
- import surcharge — a tax imposed on all imported goods, adding to any established tariffs
- impracticalities — Plural form of impracticality.
- inmos transputer — transputer
- installment plan — a system for paying for an item in fixed amounts at specified intervals.
- instrument panel — Also called instrument board. a panel on which are mounted an array of dials, lights, and gauges that monitor the performance of a machine or device, as an airplane.
- inter-comparison — the act of comparing.
- interest payment — a payment of interest on a loan or mortgage
- intracytoplasmic — Located in the cytoplasm of a cell.
- james oglethorpe — James Edward, 1696–1785, British general: founder of the colony of Georgia.
- japanese anemone — an eastern Asian plant, Anemone hupehensis, of the buttercup family, having purplish or reddish flowers and grown widely in gardens.
- kaposi's sarcoma — a form of skin cancer found in Africans and more recently in victims of AIDS
- kiss and make up — be reconciled
- kleptoparasitism — The parasitic theft of captured prey, nest material, etc. from animals of the same or another species.
- knapsack problem — the problem of determining which numbers from a given collection of numbers have been added together to yield a specific sum: used in cryptography to encipher (and sometimes decipher) messages.
- law of parsimony — a principle according to which an explanation of a thing or event is made with the fewest possible assumptions.
- league champions — the team that has come top of the league
- learner's permit — A learner's permit is a license that allows you to drive a vehicle before you have passed your driving test.
- lever escapement — an escapement in which a pivoted lever, made to oscillate by the escape wheel, engages a balance staff and causes it to oscillate.
- lump sum payment — money: one-off payment
- lymphangiectasia — (medicine) dilation of the lymphatic vessels.
- lymphangiectasis — Alt form lymphangiectasia.
- lymphatic system — an extensive network of capillary vessels that transports the interstitial fluid of the body as lymph to the venous blood circulation
- lymphatic tissue — tissue, such as the lymph nodes, tonsils, spleen, and thymus, that produces lymphocytes
- mach's principle — the proposition that there is no absolute space and that the inertia and acceleration of a body are determined by all of the matter of the universe.
- macpherson strut — an automobile suspension-system component that consists of a strut combined with a spring and shock absorber and connects the wheel to the frame of the vehicle.
- mad-dog skullcap — a North American skullcap, Scutellaria lateriflora, having underground stems and one-sided clusters of blue to white flowers.
- magmatic stoping — the process by which country rock is broken up and engulfed by the upward movement of magma
- magnetic compass — a compass having a magnetized needle generally in line with the magnetic poles of the earth.
- magnetic pyrites — Mineralogy. pyrrhotite.
- magnetoreceptors — Plural form of magnetoreceptor.
- malchus-porphyry — (Malchus) a.d. c233–c304, Greek philosopher.
- malpractice suit — a lawsuit brought against a professional accused of illegal or unethical practices or neglect of duty
- man and superman — a comedy (1903) by G. B. Shaw.
- mangrove snapper — gray snapper.
- manic depression — bipolar disorder.
- manic-depressive — suffering from bipolar disorder.
- manipulativeness — Quality of being manipulative.
- maremma sheepdog — a large strongly-built sheepdog of a breed with a long, slightly wavy, white coat
- marseille prolog — (language) One of the two main dialects of Prolog, the other being Edinburgh Prolog. The difference is largely syntax. The original Marseille Interpreter (1973) was written in Fortran.