15-letter words containing s, a, p, i, o
- unix conspiracy — [ITS] According to a conspiracy theory long popular among ITS and TOPS-20 fans, Unix's growth is the result of a plot, hatched during the 1970s at Bell Labs, whose intent was to hobble AT&T's competitors by making them dependent upon a system whose future evolution was to be under AT&T's control. This would be accomplished by disseminating an operating system that is apparently inexpensive and easily portable, but also relatively unreliable and insecure (so as to require continuing upgrades from AT&T). This theory was lent a substantial impetus in 1984 by the paper referenced in the back door entry. In this view, Unix was designed to be one of the first computer viruses (see virus) - but a virus spread to computers indirectly by people and market forces, rather than directly through disks and networks. Adherents of this "Unix virus" theory like to cite the fact that the well-known quotation "Unix is snake oil" was uttered by DEC president Kenneth Olsen shortly before DEC began actively promoting its own family of Unix workstations. (Olsen now claims to have been misquoted.)
- unphilosophical — not adhering to philosophical theory or principles
- unprotestantize — to make something (e.g. a church, country, etc) a religion other than Protestant
- unsophisticated — not sophisticated; simple; artless.
- unsportsmanlike — a man who engages in sports, especially in some open-air sport, as hunting, fishing, racing, etc.
- vanishing point — a point of disappearance, cessation, or extinction: His patience had reached the vanishing point.
- vernier compass — a compass on a transit (vernier transit) having a vernier for adjusting magnetic bearings to read as true bearings.
- vicar apostolic — Roman Catholic Church. a titular bishop serving either in a district where no episcopal see has been established, or in one where the succession of bishops has been interrupted.
- washing-up bowl — plastic bowl used for washing dishes
- washington palm — a palm tree, Washingtonia filifera, of California and Florida, having large fan-shaped leaves and small black fruits
- weapons carrier — a light truck for transporting weapons or munitions in the field.
- whip into shape — to bring by vigorous action into the proper or desired condition
- yorke peninsula — a peninsula in S Australia between Spencer Gulf and the Gulf of St. Vincent. 160 miles (257 km) long and 20–35 miles (32–56 km) wide.