17-letter words containing s, c, e, a
- amoebic dysentery — inflammation of the intestines caused by the parasitic amoeba Endamoeba histolytica
- anabolic steroids — a synthetic derivative of testosterone, sometimes used by athletes to help increase weight and strength.
- anchor escapement — an escapement in which wedge-shaped pallets engage with an escape wheel having pointed teeth, usually facing in the direction of revolution, so that the escape wheel recoils slightly at every release.
- ancienne noblesse — the ancient nobility, especially of the ancien régime.
- answering machine — An answering machine is the same as an answerphone.
- answering service — a business that answers telephone calls on behalf of another business or organization, taking messages from and providing information to callers
- anthroposemiotics — The study of human communication.
- anti-conservatism — the disposition to preserve or restore what is established and traditional and to limit change.
- anti-conservative — disposed to preserve existing conditions, institutions, etc., or to restore traditional ones, and to limit change.
- anti-metaphysical — pertaining to or of the nature of metaphysics.
- antimaterialistic — Opposing materialism.
- antimiscegenation — (US) against mixing or blending; especially, against the mixing or blending of races in marriage or breeding.
- api gravity scale — the American Petroleum Institute gravity scale: a universally accepted scale of the relative density of fluids that is used in fuel technology and is measured in degrees API. One degree API is equal to (141.5/d)–131.5, where d = relative density at 288.7K
- apostolic fathers — the Fathers of the early Church who immediately followed the Apostles
- archconservatives — Plural form of archconservative.
- archimedes' screw — an ancient type of water-lifting device making use of a spiral passage in an inclined cylinder. The water is raised when the spiral is rotated
- architect's table — a table having a surface consisting of a drawing board adjustable to various heights and angles.
- aristolochiaceous — belonging to the Aristolochiaceae, the birthwort family of plants.
- arithmetic-series — a sequence in which each term is obtained by the addition of a constant number to the preceding term, as 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, and 6, 1, −4, −9, −14.
- armaments factory — a factory for producing armaments
- arresting officer — the police officer making an arrest
- arsenic disulfide — an orange-red, water-insoluble, poisonous powder, As 4 S 4 , As 2 S 2 , or AsS, used chiefly in the manufacture of fireworks.
- arsenic poisoning — poisoning by arsenic
- artificial person — a human being, whether an adult or child: The table seats four persons.
- artistic director — a person in charge of the artistic direction of a theatre company
- arunachal pradesh — a state in NE India, formed in 1986 from the former Union Territory. Capital: Itanagar. Pop: 1 091 117 (2001). Area: 83 743 sq km (32 648 sq miles)
- as the crow flies — If you say that a place is a particular distance away as the crow flies, you mean that it is that distance away measured in a straight line.
- ascend the throne — to become king or queen
- ascertained goods — specific goods
- ashby-de-la-zouch — a town in central England, in Leicestershire: Mary, Queen of Scots, was imprisoned (1569) in the castle. Pop: 11 409 (2001)
- ask for the check — If you ask for the check, you ask the waitperson in a restaurant to bring you a piece of paper on which the price of your meal is written.
- assembly district — one of a fixed number of districts into which a state is divided, each district electing one member to the lower house of the state legislature.
- assessable income — the portion of one's income that is subject to tax
- assessment centre — a set of selection procedures designed to recruit the best candidate or candidates to fill a job vacancy; it usually takes place over a day or two and is run by specialist staff
- asset-backed fund — a fund in which the money is invested in property, shares, etc, rather than being deposited with a bank or building society
- assistant teacher — a person who assists a teacher in their work or who is not yet fully qualified as a teacher
- associate of arts — a degree granted especially by junior colleges after completion of two years of study. Abbreviation: A.A.
- associated states — Anguilla, Antigua, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts-Nevis, St Lucia, and St Vincent and the Grenadines, which had the status of associated statehood
- association fiber — any of several nerve fibers connecting different areas of the cerebral cortex in the same hemisphere.
- associative array — (programming) (Or "hash", "map", "dictionary") An array where the indices are not just integers but may be arbitrary strings.
- astral projection — the departure of the astral body from the physical body, in order to travel to the astral plane
- astronomical year — year (def 4b).
- asymmetrical bars — a set of parallel bars, having one bar fixed at 230 cm (7 ft, 6 in) and the other at 150 cm (4 ft, 11 in), used by women gymnasts
- at a snail's pace — If you say that someone does something at a snail's pace, you are emphasizing that they are doing it very slowly, usually when you think it would be better if they did it much more quickly.
- at close quarters — If you do something at close quarters, you do it very near to a particular person or thing.
- at cross purposes — an opposing or contrary purpose.
- at cross-purposes — If people are at cross-purposes, they do not understand each other because they are working towards or talking about different things without realizing it.
- at one's own pace — If you do something at your own pace, you do it at a speed that is comfortable for you.
- at the service of — To be at the service of a person or organization means to be available to help or be used by that person or organization.
- attorneys-in-fact — a person authorized by power of attorney to act on the authorizer's behalf outside a court of law.