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15-letter words containing s, c, l, e, r, i

  • slide projector — device for showing slides
  • snafu principle — /sna'foo prin'si-pl/ [WWII Army acronym for "Situation Normal: All Fucked Up"] "True communication is possible only between equals, because inferiors are more consistently rewarded for telling their superiors pleasant lies than for telling the truth." - a central tenet of Discordianism, often invoked by hackers to explain why authoritarian hierarchies screw up so reliably and systematically. The effect of the SNAFU principle is a progressive disconnection of decision-makers from reality. This lightly adapted version of a fable dating back to the early 1960s illustrates the phenomenon perfectly: In the beginning was the plan, and then the specification; And the plan was without form, and the specification was void. And darkness was on the faces of the implementors thereof; And they spake unto their leader, saying: "It is a crock of shit, and smells as of a sewer." And the leader took pity on them, and spoke to the project leader: "It is a crock of excrement, and none may abide the odor thereof." And the project leader spake unto his section head, saying: "It is a container of excrement, and it is very strong, such that none may abide it." The section head then hurried to his department manager, and informed him thus: "It is a vessel of fertilizer, and none may abide its strength." The department manager carried these words to his general manager, and spoke unto him saying: "It containeth that which aideth the growth of plants, and it is very strong." And so it was that the general manager rejoiced and delivered the good news unto the Vice President. "It promoteth growth, and it is very powerful." The Vice President rushed to the President's side, and joyously exclaimed: "This powerful new software product will promote the growth of the company!" And the President looked upon the product, and saw that it was very good. After the subsequent disaster, the suits protect themselves by saying "I was misinformed!", and the implementors are demoted or fired.
  • social democrat — a person who advocates a gradual transition to socialism or a modified form of socialism by and under democratic political processes.
  • social heritage — the entire inherited pattern of cultural activity present in a society.
  • social register — a directory or list of people prominent in the fashionable society of a given area
  • social security — (usually initial capital letters) a program of old-age, unemployment, health, disability, and survivors insurance maintained by the U.S. federal government through compulsory payments by specific employer and employee groups.
  • social services — organized welfare efforts carried on under professional auspices by trained personnel.
  • sodium chlorate — a colorless, water-soluble solid, NaClO 3 , cool and salty to the taste, used chiefly in the manufacture of explosives and matches, as a textile mordant, and as an oxidizing and bleaching agent.
  • sodium chloride — salt1 (def 1).
  • source material — original, authoritative, or basic materials utilized in research, as diaries or manuscripts.
  • special feature — an article differing from the normal format and focusing on a particular topic
  • special library — a library maintained by an organization, as a business, association, or government agency, to collect materials and provide information of special relevance to the work of the organization.
  • special partner — a partner whose liability for the firm's debts is limited to the amount that partner has invested in the firm.
  • spectral series — a series of lines in the spectrum of light emitted by excited atoms of an element, each line being related to the others in the series by a simple numerical equation and identified with a particular energy level of an atom of the element.
  • spectrochemical — of, relating to, or utilizing the techniques of spectrochemistry.
  • spermatoblastic — relating to a spermatoblast
  • spherical angle — an angle formed by arcs of great circles of a sphere.
  • spiny cocklebur — a cocklebur, Xanthium spinosum, introduced into North America from Europe.
  • spring-cleaning — a complete cleaning of a place, as a home, done traditionally in the spring of the year.
  • sprinkler dance — a celebratory dance in which participants extend one arm and shake it to imitate the action of a rotating water sprinkler
  • squelch circuit — a circuit which disconnects a receiver in order to eliminate output noise when no signal or an extremely weak signal is received
  • stalactite work — (in Islamic architecture) intricate decorative corbeling in the form of brackets, squinches, and portions of pointed vaults.
  • steering column — the shaft that connects the steering wheel to the steering gear assembly of an automotive vehicle.
  • stereologically — by way of stereology or in a stereological manner
  • stereotypically — in a stereotypical manner
  • stillson wrench — a large wrench having adjustable jaws that tighten as the pressure on the handle is increased
  • stocking filler — A stocking filler is a small present that is suitable for putting in a Christmas stocking.
  • streptobacillus — any of various bacilli that form in chains.
  • strike it lucky — to have some good luck
  • striking circle — the semicircular area in front of each goal, which an attacking player must have entered before scoring a goal
  • styloid process — a long, spinelike process of a bone, especially the projection from the base of the temporal bone.
  • subsidiary cell — Immunology. any of various cells of the immune system that work with T or B cells to initiate a specific immune response.
  • sulfite process — a process for making wood pulp by digesting wood chips in an acid liquor consisting of sulfurous acid and a salt, usually calcium bisulfite.
  • summer solstice — the solstice on or about June 21st that marks the beginning of summer in the Northern Hemisphere.
  • superficialness — being at, on, or near the surface: a superficial wound.
  • superplasticity — the phenomenon, exhibited by certain metals and alloys usually at high temperatures, of stretching to extreme lengths without breaking
  • superspecialist — a highly skilled specialist
  • supreme council — the legislature of the former Soviet Union and its successor states, consisting of an upper house (Soviet of the Union or Council of the Union) whose delegates are elected on the basis of population, and a lower house (Soviet of Nationalities or Council of Nationalities) whose delegates are elected to represent the various nationalities.
  • surgical needle — a needle for suturing.
  • surgical strike — a military action designed to destroy a particular target without harming other people or damaging other buildings near it
  • survival course — a course that teaches people how to survive in the wild and in other dangerous environments
  • synergistically — pertaining to, characteristic of, or resembling synergy: a synergistic effect.
  • tennis bracelet — a bracelet consisting of a row of individually set, uniformly sized diamonds or other gemstones.
  • tentaculiferous — having tentacles
  • the cordilleras — the complex of mountain ranges on the W side of the Americas, extending from Alaska to Cape Horn and including the Andes and the Rocky Mountains
  • the paralympics — a sporting event, modelled on the Olympic Games, held solely for disabled competitors
  • threshold price — the highest price a retailer is allowed to sell a particular good at
  • title insurance — insurance protecting the owner or mortgagee of real estate from lawsuits or claims arising from a defective title.
  • torsion balance — an instrument for measuring small forces, as electric attraction or repulsion, by determining the amount of torsion or twisting they cause in a slender wire or filament.
  • track athletics — sporting activities, such as relay running or sprinting, which take place on a running track
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