15-letter words containing s, e, t, l, a
- snowball effect — a process of continuously accelerating change in size, importance, etc
- social benefits — the social welfare provision made available to those in need
- social democrat — a person who advocates a gradual transition to socialism or a modified form of socialism by and under democratic political processes.
- social distance — the extent to which individuals or groups are removed from or excluded from participating in one another's lives.
- social heritage — the entire inherited pattern of cultural activity present in a society.
- social movement — a group of diffusely organized people or organizations striving toward a common goal relating to human society or social change, or the organized activities of such a group: The push for civil rights was a social movement that peaked in the 1950s and 1960s.
- 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.
- society islands — a group of islands in the S Pacific: administratively part of French Polynesia; consists of the Windward Islands and the Leeward Islands; became a French protectorate in 1843 and a colony in 1880. Pop: 214 445 (2002). Area: 1595 sq km (616 sq miles)
- 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 ethylate — a white, hygroscopic powder, C 2 H 5 ONa, that is decomposed by water into sodium hydroxide and alcohol: used chiefly in organic synthesis.
- sodium silicate — a substance having the general formula, Na2O.xSiO2, where x varies between 3 and 5, existing as an amorphous powder or present in a usually viscous aqueous solution
- sodium sulphate — a solid white substance that occurs naturally as thenardite and is usually used as the white anhydrous compound (salt cake) or the white crystalline decahydrate (Glauber's salt) in making glass, detergents, and pulp. Formula: Na2SO4
- soft-shell clam — an edible clam, Mya arenaria, inhabiting waters along both coasts of North America, having an oval, relatively thin, whitish shell.
- soft-shell crab — a crab, especially the blue crab, that has recently molted and therefore has a soft, edible shell.
- solar collector — any of numerous devices or systems designed to capture and use solar radiation for heating air or water and for producing steam to generate electricity.
- soldier's heart — cardiac neurosis.
- somerset island — an island in the Arctic Ocean in Nunavut, Canada, NW of Baffin Island. 9594 sq. mi. (24,848 sq. km).
- sooner or later — within a short period after this or that time, event, etc.: We shall know soon after he calls.
- sophisticatedly — (of a person, ideas, tastes, manners, etc.) altered by education, experience, etc., so as to be worldly-wise; not naive: a sophisticated young socialite; the sophisticated eye of an experienced journalist.
- sostenuto pedal — a pedal on a grand piano that raises the dampers, allowing the tone to be sustained for those strings struck at the time the pedal is depressed.
- source material — original, authoritative, or basic materials utilized in research, as diaries or manuscripts.
- south milwaukee — a city in SE Wisconsin.
- south salt lake — a town in N Utah.
- southeastwardly — toward the southeast
- southwestwardly — toward the southwest
- space telescope — a satellite put in orbit around the earth and equipped with an extremely accurate reflecting telescope, cameras, etc.: it is designed to relay astronomical data to the earth
- spanish trefoil — alfalfa.
- sparkling water — soda water (def 1).
- special edition — newspaper, magazine: extra issue
- special effects — Usually, special effects. a video or audio illusion in film or other media, created with computer-generated images, prosthetic makeup, pyrotechnics, etc.
- special feature — an article differing from the normal format and focusing on a particular topic
- special partner — a partner whose liability for the firm's debts is limited to the amount that partner has invested in the firm.
- special student — a student who is not seeking a degree but enrols in a course, esp to gain academic credits
- special subject — an area of knowledge in which someone specializes
- speckle pattern — the visual appearance of a star as viewed through a large telescope, with irregularities caused by the distorting effect of local turbulence in the earth's atmosphere.
- 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
- spill the beans — the edible nutritious seed of various plants of the legume family, especially of the genus Phaseolus.
- spiral notebook — a notebook held together by a coil of wire passed through small holes punched at the back edge of the covers and individual pages
- stable equation — a differential equation each solution of which tends to zero as the independent variable increases to infinity. Compare transient (def 6).
- stacking swivel — a metal swivel attached to the stock of a military rifle for use in hooking three rifles together to form a stack.
- stainless steel — alloy steel containing 12 percent or more chromium, so as to be resistant to rust and attack from various chemicals.
- stalactite work — (in Islamic architecture) intricate decorative corbeling in the form of brackets, squinches, and portions of pointed vaults.
- standard candle — a unit of luminous intensity; the candela: not in scientific usage because of possible confusion with a former unit (international candle)
- standard clause — a clause which is inserted as standard into certain types of contracts or agreements
- stannic sulfide — a yellowish or brownish, water-insoluble powder, SnS 2 , usually used suspended in lacquer or varnish for gilding and bronzing metals, wood, paper, etc.; mosaic gold.
- star-nosed mole — a North American mole, Condylura cristata, having a starlike ring of fleshy processes around the end of the snout.
- starfish flower — carrion flower (def 2).