16-letter words containing s, i, e, m, r
- operating-system — the collection of software that directs a computer's operations, controlling and scheduling the execution of other programs, and managing storage, input/output, and communication resources. Abbreviation: OS.
- ophthalmoparesis — (medicine) A partial or complete paralysis of the extraocular muscles which are responsible for eye movements.
- orthosympathetic — Of or pertaining to the sympathetic component of the autonomic nervous system.
- osmium tetroxide — a crystalline or amorphous, colorless, poisonous compound, OsO 4 , soluble in water, alcohol, and ether: used for microscopic staining, in photography, and as a catalyst in organic synthesis.
- osmotic pressure — the force that a dissolved substance exerts on a semipermeable membrane, through which it cannot penetrate, when separated by it from pure solvent.
- over-consumption — the act of consuming, as by use, decay, or destruction.
- over-nourishment — something that nourishes; food, nutriment, or sustenance.
- over-sentimental — expressive of or appealing to sentiment, especially the tender emotions and feelings, as love, pity, or nostalgia: a sentimental song.
- overcompensating — Present participle of overcompensate.
- overcompensation — a pronounced striving to neutralize and conceal a strong but unacceptable character trait by substituting for it an opposite trait.
- overwhelmingness — that overwhelms; overpowering: The temptation to despair may become overwhelming.
- paint-by-numbers — formulaic; showing no original thought or creativity
- pairs tournament — an event in a sport such as tennis or darts open to pairs of competitors
- palmer peninsula — former name of Antarctic Peninsula.
- panoramic screen — a very wide screen, as of a television, etc
- papillary muscle — one of the small bundles of muscles attached to the ventricle walls and to the chordae tendineae that tighten these tendons during ventricular contraction.
- pearls of wisdom — good advice, wise words
- pectoralis major — the larger of the two large chest muscles that assist in movements of the shoulder and upper arm
- pectoralis minor — the smaller of the two large chest muscles that assist in movements of the shoulder and upper arm
- pension mortgage — an arrangement whereby a person takes out a mortgage and pays the capital repayment instalments into a pension fund and the interest to the mortgagee. The loan is repaid out of the tax-free lump sum proceeds of the pension plan on the borrower's retirement
- permaculturalist — a system of cultivation intended to maintain permanent agriculture or horticulture by relying on renewable resources and a self-sustaining ecosystem.
- phalansterianism — a system by which society would be reorganized into units comprising their own social and industrial elements; Fourierism.
- pharmacogenetics — the branch of pharmacology that examines the relation of genetic factors to variations in response to drugs.
- pharmacogenomics — the study of human genetic variability in relation to drug action and its application to medical treatment
- pharmacokinetics — the branch of pharmacology that studies the fate of pharmacological substances in the body, as their absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination.
- phase microscope — a microscope that utilizes the phase differences of light rays transmitted by different portions of an object to create an image in which the details of the object are distinct despite their near-uniformity of refractive index.
- phlebothrombosis — the presence of a thrombus in a vein.
- pincers movement — a military maneuver in which both flanks of an enemy force are attacked with the aim of attaining complete encirclement.
- portuguese timor — former (1914-75) Portuguese territory in the Malay Archipelago
- post-reformation — the act of reforming; state of being reformed.
- postremogeniture — a system of inheritance under which the estate of a deceased person goes to his youngest son. Also called ultimogeniture. Compare primogeniture (def 2).
- premier division — a football or soccer league division consisting of the top ten Scottish football teams
- premillennialism — the doctrine or belief that the Second Coming of Christ will precede the millennium.
- presence of mind — a calm state of mind that allows one to think clearly or act effectively in an emergency.
- presumptive heir — heir presumptive.
- price commission — (in Britain) a commission established by the government in 1973 with authority to control prices as a measure against inflation. It was abolished in 1980
- price comparison — Price comparison is comparing the price of the same product in different outlets.
- prima facie case — a case in which the evidence produced is sufficient to enable a decision or verdict to be made unless the evidence is rebutted.
- primary consumer — (in the food chain) an animal that feeds on plants; a herbivore.
- primary meristem — primary tissue derived from an apical meristem.
- primrose jasmine — an evergreen shrub, Jasminum mesnyi, of China, having thick, shiny leaflets and yellow flowers with a darker eye.
- proboscis monkey — a reddish, arboreal monkey, Nasalis larvatus, of Borneo, the male of which has a long, flexible nose: an endangered species.
- professionalisms — professional character, spirit, or methods.
- promiscuous mode — (networking) Where a node on a network accepts all packets, regardless of their destination address.
- proxime accessit — the person coming next after the winner in a competitive examination or an academic prize giving; runner-up
- pullorum disease — a highly contagious, frequently fatal disease of young poultry caused by the bacterium Salmonella gallinarum (pullorum), transmitted by the infected hen during egg production, and characterized by weakness, loss of appetite, and diarrhea.
- quasi-commercial — of, relating to, or characteristic of commerce.
- quasi-democratic — pertaining to or of the nature of democracy or a democracy.
- quasi-managerial — pertaining to management or a manager: managerial functions; the managerial class of society.
- radiosymmetrical — radially symmetrical.