17-letter words containing s, l, a, v, o
- livingstone daisy — a gardener's name for various species of Mesembryanthemum, esp M. criniflorum, grown as garden annuals (though several are perennial) for their brightly coloured showy flowers: family Aizoaceae
- movable-do system — a system of solmization in which the syllable do can be transposed to the tonic of any key.
- muscae volitantes — floater (def 6).
- naval air station — military airbase for the navy
- naval observatory — an astronomical observatory located in Washington, D.C., operated by the U.S. government, and responsible for the U.S. time service.
- navigation lights — lights on an aircraft
- nikolaus von cusa — Nicholas (def 1).
- non-controversial — of, relating to, or characteristic of controversy, or prolonged public dispute, debate, or contention; polemical: a controversial book.
- overreach oneself — to fail because of trying to do more than one can
- paleoconservative — a person advocating an older, traditional type of conservatism, especially in politics.
- peripheral vision — all that is visible to the eye outside the central area of focus; side vision.
- plastic explosive — a puttylike substance that contains an explosive charge, and is detonated by fuse or by remote control: used especially by terrorists and in guerrilla warfare.
- positive polarity — the grammatical characteristic of a word or phrase, such as delicious or rather, that may normally only be used in a semantically or syntactically positive or affirmative context
- production values — the quality of a media production (such as a film) in regards to elements such as colours, quality, style, etc
- revascularization — the restoration of the blood circulation of an organ or area, achieved by unblocking obstructed or disrupted blood vessels or by surgically implanting replacements.
- save shoe leather — to avoid wearing out shoes, as by taking a bus rather than walking
- self-conservation — the act of conserving; prevention of injury, decay, waste, or loss; preservation: conservation of wildlife; conservation of human rights.
- self-preservation — preservation of oneself from harm or destruction.
- shetland pullover — a thick woollen sweater made from Shetland wool
- sinus of valsalva — any of the pouches of the aorta and the pulmonary artery opposite the flaps of the semilunar valves into which blood returning to the heart flows, closing the valves.
- sleep deprivation — a condition in which you have not had enough sleep
- sodium-vapor lamp — an electric lamp in which sodium vapor is activated by current passing between two electrodes, producing a yellow, glareless light: used on streets and highways.
- soil conservation — any of various methods to achieve the maximum utilization of the land and preserve its resources through such controls as crop rotation, prevention of soil erosion, etc.
- stellar evolution — the sequence of changes that occurs in a star as it ages
- subclavian groove — either of two grooves in the first rib, one for the main artery (subclavian artery) and the other for the main vein (subclavian vein) of the arm
- subtractive color — cyan, yellow, or magenta, as used in the subtractive process of color photography.
- synovial membrane — anatomy: connective tissue
- transferable vote — a vote that is transferred to a second candidate indicated by the voter if the first is eliminated from the ballot
- ultraconservative — extremely conservative, especially in politics.
- unconventionalist — not conventional; not bound by or conforming to convention, rule, or precedent; free from conventionality: an unconventional artist; an unconventional use of material.
- valence electrons — an electron of an atom, located in the outermost shell (valence shell) of the atom, that can be transferred to or shared with another atom.
- vasovagal syncope — a faint brought on by excessive activity of the vagus nerve, causing the heart to slow and the blood pressure to fall. It can be caused by fear, choking, or stomach cramps and has no lasting effects
- veiltail goldfish — an artificially bred, indoor variety of goldfish, usually golden or calico and of a spheroid shape, having a fully divided, drooping tail fin exceeding the body in length.
- ventilation shaft — a shaft in a mine, tunnel, or building used for providing ventilation or fresh air
- video disk player — a device that reads the information on a video disc
- visible radiation — electromagnetic radiation that causes the sensation of sight; light. It has wavelengths between about 380 and 780 nanometres
- visitors' gallery — a balcony in a building such as a parliament or court where members of the public can sit
- vocational school — a school offering instruction in one or more skilled or semiskilled trades or occupations.
- weeping lovegrass — any grass of the genus Eragrostis, as E. curvula (weeping lovegrass) and E. trichodes (sand lovegrass) cultivated as forage and ground cover.