20-letter words containing s, m

stefan-boltzmann law — the law stating that the total energy radiated from a blackbody is proportional to the fourth power of its absolute temperature.
stochastic terrorism — the public demonization of a person or group resulting in the incitement of a violent act, which is statistically probable but whose specifics cannot be predicted: The lone-wolf attack was apparently influenced by the rhetoric of stochastic terrorism.
stoichiometric ratio — The stoichiometric ratio is the exact ratio between air and flammable gas or vapor at which complete combustion takes place.
stokes-adams disease — unconsciousness accompanying atrioventricular heart block, sometimes characterized by weakness, irregular pulse, and intermittent convulsive or nonconvulsive seizures.
stony-iron meteorite — a meteorite of roughly equal proportions of metallic iron and stony matter.
structural isomerism — Chemistry. the relation of two or more compounds, radicals, or ions that are composed of the same kinds and numbers of atoms but differ from each other in structural arrangement (structural isomerism) as CH 3 OCH 3 and CH 3 CH 2 OH, or in the arrangement of their atoms in space and therefore in one or more properties. Compare optical isomerism, stereoisomerism.
subpoena duces tecum — a writ directing a person to appear in court and to bring some document described in the writ.
summary jurisdiction — the right a court has to adjudicate immediately upon some matter arising during its proceedings
summative assessment — general assessment of a pupil's achievements over a range of subjects by means of a combined appraisal of formative assessments
sunday-go-to-meeting — most presentable; best: Sunday-go-to-meeting clothes.
supplemental plumage — the third plumage assumed by certain birds having three different plumages in their annual cycle of molts.
supplementary angles — either of two angles that added together produce an angle of 180°.
swan's neck pediment — a broken pediment, the outline of which consists of a pair of S -curves tangent to the cornice level at the ends of the pediment, rising to a pair of scrolls on either side of the center, where a finial often rises between the scrolls.
sweetheart agreement — a contract made through collusion between management and labor representatives containing terms beneficial to management and detrimental to union workers.
symmetric difference — the union of the relative complements of two sets.
synoptic meteorology — a branch of meteorology analyzing data collected simultaneously over a wide region, for the purpose of weather forecasting.
system international — Système International d'Unités
systemic circulation — the circulatory system in general.
systemic linguistics — a school of linguistics of British origin that emphasizes the social functions of language and describes grammar in terms of hierarchically organized structures and of systems of mutually exclusive choices available to the speaker under specified conditions.
take pity on someone — If you take pity on someone, you feel sorry for them and help them.
take something amiss — to be annoyed or offended by something
telesales department — the department of a company that deals with telesales
television programme — a programme broadcast on television
terms and conditions — commerce: rules, restrictions
that makes two of us — the same applies to me
the (great) pyramids — the three large pyramids at Gîza, Egypt: the largest is the Pyramid of Khufu
the eye of the storm — If you say that someone or something is at the eye of the storm, you mean they are the main subject of a public disagreement.
the garment industry — the manufacturing of items of clothing
the gnomes of zurich — Swiss bankers and financiers
the methodist church — a group of people within the Christian religion who follow a system of faith and practice initiated by the English preacher John Wesley (1703–91) and his followers
the price of someone — what someone deserves, esp a fitting punishment
the sky is the limit — If you say the sky is the limit, you mean that there is nothing to prevent someone or something from being very successful.
the sum total of sth — all of something
the ten commandments — the commandments summarizing the basic obligations of man towards God and his fellow men, delivered to Moses on Mount Sinai engraved on two tables of stone (Exodus 20:1–17)
the three musketeers — French Les Trois Mousquetaires. a historical novel (1844) by Alexandre Dumas père.
the-comedy-of-errors — an early comedy (1594) by Shakespeare.
there's no mistaking — You can say there is no mistaking something when you are emphasizing that you cannot fail to recognize or understand it.
thermodynamic system — a system whose states of equilibrium can be specified by a few macroscopic properties.
thioantimonious acid — any of a group of hypothetical acids, H3SbS3, HSbS2, and H4Sb2S5, known only in the forms of their salts in solution
this time, for sure! — (exclamation) Ritual affirmation frequently uttered during protracted debugging sessions involving numerous small obstacles (e.g. attempts to bring up a UUCP connection). For the proper effect, this must be uttered in a fruity imitation of Bullwinkle J. Moose. Also heard: "Hey, Rocky! Watch me pull a rabbit out of my hat!" The canonical response is, of course, "But that trick *never* works!" See hacker humour.
thomas of erceldoune — Thomas of, Thomas of Erceldoune.
three-dimensionality — having, or seeming to have, the dimension of depth as well as width and height.
tie someone in knots — to completely perplex or confuse someone
to be a one-man show — to be reliant on one person alone
to burst into flames — If something bursts into flames or bursts into flame, it suddenly starts burning strongly.
to cost someone dear — If something that someone does costs them dear, they suffer a lot as a result of it.
to do your damnedest — If you say that you will do your damnedest to achieve something, you mean that you will try as hard as you can to do it, even though you think that it will take a lot of effort.
to flex your muscles — If a group, organization, or country flexes its muscles, it does something to impress or frighten people, in order to show them that it has power and is considering using it.
to give someone hell — If you say that someone gives you hell, you are emphasizing that they shout at you very angrily because of something you have done wrong.
to overstep the mark — If someone oversteps the mark, they behave in a way that is considered unacceptable.

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