12-letter words containing s, p, a, d, r
- phased array — a radar antenna consisting of an array of dipoles that are excited in or out of phase with each other to control beam direction and radiation pattern without moving the antenna. Compare dipole (def 3).
- photo spread — a picture spread. See under spread (def 33).
- pig islander — a New Zealander
- plaid screen — [XEROX PARC] A "special effect" that occurs when certain kinds of memory smashes overwrite the control blocks or image memory of a bit-mapped display. The term "salt and pepper" may refer to a different pattern of similar origin. Though the term as coined at PARC refers to the result of an error, some of the X demos induce plaid-screen effects deliberately as a display hack.
- plasterboard — a material used for insulating or covering walls, or as a lath, consisting of paper-covered sheets of gypsum and felt.
- point spread — a betting device, established by oddsmakers and used to attract bettors for uneven competitions, indicating the estimated number of points by which a stronger team can be expected to defeat a weaker team, the point spread being added to the weaker team's actual points in the game and this new figure then compared to the stronger team's points to determine winning bets.
- point-spread — a betting device, established by oddsmakers and used to attract bettors for uneven competitions, indicating the estimated number of points by which a stronger team can be expected to defeat a weaker team, the point spread being added to the weaker team's actual points in the game and this new figure then compared to the stronger team's points to determine winning bets.
- port de bras — (used with a singular verb) the technique of moving the arms properly.
- postal order — money order.
- postcardlike — (of a scene) resembling a postcard
- postcardware — Shareware that borders on freeware, in that the author requests only that satisfied users send a postcard of their home town or something. (This practice, silly as it might seem, serves to remind users that they are otherwise getting something for nothing, and may also be psychologically related to real estate "sales" in which $1 changes hands just to keep the transaction from being a gift.)
- postdoctoral — of or relating to study or professional work undertaken after the receipt of a doctorate: postdoctoral courses.
- poster board — a thick, fairly stiff cardboard composed of layers of paper or paper pulp compressed together and typically used to support displays.
- postgraduate — of, pertaining to, characteristic of, or consisting of post-graduates: a postgraduate seminar.
- postmeridian — of or relating to the afternoon.
- postprandial — after a meal, especially after dinner: postprandial oratory; a postprandial brandy.
- powder flask — a small flask of gunpowder formerly carried by soldiers and hunters.
- praseodymium — a rare-earth, metallic, trivalent element, named from its green salts. Symbol: Pr; atomic weight: 140.91; atomic number: 59; specific gravity: 6.77 at 20°C.
- prayer beads — the beads of the rosary
- pre-assigned — Law. to transfer: to assign a contract.
- pre-disaster — a calamitous event, especially one occurring suddenly and causing great loss of life, damage, or hardship, as a flood, airplane crash, or business failure.
- preadmission — (in a reciprocating engine) admission of steam or the like to the head of the cylinder near the end of the stroke, as to cushion the force of the stroke or to allow full pressure at the beginning of the return stroke.
- preassembled — assembled prior to purchase
- predesignate — to designate beforehand.
- predestinate — Theology. to foreordain by divine decree or purpose.
- prediagnosis — Medicine/Medical. the process of determining by examination the nature and circumstances of a diseased condition. the decision reached from such an examination. Abbreviation: Dx.
- predischarge — of or pertaining to the period prior to discharge, esp prior to discharge from hospital or from employment
- preparedness — the state of being prepared; readiness.
- preset board — a control board for setting up theatrical lighting switches and dimmer readings in advance so that during a performance the lights can be automatically operated for one or several scenes.
- presidential — of or relating to a president or presidency.
- prison guard — an officer in charge of prisoners in a jail
- proboscidate — having a proboscis.
- proboscidean — pertaining to or resembling a proboscis.
- process data — data processing
- prodigal son — a figure in a parable of Jesus (Luke 15:11–32); a wayward son who squanders his inheritance but returns home to find that his father forgives him.
- producer gas — a mixture of carbon monoxide and nitrogen produced by passing air over hot coke, used mainly as a fuel
- promuscidate — shaped like a proboscis
- propagandism — the art, system, or use of propaganda
- propagandist — a person involved in producing or spreading propaganda.
- prosodically — in a prosodic manner
- prussic acid — weakly acidic extremely poisonous aqueous solution of hydrogen cyanide
- pseudamphora — a Mycenaean vase having a spherical body, a spout on the shoulder, and a handle, curving across the top, supported by a solid conical neck.
- pseudocereal — any of several plants, as buckwheat and quinoa, that produce fruits and seeds used as flour but are not of the grass family.
- pseudography — writing that does not follow conventional spelling or usage
- pseudomartyr — someone falsely or inaccurately called a martyr
- pseudorabies — a highly contagious, usually fatal disease of cattle, sheep, and other animals, caused by the herpesvirus Herpes suis, and characterized by severe pruritus and progressive central nervous system involvement sometimes including an aggressive excitement phase.
- pseudorandom — noting or pertaining to random numbers generated by a definite computational process to satisfy a statistical test.
- pseudoscalar — a scalar quantity that changes sign when the sense of the orientation of the coordinate system is changed.
- push forward — keep advancing
- quadruplexes — Plural form of quadruplex.