14-letter words containing s, p, o, t
- approximations — Plural form of approximation.
- apsidal motion — the rotation of the major axis of an eccentric orbit in the plane of the orbit.
- arborsculpture — The art and craft technique of growing and shaping tree trunks.
- arms inspector — a person who carries out an arms inspection
- aromatherapist — An aromatherapist is a person who is qualified to practise aromatherapy.
- arthrogryposis — (countable, pathology) The permanent fixation of a joint in a contracted position.
- arthroplasties — Plural form of arthroplasty.
- assault troops — soldiers of the infantry who are specially trained to lead an attack
- assault weapon — any of various automatic and semiautomatic military firearms utilizing an intermediate-power cartridge, designed for individual use. Compare assault rifle.
- assembly point — a designated place where people have been told to wait after evacuating a building in the event of a fire or other emergency
- asthenospermia — (medicine) Loss or reduction in the strength or energy of sperm cells, hence infertility. Not always infertile many are subfertile.
- asthenospermic — (medicine) Characterised by or pertaining to asthenospermia, hence infertile.
- asthenospheric — relating to the asthenosphere
- astigmatoscope — an instrument for determining the presence and severity of astigmatism.
- astigmatoscopy — examination by means of an astigmatoscope.
- astrocompasses — Plural form of astrocompass.
- astrophysicist — An astrophysicist is someone who studies astrophysics.
- asymptotically — of or relating to an asymptote.
- at one's peril — If you say that someone does something at their peril, you are warning them that they will probably suffer as a result of doing it.
- atomic physics — the branch of physics concerned with the structure and behaviour of atomic nuclei
- attention span — the period of time during which someone's attention is held by something in particular
- autoresponders — Plural form of autoresponder.
- autotransplant — autograft.
- aztec two-step — Montezuma's revenge
- backstrap loom — a simple horizontal loom, used especially in Central and South America, on which one of two beams holding the warp yarn is attached to a strap that passes across the weaver's back.
- bacteriophages — Plural form of bacteriophage.
- ballast pocket — a depression that is formed beneath the ballast layer by penetration of ballast particles into the subgrade and that tends to collect moisture.
- baptismal font — a large bowl for baptismal water, usually mounted on a pedestal
- baptismal vows — the solemn promises made during baptism, either by the person baptized or by his or her sponsors
- base component — the system of rules in a transformational grammar that specify the deep structure of the language
- beyond dispute — not open to dispute or question; settled
- bioprospecting — searching for plant or animal species for use as a source of commercially exploitable products, such as medicinal drugs
- bipolarisation — the act of bipolarising
- bishop's mitre — a European heteropterous bug, Aelia acuminata, whose larvae are a pest of cereal grasses: family Pentatomidae
- bisphosphonate — any drug of a class that inhibits the resorption of bone; used in treating certain bone disorders, esp osteoporosis
- bite one's lip — If you bite your lip or your tongue, you stop yourself from saying something that you want to say, because it would be the wrong thing to say in the circumstances.
- blepharoplasty — cosmetic surgery performed on the eyelid
- blister copper — an impure form of copper having a blister-like surface due to the release of gas during cooling
- block capitals — Block capitals are simple capital letters that are not decorated in any way.
- blow one's top — to lose one's temper
- bophuthatswana — (formerly) a Bantu homeland in N South Africa: consisted of six separate areas; declared independent by South Africa in 1977 although this was not internationally recognized; abolished in 1993. Capital: Mmabatho
- border dispute — a disagreement between countries about where the border between them should be drawn
- bottomless pit — If you describe a supply of something as bottomless, you mean that it seems so large that it will never run out.
- bowstring hemp — a hemplike fibre obtained from the sansevieria
- broad-spectrum — effective against a wide variety of diseases or microorganisms
- bronchospastic — of or relating to bronchospasms
- brood parasite — a young bird hatched and reared by birds of a different species as a result of brood parasitism.
- brownie points — a credit toward advancement or good standing gained especially by currying favor.
- bulk transport — the transport of large quantities of goods or commodities in lorries, ships, or by rail
- bursting point — the point at which normal capacity is exceeded.