0%

17-letter words containing s, t, a, l

  • angry fruit salad — (abuse)   A bad visual-interface design that uses too many colours. (This term derives, of course, from the bizarre day-glo colours found in canned fruit salad). Too often one sees similar effects from interface designers using colour window systems such as X; there is a tendency to create displays that are flashy and attention-getting but uncomfortable for long-term use.
  • angular leaf spot — a disease of plants, characterized by angular, watery spots on the leaves and fruit, caused by any of several bacteria, as Pseudomonas lachrymans.
  • anomalistic month — the interval between two successive passages of the moon through perigee; 27.55455 days
  • anthracosilicosis — a form of pneumoconiosis occurring in miners, caused by the inhalation of coal and siliceous particles.
  • anti-assimilation — Sociology. the merging of cultural traits from previously distinct cultural groups, not involving biological amalgamation.
  • anti-isolationism — the policy or doctrine of isolating one's country from the affairs of other nations by declining to enter into alliances, foreign economic commitments, international agreements, etc., seeking to devote the entire efforts of one's country to its own advancement and remain at peace by avoiding foreign entanglements and responsibilities.
  • anti-metaphysical — pertaining to or of the nature of metaphysics.
  • anti-monopolistic — a person who has a monopoly.
  • anticipatory loss — grief that is felt in anticipation of someone's death
  • antiestablishment — opposed to or working against the existing power structure or mores, as of society or government: Antiestablishment candidates promised to disband the army, Congress, and the cabinet if elected.
  • antimaterialistic — Opposing materialism.
  • antinationalistic — Opposing nationalism.
  • antiprostaglandin — A prostaglandin inhibitor.
  • api gravity scale — the American Petroleum Institute gravity scale: a universally accepted scale of the relative density of fluids that is used in fuel technology and is measured in degrees API. One degree API is equal to (141.5/d)–131.5, where d = relative density at 288.7K
  • apostolic fathers — the Fathers of the early Church who immediately followed the Apostles
  • architect's table — a table having a surface consisting of a drawing board adjustable to various heights and angles.
  • aristolochiaceous — belonging to the Aristolochiaceae, the birthwort family of plants.
  • arlington heights — village in NE Ill.: suburb of Chicago: pop. 76,000
  • artificial person — a human being, whether an adult or child: The table seats four persons.
  • as the crow flies — If you say that a place is a particular distance away as the crow flies, you mean that it is that distance away measured in a straight line.
  • ashton-under-lyne — a town in NW England, in Tameside unitary authority, Greater Manchester. Pop: 43 236 (2001)
  • assateague island — a narrow island in SE Maryland and E Virginia on Chincoteague Bay: annual wild pony roundup. 33 miles (53 km) long.
  • assembly district — one of a fixed number of districts into which a state is divided, each district electing one member to the lower house of the state legislature.
  • assistant driller — An assistant driller is someone whose job is to help a driller, and work at the drilling controls on the rig floor.
  • astral projection — the departure of the astral body from the physical body, in order to travel to the astral plane
  • astronomical unit — a unit of distance used in astronomy equal to the mean distance between the earth and the sun. 1 astronomical unit is equivalent to 1.495 × 1011 metres or about 9.3 × 107 miles
  • astronomical year — year (def 4b).
  • asymmetrical bars — a set of parallel bars, having one bar fixed at 230 cm (7 ft, 6 in) and the other at 150 cm (4 ft, 11 in), used by women gymnasts
  • at a snail's pace — If you say that someone does something at a snail's pace, you are emphasizing that they are doing it very slowly, usually when you think it would be better if they did it much more quickly.
  • at close quarters — If you do something at close quarters, you do it very near to a particular person or thing.
  • at one fell swoop — to sweep through the air, as a bird or a bat, especially down upon prey.
  • at one's disposal — If you have something at your disposal, you are able to use it whenever you want, and for whatever purpose you want. If you say that you are at someone's disposal, you mean that you are willing to help them in any way you can.
  • athlete's village — an area of accommodation for competitors taking part in a sports event
  • australia antigen — an antigen present in the blood of some persons with one form of hepatitis
  • australia current — a branch of the South Equatorial Current flowing SW from around Fiji to the E coast of Australia and then S along the coast.
  • australian ballot — an official ballot listing candidates for election to public office and issues, levies, etc., distributed inside the polling place to be marked by the voter in secret: it originated in Australia and is widely used in the U.S.
  • australian kelpie — one of an Australian breed of medium-sized sheepherding dogs having a short, harsh, straight coat in a combination of colors that can include black, red, tan, fawn, chocolate, or smoke blue, probably developed by crossbreeding between the border collie and dingo.
  • australian salute — a movement of the hand and arm made to brush flies away from one's face
  • australopithecine — any of various extinct apelike primates of the genus Australopithecus and related genera, remains of which have been discovered in southern and E Africa. Some species are estimated to be over 4.5 million years old
  • auxiliary storage — secondary storage.
  • bachelor's button — any of several plants of a genus (Centaurea) of the composite family, that have scaly, vase-shaped bracts below the white, pink, or blue flowers; esp., the cornflower and knapweed
  • bachelor's-button — any of various plants with round flower heads, especially the cornflower.
  • back on the rails — If something is back on the rails, it is beginning to be successful again after a period when it almost failed.
  • balance the books — do accounting
  • balanced sentence — a sentence consisting of two or more clauses that are parallel in structure.
  • ballistic missile — a missile that has no wings or fins and that follows a ballistic trajectory when its propulsive power is discontinued
  • barrel distortion — distortion of an image produced by an optical system that causes straight lines at image margins to bulge outwards
  • bartholin's gland — either of two small glands near the vaginal opening: during sexual excitement they secrete a mucous lubricating substance
  • basal anaesthesia — preliminary and incomplete anaesthesia induced to prepare a surgical patient for total anaesthesia with another agent
  • base lending rate — a minimum interest rate on which financial institutions base the rates they use for lending
Was this page helpful?
Yes No
Thank you for your feedback! Tell your friends about this page
Tell us why?