16-letter words containing s, t, p, e
- sweet pepperbush — a shrub, Clethra alnifolia, of the eastern and southern coastal U.S., having numerous erect clusters of white or pinkish flowers.
- sweeten the pill — If someone does something to sweeten the pill or sugar the pill, they do it to make some unpleasant news or an unpleasant measure more acceptable.
- swiss stone pine — a five-needled pine tree, Pinus cembra,, found especially in mountain regions of Central Europe and yielding edible seeds
- synthetic speech — computer-generated audio output that resembles human speech, produced by an electronic synthesizer operated by means of a keyboard.
- system on a chip — A system on a chip combines most of a system's elements on a single integrated circuit or chip.
- taimyr peninsula — a peninsula in the N Russian Federation in Asia, between the Kara and Laptev seas.
- take by surprise — to strike or occur to with a sudden feeling of wonder or astonishment, as through unexpectedness: Her beauty surprised me.
- take one's lumps — a piece or mass of solid matter without regular shape or of no particular shape: a lump of coal.
- take one's place — to take up one's usual or specified position
- tamper-resistant — difficult to tamper with: a tamper-resistant cap on a medicine bottle.
- tandem computers — (company) A US computer manufacturer. Quarterly sales $544M, profits $49M (Aug 1994).
- tea and sympathy — a caring attitude, esp to someone in trouble
- telescopic sight — a telescope mounted on a rifle, etc, used for sighting
- telespectroscope — a combination of a telescope and a spectroscope, used for spectroscopic analysis of radiation from stars and other celestial bodies
- temperature spot — a sensory area in the skin that selectively responds to increased or decreased temperature; a warm spot or a cold spot.
- terms of payment — The terms of payment of a sale state how and when an invoice is to be paid.
- the best part of — most of
- the dispossessed — people who have had property or possessions taken away
- the first couple — the US president and their spouse
- the gospel truth — the unquestionable truth
- the great escape — a film (1963) directed by John Sturges, written by James Clavell and W.R. Burnett, based on a book by Paul Brickhill, and starring Steve McQueen. It follows an attempt made by Allied prisoners of war to escape a German prisoner of war camp during World War II
- the great powers — the states or nations of the world with the most economic, political and military strength
- the heavens open — If the heavens open, it suddenly starts raining very heavily.
- the mendip hills — a range of limestone hills in SW England, in N Somerset: includes the Cheddar Gorge and numerous caves. Highest point: 325 m (1068 ft)
- the opposite sex — women in relation to men or men in relation to women
- the preconscious — preconscious mental activity
- the public purse — money from or controlled by the government
- the supernatural — supernatural forces, occurrences, and beings collectively or their realm
- the time is ripe — If you say the time is ripe, you mean that a suitable time has arrived for something to be done.
- the yellow press — (formerly) popular newspapers publishing sensational stories
- the-card-players — a painting (1892) by Paul Cézanne.
- theatre workshop — a theatre company that is noted for the unconventional theatrical performances it puts on, especially with reference to a company based in the East End of London from 1953 to 1973 that was founded in 1945 by Joan Littlewood
- thermoplasticity — soft and pliable when heated, as some plastics, without any change of the inherent properties.
- three-piece suit — men's formal outfit
- thrombophlebitis — the presence of a thrombus in a vein accompanied by inflammation of the vessel wall.
- through-composed — having different music for each verse: a through-composed song. Compare strophic (def 2).
- to change places — If you change places with another person, you start being in their situation or role, and they start being in yours.
- to coin a phrase — You say 'to coin a phrase' to show that you realize you are making a pun or using a cliché.
- to compare notes — If you compare notes with someone on a particular subject, you talk to them and find out whether their opinion, information, or experience is the same as yours.
- to dip your toes — If you dip your toes into something or dip your toes into the waters of something, you start doing that thing slowly and carefully, because you are not sure whether it will be successful or whether you will like it.
- to get bad press — If someone or something gets bad press, they are criticized, especially in the newspapers, on television, or on radio. If they get good press, they are praised.
- to keep a secret — If you say that someone can keep a secret, you mean that they can be trusted not to tell other people a secret that you have told them.
- to lose the plot — If someone loses the plot, they become confused and do not know what they should do.
- to pass judgment — If you pass judgment on someone or something, you give your opinion about it, especially if you are making a criticism.
- to pass the buck — If you pass the buck, you refuse to accept responsibility for something, and say that someone else is responsible.
- to pass the time — If you do something to pass the time you do it because you have some time available and not because you really want to do it.
- to pay dividends — If something pays dividends, it brings advantages at a later date.
- to rest in peace — If you express the wish that a dead person may rest in peace, you are showing respect and sympathy for him or her. 'Rest in peace' or 'RIP' is also sometimes written on gravestones.
- to speak volumes — If something such as an action speaks volumes about a person or thing, it gives you a lot of information about them.
- to spend a penny — If someone says that they are going to spend a penny, they mean that they are going to go to the toilet.