17-letter words containing t, h, e, l
- thermal pollution — a rise in the temperature of rivers or lakes that is injurious to water-dwelling life and is caused by the disposal of heated industrial waste water or water from the cooling towers of nuclear power plants.
- thermal radiation — electromagnetic radiation emitted by all matter above a temperature of absolute zero because of the thermal motion of atomic particles.
- thermal underwear — underwear designed to retain body heat in cold temperatures.
- thermocoagulation — the coagulation of tissue by heat-producing high-frequency electric currents, used therapeutically to remove small growths or to create specific lesions in the brain.
- thermoelectricity — electricity generated by heat or temperature difference, as in a thermocouple.
- thiopental sodium — a barbiturate, C 11 H 18 N 2 NaO 2 S, used as an anesthetic in surgery and, in psychiatry, for narcoanalysis and to stimulate recall of past events.
- thistle butterfly — any nymphalid butterfly of the genus Vanessa, as the red admiral or painted lady.
- thompson seedless — a yellow, seedless variety of grape used in producing raisins.
- thomson's gazelle — a medium-sized antelope, Gazella thomsoni, abundant on the grassy steppes and dry bush of the East African plains.
- thousandths-place — last in order of a series of a thousand.
- thread-legged bug — any of certain insects of the family Reduviidae, characterized by an elongated, slender body and long frail legs, the front pair of which are raptorial.
- three mile island — an island in the Susquehanna River, near Middletown, Pennsylvania, SE of Harrisburg: scene of a near-disastrous accident at a nuclear plant in 1979 that raised the issue of nuclear-energy safety.
- three-course meal — A three-course meal is a meal that consists of three parts served one after the other.
- three-dimensional — having, or seeming to have, the dimension of depth as well as width and height.
- three-legged race — a race among a number of paired contestants, each contestant having one leg tied to the adjacent leg of his or her partner.
- three-strikes law — a law that mandates a life sentence to a felon convicted for the third time.
- through the floor — If you say that prices or sales have fallen through the floor, you mean that they have suddenly decreased.
- tibetan highlands — Tibet, Plateau of.
- tiglath-pileser i — died 1102? b.c, king of Assyria c1115–1102?.
- tip the scales at — to weigh (a specified amount)
- to beat the clock — If you beat the clock, you finish doing something or succeed in doing something before the time allowed for doing it has ended.
- to eat humble pie — If you eat humble pie, you speak or behave in a way which tells people that you admit you were wrong about something.
- to fan the flames — If someone or something fans the flames of a situation or feeling, usually a bad one, they make it more intense or extreme in some way.
- to hit the bottle — If someone hits the bottle, they drink a lot of alcohol.
- to make sth clear — If you make something clear, you say something in a way that makes it impossible for there to be any doubt about your meaning, wishes, or intentions.
- to oil the wheels — If someone or something oils the wheels of a process or system, they help things to run smoothly and successfully.
- to play the field — If someone plays the field, they have a number of different romantic or sexual relationships.
- to play with fire — If you say that someone is playing with fire, you mean that they are doing something dangerous that may result in great harm for them and cause many problems.
- to steal the show — If you say that someone steals the show, you mean that they get a lot of attention or praise because they perform better than anyone else in a show or other event.
- to the lighthouse — a novel (1927) by Virginia Woolf.
- toothbrush holder — a container or rack in a bathroom where toothbrushes are kept when not in use
- tortoiseshell cat — a domestic cat, especially a female one, of variegated black, yellow, and white coloring.
- transdermal patch — a small piece of material used to mend a tear or break, to cover a hole, or to strengthen a weak place: patches at the elbows of a sports jacket.
- trichloroethylene — a colorless, poisonous liquid, C 2 HCl 3 , used chiefly as a degreasing agent for metals and as a solvent, especially in dry cleaning, for fats, oils, and waxes. Abbreviation: TCE.
- trucial sheikdoms — an independent federation in E Arabia, formed in 1971, now comprising seven emirates on the S coast (formerly, Pirate Coast or Trucial Coast) of the Persian Gulf, formerly under British protection: Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm al-Qaiwain, Ras al-Khaimah (joined 1972), and Fujairah. About 32,300 sq. mi. (83,657 sq. km). Capital: Abu Dhabi. Abbreviation: U.A.E.
- turkish towelling — woven cloth which is used to make towels, wash cloths, etc
- twelfth amendment — an amendment to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1804, providing for election of the president and vice president by the electoral college: should there be no majority vote for one person, the House of Representatives (one vote per state) chooses the president and the Senate the vice president.
- twelve patriarchs — any of the sons of Jacob ((the twelve patriarchs),) from whom the tribes of Israel were descended.
- tyrant flycatcher — flycatcher (def 2).
- ultimate strength — the quantity of the utmost tensile, compressive, or shearing stress that a given unit area of a certain material is expected to bear without failing.
- ultrametamorphism — metamorphism during which the temperature of a rock exceeds its melting point.
- undistinguishable — to mark off as different (often followed by from or by): He was distinguished from the other boys by his height.
- undulatory theory — wave theory (def 1).
- unsympathetically — in a manner that is not characterized by feeling or showing sympathy
- upper paleolithic — See under Paleolithic.
- veiltail goldfish — an artificially bred, indoor variety of goldfish, usually golden or calico and of a spheroid shape, having a fully divided, drooping tail fin exceeding the body in length.
- ventilation shaft — a shaft in a mine, tunnel, or building used for providing ventilation or fresh air
- ventura publisher — Corel VENTURA
- vulcan death grip — (jargon) A variant of Vulcan nerve pinch derived from a Star Trek classic epsisode where a non-existant "Vulcan death grip" was used to fool Romulans that Spock had killed Kirk.
- wall street crash — the dramatic collapse of share prices on the New York Stock Exchange in October 1929, an important factor in the early stages of the Depression