15-letter words containing u, l, e
- sliver building — a very narrow skyscraper designed in response to restriction of the building site or zoning, frequently containing only a single apartment per floor or comparably limited office space.
- smoke pollution — pollution caused by fuels, etc, that produce smoke when burned
- snafu principle — /sna'foo prin'si-pl/ [WWII Army acronym for "Situation Normal: All Fucked Up"] "True communication is possible only between equals, because inferiors are more consistently rewarded for telling their superiors pleasant lies than for telling the truth." - a central tenet of Discordianism, often invoked by hackers to explain why authoritarian hierarchies screw up so reliably and systematically. The effect of the SNAFU principle is a progressive disconnection of decision-makers from reality. This lightly adapted version of a fable dating back to the early 1960s illustrates the phenomenon perfectly: In the beginning was the plan, and then the specification; And the plan was without form, and the specification was void. And darkness was on the faces of the implementors thereof; And they spake unto their leader, saying: "It is a crock of shit, and smells as of a sewer." And the leader took pity on them, and spoke to the project leader: "It is a crock of excrement, and none may abide the odor thereof." And the project leader spake unto his section head, saying: "It is a container of excrement, and it is very strong, such that none may abide it." The section head then hurried to his department manager, and informed him thus: "It is a vessel of fertilizer, and none may abide its strength." The department manager carried these words to his general manager, and spoke unto him saying: "It containeth that which aideth the growth of plants, and it is very strong." And so it was that the general manager rejoiced and delivered the good news unto the Vice President. "It promoteth growth, and it is very powerful." The Vice President rushed to the President's side, and joyously exclaimed: "This powerful new software product will promote the growth of the company!" And the President looked upon the product, and saw that it was very good. After the subsequent disaster, the suits protect themselves by saying "I was misinformed!", and the implementors are demoted or fired.
- snapping turtle — either of two large, edible, freshwater turtles of the family Chelydridae, of North and Central America, having a large head and powerful hooked jaws, especially the common snapping turtle, Chelydra serpentina.
- social security — (usually initial capital letters) a program of old-age, unemployment, health, disability, and survivors insurance maintained by the U.S. federal government through compulsory payments by specific employer and employee groups.
- sodium chlorate — a colorless, water-soluble solid, NaClO 3 , cool and salty to the taste, used chiefly in the manufacture of explosives and matches, as a textile mordant, and as an oxidizing and bleaching agent.
- sodium chloride — salt1 (def 1).
- sodium ethylate — a white, hygroscopic powder, C 2 H 5 ONa, that is decomposed by water into sodium hydroxide and alcohol: used chiefly in organic synthesis.
- sodium fluoride — a colorless, crystalline, water-soluble, poisonous solid, NaF, used chiefly in the fluoridation of water, as an insecticide, and as a rodenticide.
- sodium silicate — a substance having the general formula, Na2O.xSiO2, where x varies between 3 and 5, existing as an amorphous powder or present in a usually viscous aqueous solution
- sodium sulphate — a solid white substance that occurs naturally as thenardite and is usually used as the white anhydrous compound (salt cake) or the white crystalline decahydrate (Glauber's salt) in making glass, detergents, and pulp. Formula: Na2SO4
- soft-focus lens — a lens designed to produce an image that is uniformly very slightly out of focus: typically used for portrait work
- sostenuto pedal — a pedal on a grand piano that raises the dampers, allowing the tone to be sustained for those strings struck at the time the pedal is depressed.
- soul-destroying — Activities or situations that are soul-destroying make you depressed, because they are boring or because there is no hope of improvement.
- sound as a bell — in perfect condition
- source language — the language in which a text appears that is to be translated into another language. Compare target language (def 1).
- source material — original, authoritative, or basic materials utilized in research, as diaries or manuscripts.
- south milwaukee — a city in SE Wisconsin.
- south salt lake — a town in N Utah.
- southeastwardly — toward the southeast
- southern blight — a disease of peanuts, tomatoes, and other plants, caused by a fungus, Sclerotium rolfsii, affecting the roots and resulting in rapid wilting.
- southern lights — aurora australis.
- southwestwardly — toward the southwest
- special feature — an article differing from the normal format and focusing on a particular topic
- special student — a student who is not seeking a degree but enrols in a course, esp to gain academic credits
- special subject — an area of knowledge in which someone specializes
- specific volume — volume per unit mass; the reciprocal of density.
- spiny cocklebur — a cocklebur, Xanthium spinosum, introduced into North America from Europe.
- splanchnopleure — the double layer formed by the association of the lower layer of the lateral plate of mesoderm with the underlying entoderm, which develops into the embryonic viscera.
- squadron leader — air-force officer
- squelch circuit — a circuit which disconnects a receiver in order to eliminate output noise when no signal or an extremely weak signal is received
- squirrel monkey — either of two small, long-tailed monkeys, Saimiri oerstedii of Central America and S. sciureus of South America, having a small white face with black muzzle and gold, brown, or greenish fur: S. oerstedii is endangered.
- st. ulmo's fire — St. Elmo's fire.
- stable equation — a differential equation each solution of which tends to zero as the independent variable increases to infinity. Compare transient (def 6).
- standard clause — a clause which is inserted as standard into certain types of contracts or agreements
- stannic sulfide — a yellowish or brownish, water-insoluble powder, SnS 2 , usually used suspended in lacquer or varnish for gilding and bronzing metals, wood, paper, etc.; mosaic gold.
- steering column — the shaft that connects the steering wheel to the steering gear assembly of an automotive vehicle.
- stiff upper lip — stoicism
- stirrup leather — the strap that holds the stirrup of a saddle.
- streptobacillus — any of various bacilli that form in chains.
- strike it lucky — to have some good luck
- strombuliferous — having organs coiled as spirals
- structural gene — cistron.
- student council — a representative body composed chiefly of students chosen by their classmates to organize social and extracurricular activities and to participate in the government of a school or college.
- subalimentation — hypoalimentation.
- subclavian vein — either of a pair of veins, one on each side of the body, that return blood from the arms to the heart.
- subintellection — an implication that is more or less understood
- subintelligence — below average intelligence
- subject catalog — a catalog having entries listed by subject only.
- subperiosteally — the normal investment of bone, consisting of a dense, fibrous outer layer, to which muscles attach, and a more delicate, inner layer capable of forming bone.