15-letter words containing v, a, s, o
- slavonian grebe — a N Eurasian or N American grebe with reddish underside and a black and gold crest; Podiceps auritus
- sled cultivator — go-devil (def 5).
- slow-wave sleep — a recurrent period of deep sleep, typically totaling five or six hours a night, distinguished by the presence of slow brain waves and by very little dreaming.
- social movement — a group of diffusely organized people or organizations striving toward a common goal relating to human society or social change, or the organized activities of such a group: The push for civil rights was a social movement that peaked in the 1950s and 1960s.
- social services — organized welfare efforts carried on under professional auspices by trained personnel.
- sons and lovers — a novel (1913) by D. H. Lawrence.
- souvanna phouma — Prince, 1901–84, Laotian statesman: premier 1951–54, 1956–58, 1960, and 1962–75.
- starvation diet — insufficient food to stay alive
- stationary wave — standing wave.
- steak au poivre — pepper steak (def 2).
- strait of dover — a strait between SE England and N France, linking the English Channel with the North Sea. Width: about 32 km (20 miles)
- subcivilization — a division of a civilization
- subconjunctival — the mucous membrane that lines the exposed portion of the eyeball and inner surface of the eyelids.
- subcontraoctave — the octave below the contraoctave, which is three octaves below the middle C octave on a standard keyboard
- subvocalization — the act or process of producing subvocal speech
- survival course — a course that teaches people how to survive in the wild and in other dangerous environments
- to save the day — If someone or something saves the day in a situation which seems likely to fail, they manage to make it successful.
- traveller's joy — a ranunculaceous Old World climbing plant, Clematis vitalba, having white flowers and heads of feathery plumed fruits
- twelve apostles — the twelve disciples chosen by Jesus to go forth to teach the gospel
- unadventurously — in an unadventurous manner
- uncontroversial — of, relating to, or characteristic of controversy, or prolonged public dispute, debate, or contention; polemical: a controversial book.
- undemonstrative — not given to open exhibition or expression of emotion, especially of affection.
- universal donor — a person with blood of group O.
- universal joint — piece that couples two rotating shafts
- universal motor — a series-wound motor, of one-half horsepower or less, using alternating or direct current.
- us savings bond — A US Savings bond is a long-term bond issued by the US government that is considered low-risk.
- vacation course — a course of study undertaken during a vacation, usually combined with other activities
- vanishing point — a point of disappearance, cessation, or extinction: His patience had reached the vanishing point.
- vapour pressure — the pressure exerted by a vapour. The saturated vapour pressure is that exerted by a vapour in equilibrium with its solid or liquid phase at a particular temperature
- vascularization — (of a tissue or embryo) to develop or extend blood vessels or other fluid-bearing vessels or ducts; become vascular.
- vasoconstrictor — a nerve or drug that causes vasoconstriction.
- vector analysis — the branch of calculus that deals with vectors and processes involving vectors.
- velcro fastener — a fastener made of Velcro
- venetian school — any of various groups of artists identified with Venice throughout the history of Italian art but most notably the painters of the 18th century, as Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, Francesco Guardi, and Antonio Canaletto.
- venus hairstone — a variety of rutilated quartz, used as a gemstone.
- vermouth cassis — a mixed drink made with dry vermouth, crème de cassis, soda or mineral water, and cracked ice.
- vernier compass — a compass on a transit (vernier transit) having a vernier for adjusting magnetic bearings to read as true bearings.
- vicar apostolic — Roman Catholic Church. a titular bishop serving either in a district where no episcopal see has been established, or in one where the succession of bishops has been interrupted.
- vicar of christ — the pope, with reference to his claim to stand in the place of Jesus Christ and possess His authority in the church.
- victoria island — an island off the coast of N Canada, in the Arctic Ocean. 80,340 sq. mi. (208,081 sq. km).
- villeda morales — Ramón [rah-mawn] /rɑˈmɔn/ (Show IPA), 1909?–71, Honduran diplomat and statesman: president 1957–63.
- violinistically — in a violinistic manner
- virginian stock — a similar and related North American plant, Malcolmia maritima
- virtual storage — a system whereby addressable memory is extended beyond main storage through the use of secondary storage managed by system software in such a way that programs can treat all of the designated storage as addressable main storage.
- vitreous silica — silica glass
- volcano islands — a group of three volcanic islands in the W Pacific, about 1100 km (700 miles) south of Japan: the largest is Iwo Jima, taken by US forces in 1945 and returned to Japan in 1968. Area: about 28 sq km (11 sq miles)
- volunteer state — Tennessee (used as a nickname).
- voyeuristically — of, relating to, or characteristic of a voyeur or of voyeurism.
- wolverine state — Michigan (used as a nickname).
- yosemite valley — a glacial valley in Yosemite National Park in central California, in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. It has an altitude of about 1200 m (4000 ft), with sheer walls rising about another 1200 m (4000 ft).