12-letter words containing w, a, i, l
- sunshine law — a law requiring a government agency to open its official meetings and records to the general public.
- swallow dive — swan dive.
- sweater girl — a young woman with a shapely bosom, especially one who wears tight sweaters.
- swim bladder — air bladder (def 2).
- swine plague — hemorrhagic septicemia of hogs, caused by the bacterium Pasteurella suiseptica, characterized by an accompanying infection of pneumonia.
- switch plate — a plate, usually of metal, ceramic, or plastic, covering a switch so that the knob or toggle protrudes.
- swivel chair — a chair whose seat turns around horizontally on a swivel.
- tack welding — to join (pieces of metal) with a number of small welds spaced some distance apart.
- that will do — If you say that will do to a child, you are telling them to stop behaving in the way that they are.
- toilet water — a scented liquid used as a light perfume; cologne.
- trial lawyer — a lawyer who specializes in appearing before trial courts.
- tube railway — subway (def 1).
- unreviewable — a critical article or report, as in a periodical, on a book, play, recital, or the like; critique; evaluation.
- unwaveringly — to sway to and fro; flutter: Foliage wavers in the breeze.
- unwearyingly — in an unwearying manner
- utility wear — casual clothing that was originally intended for a particular activity, such as snowboarding or skiing
- wages policy — a government policy setting wages and wage increases for workers, for example, setting minimum wage requirements
- wailing wall — a wall in Jerusalem where Jews, on certain occasions, assemble for prayer and lamentation: traditionally believed to be the remains of the western wall of Herod's temple, destroyed by the Romans in a.d. 70.
- waiting list — a list of persons waiting, as for reservations, appointments, living accommodations, or admission to a school.
- walk of life — The walk of life that you come from is the position that you have in society and the kind of job you have.
- walk spanish — to advance or travel on foot at a moderate speed or pace; proceed by steps; move by advancing the feet alternately so that there is always one foot on the ground in bipedal locomotion and two or more feet on the ground in quadrupedal locomotion.
- walking bass — (in jazz piano) a left-hand accompaniment consisting of a continuous rhythm of four beats to the measure, usually with a repetitive melodic pattern.
- walking beam — an overhead oscillating lever, pivoted at the middle, for transmitting force from a vertical connecting rod below one end to a vertical connecting rod, pump rod, etc., below the other end.
- walking boot — a lightweight rigid knee-length boot with a reinforced sole and straps that fasten around the leg, used for support after a sprain or fracture
- walking fern — a fern, Camptosorus rhizophyllus, having simple, triangular fronds tapering into a prolongation that bends at the top and often takes root at the apex.
- walking fish — any of various fishes able to survive and move about for short periods of time on land, as the mudskipper or climbing perch.
- walking leaf — leaf insect.
- walking line — a line on the plan of a curving staircase on which all treads are of a uniform width and that is considered to be the ordinary path taken by persons on the stair.
- walking pace — the speed at which someone walks
- walking race — a race in which competitors must walk
- walking shoe — a sturdy comfortable shoe worn by hillwalkers, etc
- walking tour — a tour on which you walk rather than using transport
- walkingstick — a stick used for walking
- wall hanging — a tapestry, carpet, or similar object hung against a wall as decoration; arras.
- wall molding — back molding.
- wallcovering — a flexible sheet of sized paper, fabric, plastic, etc., usually laminated and printed with a repeat pattern, for pasting on a wall as decoration and protection.
- walled plain — a circular or almost circular area on the moon, sometimes with a floor that is depressed, usually partially enclosed by walls that rise to varying heights and that are usually lower than those of a crater.
- wallpapering — Present participle of wallpaper.
- walter mitty — an ordinary, timid person who is given to adventurous and self-aggrandizing daydreams or secret plans as a way of glamorizing a humdrum life.
- wanne-eickel — a city in the Ruhr region in W Germany.
- war memorial — monument to dead soldiers
- washing line — cord for hanging laundry to dry
- watchability — detectable; apparent.
- water filter — device for removing impurities from water
- water pistol — a toy gun that shoots a stream of liquid.
- water shield — Also called water target. an aquatic plant, Brasenia schreberi, of the water lily family, having purple flowers, floating, elliptic leaves, and a jellylike coating on the underwater stems and roots.
- water willow — any of several plants belonging to the genus Justicia, of the acanthus family, growing in water or wet places, especially J. americana, of North America, having clusters of pale violet to white flowers.
- watered silk — silk with a wavy lustrous finish
- waterfalling — Present participle of waterfall.
- waterfowling — the sport of shooting waterfowl