16-letter words containing w, a, r
- kitagawa utamaro — Kitagawa [kee-tah-gah-wah] /ˈki tɑˈgɑ wɑ/ (Show IPA), 1753–1806, Japanese painter, draftsman, and designer of prints.
- kondratieff wave — a long business cycle of economic expansion and contraction, postulated to last about 60 years.
- law of parsimony — a principle according to which an explanation of a thing or event is made with the fewest possible assumptions.
- lawson criterion — (in a hypothetical nuclear fusion reactor) the requirement that in order for the energy produced by fusion to exceed the energy expended in causing the fusion, the product of the density of the fuel and the time during which it is confined at that density (Lawson product) must be greater than a certain number that depends on the kind of fuel used.
- lesser spearwort — a Eurasian ranunculaceous plant, R. flammula, of the genus Ranunculus, which grows in wet places and has long narrow leaves and yellow flowers
- lewis and harris — the northernmost island of the Hebrides, in NW Scotland. 825 sq. mi. (2135 sq. km).
- little brown bat — any of several small to medium-sized common bats of the genera Myotis and Eptesicus, found worldwide in caves, trees, and buildings, including M. lucifugus (little brown bat) and E. fuscus (big brown bat) a widespread North American species.
- littoral warfare — military combat conducted in coastal areas.
- long-wire aerial — a travelling-wave aerial consisting of one or more conductors, the length of which usually exceeds several wavelengths
- lord howe island — an island in the S Pacific, E of Australia: a dependency of New South Wales. 5 sq. mi. (13 sq. km).
- lost-wax process — a process of investment casting in which a refractory mold is built up around a pattern of wax and then baked so as to melt and drain off the wax.
- low-carbon steel — steel containing between 0.04 and 0.25 per cent carbon
- lower california — Baja California.
- lower palatinate — See under Palatinate (def 1).
- luck of the draw — the force that seems to operate for good or ill in a person's life, as in shaping circumstances, events, or opportunities: With my luck I'll probably get pneumonia.
- magnolia warbler — a black and yellow wood warbler, Dendroica magnolia, of North America.
- maid of all work — a maid who does all types of housework
- maintenance crew — a group of people who work together to keep a road, building, vehicle, or machine in good condition by regularly checking it and repairing it when necessary
- mallowpuff māori — a Māori who is considered to behave like a white person
- man of few words — man who speaks very little
- man of the world — a man who is widely experienced in the ways of the world and people; an urbane, sophisticated man.
- matthew flinders — Matthew, 1774–1814, English navigator and explorer: surveyed coast of Australia.
- matthew of paris — c1200–59, English chronicler.
- measured daywork — a system of wage payment, usually determined by work-study techniques, whereby the wage of an employee is fixed on the understanding that a specific level of work performance will be maintained
- minerva software — A company producing software for the Acorn Archimedes.
- molecular weight — the average weight of a molecule of an element or compound measured in units once based on the weight of one hydrogen atom taken as the standard or on 1/16 (0.0625) the weight of an oxygen atom, but after 1961 based on 1/12 (0.083) the weight of the carbon-12 atom; the sum of the atomic weights of all the atoms in a molecule. Abbreviation: mol. wt.
- muddy the waters — If someone or something muddies the waters, they cause a situation or issue to seem less clear and less easy to understand.
- multi-way branch — switch statement
- narrowmindedness — Alternative spelling of narrow-mindedness.
- network analysis — a mathematical method of analyzing complex problems, as in transportation or project scheduling, by representing the problem as a network of lines and nodes.
- network database — (database) A kind of database management system in which each record type can have multiple owners, e.g. orders are owned by both customers and products. This contrasts with a hierarchical database (one owner) or relational database (no explicit owner).
- network operator — (job) A person who monitors and maintains the operation of a communications network. A network operator troubleshoots hardware (cables, routers, network switches, hubs, network adaptors), software, and transmission problems.
- new frontiersman — an advocate or follower of the New Frontier, especially one in public service.
- new orleans jazz — the jazz originating in New Orleans from about 1914; traditional jazz
- new smyrna beach — a town in NE Florida.
- new year's (day) — Jan. 1, the first day of a calendar year, usually celebrated as a legal holiday
- newry and mourne — a district of SE Northern Ireland, in Co Down. Pop: 89 644 (2003 est). Area: 909 sq km (351 sq miles)
- newspaper office — an office where the editorial and production staff of a newspaper work
- newspaper report — a report published in a newspaper
- nightingale ward — a long hospital ward with beds on either side and the nurses' station in the middle
- nine-days wonder — something that arouses great interest, but only for a short period
- norwegian buhund — a slightly-built medium-sized dog of a breed with erect pointed ears and a short thick tail carried curled over its back
- not worth a damn — worthless
- not worth a shit — useless, valueless, etc.
- observation ward — a ward in a hospital where patients are monitored
- of it own accord — If something happens of its own accord, it seems to happen by itself, without anyone making it happen.
- off off broadway — experimental or avant-garde drama produced in New York City, in small theaters, halls, churches, etc.
- off-off-broadway — experimental or avant-garde drama produced in New York City, in small theaters, halls, churches, etc.
- on a war footing — If a country or armed force is on a war footing, it is ready to fight a war.
- on a world scale — in a way that involves the whole world