14-letter words containing w, a, t, e, r
- parchment worm — any of several polychaete worms of the genus Chaetopterus that secrete and live in a U -shaped, parchmentlike tube.
- parents-in-law — the father or mother of one's wife or husband.
- partridge wood — the rotted condition of the wood of certain trees, especially oaks, caused by a parasitic fungus, Xylobolus frustulatus.
- partridge-wood — the rotted condition of the wood of certain trees, especially oaks, caused by a parasitic fungus, Xylobolus frustulatus.
- perimeter wall — a wall that serves as a boundary around something
- permanent wave — existing perpetually; everlasting, especially without significant change.
- persian walnut — English walnut.
- play with fire — a state, process, or instance of combustion in which fuel or other material is ignited and combined with oxygen, giving off light, heat, and flame.
- powder compact — make-up: small case of foundation
- power-assisted — a procedure for supplementing or replacing the manual effort needed to operate a device or system, often by hydraulic, electrical, or mechanical means.
- preventive law — consultation, as between lawyer and client, to prevent future litigation by dispensing legal advice, clarifying the terms of a contract, etc.
- preventive war — an attack against a possible enemy to prevent an attack by that enemy at a later time.
- quarter hollow — a deep cove or cavetto.
- quarter window — (on a car) a small triangular side window with hinges that can be opened for extra ventilation
- railway porter — a person employed to carry luggage, parcels, supplies, etc at a railway station
- rainbow darter — a stout darter, Etheostoma caeruleum, inhabiting the Great Lakes and Mississippi River drainages, the spawning male of which has the sides marked with oblique blue bars with red interspaces.
- raise the wind — to obtain the necessary funds
- rate of growth — the rate at which an economy grows
- reactive power — Reactive power is the part of complex power that corresponds to storage and retrieval of energy rather than consumption.
- rent allowance — money given to individuals by the government that subsidises the cost of renting a property
- retaining wall — a wall for holding in place a mass of earth or the like, as at the edge of a terrace or excavation.
- richard tawney — Richard Henry, 1880–1962, English historian, born in Calcutta.
- saint lawrence — D(avid) H(erbert) 1885–1930, English novelist.
- sanitary towel — sanitary napkin.
- search warrant — a court order authorizing the examination of a dwelling or other private premises by police officials, as for stolen goods.
- serrated wrack — the seaweed Fucus serratus
- sewing pattern — a guide or diagram that you follow to make clothes or other things using a needle and thread
- shower curtain — waterproof sheet around a shower
- shredded wheat — a breakfast cereal made by shredding cooked, dried whole wheat and baking or toasting it in biscuit- or spoon-size pieces.
- social network — a network of friends, colleagues, and other personal contacts: Strong social networks can encourage healthy behaviors.
- software house — a commercial organization that specializes in the production of computer software packages
- somar software — (company) The distributors of Somar DumpAcl and other utilities for Windows NT. Address: Washington, DC, USA.
- southeastwards — Also, southeastwards. toward the southeast.
- southwestwards — Also, southwestwards. toward the southwest.
- spectra yellow — a vivid yellow color.
- standing water — still water that has stagnated
- stewart island — one of the islands of New Zealand, S of South Island. 670 sq. mi. (1735 sq. km).
- stock watering — the creation of more new shares in a company than is justified by its assets
- straw mattress — bed padding filled with straw
- straw-coloured — If you describe something, especially hair, as straw-coloured, you mean that it is pale yellow.
- street railway — a company that operates streetcars or buses.
- sturgeon's law — "Ninety percent of everything is crap". Derived from a quote by science fiction author Theodore Sturgeon, who once said, "Sure, 90% of science fiction is crud. That's because 90% of everything is crud." Oddly, when Sturgeon's Law is cited, the final word is almost invariably changed to "crap". Compare Ninety-Ninety Rule. Though this maxim originated in SF fandom, most hackers recognise it and are all too aware of its truth.
- sweated labour — workers forced to work in poor conditions for low pay
- sweet and sour — Sweet and sour is used to describe Chinese food that contains both a sweet flavour and something sharp or sour such as lemon or vinegar.
- sweet marjoram — any of several aromatic herbs belonging to the genus Origanum, of the mint family, especially O. majorana (sweet marjoram) having leaves used as seasoning in cooking.
- sweet-and-sour — cooked with sugar and vinegar or lemon juice and often other seasonings.
- take away from — detract
- telegraph wire — a wire that transmits telegraph and telephone signals
- ten years' war — a popular insurrection in Cuba (1868–78) against Spanish rule.
- test the water — If you test the water or test the waters, you try to find out what reaction an action or idea will get before you do it or tell it to people.