18-letter words containing w, f, t
- pave the way (for) — to prepare the way (for); facilitate the introduction (of)
- peter and the wolf — a composition by Sergei Prokofiev written in 1936. It is a children's story with both music and text, spoken by a narrator accompanied by the orchestra
- piecewise function — a function whose definition changes depending on the value of the independent variable
- power-on self-test — (hardware, testing) (POST) A sequence of diagnostic tests that are run automatically by a device when the power is turned on. In a personal computer a typical POST sequence does the following: - checks that the system board is working - checks that the memory is working - compares the current system configuration with that recorded by the PC's configuration program to see if anything has been added or removed or broken - starts the video operation - checks that the diskette drive, hard disk drive, CD-ROM drive, and any other drives that may be installed are working. When POST is finished, typically it will beep, and then let your operating system start to boot. If POST finds an error, it may beep more than once (or possibly not at all if it is your PC speaker that is broken) and display a POST error message. These messages are often nothing more than a single ominous number. Some common numbers and their meanings are: 161 Dead battery (get a new battery for the system board) 162 Configuration changed (you added some memory or a new card to the PC) 301 Keyboard error (take the book off the corner of the keyboard) Because a successful POST indicates that the system is restored to known state, turning the power off and on is a standard way to reset a system whose software has hung. Compare 120 reset, Big Red Switch, power cycle.
- presumption of law — a presumption based upon a policy of law or a general rule and not upon the facts or evidence in an individual case.
- put your foot down — If someone puts their foot down, they use their authority in order to stop something happening.
- self-tapping screw — a screw designed to tap its corresponding female thread as it is driven.
- software backplane — (programming, tool) A CASE framework from Atherton.
- sweptwing aircraft — an aircraft which has wings that are swept (usually) backwards
- take a dim view of — not bright; obscure from lack of light or emitted light: a dim room; a dim flashlight.
- take the wraps off — to reveal
- tale of two cities — a historical novel (1859) by Dickens.
- telford and wrekin — a unitary authority in W Central England, in Shropshire. Pop: 160 300 (2003 est). Area: 289 sq km (112 sq miles)
- the bird has flown — the person in question has fled or escaped
- the worse for wear — If you say that someone is the worse for wear, you mean that they are tired, ill, or in a bad state because they have been very active, been through a difficult experience, or been drinking alcohol.
- think the world of — the earth or globe, considered as a planet.
- throw oneself into — to propel or cast in any way, especially to project or propel from the hand by a sudden forward motion or straightening of the arm and wrist: to throw a ball.
- to find fault with — If you find fault with something or someone, you look for mistakes and complain about them.
- to get wind of sth — If you get wind of something, you hear about it, especially when someone else did not want you to know about it.
- to plough a furrow — If you say that someone ploughs a particular furrow or ploughs their own furrow, you mean that their activities or interests are different or isolated from those of other people.
- to twist the knife — If you twist the knife or if you turn the knife in someone's wound, you do or say something to make an unpleasant situation they are in even more unpleasant.
- treaty of rijswijk — a treaty signed at Rijswijk in the Netherlands in 1697, ending the War of the Grand Alliance
- treaty of waitangi — a treaty signed in 1840 by Māori chiefs and a representative of the British Government, providing the basis for the British annexation of New Zealand
- two-tier financing — a form of lending in which the debt is divided into two separate parts, as in a first and second mortgage held by an individual on a single property
- ultralow frequency — an electromagnetic wave with a frequency between 300 and 3000 hertz. Abbreviation: ULF, ulf.
- warrant of fitness — a six-monthly certificate required for motor vehicles certifying mechanical soundness
- water of hydration — the portion of a hydrate that is represented as, or can be expelled as, water: now usually regarded as being in true molecular combination with the other atoms of the compound, and not existing in the compound as water.
- wave of the future — a trend or development that may influence or become a significant part of the future: Computerization is the wave of the future.
- weather forecaster — meteorologist
- what has become of — If you wonder what has become of someone or something, you wonder where they are and what has happened to them.
- where you left off — If something continues from where it left off, it starts happening again at the point where it had previously stopped.
- white-faced hornet — any large, stinging paper wasp of the family Vespidae, as Vespa crabro (giant hornet) introduced into the U.S. from Europe, or Vespula maculata (bald-faced hornet or white-faced hornet) of North America.
- white-footed mouse — any of several North American woodland mice of the genus Peromyscus, especially P. leucopus, having white feet and undersides.
- white-fronted tern — a coastal bird of New Zealand and SE Australia, Sterna striata, with a long black bill, a white breast, and a forked tail
- whitewater rafting — the sport of rafting down fast-flowing rivers, esp over rapids
- wildlife sanctuary — an area where wild animals and plants are protected
- wingback formation — single wingback formation.
- witch hazel family — the plant family Hamamelidaceae, characterized by trees and shrubs having alternate, simple leaves, flowers in clusters or heads, and fruit in the form of a double-beaked woody capsule, and including the sweet gum, witch alder, and witch hazel.
- with flying colors — with flying colors, with an overwhelming victory, triumph, or success: He passed the test with flying colors.
- woman of the house — lady of the house.
- woman of the world — a woman experienced and sophisticated in the ways and manners of the world, especially the world of society.
- writ of assistance — a writ issued by a superior colonial court authorizing officers of the British crown to summon aid and enter and search any premises.
- writ of attachment — a document by which a court orders the seizing of property in order to ensure satisfaction of a judgement
- writ of certiorari — certiorari.