17-letter words containing w, h, r

on the wrong tack — a short, sharp-pointed nail, usually with a flat, broad head.
out of harm's way — If someone or something is out of harm's way, they are in a safe place away from danger or from the possibility of being damaged.
out of this world — the earth or globe, considered as a planet.
pacific northwest — the region of North America lying north of the Columbia River and west of the Rockies
pincushion flower — scabious2 (def 1).
private ownership — the fact of being owned by a private individual or organization, rather than by the state or a public body
prusso-danish war — a war of 1864 between Prussia and Denmark by which Denmark lost Schleswig-Holstein.
put the screws on — a metal fastener having a tapered shank with a helical thread, and topped with a slotted head, driven into wood or the like by rotating, especially by means of a screwdriver.
quick on the draw — having fast reflexes
richard arkwright — Sir Richard, 1732–92, English inventor of the spinning jenny.
right-to-work law — a state law making it illegal to refuse employment to a person for the sole reason that he or she is not a union member.
roll with a punch — to move in the same direction as a punch thrown at one so as to lessen its force
roof of the world — Tibet, Plateau of.
rough-legged hawk — a large hawk, Buteo lagopus, of the Northern Hemisphere, that feeds chiefly on small rodents.
rub the wrong way — to subject the surface of (a thing or person) to pressure and friction, as in cleaning, smoothing, polishing, coating, massaging, or soothing: to rub a table top with wax polish; to rub the entire back area.
run short/run low — If you are running short of something or running low on something, you do not have much of it left. If a supply of something is running short or running low, there is not much of it left.
russian wolfhound — borzoi.
saint john's wort — any of various plants or shrubs of the genus Hypericum, having yellow flowers and transparently dotted leaves.
scattered showers — showers that are scattered across an area, or that occur at intervals throughout the day
schwedler's maple — a variety of the Norway maple, Acer platanoides schwedleri, producing red leaves that subsequently turn green.
september weather — weather characteristic of the month of September, esp in being unpredictable as summer is ending and autumn is beginning
show in (or out) — to usher into (or out of) a given place
show sb the ropes — If you show someone the ropes, you show them how to do a particular job or task.
shower attachment — a device fixed to taps to make a shower
slap on the wrist — a sharp blow or smack, especially with the open hand or with something flat.
south west africa — a former name of Namibia.
south-west africa — a former name of Namibia.
southampton water — an inlet of the English Channel in S England
spaghetti western — a low-budget western movie shot in Italy or Spain, usually with Italian actors and an American star.
spanish civil war — the civil war in Spain 1936–39.
spiny-headed worm — any of a small group of endoparasites of the phylum Acanthocephala, as larvae parasitic in insects and crustaceans and as adults in various vertebrates.
squaw huckleberry — deerberry.
straw in the wind — If you say that an incident or piece of news is a straw in the wind, you mean that it gives an indication of what might happen in the future.
swainson's thrush — a North American thrush, Catharus ustulatus, having olive upper parts and wintering south to Argentina.
swash plate motor — a collar or face plate on a shaft that is inclined at an oblique angle to the axis of rotation and converts reciprocating motion to rotation
teaching software — computer software for use in providing online education
technical drawing — the study and practice, esp as a subject taught in school, of the basic techniques of draughtsmanship, as employed in mechanical drawing, architecture, etc
test the water(s) — to explore a possible course of action; approach initially
the lower animals — relatively simple or primitive animals and not mammals or vertebrates
the lower mammals — relatively simple or primitive mammals
the lower regions — hell
the new jerusalem — the de facto capital of Israel (recognition of this has been withheld by the United Nations), situated in the Judaean hills: became capital of the Hebrew kingdom after its capture by David around 1000 bc; destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon in 586 bc; taken by the Romans in 63 bc; devastated in 70 ad and 135 ad during the Jewish rebellions against Rome; fell to the Arabs in 637 and to the Seljuk Turks in 1071; ruled by Crusaders from 1099 to 1187 and by the Egyptians and Turks until conquered by the British (1917); centre of the British mandate of Palestine from 1920 to 1948, when the Arabs took the old city and the Jews held the new city; unified after the Six Day War (1967) under the Israelis; the holy city of Jews, Christians, and Muslims. Pop: 693 200 (2003 est)
the outside world — You can use the outside world to refer to all the people who do not live in a particular place or who are not involved in a particular situation.
the unwritten law — the tradition that a person may avenge any insult to family integrity, as used to justify criminal acts of vengeance
the water carrier — the constellation Aquarius, the 11th sign of the zodiac
the winter season — the season of the year that covers the winter months
the witching hour — the hour at which witches are supposed to appear, usually midnight
thermal underwear — underwear designed to retain body heat in cold temperatures.
thirty years' war — the war, often regarded as a series of wars (1618–48), in central Europe, initially involving a conflict between German Protestants and Catholics and later including political rivalries with France, Sweden, and Denmark opposing the Holy Roman Empire and Spain.
three-strikes law — a law that mandates a life sentence to a felon convicted for the third time.

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