16-letter words containing w, i, s, a

hudsonian godwit — any of several large, widely distributed shorebirds of the genus Limosa, as the New World L. haemastica (Hudsonian godwit) having a long bill that curves upward slightly.
if it wasn't for — If you talk about what would happen if it wasn't for someone or something, you mean that they are the only thing that is preventing it from happening.
immigration laws — regulations on incoming foreigners
in a brown study — in a reverie or daydream
in ones and twos — You can use in ones and twos to indicate that people do things or something happens gradually and in small groups.
in so many words — a unit of language, consisting of one or more spoken sounds or their written representation, that functions as a principal carrier of meaning. Words are composed of one or more morphemes and are either the smallest units susceptible of independent use or consist of two or three such units combined under certain linking conditions, as with the loss of primary accent that distinguishes black·bird· from black· bird·. Words are usually separated by spaces in writing, and are distinguished phonologically, as by accent, in many languages.
in someone's way — manner, mode, or fashion: a new way of looking at a matter; to reply in a polite way.
in the shadow of — very close to; verging upon
in the worst way — bad or ill in the highest, greatest, or most extreme degree: the worst person.
indian wrestling — arm wrestling
industrial waste — waste materials left over from a manufacturing process in industrial buildings such as factories and mines
invisible shadow — (in architectural shades and shadows) a three-dimensional space occupied by the shadow projected by a solid and within which a surface is in shadow.
it is as well to — You say it is as well to think or do something when you are advising someone to think in a particular way or to take a particular action.
it's all up with — there is no further hope for; the end is near for
jailhouse lawyer — a prisoner who has taught himself or herself law while serving time, is knowledgeable about technical legal matters, and gives legal advice, especially to fellow prisoners.
kawasaki disease — an acute illness of unknown cause, occurring primarily in children, characterized by high fever, swollen lymph glands, rash, redness in mouth and throat, and joint pain.
kirchhoff's laws — the law that the algebraic sum of the currents flowing toward any point in an electric network is zero.
knuckle sandwich — a punch in the mouth with a clenched fist.
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.
lewis and harris — the northernmost island of the Hebrides, in NW Scotland. 825 sq. mi. (2135 sq. km).
lord howe island — an island in the S Pacific, E of Australia: a dependency of New South Wales. 5 sq. mi. (13 sq. km).
machine washable — suitable for washing in a washing machine
matthew flinders — Matthew, 1774–1814, English navigator and explorer: surveyed coast of Australia.
matthew of paris — c1200–59, English chronicler.
minerva software — A company producing software for the Acorn Archimedes.
most wanted list — an actual or supposed listing of the names of persons who are urgently being sought for a specific reason, as apprehension for an alleged crime.
mount washington — a mountain in N New Hampshire, in the White Mountains: the highest peak in the northeast US; noted for extreme weather conditions. Height: 1917 m (6288 ft)
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.
new frontiersman — an advocate or follower of the New Frontier, especially one in public service.
new jack (swing) — a style of rhythm-and-blues music blending rap, disco, funk, soul, etc. and characterized by aggressive, boastful, romantic lyrics
newspaper office — an office where the editorial and production staff of a newspaper work
nine-days wonder — something that arouses great interest, but only for a short period
no-win situation — choice between negative outcomes
not worth a shit — useless, valueless, etc.
observation ward — a ward in a hospital where patients are monitored
offensive weapon — an instrument designed to be used in attack, or an object which may be used in attack
optical tweezers — a laser device used to study, manipulate, or trap a microscopic object, as a microorganism or cell, with nanometer precision.
packet switching — a method of efficient data transmission whereby the initial message is broken into relatively small units, or packets, that are routed independently and subsequently reassembled.
packet-switching — a method of efficient data transmission whereby the initial message is broken into relatively small units, or packets, that are routed independently and subsequently reassembled.
pearls of wisdom — good advice, wise words
philip of swabia — 1180?–1208, king of Germany and uncrowned emperor of the Holy Roman Empire 1198–1208 (son of Frederick I).
phillis wheatley — Phillis [fil-is] /ˈfɪl ɪs/ (Show IPA), 1753?–84, American poet, born in Africa; probably Senegal.
place of worship — religious house: church, temple
poiseuille's law — the law that the velocity of a liquid flowing through a capillary is directly proportional to the pressure of the liquid and the fourth power of the radius of the capillary and is inversely proportional to the viscosity of the liquid and the length of the capillary.
poor white trash — white trash.
proposal writing — Extension of Fortran for proposal writing.
purchasing power — Also called buying power. the ability to purchase goods and services.
radial (arm) saw — a circular saw suspended from a pivoted horizontal arm along which it can be moved

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