14-letter words containing w, r, o, n
- stock watering — the creation of more new shares in a company than is justified by its assets
- stopping power — a measure of the effect a substance has on the kinetic energy of a particle passing through it
- strong forward — power forward
- 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.
- sun-worshipper — someone who worships the sun as a deity
- sweeping score — a line at each end of the rink parallel to the foot score and extending through the center of the tee.
- 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-and-sour — cooked with sugar and vinegar or lemon juice and often other seasonings.
- swinging voter — a person who does not vote consistently for any single political party
- telephone wire — a wire that transmits telegraph and telephone signals
- the phoney war — a period of apparent calm and inactivity, esp the period at the beginning of World War II
- the worm turns — If you say that the worm turns, you mean that someone who usually obeys another person or accepts their bad behaviour unexpectedly starts resisting that person or expresses their anger.
- there's no way — If you say there's no way that something will happen, you are emphasizing that you think it will definitely not happen.
- throw a wrench — If someone throws a wrench or throws a monkey wrench into a process, they prevent something happening smoothly by deliberately causing a problem.
- throw light on — something that makes things visible or affords illumination: All colors depend on light.
- throwing stick — a short, straight or curved stick, flat or cylindrical in form, often having a hand grip, and used generally in preliterate societies as a hunting weapon to throw at birds and small game.
- to know better — If someone knows better than to do something, they are old enough or experienced enough to know it is the wrong thing to do.
- to overflowing — If a place or container is filled to overflowing, it is so full of people or things that no more can fit in.
- to windward of — advantageously situated with respect to
- tongue twister — a word or sequence of words difficult to pronounce, especially rapidly, because of alliteration or a slight variation of consonant sounds, as “She sells seashells by the seashore.”.
- tongue-twister — A tongue-twister is a sentence or expression which is very difficult to say properly, especially when you try to say it quickly. An example of a tongue-twister is 'Red leather, yellow leather'.
- transom window — a window divided by a transom.
- tripolitan war — a war (1801–05) that Tripoli declared on the United States because of American refusal to pay tribute for the safe passage of shipping in Barbary Coastal waters.
- turbulent flow — the flow of a fluid past an object such that the velocity at any fixed point in the fluid varies irregularly.
- two-name paper — commercial paper having more than one obligor, usually a maker and endorser, both of whom are fully liable.
- uncrowned king — a man or woman of high status among a certain group
- unforeknowable — not foreknowable
- unknown factor — a factor that is not known or understood
- unpraiseworthy — not worthy of praise
- url forwarding — URL redirection
- virgin's-bower — any of several American clematis plants, esp Clematis virginiana, of E North America, which has clusters of small white flowers
- voluntary work — unpaid employment for a cause
- wainscot chair — an armchair of the 17th century, made of oak and having a solid paneled back.
- waiting period — a specified delay, required by law, between officially stating an intention and acting on it, as between securing a marriage license and getting married.
- walkaround pay — extra pay earned by an employee for accompanying an official inspector on a plant tour or around a job site.
- walking shorts — medium to long shorts, often cut fuller than Bermuda shorts and used for walking or leisure activity.
- warbling vireo — a grayish-green American vireo, Vireo gilvus, characterized by its melodious warble.
- wardrobe trunk — a large, upright trunk, usually with space on one side for hanging clothes and drawers or compartments on the other for small articles, shoes, etc.
- warning notice — official notification of a danger or threat
- washing powder — Washing powder is a powder that you use with water to wash clothes.
- water fountain — a drinking fountain, water cooler, or other apparatus supplying drinking water.
- water moccasin — the cottonmouth.
- water scorpion — any of several predaceous aquatic bugs of the family Nepidae, having clasping front legs and a long respiratory tube at the rear of the abdomen: capable of biting if handled.
- water softener — any of a group of substances that when added to water containing calcium and magnesium ions cause the ions to precipitate or change their usual properties: used in the purification of water for the laboratory, and for giving water more efficient sudsing ability with soap.
- waterproofness — The property of being waterproof.
- wearing course — the top layer of a road that carries the traffic; road surface
- weather window — a limited interval when weather conditions can be expected to be suitable for a particular project, such as laying offshore pipelines, reaching a high mountain summit, launching a satellite, etc
- weatherization — (US) The process of weatherizing.
- weatherpersons — Plural form of weatherperson.
- well-confirmed — made certain as to truth, accuracy, validity, availability, etc.: confirmed reports of new fighting at the front; confirmed reservations on the three o'clock flight to Denver.