17-letter words containing d
- affaire d'honneur — a duel
- affiliation order — (formerly) an order made by a magistrates' court that a man adjudged to be the father of an illegitimate child shall contribute a specified periodic sum towards the child's maintenance
- affiliative drive — the urge to form friendships and attachments, typically prompting a person to attend social gatherings and join organizations as a way of preventing loneliness and gaining emotional security.
- age of discretion — the age at which a person is considered to be able to manage his or her own affairs
- aggravated murder — a murder made more serious by its violent circumstances
- agree to disagree — If two people who are arguing about something agree to disagree or agree to differ, they decide to stop arguing because neither of them is going to change their opinion.
- ahead of the game — in the position of winning, esp. in gambling
- ahnfelt's seaweed — a red alga, Ahnfeltia plicata, common along the coasts of North America and Europe, having brownish, bushlike branches.
- alcala de henares — city in central Spain, near Madrid: pop. 159,000
- alexander severus — a.d. 208?-235; Rom. emperor ( a.d. 222-235)
- alexandrian senna — a tropical leguminous plant, Cassia acutifolia, having yellow flowers and long pods
- algol 60 modified — (language) An erratum in [Computer J 21(3):282 (Aug 1978)] applies to both.
- algorithmic model — (programming) A method of estimating software cost using mathematical algorithms based on the parameters which are considered to be the major cost drivers. These estimate of effort or cost are based primarily on the size of the software or Delivered Source Instructions (DSI)s, and other productivity factors known as Cost Driver Attributes. See also Parametric Model.
- alive and kicking — If you say that someone or something is alive and kicking, you are emphasizing not only that they continue to survive, but also that they are very active.
- all well and good — If you say that something is all well and good, you are suggesting that it has faults or disadvantages, although it may appear to be correct or reasonable.
- all-expenses-paid — (of a holiday, trip, etc) free, with everything paid for
- allende meteorite — a carbonaceous chondrite meteorite that fell over northern Mexico in 1969: one of the largest recorded falls of a stony meteorite.
- almanach de gotha — a publication giving statistical information on European royalty.
- altitude sickness — a condition affecting some persons at high altitudes, caused by insufficient oxygen in the blood and characterized by dizziness, nausea, and shortness of breath.
- altitude training — training performed at high altitude to prepare an athlete's body to cope with a reduced supply of oxygen
- aluminum chloride — a yellow-white, crystalline, water-soluble solid that in its white hydrated form, AlCl 3 ⋅6H 2 O, is used chiefly as a wood preservative and in its yellow-white anhydrous form, AlCl 3 , chiefly as a catalyst.
- amateur dramatics — theatrical performances by amateur players
- ambrette-seed oil — a yellow oil expressed from ambrette seeds, used as a fixative in the manufacture of perfume.
- american dialects — regional or social varieties of spoken American English identified by differences in grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation: principal dialect areas are now generally distinguished as Northern, Midland, and Southern
- american dog tick — a common tick, Dermacentor variabilis, that is the vector of Rocky Mountain spotted fever in the eastern U.S. and also carries tularemia.
- american foxhound — one of an American breed of medium-sized dogs having a smooth, glossy coat usually black, tan, and white in color, a square-cut muzzle, hanging ears, and a moderately high-set tail, used for hunting both in packs or individually, tailing the game by scent.
- american highland — a region in Antarctica, W of Enderby Land and E of Wilkes Land: discovered 1939.
- american redstart — any of several small, Old World thrushes, usually with reddish-brown tails, especially Phoenicurus phoenicurus (European redstart)
- american woodbine — a North American plant, related to the honeysuckle, Lonicera caprifolium
- american wormseed — a plant with seeds used in medicine to treat worm infestation, Chenopodium ambrosioides
- amino-acid dating — a method used to date an organic geological or archaeological specimen, as a fossil or mummified body, by determining how much change has occurred in the amino-acid structure of that specimen.
- aminobenzoic acid — a derivative of benzoic acid existing in three isomeric forms, the para- form being used in the manufacture of dyes and sunburn preventatives. Formula: NH2C6H4COOH
- aminoglutethimide — a hormone antagonist, C 13 H 16 N 2 O 2 , used in the treatment of Cushing's syndrome and breast cancer.
- ammonium chloride — a white soluble crystalline solid used chiefly as an electrolyte in dry batteries and as a mordant and soldering flux. Formula: NH4Cl
- amoebic dysentery — inflammation of the intestines caused by the parasitic amoeba Endamoeba histolytica
- amphidromic point — a point of almost zero tidal fluctuation on the ocean surface, represented on a chart of cotidal lines by a point from which these lines radiate.
- anabolic steroids — a synthetic derivative of testosterone, sometimes used by athletes to help increase weight and strength.
- and that's a fact — You say and that's a fact to emphasize the truth or correctness of a statement that you have just made.
- andes (mountains) — mountain system extending the length of W South America: highest peak, Aconcagua
- andreanof islands — a group of islands in the central Aleutian Islands, Alaska. Area: 3710 sq km (1432 sq miles)
- andrew fluegelman — (person) A successful attorney, editor of PC World Magazine, and author of the MS-DOS communications program PC-TALK III, written in 1982. He once owned the trademark "freeware" but it wasn't enforced after his disappearance. In 1985, Fluegelman was diagnosed with cancer. He was last seen a week later, on 1985-07-06, when he left his Marin County home to go to his office in Tiburon. He called his wife later that day and has not been heard from since. His car was found at Vista Point on the north end of the Golden Gate Bridge.
- aneroid barograph — an aneroid barometer equipped with an automatic recording mechanism.
- aneroid barometer — a device for measuring atmospheric pressure without the use of fluids. It consists of a partially evacuated metal chamber, the thin corrugated lid of which is displaced by variations in the external air pressure. This displacement is magnified by levers and made to operate a pointer
- angiocardiography — the making of X-ray pictures of the heart and its blood vessels after injecting a radiopaque substance
- angra do heroismo — a port in the Azores, on Terceira Island. Pop: 35 581 (2001)
- angry fruit salad — (abuse) A bad visual-interface design that uses too many colours. (This term derives, of course, from the bizarre day-glo colours found in canned fruit salad). Too often one sees similar effects from interface designers using colour window systems such as X; there is a tendency to create displays that are flashy and attention-getting but uncomfortable for long-term use.
- anionic detergent — any of a class of synthetic compounds whose anions are alkali salts, as soap, or whose ions are ammonium salts.
- anthraquinone dye — any of the class of dyes derived from anthraquinone, used for dyeing textiles, especially cotton, rayon, and silk.
- anthropomorphized — Simple past tense and past participle of anthropomorphize.
- antidazzle mirror — a rear-view mirror for road vehicles that only partially reflects headlights behind