20-letter words containing s
- analytical chemistry — a branch of chemistry that deals with the identification of compounds and mixtures (qualitative analysis) or the determination of the proportions of the constituents (quantitative analysis): techniques commonly used are titration, precipitation, spectroscopy, chromatography, etc.
- anglo-egyptian sudan — territory jointly administered by Egypt & Great Britain (1899-1956)
- anglo-venetian glass — glassware made in England from the late 16th to the late 17th centuries in imitation of Venetian models.
- angoumois grain moth — a gelechiid moth, Sitotroga cerealella, the larvae of which feed on stored corn and other grains.
- angular displacement — the angle through which a point, line, or body is rotated about a specific axis in a given direction
- animal liberationist — a person who campaigns for animal rights, often by using direct action
- anniversary reaction — a psychological reaction, as depression, occurring at a regularly fixed time and associated with the recollection of an emotionally upsetting past experience, as loss of a loved one.
- anomalous dispersion — a sudden change in the refractive index of a material for wavelengths in the vicinity of absorption bands in the spectrum of the material.
- anthemius of tralles — c474–c534, Greek mathematician and architect, active in Lydia.
- anti-intellectualism — a feeling of hostility and dislike towards intellectuals and intellectual activities
- anti-motion-sickness — combatting the effects of motion sickness
- anti-supernaturalism — supernatural character or agency.
- antiauthoritarianism — Opposition to authority; the quality of being antiauthoritarian.
- anticrepuscular arch — antitwilight arch.
- antidandruff shampoo — a shampoo that prevents or treats dandruff
- antidisestablishment — Opposed to the separation of church and state.
- antigestational drug — a drug that averts a pregnancy by preventing the fertilized egg from becoming implanted in the uterine wall.
- antonello da messina — ?1430–?79, Italian painter, born in Sicily. His paintings include St Jerome in His Study and Portrait of a Man
- aortic insufficiency — abnormal closure of the aortic valve resulting in regurgitation of blood to the left ventricle.
- apollonius of rhodes — 3rd century bc, Greek epic poet and head of the Library of Alexandria. His principal work is the four-volume Argonautica
- apostolic succession — the doctrine that the authority of Christian bishops derives from the Apostles through an unbroken line of consecration
- apothecaries' weight — a system of weights, formerly used in pharmacy, based on the Troy ounce, which contains 480 grains. 1 grain is equal to 0.065 gram
- application software — software designed for a specific need or purpose
- applications package — a specialized program or set of specialized programs and associated documentation designed to carry out a particular task
- applications program — a program that is written and designed for specific needs or purposes
- arches national park — a national park in E Utah: natural arch formations. 114 sq. mi. (295 sq. km).
- archiepiscopal cross — patriarchal cross.
- argument from design — the argument for the existence of God based on the assumption that order in the universe implies an orderer and cannot be a natural feature of the universe.
- aristarchus of samos — 3rd century bc, Greek astronomer who anticipated Copernicus in advancing the theory that the earth revolves around the sun
- arrested development — physical development that is not complete
- artificial harmonics — harmonics of a note produced on a stringed instrument by lightly touching a stopped sounded string.
- artificial satellite — a man-made device orbiting around the earth, moon, or another planet transmitting to earth scientific information or used for communication
- artificial selection — a process in the breeding of animals and in the cultivation of plants by which the breeder chooses to perpetuate only those forms having certain desirable inheritable characteristics.
- as right as a trivet — in perfect health
- as straight as a die — perfectly honest
- aschheim-zondek test — a test used to detect whether a woman is pregnant by noting the effect on the ovaries of an immature mouse or rabbit injected with her urine.
- asexual reproduction — reproduction, as budding, fission, or spore formation, not involving the union of gametes.
- asian tiger mosquito — a mosquito, Aedes albopictus, native to Asia, that transmits yellow fever and dengue and possibly West Nile virus. Compare yellow-fever mosquito.
- asleep at the switch — a slender, flexible shoot, rod, etc., used especially in whipping or disciplining.
- assessment procedure — an established method of assessing students or workers
- asset turnover ratio — An asset turnover ratio is a measure of the efficiency of a company, that is calculated by dividing sales for a period by average total assets.
- associated statehood — the semi-independent political status of various former British colonies in the Caribbean from 1967 until each became an independent state in the British Commonwealth, by which Britain retained responsibility for defence and some aspects of foreign affairs. The associated states were Anguilla, Antigua, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts-Nevis, St Lucia, and St Vincent and the Grenadines
- association football — soccer
- association of stars — a sparsely populated group of between 10 and 1000 young stars of similar spectral type and common origin that are moving too fast to form a permanent, gravitationally bound system.
- astatic galvanometer — a galvanometer that is unaffected by the earth's magnetic field and is used for measuring small currents.
- asymmetrical warfare — warfare between a powerful military force and a weak guerilla force
- at one's convenience — at a time, or in a place or manner, suitable to one
- at one's finger tips — the tip or end of a finger.
- at someone's expense — If you do something at someone's expense, they provide the money for it.
- at someone's service — ready to serve or cooperate with someone