14-letter words containing u
- adventure park — a place offering a variety of outdoor entertainments involving physical challenges, esp for children
- advocacy group — an organization that campaigns on a particular issue
- aeneas silvius — Also, Aeneas Sylvius. literary name of Pius II.
- aerenchymatous — having or consisting of aerenchyma
- aeronautically — In a aeronautical manner; with respect to aeronautics or aviation.
- aeroplane rule — (convention) "Complexity increases the possibility of failure; a twin-engine aeroplane has twice as many engine problems as a single-engine aeroplane." By analogy, in both software and electronics, the implication is that simplicity increases robustness and that the right way to build reliable systems is to put all your eggs in one basket, after making sure that you've built a really *good* basket. While simplicity is a useful design goal, and twin-engine aeroplanes do have twice as many engine problems, the analogy is almost entirely bogus. Commercial passenger aircraft are required to have at least two engines (on different wings or nacelles) so that the aeroplane can land safely if one engine fails. As Albert Einstein said, "Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler". See also KISS Principle.
- affinity group — a group of persons affiliated with the same organization, college, etc., often receiving certain discounts or other privileges.
- africanthropus — a genus of hominids of eastern Africa, assumed from a number of now lost skull fragments to have been a form of archaic Homo : no longer in technical use.
- against nature — If you say that something is against nature, you think that it is unnatural.
- agesilaus (ii) — 442?-360? b.c.; king of Sparta during the decline of its supremacy in ancient Greece
- agribusinesses — Plural form of agribusiness.
- agriculturally — the science, art, or occupation concerned with cultivating land, raising crops, and feeding, breeding, and raising livestock; farming.
- agriculturists — Plural form of agriculturist.
- agrifoodstuffs — the foods produced by agriculture
- agroindustrial — of or relating to agroindustry
- aguascalientes — a state in central Mexico. Pop: 943 506 (2000). Area: 5471 sq km (2112 sq miles)
- ailanthus moth — a large moth (Philosamia cynthia) native to E Asia and now established in the E U.S., whose larvae (ailanthus silkworms) feed on ailanthus leaves and produce an inferior silk in making their cocoons
- air conduction — Medicine/Medical. transmission of sound vibrations to the eardrum through the external auditory meatus (opposed to bone conduction).
- air equivalent — a measure of the effectiveness of a material in absorbing nuclear radiation, expressed as the thickness of an air layer (at 0° C and 1 atmosphere) causing the same absorption.
- air suspension — a type of suspension powered by a pump or compressor that pressurizes the air, intended to give a smooth ride
- air-force blue — a greyish shade of blue that is the same colour as the uniform of the Royal Air Force and the air force of some other countries
- air-fuel ratio — The air-fuel ratio or air-fuel delivery ratio is the ratio of air to fuel that is taken in by an engine.
- air-sea rescue — an air rescue at sea
- air-to-surface — launched from an aircraft and directed at a land target
- airport lounge — an area in an airport which has seats, and sometimes other services such as toilets and refreshments, and where passengers wait for their plane
- alai mountains — mountain range in S Kyrgyzstan: highest peak, c. 19,500 ft (5,944 m)
- alain-fournier — real name Henri-Alban Fournier. 1886–1914, French novelist; author of Le Grand Meaulnes (1913; translated as The Lost Domain, 1959)
- alan m. turing — Alan Turing
- alaska current — an ocean current flowing counterclockwise in the Gulf of Alaska.
- albrecht durer — Albrecht [ahl-brekht] /ˈɑl brɛxt/ (Show IPA), 1471–1528, German painter and engraver.
- album-oriented — of or designating a format featuring rock songs from LPs and CDs rather than singles, especially mainstream rock music.
- albumenization — An alternative form of albuminization.
- albuminization — A conversion into albumin.
- albury-wodonga — a town in SE Australia, in S central New South Wales, on the Murray River: commercial centre of an agricultural region. Pop: 69 880 (2001)
- alcohol abuser — someone who drinks too much alcohol
- aldus manutius — 1450–1515, Italian printer, noted for his fine editions of the classics. He introduced italic type
- aleurone layer — the outer protein-rich layer of certain seeds, esp of cereal grains
- aleutian range — a mountain range extending along the eastern coast of the Alaska Peninsula. Highest peak, Mt. Katmai, 6715 feet (2047 meters).
- algonquin park — a provincial park in S Canada, in E Ontario, containing over 1200 lakes. Area: 7100 sq km (2741 sq miles)
- aligning punch — a drift for aligning rivet holes.
- all and sundry — All and sundry means everyone.
- all souls' day — a day of prayer (Nov 2) for the dead in purgatory
- all year round — If something happens all year round, it happens throughout the year.
- all-conquering — having defeated all opponents over a long period of time
- alluvial plain — a level or gently sloping surface formed of sediments laid down by streams, generally during flooding.
- allyl sulphide — a colourless liquid that smells like garlic and is used as a flavouring. Formula: (CH2:CHCH2)2S; relative density: 0.888; boiling pt: 139°C
- allyl thiourea — thiosinamine
- alpha centauri — a binary star, the brightest star in the constellation Centaurus: magnitude, -0.27: it is the nearest of the stars that are visible to the naked eye, except for the sun
- alpha globulin — a blood plasma protein that is separable from other globulins by electrophoresis.
- alphanumerical — alphanumeric; characterized by having letters and numerals