20-letter words that end in n
- exercise, left as an — Used to complete a proof in technical books when one doesn't mind a handwave, or to avoid one entirely. The complete phrase is: "The proof [or "the rest"] is left as an exercise for the reader." This comment *has* occasionally been attached to unsolved research problems by authors possessed of either an evil sense of humour or a vast faith in the capabilities of their audiences.
- external respiration — exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide across external or respiratory surfaces, as gills or lungs, in multicellular organisms
- factor of production — any instrument, agent, etc., employed in the production of goods and services.
- federal constitution — Constitution of the United States.
- fixed action pattern — a highly stereotyped pattern of behavior that is characteristic of a particular species.
- for sb's consumption — If you do or say something for a particular person's or group's consumption, you do or say it especially for them, although your private thoughts or plans may be very different.
- for sb's delectation — If you do something for someone's delectation, you do it to give them enjoyment or pleasure.
- for your information — (FYI) A subseries of RFCs that are not technical standards or descriptions of protocols. FYIs convey general information about topics related to TCP/IP or the Internet. See also STD.
- forbidden transition — an electronic transition in an atom, molecule, etc, that is not permitted by electric dipole selection rules
- fractionating column — a long vertical cylinder used in fractional distillation, in which internal reflux enables separation of high and low boiling fractions to take place
- frequency modulation — FM.
- friar minor capuchin — capuchin (def 4).
- fully-fitted kitchen — a kitchen fitted with units and appliances such as an oven, dishwasher, etc
- function application — A function applied to (some of) its arguments. If it is not applied to all its argument then it is a "partial application". Application is usually written in the form f(x) but some languages such as command-line interpreters and many functional languages use juxtaposition: f x. Lisp places the parentheses around the whole application: (f x).
- general postal union — former name of Universal Postal Union. Abbreviation: GPU.
- get under one's skin — the external covering or integument of an animal body, especially when soft and flexible.
- go against the grain — If you say that an idea or action goes against the grain, you mean that it is very difficult for you to accept it or do it, because it conflicts with your previous ideas, beliefs, or principles.
- godefroy de bouillon — c1060–1100, French crusader.
- great-great-grandson — the grandson of a grandchild
- group representation — representation in a governing body on the basis of interests rather than by geographical location.
- guided visualization — a relaxation technique in which words, sounds, etc., are used to evoke positive mental images, feelings, and thoughts.
- harmonic progression — a series of numbers the reciprocals of which are in arithmetic progression.
- heat of condensation — the heat liberated by a unit mass of gas at its boiling point as it condenses to a liquid: equal to the heat of vaporization.
- heat of vaporization — the heat absorbed per unit mass of a given material at its boiling point that completely converts the material to a gas at the same temperature: equal to the heat of condensation.
- hexadecimal notation — a number system having a base 16; the symbols for the numbers 0–9 are the same as those used in the decimal system, and the numbers 10–15 are usually represented by the letters A–F. The system is used as a convenient way of representing the internal binary code of a computer
- hildegard von bingen — Hildegard von (Hildegard of Bingen"Sibyl of the Rhine") 1098–1178, German nun, healer, writer, and composer.
- hit the panic button — an alarm button for use in an emergency, as to summon help.
- house of assignation — a brothel.
- hydraulic suspension — a system of motor-vehicle suspension using hydraulic members, often with hydraulic compensation between front and rear systems (hydroelastic suspension)
- hydrodesulfurization — desulfurization by catalytic agents of the sulfur-rich hydrocarbons obtained from petroleum or the like during cracking or hydrocracking.
- hypodermic injection — the injection of a medicine or drug under the skin
- ideal of pure reason — God, seen as an idea of pure reason unifying the personal soul with the cosmos.
- imperfect contrition — sincere penitence or remorse.
- in the public domain — able to be discussed and examined freely by the general public
- in-service education — training and education given to employed teachers throughout their career
- inferior conjunction — the alignment of an inferior planet between the sun and the earth.
- insolvency provision — the right of employees of a firm that goes bankrupt or into receivership to receive money owed to them as wages, etc
- institutionalisation — The process of embedding something within an organization or society as an established custom or norm.
- institutionalization — to make institutional.
- interference pattern — a series of alternating dark and bright bands produced as a result of light interference.
- intermediate section — The intermediate section is the section of the borehole after the top hole, which has more consolidated rock.
- internal respiration — the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide between the blood or lymph and the body cells
- internationalisation — Alternative spelling of internationalization.
- internationalization — internationalisation
- iodochlorhydroxyquin — The drug clioquinol.
- isometric projection — a type of axonometric projection in which the object is shown with its three principal axes all equally tilted from the plane of viewing, with two of them usually tilted 30 degrees upward from the horizontal
- jerk someone's chain — to tease, mislead, or harass someone
- keep a tight rein on — to control carefully; limit
- keep one's eyes open — the organ of sight, in vertebrates typically one of a pair of spherical bodies contained in an orbit of the skull and in humans appearing externally as a dense, white, curved membrane, or sclera, surrounding a circular, colored portion, or iris, that is covered by a clear, curved membrane, or cornea, and in the center of which is an opening, or pupil, through which light passes to the retina.
- knockout competition — used to describe a competition in which competitors are eliminated progressively