12-letter words starting with k
- ketch-rigged — rigged in the manner of a ketch.
- ketoacidosis — (pathology) A severe form of ketosis, most commonly seen in diabetics, in which so much ketone is produced that acidosis occurs.
- ketoaciduria — (pathology) The presence of (excess) ketoacids in the urine.
- ketoconazole — a synthetic substance, C 26 H 28 Cl 2 N 4 O 4 , used to treat a variety of fungal infections.
- ketone group — the characteristic group occurring in ketones that consists of the carbonyl group attached to two alkyl groups.
- key lime pie — a custardlike pie made with lime juice, condensed milk, eggs, and flavorings and served in a pastry shell.
- keyboardists — Plural form of keyboardist.
- keystone kop — Usually, Keystone Kops. (in early silent movies) a team of comic policemen noted for their slapstick routines.
- khachaturian — Aram Ilich [ar-uh m il-yich;; Russian uh-rahm ee-lyeech] /ˈær əm ˈɪl yɪtʃ;; Russian ʌˈrɑm iˈlyitʃ/ (Show IPA), 1903–78, Armenian composer.
- khaibar pass — Khyber Pass.
- khornerstone — A multipurpose benchmark from Workstation Labs used in various periodicals. The source is not free. Results are published in "UNIX Review".
- khyber knife — a long Indian knife having a triangular, single-edged blade with the handle set off center toward the back.
- kick against — If you kick against a situation you dislike but cannot control, you react against it in a violent, sudden, or extreme way.
- kick oneself — regret sth
- kick starter — a starter, as of a motorcycle, that operates by a downward kick on a pedal.
- kiddiewinkie — a child
- kidney donor — someone who donates one of their kidneys to be transplanted into another person
- kidney punch — an illegal punch in the lower back.
- kidney stone — an abnormal stone, or concretion, composed primarily of oxalates and phosphates, found in the kidney.
- kidney vetch — an Old World plant, Anthyllis vulneraria, of the legume family, formerly used as a remedy for kidney diseases.
- kigoma-ujiji — a city composed of two merged towns in W Tanzania, on Lake Tanganyika: Stanley found Livingstone in Ujiji 1871.
- kikuyu grass — a type of fast-growing tropical grass, Pennisetum clandestinum, native to E Africa
- kill oneself — to overexert oneself
- killer micro — [Popularised by Eugene Brooks] A microprocessor-based machine that infringes on mini, mainframe, or supercomputer performance turf. Often heard in "No one will survive the attack of the killer micros!", the battle cry of the downsizers. Used especially of RISC architectures. The popularity of the phrase "attack of the killer micros" is doubtless reinforced by the movie title "Attack Of The Killer Tomatoes" (one of the canonical examples of so-bad-it's-wonderful among hackers). This has even more flavour now that killer micros have gone on the offensive not just individually (in workstations) but in hordes (within massively parallel computers).
- killer whale — any of several predatory dolphins, especially the black-and-white Orcinus orca, found in all seas.
- killickinnic — kinnikinnick.
- kilocalories — Plural form of kilocalorie.
- kim dae jung — 1925–2009, president of South Korea 1998–2003.
- kinaesthesia — kinesthesia.
- kinaesthesis — kinesthesia.
- kinaesthetic — Alternative form of kinesthetic.
- kinchinjunga — Kanchenjunga.
- kind hearted — having or showing sympathy or kindness: a kindhearted woman.
- kind-hearted — having or showing sympathy or kindness: a kindhearted woman.
- kindergarden — (non-standard) misspelling of kindergarten.
- kindergarten — a school or class for young children between the ages of four and six years.
- kindred soul — like-minded person
- kindred-ship — a person's relatives collectively; kinfolk; kin.
- kinesiatrics — the treatment of disease by the use of gymnastics or muscle exercises
- kinesipathic — of or relating to kinesipathy
- kinesophobia — Fear of movement.
- kinesthetics — The ability to feel movements of the limbs and body. Referred by some people as the sixth sense.
- kinetography — a camera for taking pictures for a kinetoscope.
- kinetoplasts — Plural form of kinetoplast.
- king penguin — a large penguin, Aptenodytes patagonicus, found on islands bordering the Antarctic Circle.
- king vulture — a large, black-and-white vulture, Sarcorhamphus papa, of Central and South America, having colorful wattles and wartlike protuberances on its head and neck.
- king's bench — a court, originally the principal court for criminal cases, gradually acquiring a civil jurisdiction concurrent with that of the Court of Common Pleas, and also possessing appellate jurisdiction over the Court of Common Pleas: now a division of the High Court of Justice.
- king's color — a white ceremonial ensign with a royal cipher, flown on special occasions by the British Royal Navy.
- king's crown — a tropical American shrub, Justicia carnea, of the acanthus family, bearing clusters of tubular reddish flowers.
- king's peace — (in early medieval England) the protection secured by the king for particular people or places