15-letter words starting with p
- pheasant coucal — a brown and black, red-eyed Australian bird, Centropus phasianinus, with a pheasantlike tail.
- phenakistoscope — an early form of a zoetrope in which figures are depicted in different poses around the edge of a disc. When the disc is spun, and the figures observed through the apertures around the edge of the disc, they appear to be moving
- phenazopyridine — a substance, C 1 1 H 1 2 ClN 5 , used as a lower urinary tract analgesic.
- phenolphthalein — a white, crystalline compound, C 2 0 H 1 4 O 4 , used as an indicator in acid-base titration and as a laxative.
- phenomenalistic — the doctrine that phenomena are the only objects of knowledge or the only form of reality.
- phenomenologies — the study of phenomena.
- phenomenologist — the study of phenomena.
- phenyl valerate — a colorless, slightly water-soluble liquid, C 1 1 H 1 4 O 2 , used chiefly in flavoring and perfumery.
- phenylene group — any of three bivalent, isomeric groups having the formula –C 6 H 4 –, derived from benzene by the removal of two hydrogen atoms.
- phenylhydrazine — a yellow, poisonous liquid or low-melting solid, C 6 H 8 N 2 , used in chemical analysis and organic synthesis.
- phenylketonuria — an inherited disease due to faulty metabolism of phenylalanine, characterized by phenylketones in the urine and usually first noted by signs of mental retardation in infancy.
- phenylketonuric — an inherited disease due to faulty metabolism of phenylalanine, characterized by phenylketones in the urine and usually first noted by signs of mental retardation in infancy.
- philanthropical — of, pertaining to, engaged in, or characterized by philanthropy; benevolent: a philanthropic foundation.
- philip the bold — 1342–1404, duke of Burgundy (1363–1404), noted for his courage at Poitiers (1356) in the Hundred Years' War: regent of France for his nephew Charles VI (1368–88, 1392–1404)
- philip the good — 1396–1467, duke of Burgundy 1419–67.
- philosophically — of or relating to philosophy: philosophical studies.
- phlebosclerosis — sclerosis, or hardening, of the walls of veins.
- phloem necrosis — a disease of the American elm caused by a mycoplasmalike organism, characterized by yellowing and necrosis of the foliage and yellowish-brown discoloration of the phloem.
- phoenix islands — a group of eight coral islands in the central Pacific: administratively part of Kiribati. Area: 28 sq km (11 sq miles). The islands and surrounding waters form the Phoenix Islands Protected Area, the world's largest marine protected area. Area: 410 500 sq km (158 500 sq miles)
- phonautographic — relating to a phonautograph or a piece of equipment that records sound visually by detecting the sound waves and indicating them on a graph
- phonemicization — a grouping of phonemes
- phoneticization — the representation of speech in writing using a system in which individual symbols reflect speech sounds in a regular manner
- phonocardiogram — the graphic record produced by a phonocardiograph.
- phonogramically — in a phonogramic manner
- phosphate group — the group or radical obtained by removal of one or more hydrogen atoms from phosphoric acid.
- phosphocreatine — a compound, C 4 H 1 0 O 5 N 3 P, found chiefly in muscle, formed by the enzymatic interaction of an organic phosphate and creatine, the breakdown of which provides energy for muscle contraction.
- phosphor bronze — a bronze, composed of about 80 percent copper, 10 percent tin, 9 percent antimony, and 1 percent phosphorus, having great hardness and resistance to corrosion.
- phosphorescence — the property of being luminous at temperatures below incandescence, as from slow oxidation in the case of phosphorus or after exposure to light or other radiation.
- phosphoric acid — any of three acids, orthophosphoric acid, H 3 PO 4 , metaphosphoric acid, HPO 3 , or pyrophosphoric acid, H 4 P 2 O 7 , derived from phosphorus pentoxide, P 2 O 5 , and various amounts of water.
- phosphorylation — to introduce the phosphoryl group into (an organic compound).
- phosphorylative — of or relating to phosphorylation
- photo-secession — an association of photographers founded in New York City in 1902 by Alfred Stieglitz and Edward Steichen that advocated the development and public recognition of photography as a fine art.
- photoactivation — the activation or control of a chemical, chemical reaction, or organism by light, as the activation of chlorophyll by sunlight during photosynthesis.
- photoconducting — of or relating to photoconduction
- photoconduction — of, relating to, or exhibiting photoconductivity.
- photoconductive — of, relating to, or exhibiting photoconductivity.
- photodegradable — (of a substance) capable of being broken down by light.
- photodissociate — to split or break up molecules as a result of the absorption of photons
- photoelasticity — the phenomenon of double refraction of polarized light by a transparent substance under elastic stress, used to measure strain in elastic, transparent materials.
- photoelectronic — relating to electronic effects or devices affected by light
- photoexcitation — the creation of an increase in energy in atoms, molecules or ions caused by the absorption of a photon
- photoflood lamp — an incandescent tungsten lamp in which high intensity is obtained by overloading voltage: used in photography, television, etc.
- photofluorogram — a recording on photographic film of images produced by a fluoroscopic examination.
- photoheliograph — an instrument for photographing the sun, consisting of a camera and a specially adapted telescope.
- photoionization — the phenomenon in which the absorption of electromagnetic radiation by an atom in a gas induces the atom to emit a bound electron and thereby become ionized.
- photojournalism — journalism in which photography dominates written copy, as in certain magazines.
- photolithograph — Also, photolithoprint [foh-tuh-lith-uh-print] /ˌfoʊ təˈlɪθ əˌprɪnt/ (Show IPA). a lithograph printed from a stone or the like upon which a picture or design has been formed by photography.
- photomacrograph — a photograph showing a subject at actual size or somewhat larger.
- photomechanical — noting or pertaining to any of various processes for printing from plates or surfaces prepared by the aid of photography.
- photomicrograph — a photograph taken through a microscope.