19-letter words containing a, c, p, n
- complete quadrangle — a plane figure consisting of four points connected by six lines
- complexity analysis — In sructured program design, a quality-control operation that counts the number of "compares" in the logic implementing a function; a value of less than 10 is considered acceptable.
- complimentary close — the part of a letter that by convention immediately precedes the signature, as “Very truly yours,” “Cordially,” or “Sincerely yours.”.
- comptroller general — the director of the General Accounting Office
- computer dictionary — Free On-line Dictionary of Computing
- computer simulation — an event, process, or scenario that is created on a computer
- conceptualistically — In a conceptualistic sense.
- confocal microscope — a light microscope with an optical system designed to reject background from matter outside the focal plane and therefore allowing images of different sections of a specimen to be obtained
- consultation period — a period during which consultations are held before a policy decision is made
- container transport — the transport of cargo in containers
- contemplative order — a religious order whose members are devoted to prayer rather than works.
- contemporaneousness — The state or characteristic of being contemporaneous.
- contract programmer — (job, programming) A programmer who works on a fixed-length or temporary contract, and is often employed to write certain types of code or to work on a specific project. Despite the fact that contractors usually cost more than hiring a permanent employee with the same skills, it is common for organisations to employ them for extended periods, sometimes renewing their contracts for many years, due to lack of certainty about the future or simple lack of planning. A contract programmer may be independent or they may work in a supplier's professional services department, providing consultancy and programming services for the supplier's products.
- conventional weapon — a nonnuclear weapon.
- conversational lisp — (language) (CLISP) A mixed English-like, ALGOL-like surface syntax for Interlisp.
- corporal punishment — Corporal punishment is the punishment of people by hitting them.
- corporate venturing — the provision of venture capital by one company for another in order to obtain information about the company requiring capital or as a step towards acquiring it
- correspondence card — a piece of card, often with the sender's name and address printed on the top, designed to be used for sending brief notes to people through the post
- cosmopolitanization — to make cosmopolitan.
- cost-push inflation — inflation in which prices increase as a result of increased production costs, as labor and parts, even when demand remains the same.
- counter-programming — to schedule (a broadcast on radio or television) to compete with one on another station.
- cox's orange pippin — a variety of eating apple with sweet flesh and a red-tinged green skin
- cracked compression — Cracked compression is a separation process for separating hydrocarbons further, with an increase in the pressure of the cracked gas.
- creative department — the department of a company or organization responsible for the design and creation of advertisements and marketing materials
- creeping bent grass — a grass, Agrostis stolonifera, grown as a pasture grass in Europe and North America: roots readily from the stem
- creeping featuritis — (jargon) /kree'ping fee'-chr-i:`t*s/ A variant of creeping featurism, with its own spoonerism: "feeping creaturitis". Some people like to reserve this form for the disease as it actually manifests in software or hardware, as opposed to the lurking general tendency in designers' minds. -ism means "condition" or "pursuit of", whereas -itis usually means "inflammation of".
- criminal psychology — study of criminals' minds
- cult of personality — a cult promoting adulation of a living national leader or public figure, as one encouraged by Stalin to extend his power.
- cup-and-saucer vine — a woody, Mexican vine, Cobaea scandens, of the phlox family, having bell-shaped, violet-colored or greenish-purple flowers with an inflated, leaflike calyx and long, curved stamens.
- dangling participle — a participle intended to modify a noun but having the wrong grammatical relationship to it as for example having left in the sentence Having left Europe for good, Peter's future seemed bleak indeed
- data encryption key — (DEK) Used for the encryption of message text and for the computation of message integrity checks (signatures). See cryptography.
- data protection act — (legal) (DPA) A UK law guaranteeing rights to individuals in relation to personal data that others hold on them. For example, under the DPA, you have the right to see what data a company holds on you.
- de-compartmentalize — to divide into categories or compartments.
- deflate compression — deflate
- dental receptionist — a receptionist working in a dental surgery
- department chairman — the chairman of a university department
- depletion allowance — a tax allowance granted in certain industries, such as the oil and gas industries, to compensate for the depletion of the oil, gas, etc owned by the company
- development company — a company that buys land and builds houses, offices, shops, or factories on it, or buys existing buildings and makes them more modern
- differential backup — (operating system) A kind of backup that copies all files that have changed since the last full backup. Each differential backup will include all files in previous differential backups since the full backup so to restore a version of a file, you only need to search the full backup and the relevant differential backup. Some systems support differential backup by associating an "Archive" flag with each file and setting this flag whenever the file is modified to indicate that it should be included in the next backup. A differential backup does not change this flag, whereas an incremental backup resets it.
- diffraction pattern — the phenomenon exhibited by wave fronts that, passing the edge of an opaque body, are modulated, thereby causing a redistribution of energy within the front: it is detectable in light waves by the presence of a pattern of closely spaced dark and light bands (diffraction pattern) at the edge of a shadow.
- diplomatic immunity — exemption from taxation, searches, arrest, etc., enjoyed by diplomatic officials and their dependent families under international law, and usually on a reciprocal basis.
- directional coupler — (communications) (tap) A passive device used in cable systems to divide and combine radio frequency signals. A directional coupler has at least three ports: line in, line out, and the tap. The signal passes between line in and line out ports with loss referred to as the insertion loss. A small portion of the signal power applied to the line in port passes to the tap port. A signal applied to the tap port is passed to the line in port less the tap attenuation value. The tap signals are isolated from the line out port to prevent reflections. A signal applied to the line out port passes to the line in port and is isolated from the tap port. Some devices provide more than one tap output line (multi-taps).
- disciplinary action — punishment or caution
- dispatch department — the department of an organization responsible for the dispatch of orders
- displacement engine — any engine employing the rectilinear motion of one or more pistons in cylinders.
- dobsonian telescope — a relatively inexpensive Newtonian telescope, suitable for visual but not photographic use, in which the tube assembly slips freely in the lower base.
- duplicating machine — a duplicator, especially one for making identical copies of documents, letters, etc.
- dynamic positioning — Dynamic positioning is the use of computers to control the position of a semi-submersible rig.
- echoencephalography — a device that employs reflected ultrasonic waves to examine the position of brain structures.
- electrode potential — the potential difference developed when an electrode of an element is placed in a solution containing ions of that element