16-letter words containing a, d, e, u
- cascade molecule — a synthetic polymer with a branching, treelike structure; a type of macromolecule in which chains radiate out from a central atom or cluster of atoms to transfer genetic material to living cells.
- cathedral church — the principal church in a diocese
- cathode ray tube — (hardware) (CRT) An electrical device for displaying images by exciting phosphor dots with a scanned electron beam. CRTs are found in computer VDUs and monitors, televisions and oscilloscopes. The first commercially practical CRT was perfected on 29 January 1901 by Allen B DuMont. A large glass envelope containing a negative electrode (the cathode) emits electrons (formerly called "cathode rays") when heated, as in a vacuum tube. The electrons are accelerated across a large voltage gradient toward the flat surface of the tube (the screen) which is covered with phosphor. When an electron strikes the phosphor, light is emitted. The electron beam is deflected by electromagnetic coils around the outside of the tube so that it scans across the screen, usually in horizontal stripes. This scan pattern is known as a raster. By controlling the current in the beam, the brightness at any particular point (roughly a "pixel") can be varied. Different phosphors have different "persistence" - the length of time for which they glow after being struck by electrons. If the scanning is done fast enough, the eye sees a steady image, due to both the persistence of the phospor and of the eye itself. CRTs also differ in their dot pitch, which determines their spatial resolution, and in whether they use interlace or not.
- cathode-ray tube — A cathode-ray tube is a device in televisions and computer terminals which sends an image onto the screen.
- cause and effect — You use cause and effect to talk about the way in which one thing is caused by another.
- cause-and-effect — noting a relationship between actions or events such that one or more are the result of the other or others.
- cedar revolution — the popular protests in 2005 that brought down the Lebanese cabinet and prompted Syria to withdraw its troops from Lebanon
- chevaux-de-frise — plural of cheval-de-frise.
- circumstantiated — Simple past tense and past participle of circumstantiate.
- clarified butter — butter with the water and milk solids removed, used for cooking at high temperatures without burning
- cleaning product — a detergent or other household cleaner
- cloak-and-suiter — a manufacturer or seller of clothing.
- cloistered vault — a vault having the form of a number of intersecting coves.
- cluster headache — a type of recurrent headache characterized by sudden onset and intense pain on one side of the face near the eye
- college graduate — a student who has recently graduated from college
- colorado plateau — a plateau in the SW United States, in N Arizona, NW New Mexico, S Utah, and SW Colorado: location of the Grand Canyon.
- command guidance — a method of controlling a missile during flight by transmitting information to it
- command language — the language used to access a computer system
- community leader — a leading figure in a community
- conical pendulum — a clock pendulum oscillating in a circle rather than in a straight line.
- consenting adult — a male person over the age of sixteen, who may legally engage in homosexual behaviour in private
- consubstantiated — Simple past tense and past participle of consubstantiate.
- consumer durable — Consumer durables are goods which are expected to last a long time, and are bought infrequently.
- coram non judice — before a court lacking the authority to hear and decide the case in question.
- corrugated paper — a packaging material made from layers of heavy paper, the top layer of which is grooved and ridged
- cottage industry — A cottage industry is a small business that is run from someone's home, especially one that involves a craft such as knitting or pottery.
- couvade syndrome — a psychosomatic condition in which the spouse or partner of a pregnant woman experiences symptoms of childbirth or pregnancy
- cracked up to be — alleged or believed to be
- crash test dummy — a dummy used in crash tests
- cumberland sauce — a cold sauce made from orange and lemon juice, port, and redcurrant jelly, served with ham, game, or other meat
- curlew sandpiper — a common Eurasian sandpiper, Calidris ferruginea, having a brick-red breeding plumage and a greyish winter plumage
- currency trading — the business of trading in different currencies in order to profit from exchange rate differentials
- currier and ives — any of a 19th-cent. series of prints showing the manners, people, and events of the times
- cut a wide swath — to make an ostentatious display or forceful impression
- data warehousing — the use of large amounts of data taken from multiple sources to create reports and for data analysis
- davidson current — a winter countercurrent that flows N along the W coast of the U.S.
- deboursification — (jargon) Removal of irrelevant newsgroups from the Newsgroups header of a followup. The term applies particularly to the removal of frivolous groups added by one of the Kooks. See also: sneck.
- debut appearance — debut
- decimal currency — a system of currency in which the monetary units are parts or powers of ten
- decontextualized — removed from the usual context
- deferred annuity — an annuity that commences not less than one year after the final purchase premium
- dehumidification — Dehumidification is the removal of vapor from a gas-vapor mixture.
- deindustrialised — Simple past tense and past participle of deindustrialise.
- deindustrialized — Simple past tense and past participle of deindustrialize.
- demerara (sugar) — a coarse, light-brown sugar
- demolition squad — a group of demolishers
- demutualizations — Plural form of demutualization.
- denaturalization — The act or process of denaturalizing, of changing or destroying the quality (nature) of a thing.
- dental insurance — Dental insurance is insurance that pays for treatment by a dentist.
- denuclearization — The act or process of denuclearizing.