17-letter words containing a, e, t, o

bachelor's-button — any of various plants with round flower heads, especially the cornflower.
back on the rails — If something is back on the rails, it is beginning to be successful again after a period when it almost failed.
background report — a report on someone or something that sheds light on their background, esp a report on the background of a person convicted of a crime before they are sentenced by a judge
bacteriologically — In a bacteriological manner; with respect to bacteriology.
bacteriorhodopsin — a purple protein containing retinal and found in the plasma membrane of certain bacteria (genus Halobacterium): it directly supplies electrochemical energy from sunlight
balance of nature — the stable state in which natural communities of animals and plants exist, maintained by adaptation, competition, and other interactions between members of the communit ies and their nonliving environment
balance of terror — military deterrence based on the possession of weapons of mass destruction by opponents in a conflict
balance the books — do accounting
bald-faced hornet — any large, stinging paper wasp of the family Vespidae, as Vespa crabro (giant hornet) introduced into the U.S. from Europe, or Vespula maculata (bald-faced hornet or white-faced hornet) of North America.
baltimore clipper — a small, fast American sailing vessel of the early 19th century, having a sharp hull form and two masts with a pronounced rake and carrying a brig or schooner rig.
bangalore torpedo — an explosive device in a long metal tube, used to blow gaps in barbed-wire barriers
bar-tailed godwit — a large wader, Limosa lapponica, of the family Scolopacidae which, in migrating from Alaska to New Zealand, makes the longest journey without stopping for food taken by any animal
barchester towers — a novel (1857) by Anthony Trollope.
barrel distortion — distortion of an image produced by an optical system that causes straight lines at image margins to bulge outwards
baseboard heating — a heating system by pipes, through which steam or hot water circulates, near the base of the walls of rooms
battle of britain — (in World War II) the series of aerial combats that took place between British and German aircraft during the autumn of 1940 and that included the severe bombardment of British cities.
be out of the way — When something is out of the way, it has finished or you have dealt with it, so that it is no longer a problem or needs no more time spent on it.
beat a dead horse — to argue an issue that is already settled
beat one's brains — to try hard to remember, understand, or solve something
beat one's breast — to display guilt and remorse publicly or ostentatiously
beat the drum for — to attempt to arouse interest in
beat to the punch — to be quicker than (another) in doing something, as in striking a blow
beefsteak begonia — an ornamental plant, Begonia erythrophylla, having light-pink flowers and nearly round, thick, fleshy leaves that are red on the underside.
behaviour therapy — any of various means of treating psychological disorders, such as desensitization, aversion therapy, and instrumental conditioning, that depend on the patient systematically learning new modes of behaviour
bell laboratories — One of AT&T's research sites, in Murray Hill, New Jersey, USA. It was the birthplace of the transistor, Unix, C and C++ and the current home of research on Plan 9 and ODE.
benjamin-constant — Henri Benjamin [ahn-ree ban-zha-man] /ɑ̃ˈri bɛ̃ ʒaˈmɛ̃/ (Show IPA), (Benjamin Constant) 1767–1830, French statesman and author, born in Switzerland.
benoit mandelbrot — (person) /ben'wa man'dl-bro/ Benoit B. Mandelbrot. The IBM scientist who wrote several original books on fractals and gave his name to the set he was discovered, the Mandelbrot set and coined the term "fractal" in 1975 from the Latin fractus or "to break".
bent out of shape — very angry, upset, or agitated
betagalactosidase — any of a family of enzymes capable of liberating galactose from carbohydrates.
bill of adventure — a certificate made out by a merchant to show that goods handled by him and his agents are the property of another party at whose risk the dealing is done
bill of attainder — (formerly) a legislative act finding a person guilty without trial of treason or felony and declaring him attainted
binet-simon scale — a test comprising questions and tasks, used to determine the mental age of subjects, usually children
biological father — the man whose semen fertilized the ovum from which a child was born
biological mother — the mother who gave birth to a child
biological parent — a parent who has conceived (biological mother) or sired (biological father) rather than adopted a child and whose genes are therefore transmitted to the child.
biopharmaceutical — of or relating to drugs produced using biotechnology
bitter almond oil — almond oil (def 2).
bitter-almond-oil — Also called sweet almond oil, expressed almond oil. a colorless to pale yellow fatty oil expressed from the seeds of the sweet almond, used in preparing perfumes and confections.
bjarne stroustrup — (person) The father of C++ and author of the C++ bible.
black forest cake — a torte consisting typically of thin layers of chocolate cake spread with alternating layers of chocolate, cherry, and whipped-cream filling and covered with whipped cream
black-box testing — functional testing
blank endorsement — an endorsement on a bill of exchange, cheque, etc, naming no payee and thus making the endorsed sum payable to the bearer
blood and thunder — A blood and thunder performer or performance is very loud and emotional.
blood-and-thunder — sensationalism, violence, or exaggerated melodrama: a movie full of blood and thunder.
blue dog democrat — a fiscally conservative member of the Democratic Party
blue sky software — eHelp Corporation
bluegrass country — region in central Ky. where there is much bluegrass
board of estimate — a special organ of a municipal government, as of New York City, composed of the mayor, the president of the city council, and the controller, and charged with approving the city's budget and fiscal matters.
board of trustees — a governing board which directs the policies of an educational institution
boat-billed heron — a nocturnal, tropical American wading bird (Cochlearius cochlearius) with a large, broad bill: it is the only member of a family (Cochleariidae) of wading birds

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