asphalt | (noun) a dark bituminous substance found in natural beds and as residue from petroleum distillation; consists mainly of hydrocarbons | Synonyms: mineral pitch |
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(noun) mixed asphalt and crushed gravel or sand; used especially for paving but also for roofing | - |
asphodel | (noun) any of various chiefly Mediterranean plants of the genera Asphodeline and Asphodelus having linear leaves and racemes of white or pink or yellow flowers | - |
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asphyxia | (noun) a condition in which insufficient or no oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged on a ventilatory basis; caused by choking or drowning or electric shock or poison gas | - |
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asphyxiation | (noun) killing by depriving of oxygen | Synonyms: suffocation |
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(noun) the condition of being deprived of oxygen (as by having breathing stopped) | Synonyms: suffocation |
asphyxiator | (noun) a manually operated device for extinguishing small fires | Synonyms: extinguisher, fire extinguisher |
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asthenosphere | (noun) the lower layer of the crust | - |
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atmosphere | (noun) a distinctive but intangible quality surrounding a person or thing | Synonyms: air, aura |
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(noun) the mass of air surrounding the Earth | Synonyms: air |
(noun) the envelope of gases surrounding any celestial body | - |
(noun) a unit of pressure: the pressure that will support a column of mercury 760 mm high at sea level and 0 degrees centigrade | Synonyms: atm, standard atmosphere, standard pressure |
(noun) the weather or climate at some place | Synonyms: atmospheric state |
(noun) a particular environment or surrounding influence | Synonyms: ambiance, ambience |
atmospherics | (noun) a crackling or hissing noise caused by electrical interference | Synonyms: atmospheric static, static |
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bathysphere | (noun) spherical deep diving apparatus (lowered by a cable) for underwater exploration | - |
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biosphere | (noun) the regions of the surface and atmosphere of the Earth (or other planet) where living organisms exist | - |
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blasphemer | (noun) a person who speaks disrespectfully of sacred things | - |
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blasphemy | (noun) blasphemous behavior; the act of depriving something of its sacred character | Synonyms: desecration, profanation, sacrilege |
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(noun) blasphemous language (expressing disrespect for God or for something sacred) | - |
blastosphere | (noun) early stage of an embryo produced by cleavage of an ovum; a liquid-filled sphere whose wall is composed of a single layer of cells; during this stage (about eight days after fertilization) implantation in the wall of the uterus occurs | Synonyms: blastula |
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chromosphere | (noun) a gaseous layer of the sun's atmosphere (extending from the photosphere to the corona) that is visible during a total eclipse of the sun | - |
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dysphagia | (noun) condition in which swallowing is difficult or painful | - |
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dysphasia | (noun) an impairment of language (especially speech production) that is usually due to brain damage | - |
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dysphemism | (noun) an offensive or disparaging expression that is substituted for an inoffensive one | - |
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dysphonia | (noun) speech disorder attributable to a disorder of phonation | - |
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dysphoria | (noun) abnormal depression and discontent | - |
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exosphere | (noun) the outermost atmospheric layer | - |
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geosphere | (noun) the solid part of the earth consisting of the crust and outer mantle | Synonyms: lithosphere |
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heliosphere | (noun) the region inside the heliopause containing the sun and solar system | - |
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hemisphere | (noun) either half of the cerebrum | Synonyms: cerebral hemisphere |
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(noun) half of the terrestrial globe | - |
(noun) half of a sphere | - |
hydrosphere | (noun) the watery layer of the earth's surface; includes water vapor | - |
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ionosphere | (noun) the outer region of the Earth's atmosphere; contains a high concentration of free electrons | - |
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lithosphere | (noun) the solid part of the earth consisting of the crust and outer mantle | Synonyms: geosphere |
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magnetosphere | (noun) the magnetic field of a planet; the volume around the planet in which charged particles are subject more to the planet's magnetic field than to the solar magnetic field | - |
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mesosphere | (noun) the atmospheric layer between the stratosphere and the thermosphere | - |
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oosphere | (noun) a gamete; used especially of lower plants | - |
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organophosphate | (noun) an insecticide that interferes with an insect's nervous system | - |
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orthophosphate | (noun) a salt of phosphoric acid | Synonyms: inorganic phosphate, phosphate |
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ozonosphere | (noun) a layer in the stratosphere (at approximately 20 miles) that contains a concentration of ozone sufficient to block most ultraviolet radiation from the sun | Synonyms: ozone layer |
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phosphatase | (noun) any of a group of enzymes that act as a catalyst in the hydrolysis of organic phosphates | - |
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phosphate | (noun) carbonated drink with fruit syrup and a little phosphoric acid | - |
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(noun) a salt of phosphoric acid | Synonyms: inorganic phosphate, orthophosphate |
phosphine | (noun) a colorless gas with a strong fishy smell; used as a pesticide | - |
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phosphocreatine | (noun) an organic compound of creatine and phosphoric acid; found in the muscles of vertebrates where its hydrolysis releases energy for muscular contraction | Synonyms: creatine phosphate, creatine phosphoric acid |
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phospholipid | (noun) any of various compounds composed of fatty acids and phosphoric acid and a nitrogenous base; an important constituent of membranes | - |
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phosphoprotein | (noun) containing chemically bound phosphoric acid | - |
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phosphor | (noun) a synthetic substance that is fluorescent or phosphorescent; used to coat the screens of cathode ray tubes | - |
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phosphorescence | (noun) a fluorescence that persists after the bombarding radiation has ceased | - |
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phosphorus | (noun) a multivalent nonmetallic element of the nitrogen family that occurs commonly in inorganic phosphate rocks and as organic phosphates in all living cells; is highly reactive and occurs in several allotropic forms | Synonyms: atomic number 15, P |
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photosphere | (noun) the intensely luminous surface of a star (especially the sun) | - |
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polyphosphate | (noun) a salt or ester of polyphosphoric acid | - |
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pyrophosphate | (noun) a salt or ester of pyrophosphoric acid | - |
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sphacelus | (noun) the localized death of living cells (as from infection or the interruption of blood supply) | Synonyms: gangrene, mortification, necrosis |
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(noun) necrotic tissue; a mortified or gangrenous part or mass | Synonyms: gangrene, slough |
sphagnum | (noun) any of various pale or ashy mosses of the genus Sphagnum whose decomposed remains form peat | Synonyms: bog moss, peat moss, sphagnum moss |
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sphalerite | (noun) an ore that is the chief source of zinc; consists largely of zinc sulfide in crystalline form | Synonyms: blende, zinc blende |
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sphecoid | (noun) any of various solitary wasps | Synonyms: sphecoid wasp |
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sphenion | (noun) the anterior tip of the parietal bone | - |
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sphenoid | (noun) butterfly-shaped bone at the base of the skull | Synonyms: os sphenoidale, sphenoid bone |
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sphere | (noun) any spherically shaped artifact | - |
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(noun) a particular aspect of life or activity | Synonyms: sector |
(noun) the geographical area in which one nation is very influential | Synonyms: sphere of influence |
(noun) the apparent surface of the imaginary sphere on which celestial bodies appear to be projected | Synonyms: celestial sphere, empyrean, firmament, heavens, vault of heaven, welkin |
(noun) a solid figure bounded by a spherical surface (including the space it encloses) | - |
(noun) a three-dimensional closed surface such that every point on the surface is equidistant from the center | - |
(noun) a particular environment or walk of life | Synonyms: area, arena, domain, field, orbit |
sphericalness | (noun) the roundness of a 3-dimensional object | Synonyms: globosity, globularness, rotundity, rotundness, sphericity |
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sphericity | (noun) the roundness of a 3-dimensional object | Synonyms: globosity, globularness, rotundity, rotundness, sphericalness |
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spherocyte | (noun) an abnormal spherical red blood cell | - |
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spheroid | (noun) a shape that is generated by rotating an ellipse around one of its axes | Synonyms: ellipsoid of revolution |
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spherometer | (noun) a measuring instrument for measuring the curvature of a surface | - |
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spherule | (noun) a small sphere | - |
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sphincter | (noun) a ring of muscle that contracts to close an opening | Synonyms: anatomical sphincter, sphincter muscle |
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sphingid | (noun) any of various moths with long narrow forewings capable of powerful flight and hovering over flowers to feed | Synonyms: hawk moth, hawkmoth, hummingbird moth, sphinx moth |
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sphinx | (noun) one of a number of large stone statues with the body of a lion and the head of a man that were built by the ancient Egyptians | - |
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(noun) an inscrutable person who keeps his thoughts and intentions secret | - |
sphygmomanometer | (noun) a pressure gauge for measuring blood pressure | - |
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stratosphere | (noun) the atmospheric layer between the troposphere and the mesosphere | - |
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thermosphere | (noun) the atmospheric layer between the mesosphere and the exosphere | - |
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triphosphopyridine | (noun) a pyridine ring with three phosphorus groups | - |
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troposphere | (noun) the lowest atmospheric layer; from 4 to 11 miles high (depending on latitude) | - |
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