Phtha

Question

I've come across another "phtha" word:... from a brainy coroner ..."The wound is contact, typically suicidal, with a good deal of distention from gas pressure. The eyes are exophthalmic from the same cause. I don't think there will be any prints on the outside of the gun. It's been bled on too freely."Who knew there were two?

Usenet · Accepted Answer

[nq:1]I've come across another "phtha" word: ... from a brainy coroner ... "The wound is contact, typically suicidal, with a ... be any prints on the outside of the gun. It's been bled on too freely." Who knew there were two?[/nq]
Science is full of them, like naphtha, phenolphthalein and ophthalmologist.

Usenet · Answer

Jim Ward:
[nq:2]I've come across another "phtha" word: ... Who knew there were two?[/nq]
James G.:
[nq:1]Science is full of them, like naphtha, phenolphthalein and ophthalmologist.[/nq]
Grepping on phtha in the "Webster's 2nd" online word list produces 199 lower-case and 14 capitalized words. The shortest is aphtha, followed by naphtha, then a tie between phthalan, phthalic, phthalid, phthalin, and phthalyl. All lengths up to 20 letters decahydronaphthalene, naphthalenesulphonic, ophthalmoblennorrhea, ophthalmodiastimeter, ophthalmodynamometer, and ophthalmothermometer are found, and then the three longest, at 23 and 24 letters, are phenolsulphonephthalein, thymolsulphonephthalein, and tetraiodophenolphthalein.

Of the 213 words, 19 end in -phthalmia, 13 in -phthalmic, 11 in -phthalein, and 9 each in -phthalene and ~~phthalmus. 17 start with phtha~~, including one capitalized on, Phthartolatrae.
Mark Brader > "... there is no such word as 'impossible' in Toronto > my dictionary. In fact, everything between (Email Removed) > 'herring' and 'marmalade' appears to be missing."
[nq:1] Dirk Gently (Douglas Adams)[/nq]
My text in this article is in the public domain.

Phtha

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