March 21, 2022

• The definitions below were obtained from Collins Zyzzyva 5.2.0

1. EREMURI

n. EREMURUS, (Latin) a flower, the foxtail lily

2. BHEESTY

n. (Urdu) an Indian water carrier
Also: BHEESTIE, BHISHTI, BHISTEE, BHISTI, BHISTIE
Plural: BHEESTIES

3. EYEBATH

n. a small vessel for washing the eye
Back hooks: S

4. WOORARI

n. (Caribbean) the plant yielding curare
Also: OORALI, OURALI, OURARI, URALI, URARI, WOORALI, WOORARA, WOURALI
Back hooks: S

5. SUBOVAL

adj. nearly oval

6. VALGOID

adj. pertaining to valgus, clubfoot
Also: VALGOUS

7. VOLUSPA

n. (Old Norse) a sibyl or prophetess
Back hooks: S

8. LOUVAR

n. (Italian) a large silvery whalelike scombroid fish
Back hooks: S
Anagrams: OVULAR, VALOUR

9. VIRANDO

n. (Hindi) a roofed gallery, terrace, or open portico along the front or side of a building
Also: VERANDA, VERANDAH, VIRANDA
Back hooks: S

10. VELURED

v. VELURE, (Shakespeare) to smooth with a velvet or silk pad, as a hat

11. VERDURE

n. green vegetation
Back hooks: D, S

12. SIDEHILL

n. the side or slope of a hill
Back hooks: S
Anagrams: HILLSIDE

March 20, 2022

• The definitions below were obtained from Collins Zyzzyva 5.2.0

1. KRANTZ

n. (South African) a crown of rock on a mountaintop
Also: KRANS, KRANZ
Plural: KRANTZES

2. PANDOUR

n. one of a class of Hungarian mountaineers serving in the Austrian army
Also: PANDOOR
Back hooks: S

3. FREMIT

n. (Scots) a stranger
Also: FREMD, FRAIM
Back hooks: S

4. HOISIN

n. (Chinese) a sweet spice reddish-brown sauce
Back hooks: G, S

5. DEVISAL

n. the act of devising
Back hooks: S

6. CIDARIS

n. (Latin) the royal tiara or cap of state of the ancient Persians
Plural: CIDARISES
Anagrams: SCIARID

7. PISSOIR

n. (French) a public urinal
Back hooks: S

8. TYRONIC

adj. resembling a tyro
Also: TIRONIC

9. APRAXIA

n. an inability to perform voluntary bodily movements
Back hooks: S

10. EXCISED

v. EXCISE, to cut off or out
Anagrams: EXCIDES

11. MALLAM

n. a Muslim scholar, used as title
Also: MALAM
Back hooks: S

12. LAOGAI

n. (Chinese) the system of forced labor camps in China
Back hooks: S
Anagrams: ALOGIA

March 19, 2022

• The definitions below were obtained from Collins Zyzzyva 5.2.0

1. EISWEIN

n. (German) a sweet German wine made from grapes that have frozen on the vine
Also: ICEWINE
Back hooks: S
Anagrams: WIENIES

2. NEINEI

n. (Maori) a New Zealand shrub
Back hooks: S

3. BEDOUIN

n. a nomadic Arab
Also: BEDAWIN, BEDU, BEDUIN
Back hooks: S

4. CAEOMA

n. a spore-forming organ of a fungus
Back hooks: S

5. SCREAMO

n. a form of emo music typically featuring screaming vocals
Back hooks: S
Anagrams: AMORCES

6. MESOCARP

n. the middle layer of a pericarp
Back hooks: S
Anagrams: CAPSOMER, COMPARES, COMPEARS

7. SCARMOGE

n. (archaic) a skirmish
Back hooks: S

8. MERCADO

n. (Spanish) a market
Back hooks: S
Anagrams: CAROMED, COMRADE

9. RACEMOUS

adj. having the form of a raceme
Also: RACEMOSE
Adverb form: RACEMOUSLY

10. SPADGER

adj. (slang) a sparrow
Back hooks: S
Anagrams: GRASPED, SPARGED

11. DEGAMI

n. a tropical tree, lemonwood
Also: DEGAME
Back hooks: S
Anagrams: IMAGED

12. BRUHAHA

n. (French) a fuss, clamour
Also: BROUHAHA
Back hooks: S

13. ANAPEST

n. (Greek) a type of metrical foot
Also: ANAPAEST
Back hooks: S
Anagrams: PEASANT

14. HEXAGLOT

n. a book written in six languages
Back hooks: S

15. INTROLD

v. (Spenser) a past participle of obscure meaning, possibly enrolled
Also: ENTROLD

March 18, 2022

• The definitions below were obtained from Collins Zyzzyva 5.2.0

1. FOREGUT

n. the front part of the embryonic alimentary canal
Back hooks: S

2. FOREPAW

n. the paw of a foreleg
Back hooks: S

3. FORETOP

n. the platform at the head of the foremast
Back hooks: S

4. FORERAN

v. FORERUN, to run in advance of
Back hooks: K

5. PREBOOM

adj. preceding a sudden expansion of business

6. PRECAVA

adj. (Latin) the superior vena cava
Also: PRECAVAL
Plural: PRECAVAE

7. PRECOUP

adj. preceding a coup

8. PREEDIT

v. to edit beforehand
Verb forms: PREEDITED, PREEDITING, PREEDITS
Anagrams: TEPIDER

9. PREFAB

adj. not being news

10. PREFARD

v. (short for) prefabricate, to make standardized parts of beforehand, for assembling later
Verb forms: PREFABBED, PREFABBING, PREFABS

11. PREJINK

adj. (Scots) prim; finical
Also: PERJINK, PERJINKETY

12. PREORAL

adj. towards the front of the mouth
Anagrams: PERORAL

13. PREPREG

n. reinforcing material already impregnated with a synthetic resin
Back hooks: S

14. PRERUPT

adj. broken off; steep; abrupt

15. PREYFUL

adj. (Shakespeare) bent upon prey

March 17, 2022

• All words from #7 onwards contain the prefix NON-
• The definitions below were obtained from Collins Zyzzyva 5.2.0

1. MAHUANG

n. (Chinese) an Asian plant of the Ephedra genus
Back hooks: S

2. SCALENI

n. SCALENUS, (Latin) a muscle in the neck
Also: SCALENE
Anagrams: INLACES, SANICLE

3. MAHANT

n. (Hindi) a chief Hindu priest
Back hooks: S

4. COMETIC

adj. relating to a comet
Also: COMETARY

5. PARADOR

n. (Spanish) a building such as a convent converted to a hotel
Plural: PARADORES, PARADORS

6. ULEXITE

n. a hydrous borate of lime and soda occurring in white rounded crystalline masses
Back hooks: S

7. NONFARM

adj. not pertaining to a farm

8. NONHEME

adj. not containing iron bound like heme

9. NONNEWS

adj. not being news

10. NONORAL

adj. not oral
Adverb form: NONORALLY

11. NONWAGE

adj. not obtained from a wage

12. NONBODY

n. a person’s nonphysical nature
Plural: NONBODIES

13. NONCOLA

n. a soft drink not containing cola
Back hooks: S

14. NONFAN

n. a person who is not an enthusiast
Back hooks: S

15. NONGAY

n. a person who is not homosexual
Back hooks: S

16. NONEGO

n. all that is not part of the ego
Back hooks: S

17. NONDRIP

adj. not liable to drip

18. NONTAX

n. a tax of little consequence
Plural: NONTAXES

19. NONPROS

v. to enter judgement against a plaintiff
Verb forms: NONPROSSED, NONPROSSING, NONPROSSES

20. NONWORK

n. that part of life which does not involve work
Back hooks: S

March 16, 2022

• The definitions below were obtained from Collins Zyzzyva 5.2.0

1. AEDILE

n. (Latin) in classical times, a magistrate in charge of games, markets or buildings
Also: EDILE
Back hooks: S

2. FUNPLEX

n. a building with facilities for sports and games
Plural: FUNPLEXES

3. TOYETIC

adj. (of a film or television programme) having the potential to generate consumer interest in associated merchandise, such as toys, computer games etc.

4. HANGTAG

n. a type of tag used commercially
Back hooks: S

5. KIDVID

n. a television or video entertainment for children
Back hooks: S

6. VIDIOT

n. a habitual undiscriminating viewer of television
Back hooks: S

7. CHYRON

n. a group of words that appears on a television screen
Back hooks: S

8. GODSLOT

n. a slot in a television schedule for religious broadcasts
Back hooks: S

9. PLUGOLA

n. a free incidental advertising on radio or television
Back hooks: S

10. PITTITE

n. (obsolete) someone who frequents the pit of a theatre
Back hooks: S

11. VELARIA

n. VELARIUM, (Latin) an awning over an ancient Roman theatre
Anagrams: REAVAIL

March 15, 2022

• Along with the usual assortment of random words, today’s list (number 3 to 6) features words that likely should not exist—thought to be misprints from Shakespeare works; why they are in the dictionary in the first place is beyond me. Other similar words include INEXECRABLE and PAJOCK, with its alternate spellings (or rather, misspellings) of PAIOCK, PAIOCKE, and PAJOCKE.
• The definitions below were obtained from Collins Zyzzyva 5.2.0

1. GRIPTAPE

n. a rough adhesive tape, as used on skateboarding equipment
Back hooks: S

2. PTERYGIA

n. PTERYGIUM, a growth over the cornea
Back hooks: L

3. PRENZIE

adj. (Shakespeare) a word of unknown meaning, possibly a misprint for princely

4. SCAMEL

n. (Shakespeare) alleged to be a Norfolk name for the bar-tailed godwit; or a misprint for staniel or stannel
Back hooks: S
Anagrams: CAMELS, CLAMES, MACLES, MASCLE, MESCAL

5. STIRRE

n. (Shakespeare) probably a misprint for ‘sperre’
Back hooks: D, R, S
Anagrams: TRIERS

6. PANNELLED

adj. (Shakespeare) conjectured to be a misprint for spanielled

7. EGGCORN

n. a malapropism or misspelling arising from similarity between the sound of the misspelled or misused word and the correct one in the accent of the person making the mistake
Back hooks: S

8. GRAWLIX

n. a series of typographical symbols (such as $#!) used in text as a replacement for profanity
Plural: GRAWLIXES

9. FLYTIER

n. a maker of fishing flies
Back hooks: S

10. TWEETUP

n. an online meeting of individuals arranged on the social networking website Twitter
Back hooks: S

11. ETRIER

n. (French) a small rope ladder used by mountaineers
Back hooks: S
Anagrams: REITER, RETIRE

March 14, 2022

• The definitions below were obtained from Collins Zyzzyva 5.2.0

1. WEIGELA

n. a hardy garden shrub belonging to the honeysuckle family
Also: WEIGELIA
Back hooks: S

2. EGALITE

n. (French) the state of being equal
Also: EQUALITY, EGALITY
Back hooks: S

3. ELEGIAC

adj. relating to elegy
n. a verse line of five dactyls with a marked caesura
Also: ELEGIACAL
Adverb form: ELEGIACALLY
Back hooks: S

4. CINEASTE

n. (French) a devotee of motion pictures
Also: CINEAST
Back hooks: S

5. EULOGIAE

n. EULOGIA, (Latin) a blessing; holy bread

6. LUTENIST

n. a lute-player
Also: LUTANIST, LUTER, LUTIST
Back hooks: S

7. LANCETED

adj. having a lancet

8. FRISEUR

n. (French) a hairdresser
Back hooks: S
Anagrams: FRISURE, FURRIES, SURFIER

9. COQUINA

n. (Spanish) a coarse-grained, porous variety of clastic limestone made up chiefly of shells and shell fragments
Back hooks: S

10. JONQUIL

n. a species of narcissus
Back hooks: S

11. CROQUIS

n. (French) an outline or rough sketch

12. LACQUEY

v. to serve in a servile manner
Also: LACKEY
Verb forms: LACQUEYED, LACQUEYING, LACQUEYS

13. MESQUIN

adj. (French) mean, sordid, shabby
Also: MESQUINE

14. RORQUAL

n. a large whale, a finback
Back hooks: S

15. ALIQUOT

n. (Latin) a number that divides into another without leaving a remainder
Back hooks: S

16. FATBIRD

n. a wading bird
Back hooks: S

March 13, 2022

• The definitions below were obtained from Collins Zyzzyva 5.2.0

1. HAPUKU

n. (Maori) the groper
Also: HAPUKA
Back hooks: S

2. PECCAVI

n. (Latin) a confession of sin or guilt
Back hooks: S

3. PETITIO

n. a short form of petitio principii, a form of fallacious reasoning in which the conclusion has been assumed in the premises; begging the question
Back hooks: N, S

4. KOROWAI

n. (Maori) a decorative woven cloak worn by a Maori chief
Back hooks: S

5. FATSIA

n. (Japanese) an evergreen spreading shrub of the ivy family
Back hooks: S
Anagrams: TAFIAS

6. SOVRAN

adj. sovereign
n. a sovereign
Adverb form: SOVRANLY
Back hooks: S

7. ETACISM

n. the pronunciation of the Greek letter eta as close e
Also: ITACISM
Back hooks: S
Anagrams: ACMITES, METICAS, MICATES, SEMATIC

8. ASSEGAI

v. (Arabic) to pierce with a light spear
Also: ASSAGAI
Verb forms: ASSEGAIED, ASSEGAIING, ASSEGAIS

9. AUGURER

n. (Shakespeare) an augur
Back hooks: S

10. LOGANIA

n. any of a family of Australian plants related to the gentians
Back hooks: S

11. IDEATUM

n. the real object of an idea
Plural: IDEATA
Anagrams: TAEDIUM

12. CHILLAX

v. to relax completely
Verb forms: CHILLAXED, CHILLAXING, CHILLAXES

13. SHIRALEE

n. (Australian slang) a swagman’s bundle
Also: SHIRRALEE
Back hooks: S

March 12, 2022

• The definitions below were obtained from Collins Zyzzyva 5.2.0

1. VELOUTE

n. (French) a kind of sauce prepared from a white stock of chicken etc.
Back hooks: S
Anagrams: EVOLUTE

2. OXHEART

n. a large heart-shaped cherry, either black, red, or white
Back hooks: S

3. PROPYLA

n. PROPYLON, an entrance to a temple

4. BOFFINY

adj. like a boffin, a scientific expert
Comparative and superlative: BOFFINIER, BOFFINIEST

5. FLYLEAF

n. a blank page at the beginning or end of a book
Plural: FLYLEAVES

6. SYMITAR

n. a curved oriental sword
Also: CEMITARE, SCIMITAR, SCIMETAR, SCIMITER, SEMITAR, SEMITAUR, SIMITAR, SYMITARE
Back hooks: E, S
Anagrams: MAISTRY

7. INWRAPT

v. INWRAP, to cover by wrapping
Also: ENWRAP

8. PILOTIS

n. (French) a series of columns or piles, used to raise the base of a building above ground level

9. COLOBID

n. the colobus monkey
Back hooks: S

10. SAMBUCA

n. (Latin) an ancient stringed instrument
Also: SAMBUKE
Back hooks: S

11. GREYLAG

n. a species of wild goose
Also: GRAYLAG
Back hooks: S

12. ETHINYL

n. a univalent chemical radical
Also: ETHOXY, ETHOXYL, ETHYL, ETHYNYL
Back hooks: S