Wordsmith.org: the magic of words


A.Word.A.Day

About | Media | Search | Contact  


Home

Today's Word

Yesterday's Word

Archives

FAQ


A.Word.A.Day--anagram

Pronunciation RealAudio

anagram (AN-a-gram) noun

A rearrangement of letters in a word, phrase, or name to form another word, phrase, or name.

verb tr.

To rearrange the letters of a term to form another.

[From Middle French anagramme, from New Latin anagramma, from ana- (back, up) + -gram (something written).]

Can you create one word out of the letters in new door? The answer is (ha ha) "one word". The letters in new door are the same as those in one word, except in a different order. When is enough not enough? When you rearrange the letters in enough, you get one hug. Everybody knows that one hug is never enough!

aboard/abroad
abode/adobe
note/tone

Next up in this phase of anagramazing program are words and phrases that we can shape into heaps of other meaningful phrases:

dormitory = DIRTY ROOM
Statue of Liberty = BUILT TO STAY FREE
television set = SEE? IT'S VIOLENT!

No wonder that an acronym of anagram is A New, Appropriate, Grandly Rearranged, Alphabetic Message. No wonder that those who believe in the magical potency of words have hailed the anagram as AH, AN ART GEM! and anagrams as ARS MAGNA, "the great art".

Make your own anagrams at the Internet Anagram Server.

This week's theme: words about wordplay by guest wordsmith Richard Lederer.

X-Bonus

You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of discussion. -Plato, philosopher (427-347 BCE)

We need your help

Help us continue to spread the magic of words to readers everywhere

Donate

Subscriber Services
Awards | Stats | Links | Privacy Policy
Contribute | Advertise

© 1994-2024 Wordsmith