anagram

views updated Jun 27 2018

an·a·gram / ˈanəˌgram/ • n. a word, phrase, or name formed by rearranging the letters of another, such as cinema, formed from iceman.DERIVATIVES: an·a·gram·mat·ic / ˌanəgrəˈmatik/ adj.an·a·gram·mat·i·cal / ˌanəgrəˈmatikəl/ adj.

The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English

ANAGRAM

views updated May 18 2018

ANAGRAM. A word or phrase made by rearranging the letters of another word or phrase: mad policy from diplomacy. Anagrams are used mainly in games and puzzles, especially cross-words, where a clue like ‘a confused tailor in Venice’ leads to Rialto, an anagram of tailor.

Concise Oxford Companion to the English Language TOM McARTHUR

anagram

views updated Jun 08 2018

anagram a word, phrase, or name formed by rearranging the letters of another, such as spar, formed from rasp. Recorded from the late 16th century, the word comes via French or modern Latin from Greek ana- ‘back, anew’ + gramma ‘letter’.

The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable ELIZABETH KNOWLES