Word Plays

Here's a list of unfamiliar words I've learned playing Scrabble. I downloaded a new tool, Zzyzyva, that includes anagrams, lists, and definitions for all the words (up to 15 letters) that are playable in Scrabble. Here's a short (and probably incomplete) list of new words I've learned since the Baton Rouge tournament in November 2007. As I learn new words, I'll add them to the top of the list.


RUGOSA - keep your toupee in place with RUGOSA - an extinct tribe of fossil corals, many of them or large size, characteristic of Paleozoic formations.

BINAURAL - an audio system based on two states - can hear and can't hear - having two ears (adj)

HAFFITS - clothing that only fits halfway--e.g. long enough, but not big enough around - the vertical side of a dormer (from architecture)

BRULYIE - a long-term resident of Brusly, LA - a noisy quarrel

PENNON - apply directly to the writing implement - a pennant

ARMIGEROS - MREs for the Lebanese army - one who carries the armor of a knight (pl)

OBOVATE - to bloviate on an oboe - ovate with a narrow end at the base (adj.)

PYGIDIUM - rare element found only in pygmies - the posterior region of certain invertebrates

TUYER - Bostonian toast - a pipe through which air is forced into a blast furnace (also TUYERE)

CAHIER - cashier with empty register - a notebook

DAIMIO - egocentric calypso song - a former Japanese nobleman

BORNITE - anxious awaiter of next Matt Damon thriller - an ore of copper

CORBAN - nuclear plant shutdown order - an offering to God.

SODALITE - connossieur of diet soft drinks - a mineral

BOURRIDE - a drunken trip to a bourre game - a fish stew.

BOWSING - browsing without reading - hauling by means of tackle

JENNET - paparazzi technique for capturing Jennifer Anniston - a small horse

ENDOSARC - a portion of a cell

DIOECY - the state of being DIOICOUS (unisexual)

XYSTER - a surgical instrument for scraping bones

ASHLARED - to build with squared stones - these next six words came from one session with a 1900-ish expert who's recently relocated to Baton Rouge.

MODISTE - a dealer in stylish women's clothing

MEDUSA(E) - a jellyfish

IGNATIA - a medicinal seed

PERIANTH - the outer covering of a flower

GHARRI - (also GHARRY) a carriage used in India, (pl - GHARRIS or GHARRIES)

MENINX - any of the membranes enclosing the brain and spinal cord (pl -MENINGES) - back to my online vocabulary building opponent.

TWIGGEN - made of twigs (adj)

SHNORRER (also SCHNORRER) - a scrounger who takes advantage of the generosity of others (Yiddish)

BOYARD - A member of a Russian aristocratic order abolished by Peter the Great. Also, one of a privileged class in Roumania.

MACLE - twinned crystal

SEMPLICE - simple, unaffected (musical direction)

WOORARI - curare (used as arrow poison), also WOORALI

VIMEN - flexible shoot of a plant

STATICE - herb with astringent qualities

JABIRU(S) - a large stork of tropical America (wood ibis)

SOLDI - a former coin of Italy - I learned this one at the North American Scrabble Tour qualifying tournament in Baton Rouge today. I finished second out of 18 players to qualify for the big tourney in Minnesota in June. Don't know if I'll make that trip. Still it was fun to compete, succeed and take home a few bucks.

More from online play

PETTO - the breast - plural is PETTI

ARACEOUS - belonging to the arum family of plants (adj.) - I was proud to win the game where this one was played against me.

DEEWAN - an official in India (also DEWAN)

OCREA - a sheathing plant part (pl - OCREAE)

HALBERT or HALBERD - axelike weapon of the 15th/16th century.

RENIGGED - reneged - I played this one hoping it was good.

SEWAN or SEAWAN - shell beads used as money by Native Americans; wampum




CONGOU - Chinese black tea


KEVEL - bollard of a ship


VIGIA(S) - a navigational hazard whose existence is uncertain

CORONEL - a wreath worn on the head (also CORONAL) - I would have won an online game if I'd found this word to go out.

WHEEPLED - gave forth a prolonged whistle


GUIPURE - a type of lace

NOTORNIS - a flightless bird of New Zealand.


FRISEE - the curly leaves of endive - I was happy to discover this word as it allowed me to hook ZONER to FRISE for 77 points. (1/30/08 Note - I ate some of this in a Houston restaurant last night)

CROSSE - a lacrosse stick - never knew that word had an E, but it makes sense - lacrosse

TOPOI - plural of TOPOS, a stock rhetorical theme

SEISIN - the possession of such an estate in land as was anciently thought worthy to be held by a free man

FILOSE - resembling a thread (adj)

FURRINER - a foreigner


MIRIN - a sweet Japanese cooking wine

LEVULIN - a chemical compound

BIOGENY - the development of life from preexisting life

THARM - the belly

BOLIDE - an exploding meteor

PROTEIDE or PROTEID - a protein

DONSY or DONSIE - unlucky (adj). I was unlucky enough to lose a game when my opponent played DONSY to go out.

MELILITE - a mineral group. I could have won a game if I knew this word, or could find the easier TILELIKE.

BALLIES - plural of BALLY, a noisy uproar. Is that where the casino chain got its name?

ANANKE - a compelling necessity in ancient Greek religion. I wonder if this concept or word will surface in the current Presidential election campaign, which has included a lot of discussion about religious necessities.


MOFETTE - a noxious emanation from a fissure in the earth. If I learned this in earth science in 9th grade, I forgot it.

SIRRA - sirrah (a form of address used to inferiors) I'm guessing this is of Anglo-Indian origin

LUTEA - plural of LUTEUM, a hormone-secreting body

TUTELAR - one who has the power to protect (also TUTELARY)

TWANGLER - one who twangles (twangs) (Makes sense, but I never would have guessed it to be a word.)

SOLITON - a solitary wave in physics

AMIDIN - the soluble matter in starch (I recognized this word, but didn't know what it meant)

ROUSSEAU - fried pemmican (yum!)

STRANG - strong (adj) - I'm guessing that this is one of those Scottish variations.

IRISING - from the verb to IRIS, to give the form of a rainbow to (I'm about to win an online game where my opponent played this word for 91 points)

HIJAB - a head covering worn by Muslim women (pl -S)

IRITISES - plural of IRITIS, inflammation of the iris. IRITISE* is unplayable (I lost an online game because I couldn't find this word)

AMATORY - pertaining to sexual love (adj.)

ALULA - a tuft of feathers on the first digit of a bird's wing (pl - LAE) (I even got to play this one soon after I learned it)