You searched for: “palindromes
palindrome (PAL in drohm") (s) (noun), palindromes (pl)
1. A word, verse, or sentence that reads exactly the same backward as forward: The best known palindrome is probably the remark Napoleon supposedly made when he was banished to the island of Elba after his removal as emperor of France: "Able was I ere I saw Elba."

Here are other examples of palindromes: "Sore was I ere I saw Eros" and "Live was I ere I saw evil".

There was a special palindrome which was created for Time magazine: "Live on, Time, emit no evil."

A Latin palindrome has a sentence that not only reads backward but also has each word that reads backward: Sator arepo tenet opera rotas. It is translated as, "Sator [a man's name] holds the handles of the plow in plowing."

In addition, the first letter of each word spells the first word, Sator, the second letter of each word spells the second word, arepo, and so on through the sentence, and this is also true when you do it backwards.

2. Etymology: from Greek palindromos, "running back again, recurring"; from palin, "again" + dromos, "a running"


Reading the same forward or backward.
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A click with your mouse on this palindromes link will take you to a list which is available for your examination.


This entry is located in the following unit: pali-; palim-, palin- (page 1)
A unit related to: “palindromes
(a variety of palindrome words, both historical and modern)
Word Entries at Get Words: “palindromes
Palindromes

Any word or name that is spelled the same forward and backward is called a palindrome (from Greek palindromos, literally "running [back] again") [palin ="again, backwards" and dromos = "course"].

Such words as "madam" and "sees" are examples of palindromes.

There are many common English words that fit the category of palindromes. Below are ten definitions of such words followed by a number in parenthesis that indicates how many letters there are in each English palindrome.


See how many of these "everyday" words you can solve.

  1. A notable achievement; a feat or exploit. (4)
  2. Even; not sloping. (5)
  3. More blood-colored. (6)
  4. Twelve hours after midnight. (4)
  5. Males and the females; genders. (5)
  6. One who resuscitates another. (7)
  7. To peek; to peer through a crevice. (4)
  8. Pertaining to public affairs, or to a city. (5)
  9. Made wet with dew. (5)
  10. To blow, as a horn, in rapid blasts. (4)

The above palindrome answers are available at this Palindromes Solutions page.

This entry is located in the following unit: Focusing on Words Newsletter #08 (page 1)
(palindromes quiz answers from Focusing on Words Newsletter #8)