WordPlay: Abbreviations, Acronyms, and Initialisms
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The LexiConnexxions analysis has identified many ABBREVIATIONS, ACRONYMS, AND INITIALISMS in the Spelling Bee lexicon.
Merriam-Webster defines these forms as follows:
An abbreviation is “a shortened form of a written word or phrase used in place of the whole word or phrase.” It does not have to include a final period.
An acronym is “a word (such as NATO, radar, or laser) formed from the initial letter or letters of each of the successive parts or major parts of a compound term.”
An initialism is “an abbreviation (such as FBI) formed from initial letters” of the words it represents.
The complete list of words on this topic is shown at right (on laptop or desktop) or at the end of the page (on mobile); the same list with definitions is given below. Bee words marked with an asterisk have been used in at least one Spelling Bee puzzle, then subsequently disallowed; they are retained here for historical interest.
An abbreviation is “a shortened form of a written word or phrase used in place of the whole word or phrase.” It does not have to include a final period.
An acronym is “a word (such as NATO, radar, or laser) formed from the initial letter or letters of each of the successive parts or major parts of a compound term.”
An initialism is “an abbreviation (such as FBI) formed from initial letters” of the words it represents.
The complete list of words on this topic is shown at right (on laptop or desktop) or at the end of the page (on mobile); the same list with definitions is given below. Bee words marked with an asterisk have been used in at least one Spelling Bee puzzle, then subsequently disallowed; they are retained here for historical interest.
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ABBREVIATIONS, ACRONYMS, AND INITIALISMS in the Spelling Bee lexicon
BULL: abbreviation: bulletin: a periodical, especially: the organ of an institution or association; also, a brief public notice issuing usually from an authoritative source [e.g., a PSA; distinct from the sort of bulletin that is a newsletter or journal]; also, a bulldog, any of a breed of compact muscular short-haired dogs having widely separated forelegs and an undershot lower jaw that were developed in England to fight bullsCAPTCHA: a test to prevent spamming software from accessing a website by requiring visitors to the site to solve a simple puzzle in order to gain access. From [formerly trademarked] Completely Automatic Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart (with deliberate pun on “capture”)DEEJAY: initialism from disc jockey, a person who introduces and plays recorded music (especially popular music) on a show (such as a radio program); also, an entertainer who plays and often manipulates recorded music (as by combining tracks or adding effects) for dancing at a night club or party; also: someone who makes music (as through turntablism, sampling, etc.) that is often sung or rapped over; also, to perform the role of a disc jockey: to act as a disc jockey forDEEJAYED: initialism from disc jockey, a person who introduces and plays recorded music (especially popular music) on a show (such as a radio program); also, an entertainer who plays and often manipulates recorded music (as by combining tracks or adding effects) for dancing at a night club or party; also: someone who makes music (as through turntablism, sampling, etc.) that is often sung or rapped over; also, to perform the role of a disc jockey: to act as a disc jockey forEMCEE: initialism for master of ceremoniesEMCEED: initialism for master of ceremoniesEMCEEING: initialism for master of ceremoniesENBY: M-W does not have an entry for enby, the spelled-out initialism NB for nonbinary, a person whose gender identity is not strictly male or female; one who is outside of the gender binaryFLACK: less common spelling of flak: antiaircraft guns, or the bursting shells fired from flak; also, criticism, opposition; German, from Fliegerabwehrkanonen, from Flieger flyer + Abwehr defense + Kanonen cannonsFLAK: or less commonly flack: antiaircraft guns, or the bursting shells fired from flak; also, criticism, opposition; German, from Fliegerabwehrkanonen, from Flieger flyer + Abwehr defense + Kanonen cannonsGORP: trail mix; a snack consisting of high-energy food (such as raisins and nuts); Wiki: The American word gorp, a term for trail mix often used by hikers in North America, is typically said to be an acronym for "good ol' raisins and peanuts"OKAY: variant of OK: all right: good, pleasing —often used as a generalized term of approval; also, to approve or authorize; abbreviation of oll korrect, facetious alteration of all correct OKAYING: variant of OK: all right: good, pleasing —often used as a generalized term of approval; also, to approve or authorize; abbreviation of oll korrect, facetious alteration of all correct KAYO*: the act of knocking out: the condition of being knocked out, especially, the termination of a boxing match when one boxer has been knocked down and is unable to rise and resume boxing within a specified time; pronunciation of KO, abbreviation for knockout, the act of knocking out: the condition of being knocked out; the termination of a boxing match when one boxer has been knocked down and is unable to rise and resume boxing within a specified time; a technical knockout; a blow that knocks out an opponentRADAR: a device or system consisting usually of a synchronized radio transmitter and receiver that emits radio waves and processes their reflections for display and is used especially for detecting and locating objects (such as aircraft) or surface features (as of a planet); from radio detecting and rangingVEEP: vice president: an officer next in rank to a president and usually empowered to serve as president in that officer's absence or disability; also, any of several officers serving as a president's deputies in charge of particular locations or functions; ; from v.p. (abbreviation for vice president)YIPPIE: a person belonging to or identified with a politically active group of hippies, from Youth International Party + -ie (as in hippie)YUPPIE: often Yuppie: a young college-educated adult who is employed in a well-paying profession and who lives and works in or near a large city, probably from young urban professional + -ie [as in hippie]
ABBREVIATIONS, ACRONYMS, AND INITIALISMS in the Spelling Bee lexicon
BULLCAPTCHADEEJAYDEEJAYEDEMCEEEMCEEDEMCEEINGENBYFLACKFLAK
GORPOKAYOKAYINGKAYO*RADARVEEPYIPPIEYUPPIE