Sunday, December 21, 2025

Pangrams highlighted. Click a word for its definition.

• abbot5

  abbot

  noun — The superior or head of an abbey or monastery.

  noun — The pastor and/or administrator of an order, including minor and major orders starting with the minor order of porter.

  noun — A layman who received the abbey's revenues, after the closing of the monasteries.

  noun — (British slang) A brothel-owner's husband or lover.

  noun — (British slang) A ponce; a man employed by a prostitute to find clients, and who may also act as a bodyguard or equivalent to a bouncer.

  Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

• allot5

  allot

  verb — To distribute or apportion by (or as if by) lot.

  verb — To assign or designate as a task or for a purpose.

  Appeared in 8 recorded puzzles.

• alto1

  alto

  noun — A musical part or section higher than tenor and lower than soprano, formerly the part that performed a countermelody above the tenor or main melody.

  noun — A person or musical instrument that performs the alto part.

  noun — An alto saxophone

  Appeared in 8 recorded puzzles.

• atoll5

  atoll

  noun — A type of island consisting of a ribbon reef that nearly or entirely surrounds a lagoon and supports, in most cases, one to many islets on the reef platform. Atolls have a unique geology, so not all islands with a reef and a lagoon are atolls

  Appeared in 8 recorded puzzles.

• attack6

  attack

  noun — An attempt to cause damage, injury to, or death of opponent or enemy.

  verb — To apply violent force to someone or something.

  noun — An attempt to detract from the worth or credibility of, a person, position, idea, object, or thing, by physical, verbal, emotional, or other assault.

  noun — A time in which one attacks; the offence of a battle.

  noun — (by extension) The beginning of active operations on anything.

  noun — An attempt to exploit a vulnerability in a computer system.

  Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

• backlot14

  backlot

  No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

• backtalk8

  backtalk

  No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

• ballot6

  ballot

  No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

• blat1

  blat

  verb — To make a senseless noise.

  verb — To cry, as a calf or sheep; to bleat.

  verb — To produce an overrich or overblown sound on a brass instrument such as a trumpet, trombone, or tuba.

  verb — To talk inconsiderately.

  noun — Connections; relationships; one's social or business network (in Russian or Soviet society).

  Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

• bloat5

  bloat

  No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

• blot1

  blot

  No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

• blotto6

  blotto

  No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

• boat1

  boat

  noun — A craft used for transportation of goods, fishing, racing, recreational cruising, or military use on or in the water, propelled by oars or outboard motor or inboard motor or by wind.

  verb — To travel by boat.

  noun — A full house.

  noun — A vehicle, utensil, or dish somewhat resembling a boat in shape.

  noun — One of two possible conformations of cyclohexane rings (the other being chair), shaped roughly like a boat.

  noun — The refugee boats arriving in Australian waters, and by extension, refugees generally.

  Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

• bobcat6

  bobcat

  No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

• bolt1

  bolt

  No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

• boot1

  boot

  noun — A heavy shoe that covers part of the leg.

  verb — To kick.

  noun — Remedy, amends.

  verb — To avail, benefit, profit.

  noun — The act or process of bootstrapping; the starting or re-starting of a computing device.

  verb — To bootstrap; to start a system, e.g. a computer, by invoking its boot process or bootstrap.

  Appeared in 7 recorded puzzles.

• bootblack16

  bootblack

  No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

• catcall7

  catcall

  noun — A shout or whistle expressing dislike, especially from a crowd or audience; a jeer, a boo.

  verb — To make such an exclamation.

  noun — In the Eiffel programming language, a run-time error caused by use of the wrong data type.

  noun — A shout, whistle, or comment of a sexual nature, usually made toward a passing woman.

  noun — A whistle blown by a theatre-goer to express disapproval.

  Appeared in 7 recorded puzzles.

• clot1

  clot

  noun — A thrombus, solidified mass of blood.

  verb — To form a clot or mass.

  noun — A solidified mass of any liquid.

  noun — A silly person.

  verb — To cause to clot or form into a mass.

  Appeared in 7 recorded puzzles.

• coat1

  coat

  noun — An outer garment covering the upper torso and arms.Wp

  verb — To cover with a coating of some material.

  noun — A covering of material, such as paint.Wp

  noun — The fur or feathers covering an animal's skin.Wp

  noun — Canvas painted with thick tar and secured round a mast or bowsprit to prevent water running down the sides into the hold (now made of rubber or leather).

  noun — A petticoat.

  Appeared in 9 recorded puzzles.

• cobalt6

  cobalt

  No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

• cockatoo8

  cockatoo

  No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

• colt1

  colt

  noun — A young male horse.

  verb — To horse; to get with young.

  noun — A young crane (bird).

  noun — A youthful or inexperienced person; a novice.

  noun — A short piece of rope once used by petty officers as an instrument of punishment.

  noun — A young camel or donkey.

  Appeared in 7 recorded puzzles.

• coot1

  coot

  noun — Any of various aquatic birds of the genus Fulica that are mainly black with a prominent frontal shield on the forehead.

  noun — A foolish or eccentric fellow

  noun — (with the) A success; something excellent.

  noun — Body louse (Pediculus humanus).

  Appeared in 15 recorded puzzles.

• loot1

  loot

  noun — A kind of scoop or ladle, chiefly used to remove the scum from brine-pans in saltworks.

  noun — The act of plundering.

  verb — To steal, especially as part of war, riot or other group violence.

  noun — Plunder, booty, especially from a ransacked city.

  noun — Any prize or profit received for free, especially Christmas presents

  noun — Items dropped by defeated enemies.

  Appeared in 15 recorded puzzles.

• lotto5

  lotto

  noun — A game of chance similar to bingo

  noun — A lottery

  Appeared in 15 recorded puzzles.

• octal5

  octal

  noun — The number system that uses the eight digits 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.

  adjective — Concerning numbers expressed in octal or mathematical calculations performed using octal.

  noun — A digit or value in the octal number system.

  Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

• tabla5

  tabla

  noun — A pair of tuned hand drums, used in various musical genres of the Indian subcontinent, that are similar to bongos.

  Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

• taboo5

  taboo

  noun — An inhibition or ban that results from social custom or emotional aversion.

  verb — To mark as taboo.

  adjective — Excluded or forbidden from use, approach or mention.

  noun — (in Polynesia) Something which may not be used, approached or mentioned because it is sacred.

  verb — To ban.

  verb — To avoid.

  Appeared in 5 recorded puzzles.

• tack1

  tack

  noun — A small nail with a flat head.

  verb — To nail with a tack (small nail with a flat head).

  noun — A stain; a tache.

  noun — That which is tacky; something cheap and gaudy.

  noun — A thumbtack.

  noun — A loose seam used to temporarily fasten pieces of cloth.

  Appeared in 4 recorded puzzles.

• taco1

  taco

  noun — A Mexican snack food; a small tortilla (soft or hard shelled), with typically some type of meat, rice, beans, cheese, diced vegetables (usually tomatoes and lettuce, as served in the United States, and cilantro, onion, and avocado, as served in México) and salsa.

  verb — To fold or cause to buckle in half, similar to the way a taco is folded.

  noun — The vulva.

  noun — A yellow stain on a shirt armpit caused by sweat or deodorant.

  Appeared in 9 recorded puzzles.

• tact1

  tact

  noun — The sense of touch; feeling.

  verb — To use a tact (a kind of verbal operant; see noun sense).

  noun — A maneuver, or action calculated to achieve some end.

  noun — The stroke in beating time.

  noun — Sensitive mental touch; special skill or faculty; keen perception or discernment; ready power of appreciating and doing what is required by circumstances; the ability to say the right thing.

  noun — A verbal operant which is controlled by a nonverbal stimulus (such as an object, event, or property of an object) and is maintained by nonspecific social reinforcement (praise).

  Appeared in 20 recorded puzzles.

• talc1

  talc

  noun — Originally a large range of transparent or glistening foliated minerals. Examples include mica, selenite and the hydrated magnesium silicate that the term talc generally has referred to in modern times (see below). Also an item made of such a mineral and depending for its function on the special nature of the mineral (see next). Mediaeval writers adopted the term from the Arabic.

  verb — To apply talc to.

  noun — A microscope slide made of a plate of mica, generally in use from the start of modern microscopy until the early nineteenth century, after which glass slides became the standard medium.

  noun — A soft mineral, composed of hydrated magnesium silicate, that has a soapy feel and a greenish, whitish, or grayish color, and usually occurs in foliated masses.

  noun — Talcum powder.

  Appeared in 7 recorded puzzles.

• talk1

  talk

  No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

• tall1

  tall

  adjective — (of a person) Having a vertical extent greater than the average. For example, somebody with a height of over 6 feet would generally be considered to be tall.

  adjective — (of a building, etc.) Having its top a long way up; having a great vertical (and often greater than horizontal) extent; high.

  adjective — (of a story) Hard to believe, such as a tall story or a tall tale.

  adjective — (of a cup of coffee) A cup of coffee smaller than grande, usually 8 ounces.

  noun — (possibly nonstandard) Someone or something that is tall.

  Appeared in 13 recorded puzzles.

• tattoo6

  tattoo

  noun — An image made in the skin with ink and a needle.

  verb — To apply a tattoo to (someone or something).

  noun — A signal played five minutes before taps (lights out).

  verb — To tap rhythmically on, to drum.

  noun — A breed of pony from India; a pony of that breed.

  noun — A method of decorating the skin by inserting colored substances under the surface with a sharp instrument (usually a solenoid-driven needle).

  Appeared in 15 recorded puzzles.

• tobacco7

  tobacco

  No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

• toccata7

  toccata

  noun — A piece of music (usually for a keyboard instrument) designed to emphasise the dexterity of the performer.

  Appeared in 9 recorded puzzles.

• tock1

  tock

  No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  Appeared in 2 recorded puzzles.

• toll1

  toll

  noun — Loss or damage incurred through a disaster.

  verb — To impose a fee for the use of.

  noun — The act or sound of tolling

  verb — To ring (a bell) slowly and repeatedly.

  verb — To draw; pull; tug; drag.

  verb — To take away; to vacate; to annul.

  Appeared in 15 recorded puzzles.

• took1

  took

  No cached definition. Look it up on Wiktionary.

  Appeared in 3 recorded puzzles.

• tool1

  tool

  noun — A mechanical device intended to make a task easier.

  verb — To work on or shape with tools, e.g., hand-tooled leather.

  noun — Equipment used in a profession, e.g., tools of the trade.

  noun — Something to perform an operation; an instrument; a means.

  noun — A piece of software used to develop software or hardware, or to perform low-level operations.

  noun — A person or group which is used or controlled, usually unwittingly, by another person or group.

  Appeared in 15 recorded puzzles.

• toot1

  toot

  noun — The noise of a horn or whistle.

  verb — To stand out, or be prominent.

  noun — A toilet.

  noun — (by extension) A fart; flatus.

  noun — Cocaine.

  noun — A portion of cocaine that a person snorts.

  Appeared in 29 recorded puzzles.

• total5

  total

  noun — An amount obtained by the addition of smaller amounts.

  verb — To add up; to calculate the sum of.

  adjective — Entire; relating to the whole of something.

  noun — Sum.

  verb — To equal a total of; to amount to.

  verb — To demolish; to wreck completely. (from total loss)

  Appeared in 8 recorded puzzles.

backlot is a perfect pangram — all seven letters, each used exactly once.