palindrome
noun
pal·in·drome
ˈpa-lən-ˌdrōm 
: a word, verse, or sentence (such as "Able was I ere I saw Elba") or a number (such as 1881) that reads the same backward or forward
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Palindrome comes from Greek palindromos, meaning "running back again," which itself is from palin ("back," "again") and dramein ("to run"). Nowadays, we appreciate a clever palindrome—such as "Drab as a fool, aloof as a bard" or "A man, a plan, a canal: Panama"—or even a simple one like "race car," but in the past palindromes were more than just smart wordplay. Some folks thought they were magical, and they carved them on walls or amulets for protection.
Examples of palindrome in a Sentence
The word “dad” and the number “1881” are palindromes.
Recent Examples on the Web
What about the sum of two primes, or primes that form palindromes that read the same forward and backwards?
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David Szondy, New Atlas, 25 Oct. 2024
But a guess of ZIP, ENERGY, FOCUS and PEP was way off, especially considering that, as logic dictated, PEP was one of the palindromes.
—Kris Holt, Forbes, 12 Sep. 2024
Here are some of our other favorite online reactions to the (puff, puff, pass) palindrome.
—Grace Tucker, The Enquirer, 20 Apr. 2024
This year's 4/20 festivities will fall on a rare calendar event known as a palindrome.
—Raphael Romero Ruiz, The Arizona Republic, 19 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for palindrome 
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David Szondy, New Atlas, 25 Oct. 2024
But a guess of ZIP, ENERGY, FOCUS and PEP was way off, especially considering that, as logic dictated, PEP was one of the palindromes.
—Kris Holt, Forbes, 12 Sep. 2024
Here are some of our other favorite online reactions to the (puff, puff, pass) palindrome.
—Grace Tucker, The Enquirer, 20 Apr. 2024
This year's 4/20 festivities will fall on a rare calendar event known as a palindrome.
—Raphael Romero Ruiz, The Arizona Republic, 19 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for palindrome
Dictionary Entries Near palindrome
Cite this Entry
“Palindrome.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/palindrome. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
palindrome
noun
pal·in·drome
ˈpal-ən-ˌdrōm
: a word, phrase, or sentence (as "Step on no pets") or a number (as 1881) that reads the same backward or forward
Medical Definition
palindrome
noun
pal·in·drome
ˈpal-ən-ˌdrōm
: a palindromic sequence of DNA
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