An anagram is a word or phrase formed by changing the order of the letters in another word or phrase. For example, 'triangle' is an anagram of 'integral'.
anagram in British English
(ˈænəˌɡræm)
noun
a word or phrase the letters of which can be rearranged into another word or phrase
Derived forms
anagrammatic (ˌænəɡrəˈmætɪk) or anagrammatical (ˌanagramˈmatical)
adjective
anagrammatically (ˌanagramˈmatically)
adverb
Word origin
C16: from New Latin anagramma, shortened from Greek anagrammatismos, from anagrammatizein to transpose letters, from ana- + gramma a letter
anagram in American English
(ˈænəˌgræm)
noun
1.
a word or phrase made from another by rearranging its letters (Ex.: now → won, dread → adder)
2. [pl., with sing. v.]
a game whose object is to make words by arranging letters from a common pool or by forming anagrams from other words
Derived forms
anagrammatic (ˌanagramˈmatic) (ˌænəgrəˈmætɪk)
adjective or ˌanagramˈmatical
anagrammatically (ˌanagramˈmatically)
adverb
Word origin
Fr anagramme < Gr ana-, back + gramma, letter (see gram1), modeled on Gr anagrammatizein, to write the letters of a name backwards