Cruciverbalist
[cru-sih-VER-bə-list]
Part of speech: noun
Origin: American English, 1970s
1.
A person who enjoys or is skilled at solving crosswords.
Examples of Cruciverbalist in a sentence
"The invention of Wordle has attracted both lifetime cruciverbalists and novice word game players."
"My mother, the cruciverbalist, still receives the daily newspaper so she can solve the crossword with her pen."
About Cruciverbalist
“Cruciverbalist” adds the Latin prefix “cruci-,” meaning “cross,” to the existing English word “verbalist,” meaning one who is interested and skilled in using words.
Did you Know?
In 1971, “Crossword” magazine held a contest asking subscribers to invent “a succinct word to describe people who regularly attempt to solve crossword puzzles.” The word “cruciverbalist” was chosen in response to suggestions from numerous subscribers and the magazine’s crossword designer, Jonathan Crowther. “Cruciverbian” was another popular submission.
