# WOW24 Unified Scrabble Dictionary — Zyzzyva Import

A **NASPA Zyzzyva**-compatible word list built on the **WOW24** tournament
lexicon (WGPO Official Words 2024, 195,059 words) with rich definitions drawn
from the Petree OWL 2.1 extended dictionary and Wiktionary.

Tested with **NASPA Zyzzyva Version 3.4.1**
(© 2005–2023 North American Word Game Players Association, D/B/A NASPA Games.
<https://www.scrabbleplayers.org/zyzzyva/>)

**Dictionary version:** 63

---

## Importing into Zyzzyva

1. Double click on `WOW24-Zyzzyva-Import.zip` to de-compress it.
2. Open **NASPA Zyzzyva** (Version 3.4.1 or later recommended)
3. Choose **Zyzzyva → Preferences…**
4. Under "General" Click on the "Edit" Button 
5. Select the file `WOW24-Zyzzyva-Import.txt`
6. Zyzzyva will import all 195,059 entries with their definitions 
7. At the bottom, under the "Custom" lexicon, click on Load, and browse to the `WOW24-Zyzzyva-Import.txt` you downloaded. 
8. Click on "OK" and then Click on "OK" again.
9. Click on the magnifying glass (the search field) and in the drop down, choose "custom"
10. Search for a "AA" (it may take two searches for the dictionary definitions to properly load)
11. You should see the special AA definition showing "WOW24 Unified and a version number at the end"
12. Select Tools->Rebuild Database.  Rebuild Database for a Single Lexicon.   Choose Custom
---

## Reading a Definition

### Basic entries

A straightforward entry looks like this:

```
RETINA	a membrane of the eye [n. -NAS or -NAE]
```

| Part | Meaning |
|------|---------|
| `a membrane of the eye` | The definition |
| `[n. -NAS or -NAE]` | Part of speech and inflections — here: noun, with two valid plurals |


### Part-of-speech abbreviations

| Symbol | Meaning |
|--------|---------|
| `n.` | noun |
| `n.pl.` | noun, plural only |
| `v.` | verb |
| `a.` | adjective |
| `b.` | adverb |
| `c.` | conjunction |
| `i.` | interjection |
| `p.` | pronoun |
| `o.` | possessive pronoun |
| `e.` | definite article |
| `f.` | indefinite article |

### Inflected forms — the `< ROOT,` prefix

Inflected forms (plurals, past tenses, comparatives, etc.) show their base word:

```
RETINAS    < RETINA, [n. -NAS or -NAE] · a membrane of the eye
```

The `< RETINA,` tells you that RETINAS is an inflection of RETINA.
Look up the root word for the full entry.

### Multiple parts of speech

Some words function as more than one part of speech. Each additional sense
appears after `/ -----` on the same definition line:

```
COW    [n. -S or KINE°] · a farm animal
       / ----- [v. -ED, -ING, -S] · to intimidate
```

This also shows that COW has an irregular plural KINE.

### Irregular inflections and the `°` marker

When `°` follows a word in the inflection list, that form can also take an
**-S**:

```
AGE    [v. AGED, AGING° or AGEING°, AGES] · to grow old
```

Both AGINGS and AGEINGS are valid words.

### Alternate spellings — the `{ }` block

When a word has valid alternate spellings, they appear using  "[x]" followed by curly-brace block. Groups within the block are separated by `§`, which divides different grammatical forms (singular from plural, present from past tense, etc.):

The [x] is used because Zyzzyva displays blocks in parts of speech order, and so [x] is used to have this block appear last.
```
AGEING	[n. -S] · aging / [x] { ageing aging § ageings agings § ageing aging § ageing aging }
```

```
AERIE	[n. -S] · a bird's nest built high on a mountain or cliff - AERIED [a.] / [x] { aerie aery eyrie eyry § aeries eyries § aeried aerier aeriest aery }
```

All words listed in a `{ }` block are valid in tournament play.

### Cross-references — `«...»`

When a definition refers to another word by name, that word's definition is
shown inline in angle quotes so you don't have to look it up separately:

```
ACTINIAN    [n. -S] · actinia «a marine animal»
```

ACTINIAN means the same thing as ACTINIA; the `«…»` supplies ACTINIA's
definition on the spot.

---

## Definition Source Markers

| Marker | Where it appears | Meaning |
|--------|-----------------|---------|
| *(no marker)* | Start of definition | Authored by Joseph Petree (OWL 2.1 extended dictionary) |
| `©` | Start of definition | From Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 (public domain) |
| `+` | End of definition | Definition generated programmatically |
| `†` | Start of definition | Sourced from Wiktionary, formatted by Claude Sonnet AI |
| `!` | Start of definition | This word has been expurgated from NWL23 and appears in WOW24. |
| `~` | After a word in definition text | That word is **not** a valid tournament word |
| `°` | After a word in inflection list | That inflected form can also take **-S** |

**`†` example** — words added to WOW24 that post-date OWL3:

```
ABRIDGEABLE	—	† [a.] · capable of being abridged
```

**`©` and `~` together:**

```
ACETABULAR	[a.] · © cup-shaped~; saucer-shaped~; acetabuliform~
```

The `©` marks a Webster 1913 definition; the `~` after *cup-shaped*, *saucer-shaped*, and *acetabuliform* means
that those words are not valid in tournament play.

## Polyorths
A marking of [x] These entries include variant spellings (polyorths) in curly brackets with the main entry followed 
by parts of speech separated by §. 

```
AARRGHH   [i.] · aargh «used to express disgust» / [x] { argh § aargh aarrgh aarrghh argh }
```
---

## Word List Coverage

This dictionary is based on **WOW24** — the WGPO Official Words 2024 list,
the current standard for WGPO tournament Scrabble. It is a separate lexicon
from NASPA's **NWL2023** (used in North American club and tournament play);
the two lists overlap substantially but are not identical.

The Petree definition file was last updated in 2016 (OWL2.1 base). Words
added to WOW24 after that date carry `†` (Wiktionary/AI) definitions.

---

## License

| Source | License |
|--------|---------|
| WOW24 word list | Free for non-commercial use (WGPO) |
| Petree OWL 2.1 definitions | Permission granted by Joseph Petree; non-commercial use |
| Wiktionary definitions | CC BY-SA 4.0 |
| AI formatting (Claude Sonnet) | CC BY-SA 4.0 (same as source) |

**The combined file is released under CC BY-SA 4.0**
(Creative Commons Attribution – ShareAlike 4.0 International)

You are free to use, copy, and adapt this file for personal Scrabble study.
If you share a modified version, you must use the same license and credit
the sources above, including Joseph Petree by name, and notify Joesph Petree of your release.

**Non-commercial restriction (WOW24):** This work incorporates WOW24 content,
which may only be used and shared for non-profit purposes per WGPO terms.
This restriction applies alongside the CC BY-SA 4.0 license — you may not
sell this file or include it in a commercial product.

Full license text: <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/>

---

## Acknowledgements

- **WOW24 lexicon** — Word Game Players Organization
  (<https://wordgameplayers.org>)
- **Petree OWL 2.1 extended dictionary** — Joseph Petree
- **Wiktionary** — Wikimedia Foundation contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0
  (<https://en.wiktionary.org>)
- **NASPA Zyzzyva** — North American Word Game Players Association (NASPA Games)
  Version 3.4.1 · <https://www.scrabbleplayers.org/zyzzyva/>
  © 2005–2023 North American Word Game Players Association, D/B/A NASPA Games
- **Polyorths** Variant spellings of Scrabble Dictionary words - Amit Chakrabarti
  <https://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~ac/Scrab/polyorth.html>

---

*Scrabble™ is a trademark of Hasbro, Inc. in the US and Canada. No affiliation
with Hasbro is intended or implied and this does not constitute an endorsement
of any kind.*