Palindrome
/ˈpæl.ɪn.drəʊm/noun
A word, phrase, or sequence that reads the same backward as forward.
Did you know?Palindrome comes from Greek palin (“back again”) + dromos (“running”), so the idea is literally motion that reverses itself—like a word trapped in a loop.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
palindromos
“running back again; returning in the opposite direction”
Late Greek
Greek
palindromia
“a running back, a return”
Late Latin
Latin
palindromus
“running back again”
17th Century
English
palindrome
“a word or phrase that reads the same backward and forward”
Modern English
English
palindrome
“a word, phrase, number, or sequence readable in both directions”
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