A LITTLE WORD KNOW-HOW
Word Meaning and Game Validity Are Different Questions
Understand dictionary senses, reference acceptance and tile values as separate facts.
A definition explains a sense
A dictionary tells you what a word can mean. Some words have several parts of speech and several senses. A clue may point to a less common sense, so reading only the first definition can be misleading.
A game list answers another question
A game decides which spellings and forms it accepts. Proper names, abbreviations and regional forms may be treated differently. Being familiar in everyday speech does not by itself establish game acceptance.
A tile score is a third fact
Base tile values describe the letters before board bonuses and crossing words. Our entries and helpers label these facts separately so a definition does not become a false promise about a move.