ATAVISM is a valid Scrabble word — 12 points
Yes. ATAVISM is accepted by every list we check: Collins, the North American lists and Words with Friends. It scores 12 points in Scrabble and 14 in Words with Friends.
Which word lists accept ATAVISM?
| Official Scrabble Players DictionaryUSA, Canada, Thailand | Valid |
|---|---|
| Official Tournament and Club Word ListUSA, Canada, Thailand | Valid |
| Collins Scrabble WordsEnglish in most countries | Valid |
| Words with FriendsZynga word list | Valid |
Word power: 53 / 100
Our own measure of how useful ATAVISM is to know. It scores 12 from 7 tiles, takes 1 hook, and its letters make up 5.9% of the bag. How this number is calculated
Hooks for ATAVISM
Front hooks — 0
None.
Back hooks — 1
atavismsChecked against OSPD, TWL, CSW, WWF. Takes an S, so it hooks onto plurals easily.
How ATAVISM scores
Face value of the 7 tiles in ATAVISM, before any board multiplier.
Tiles you need
| Letter | Needed | In the bag |
|---|---|---|
| a | 2 | 9 |
| t | 1 | 6 |
| v | 1 | 2 |
| i | 1 | 9 |
| s | 1 | 4 |
| m | 1 | 2 |
Drawing exactly these 7 tiles as an opening rack: 1 in 514,646.
What does ATAVISM mean in Scrabble?
noun
The return of a trait seen in distant ancestors but absent in recent generations.
In biology, atavism explains why a baby animal might show a feature its parents lack, such as an extra toe. Writers also borrow atavism for a throwback in behaviour or attitude, as if an old instinct had resurfaced. The idea rests on traits skipping several generations.
How ATAVISM is used
Used in biology and, figuratively, for throwback behaviour.
- The horse with faint leg stripes was a case of atavism.
- His sudden rage felt like an atavism from a ruder age.
- Biologists study atavism to learn about evolutionary history.
Written for this site: 1 meaning of ATAVISM and 3 example sentences, not copied from a published dictionary.
Words starting with ATAVISM
1 longer words begin with ATAVISM.
Shorter words from the letters in ATAVISM
Showing 40 of 92. See all in the Word Finder
Common questions about ATAVISM
- Is ATAVISM valid in Words with Friends?
- Yes. Words with Friends accepts ATAVISM, where it scores 14 points. That game keeps its own list, separate from the Scrabble dictionaries.
- How many points is ATAVISM worth?
- ATAVISM is worth 12 points in Scrabble and 14 points in Words with Friends.
- What does ATAVISM mean?
- The return of a trait seen in distant ancestors but absent in recent generations.
- What letters can be added to ATAVISM?
- ATAVISM takes 1 hook: 0 in front and 1 at the end.
Every word you can build from the 7 letters of ATAVISM:
Open ATAVISM in the Word Finder