X-word
noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 The word xenophobia.
"The “X word[”] / Although the conference extensively referred to the nation’s need for “social cohesion” among migrants and South Africans, the word “xenophobia” was almost never uttered during the two-day affair."
- 2 Abbreviation of crossword. abbreviation, alt-of
"After Dieter got up from solving his Stern-Xword puzzle―I was hanging over his shoulders ... in order to fill some ... spaces in the crossword puzzle[.]"
- 3 One of a group of fundamental English auxiliary or modal verb forms.
"To change a statement into a question that can be answered “yes” or “no,” one must place an X-word (one of twenty-three auxiliaries or modals) at the beginning of the sentence."
Example
More examples"The “X word[”] / Although the conference extensively referred to the nation’s need for “social cohesion” among migrants and South Africans, the word “xenophobia” was almost never uttered during the two-day affair."
Etymology
From x, abbreviating xenophobia, + word.
From x- as an abbreviation for cross- in crossword.
From x, abbreviating auxiliary, + word.
Related phrases
More for "x-word"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.