Definition:
A “palindrome” is a word, phrase, number, or other sequences of characters that reads the same forward and backward (ignoring spaces, punctuation, and capitalization). Palindromes can be simple, single words, or complex, multi-word phrases and sentences.
Etymology:
The term “palindrome” comes from the Greek words “palin,” meaning “again” or “back,” and “dromos,” meaning “running” or “course.” This literally translates to “running back again,” reflecting the reversible nature of palindromic sequences. The term has been in use since the 17th century.
Description:
Palindromes can be single words, phrases or sentences, numbers or stories.
Types of Palindromes:
- Word Palindromes: Single words that read the same forward and backward (e.g., “level,” “radar”).
- Phrase Palindromes: Phrases or sentences that read the same forward and backward, ignoring spaces and punctuation (e.g., “A man, a plan, a canal, Panama!”).
- Number Palindromes: Numbers that read the same forward and backward (e.g., 121, 12321). Can also be dates (e.g., 02/02/2020).
- Complex Palindromes: Longer sequences that maintain the palindromic structure, often used in poetry or puzzles.
Examples of Palindromes:
- 101.
- 121.
- 131.
- 313.
- 333.
- 666.
- 777.
- 999.
- 1221.
- 1441.
- 12321.
- 1234321.
- A man, a plan, a canal, Panama!
- A Santa at NASA.
- A Santa lived as a devil at NASA.
- A Toyota’s a Toyota.
- Able was I ere I saw Elba (“Era” in an archaic word meaning “before”).
- Anna.
- Bob.
- Civic.
- Deified.
- Eva, can I see bees in a cave?
- Eve.
- Go hang a salami, I’m a lasagna hog.
- Hannah.
- Level.
- Madam.
- Madam, in Eden, I’m Adam.
- Mr. Owl ate my metal worm.
- Murder for a jar of red rum.
- Noon.
- Otto.
- Racecar.
- Radar.
- Refer.
- Repaper.
- Rotor.
- Sir, I demand, I am a maid named Iris.
- Was it a car or a cat I saw?