Eponyms in the Spelling Bee Lexicon

Updated 2025-04-15
The LexiConnexxions topical analysis has identified dozens of eponyms – words derived from names of people (real or fictional), brand names, etc. – in the A-O portion of Spelling Bee lexicon, which comprises 74% of the entire lexicon. This list will continue to grow as the analysis continues and as new words are added to the lexicon.
Words marked with an asterisk have been used in at least one Bee puzzle, then subsequently disallowed; they are retained here for historical interest.
M-W refers to Merriam-Webster (abridged); NOAD refers to the New Oxford American Dictionary. Please review the important note HERE about the use of dictionaries by the Spelling Bee editor.
EPONYMS in the Spelling Bee Lexicon

BEE WORD: Definition from Merriam-Webster
AMAZON: M-W often capitalized: a tall strong often masculine woman, named for the race of female warriors of Greek mythologyAMMONIA: borrowed from New Latin, derivative based on Latin sal ammōniacus "rock salt," literally, "salt of Ammon," from ammōniacus "of Ammon," borrowed from Greek ammōniakós, derivative of Ámmōn, an Egyptian deity …AUTOMAT: M-W capitalizes (NOAD does not) and says “service mark.” Used for a cafeteria in which food is obtained especially from vending machinesAXEL: often capitalized: a jump in figure skating named for Axel Paulsen, Norwegian figure skaterBACCHANAL: drunken revelry or excessive indulgence; also, a devotee of Bacchus; also, of, relating to, or suggestive of the Bacchanalia; named for Bacchus, the Greek god of wineBACCHANALIA: drunken revelry or excessive indulgence; also, a devotee of Bacchus; also, of, relating to, or suggestive of the Bacchanalia; named for Bacchus, the Greek god of wineBACCHANALIAN: related to, or suggestive of, drunken revelry or excessive indulgence; also, a devotee of Bacchus; also, of, relating to, or suggestive of the Bacchanalia; named for Bacchus, the Greek god of wineBACCHIC: of, relating to, or suggestive of Bacchus or the Bacchanalia: bacchanalian; named for Bacchus, the Greek god of wineBAGGIE: a usually small, clear plastic bag; M-W does not give word origin; Collins says from “Baggies, a trademark for such bags”BAUD: a variable unit of data transmission speed (such as one bit per second); from baud (telegraphic transmission speed unit), from J. M. E. Baudot †1903 French inventorBIDDY*: a hired girl or cleaning woman; or usually disparaging: woman, especially: an elderly woman; diminutive of the name Bridget [probably an Irish servant]BLIMP: a pompous person with out-of-date or ultraconservative views, from Colonel Blimp, a cartoon character created by David LowBOYCOTT: to engage in a concerted refusal to have dealings with (a person, a store, an organization, etc.) usually to express disapproval or to force acceptance of certain conditions; from Charles C. Boycott †1897 English land agent in Ireland who was ostracized for refusing to reduce rentsBOYCOTTED: to engage in a concerted refusal to have dealings with (a person, a store, an organization, etc.) usually to express disapproval or to force acceptance of certain conditions; from Charles C. Boycott †1897 English land agent in Ireland who was ostracized for refusing to reduce rentsBRAINIAC: a very intelligent person, probably from Brainiac, superintelligent villain in the Superman comic-book seriesBRUIN: a bear, any of a family (Ursidae of the order Carnivora). From Middle Dutch, the name of the bear in Reynard the Fox.BUBBA: M-W’s only definition capitalizes (NOAD does not) and labels "informal, often disparaging; from Bubba, a stereotypical nickname of Southern white males. NOAD’s 1st def.: “Used as an affectionate form of address to a brother” (2d is the disparaging term)CAMELLIA: any of a genus (Camellia) of shrubs or trees of the tea family, esp. an ornamental greenhouse shrub (C. japonica) with glossy leaves and roselike flowers from New Latin Camellia, from Camellus (Georg Josef Kamel †1706 Moravian Jesuit missionary)CANNIBAL: one that eats the flesh of its own kind; from Spanish Caníbal … akin to Carib, a member of an Indian people of northern South America and the Lesser AntillesCANOLA: Canola was originally a trademark name of the Rapeseed Association of Canada, and the name was a condensation of "Can" from Canada and "OLA" meaning "Oil, low acid" but is now a generic term for edible varieties of rapeseed oil in North America and Australasia.CAPLET: a capsule-shaped medicinal tablet NOTE: The name Caplets was formerly a U.S. registered trademark.CARDIGAN: a usually collarless sweater or jacket that opens the full length of the center front, named for James Thomas Brudenell, 7th Earl of Cardigan †1868 English soldier; during the Crimean War his Light Brigade was dressed in a close-fitting, knitted jacket.CARPACCIO: thinly sliced raw meat or fish served with a sauce; named for Vittore Carpaccio; from the prominent use of red in his paintingCLEMENTINE: a small nearly seedless citrus fruit that is probably a hybrid between a tangerine and an orange, from French clementine, probably from Clément Rodier, French priest who discovered the hybrid circa 1902COLA: a carbonated soft drink colored usually with caramel and flavored usually with extracts from kola nuts, from Coca-Cola, a trademarkCOLON: M-W’s entry is for colón: variants or less commonly colone: the basic monetary unit of El Salvador until 2001; also, the basic monetary unit of Costa Rica; from Spanish colón, from Cristóbal Colón Christopher ColumbusCUPID: a figure that represents Cupid as a naked usually winged boy often holding a bow and arrow; from Cupid, the Roman god of erotic loveCURIUM: a metallic radioactive chemical element that is only produced artificially; New Latin, from Marie & Pierre CurieDAHLIA: any of a genus (Dahlia) of American tuberous-rooted composite herbs having opposite pinnate leaves and rayed flower heads and including many that are cultivated as ornamentals; genus name, from Anders Dahl †1789 Swedish botanistDAPHNE: any of a genus (Daphne) of Eurasian shrubs of the mezereon family with apetalous flowers whose colored calyx resembles a corolla. Leaves resemble laurel. Named for Daphne, a nymph in Greek mythology who is transformed into a laurel tree to escape the pursuing ApolloDOILY: a small napkin or a small often decorative mat, named for Doily or Doyley flourished 1711 a London draperDOLL: a small-scale figure of a human being used especially as a child's plaything; also, a pretty but often empty-headed young woman; a woman; darling, sweetheart; an attractive person, probably from Doll, nickname for DorothyDRACONIC: variation of draconian: of, relating to, or characteristic of Draco or the severe code of laws held to have been framed by him; from Latin Dracon-, Draco, from Greek Drakōn Draco (Athenian lawgiver)DUNCE: a slow-witted or stupid person; from John Duns Scotus, whose once-accepted writings were ridiculed in the 16th centuryFAIRY: a mythical being of folklore and romance usually having diminutive human form and magic powers; Middle English fairie fairyland, enchantment, from Anglo-French faerie, from fee fairy, from Latin Fata, goddess of fate, from fatum fateFARAD: the unit of capacitance equal to the capacitance of a capacitor between whose plates there appears a potential of one volt when it is charged by one coulomb of electricity, named for Michael FaradayFAUN: a figure in Roman mythology similar to but gentler than the satyr; from Faunus, “the rustic god of the forest, plains and fields”FAUNA: animal life, especially: the animals characteristic of a region, period, or special environment; from Latin Fauna, sister of FaunusFAUNAE: plural of fauna: animal life, especially: the animals characteristic of a region, period, or special environment; from Latin Fauna, sister of FaunusFAUNAL: related to fauna: animal life, especially: the animals characteristic of a region, period, or special environment; from Latin Fauna, sister of FaunusFLORA: a treatise on or list of the plants of an area or period; or plant, bacterial, or fungal life, especially: such life characteristic of a region, period, or special environment; from Latin Flōra, the goddess of flowers and the flowering seasonFLORAL: of or relating to a flora; or of, relating to, or depicting flowers; or a design or picture in which flowers predominate; from Flōra "the goddess Flora"GAGE: greengage, any of several rather small rounded greenish or greenish-yellow cultivated plums, named for Sir William Gage †1820 English botanistGANACHE: a sweet creamy chocolate mixture used especially as a filling or frosting, probably named for a bonbon manufactured by the Parisian confectioner Siraudin (probably from Les Ganaches, a play by Victorien Sardou first performed in October, 1862)GARGANTUAN: tremendous in size, volume, or degree: gigantic, colossal; named for Gargantua, a giant king in François Rabelais's 16th-century satiric novel GargantuaGEEZ: less common spelling of jeez; used as a mild oath or introductory expletive (as to express surprise); euphemism for JesusGIGAWATT: a unit of power equal to one billion watts (from James Watt †1819)GILL: a girl, sweetheart [soft g] Middle English, from Gill, nickname for GillianGOLLY: used as a mild oath or to express surprise; euphemism for GodGOOGLE: to use the Google search engine, from Google, trademark for a search engineGOOGLED: to use the Google search engine, from Google, trademark for a search engineGOOGLING: to use the Google search engine, from Google, trademark for a search engineGORGON: an ugly or repulsive woman, named for Gorgon (capitalized), any of three snake-haired sisters in Greek mythology whose appearance turns the beholder to stoneGORILLA: a very large typically black-colored anthropoid ape (Gorilla gorilla) of equatorial Africa … or an ugly or brutal man; from Greek Gorillai, plural, a tribe of hairy women mentioned in an account of a voyage around AfricaGRAY: the metre-kilogram-second unit of absorbed dose of ionizing radiation equal to an energy of one joule per kilogram of irradiated material —abbreviation Gy, from Louis H. Gray †1965 British radiobiologistGRINCH: a grumpy person who spoils the pleasure of others; a killjoy, a spoilsport; from the Grinch, character in the children's story How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1957) by Dr. Seuss (Theodor Geisel)GROG: alcoholic liquor, especially: liquor (such as rum) cut with water and now often served hot with lemon juice and sugar sometimes added, named for Old Grog, nickname of Edward Vernon †1757 English admiral responsible for diluting the sailors' rumGROGGILY: weak and unsteady on the feet or in action, from grog, named for Old Grog, nickname of Edward Vernon †1757 English admiral responsible for diluting the sailors' rumGROGGY: weak and unsteady on the feet or in action, from grog, named for Old Grog, nickname of Edward Vernon †1757 English admiral responsible for diluting the sailors' rumGUNK: filthy, sticky, or greasy matter, from Gunk, trademark for a cleaning solventGUPPY: a small bony fish (Poecilia reticulata of the family Poeciliidae) especially of Barbados, Trinidad, and Venezuela that is a live-bearer and is often kept as an aquarium fish, named for R. J. L. Guppy †1916 Trinidadian naturalistHARPY: a predatory person: leech; also, a shrewish woman, from Latin Harpyia, from Greek, a foul malign creature in Greek mythology that is part woman and part bird [the creature is always capitalized]HICK: an unsophisticated provincial person, from Hick, nickname for RichardHILLBILLY: often disparaging + offensive: a person from a backwoods area; from hill + Billy, nickname for WilliamJAKE: a sexually immature male wild turkey under two years old; probably from Jake, nickname for JacobJANITOR: one who keeps the premises of a building (such as an apartment or office) clean, tends the heating system, and makes minor repairs; also, a doorkeeper; from Janus, gate, from a Roman god that is identified with doors, gates, and all beginnings and that is depicted with two opposite facesJENNY: a young female turkey, or any female bird, especially a wren; also, a female donkey; all from the name Jenny also, an early multiple-spindle machine for spinning wool or cotton, from Jenny, nickname for Jane; from the name Jenny [Jenny Wren, Dickens, Our Mutual Friend]JULIENNE: a consommé containing vegetables cut into thin strips; or the thin strips, or the process of slicing them; from French, short for potage à la julienne, probably from Julienne woman's nameKOLA: variant spelling of cola, a carbonated soft drink colored usually with caramel and flavored usually with extracts from kola nuts, from Coca-Cola, a trademarkLULU: slang: one that is remarkable or wonderful; probably from Lulu, nickname from LouiseLYNCH: to put to death (as by hanging) by mob action without legal approval or permission, from lynch law (the punishment of presumed crimes or offenses usually by death without due process of law), probably after Charles Lynch †1796 Virginia planter and justice of the peaceMACADAM: macadamized roadway or pavement especially with a bituminous binder; named for John Loudon McAdam †1836 Scottish civil engineer who introduced this method of road constructionMACADAMIA: M-W’s entry is for macadamia nut, a hard-shelled nut of an Australian evergreen tree (genus Macadamia, especially M. integrifolia or M. tetraphylla) of the protea family that somewhat resembles the filbert and is cultivated extensively in Hawaii; called also macadamia; borrowed from New Latin Macadamia, genus name, from John Macadam †1865 Scottish-born Australian chemistMACK*: variant spelling of mac: British mackintosh, a raincoat, named for Charles Macintosh †1843 Scottish chemist & inventorMALAPROP: an example of malapropism (the usually unintentionally humorous misuse or distortion of a word or phrase, especially: the use of a word sounding somewhat like the one intended but ludicrously wrong in the context or using or marked by the use of malapropisms); from Mrs. Malaprop in Richard Brinsley Sheridan's 1775 play The Rivals. Mrs. Malaprop frequently misspeaks (to comic effect) by using words which do not have the meaning that she intends but which sound similar to words that do.MARGARITA: a cocktail consisting of tequila, lime or lemon juice, and an orange-flavored liqueur, from the Spanish feminine name MargaritaMARTIAL: of, relating to, or suited for war or a warrior; relating to an army or to military life; experienced in or inclined to war; warlike; from Mars, the god of warMARTIALLY: of, relating to, or suited for war or a warrior; relating to an army or to military life; experienced in or inclined to war; warlike; from Mars, the god of warMARTIAN: of or relating to the planet Mars or its hypothetical inhabitants; from Mars, the god of warMARTIN: a small Eurasian bird (Delichon urbica) of the swallow family with a forked tail, bluish-black head and back, and white rump and underparts; also, any of various birds (especially genus Progne) of the swallow family other than the Eurasian martin, probably from St. MartinMARTINI: a cocktail made of gin and dry vermouth, probably alteration of Martinez (cocktail), from the name MartinezMATINEE: a musical or dramatic performance or social or public event held in the daytime and especially the afternoon; French matinée, literally, morning, from Old French, from matin morning, from Latin matutinum, from neuter of matutinus of the morning, from Matuta, goddess of morningMEGOHM*: one million ohms (an ohm is the practical meter-kilogram-second unit of electric resistance equal to the resistance of a circuit in which a potential difference of one volt produces a current of one ampere, named for Georg Simon Ohm)MENTEE: one who is being mentored: a protégé (Mentor + -EE) derived from the name of Mentor, a friend of Odysseus entrusted with the education of Odysseus' son TelemachusMICK*: often capitalized, often disparaging + offensive: An Irishman; from Mick, nickname for Michael, common Irish given nameMIMEO: a mimeographed publication; from mimeograph, a duplicator for making many copies that utilizes a stencil through which ink is pressed; also, a verb, to mimeograph; from Mimeograph, a trademarkMINT: a place where coins, medals, or tokens are made; also, to make (coins or money) out of metal: to coin; Middle English mynt coin, money, from Old English mynet, from Latin moneta mint, coin, from Moneta, epithet of Juno; from the fact that the Romans coined money in the temple of Juno MonetaMINTED: a place where coins, medals, or tokens are made; also, to make (coins or money) out of metal: to coin; Middle English mynt coin, money, from Old English mynet, from Latin moneta mint, coin, from Moneta, epithet of Juno; from the fact that the Romans coined money in the temple of Juno MonetaMINTING: a place where coins, medals, or tokens are made; also, to make (coins or money) out of metal: to coin; Middle English mynt coin, money, from Old English mynet, from Latin moneta mint, coin, from Moneta, epithet of Juno; from the fact that the Romans coined money in the temple of Juno MonetaMOHAWK: Mohawk, or less commonly mohawk: a hairstyle with a narrow center strip of usually upright hair and the sides of the head shaved; named for the Indigenous people originally of the Mohawk River valley in New YorkMOLL: a darling, sweetheart; also, a gangster's girlfriend; probably from Moll, nickname for MaryMOLLY: any of various small, often brightly colored tropical fish (genus Poecilia) that are live-bearers found in fresh, brackish, or salt water and include several that are highly valued as aquarium fishes; by shortening from New Latin Mollienisia, former genus name, from Comte François N. Mollien †1850 French statesmanMOLLYCODDLE: to treat with an excessive or absurd degree of indulgence and attention; from Molly, nickname for Mary + coddleMOLLYCODDLED: to treat with an excessive or absurd degree of indulgence and attention; from Molly, nickname for Mary + coddleMONDO: very large or great in amount or number; extremely; from reanalysis of mondo in title of the American film Mondo Bizarro (1966), after the Italian film Mondo cane (1962)MONITOR: a heavily armored warship formerly used in coastal operations having a very low freeboard and one or more revolving gun turrets (named for the Monitor, first ship of the type); also, a small modern warship with shallow draft for coastal bombardmentMOXIE: energy, pep (woke up full of moxie); courage, determination (it takes … moxie to take courageous action); know-how (was impressed with his musical moxie); from Moxie, a trademark for a soft drinkMUNCHKIN: a person who is notably small and often endearing, the Munchkins, diminutive creatures in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) by L. Frank BaumNACHO: a tortilla chip topped with melted cheese and often additional savory toppings (such as hot peppers or refried beans), probably borrowed from Spanish Nacho, hypocoristic form of the personal name Ignacio; the dish may have been devised in 1940 by Ignacio "Nacho" Anaya García (1895-1975), a waiter … at a restaurant in Piedras Negras, Mexico.NAPOLEON: a former French 20-franc gold coin; also, an oblong pastry with a filling of cream, custard, or jelly, from French napoléon, from Napoléon, Napoleon INEWTON: the unit of force in the meter-kilogram-second system equal to the force required to impart an acceleration of one meter per second per second to a mass of one kilogram, named for Sir Isaac NewtonOLLIE: a maneuver in skateboarding in which the skater kicks the tail of the board down while jumping in order to make the board pop into the air, or a maneuver in snowboarding in which the rider transfers weight from the front to the back foot to snap the board up off the ground; also, to execute an ollie, from Ollie, nickname of Alan Gelfand born 1963 U.S. skateboarderORGANZA: a sheer dress fabric (as of silk or nylon) resembling organdy (a very fine transparent muslin with a stiff finish); probably alteration of Lorganza, a trademarkOTTOMAN: an upholstered often overstuffed seat or couch usually without a back; also, an overstuffed footstool; also, a heavy clothing fabric characterized by pronounced crosswise ribs; from French, probably from Italian ottomano, from Arabic ʽothmānī, from ʽOthmān Osman I, founder of the Ottoman Empire [analysis P-Z is continuing] YENTA or YENTE: M-W has yenta, one that meddles. From Yente Telebende, the character of a gossiping, henpecking wife in a 1920s-1930s comic series.
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