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memory

/ˈmɛm.ə.ɹi/
noun

Memory meaning: MEMORY is the ability of the brain to record information and recall it; this six-letter word scores 13 points in Scrabble.

NWL Collins ENABLE

Noun 4 meanings

  1. The ability of the brain to record information or impressions with the facility of recalling them later, usually at will.

    “Memory is a facility common to all animals.”

  2. A record of a thing or an event stored and available for later use by an organism.

    “I have no memory of that event.”

  3. The part of a computer that stores variable executable code or data (RAM) or unalterable executable code or default data (ROM).

    “This data passes from the CPU to the memory.”

  4. The time within which past events can be or are remembered.

    “in recent memory”

Definitions: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA) via Kaikki/Wiktextract

Where it comes from

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman memorie, Old French memoire etc.

Similar and opposite words

Similar
recallretentionrecollectioncorepelmanismrememorationreminiscence
Opposite
blank

The word covers more than remembering a name or event. MEMORY can describe information held in the mind, a stored record, computer storage such as RAM or ROM, or the span of time that remains recallable. That range gives the same familiar word several distinct uses, while its doubled M and high-value Y shape its tile score.

MEMORY meaning, score, and word form

  • MEMORY has six letters, with M appearing twice and Y at the end.
  • Each M is worth 3 points; Y is worth 4, while E, O, and R are worth 1 each.
  • Those tile values add to 13 Scrabble points before any board premiums.
  • MEMORY has no anagrams or one-letter neighbours.
  • MEMORY rhymes with STORY, THEORY, and VICTORY; each shares the final -ory sound.

What does memory mean?

In its everyday sense, memory is the mind's ability to take in information and bring it back later. A memory can also mean the record itself: the remembered event, impression, or detail. The distinction is small but useful in writing: you can talk about memory as a capacity, then name one particular memory as something recalled.

Computing gives MEMORY another clear sense. RAM holds working data, while ROM stores fixed instructions; both are called memory even though they serve different roles. Those senses all connect to storage and later access, whether the store is a brain, a computer, or a recollection.

How does the memory meaning connect to its Scrabble score?

At 13 points, MEMORY earns its value through two M tiles and a Y, not a rare letter. The two M tiles contribute 6 points and Y adds 4; the remaining E, O, and R contribute 3. A letter premium under M or Y raises the total, while a word premium multiplies the play's score.

MEMORY has no one-letter neighbours, so swapping one tile does not make another word in its neighbour set. It also has no anagrams, making a full-letter rearrangement a dead end. For a close sound instead, try STORY, HISTORY, or GLORY; each shares MEMORY's -ory ending.

Rhymes with memory

All rhymes

Questions people ask

Is MEMORY a valid Scrabble word?
Yes, MEMORY is accepted in Collins, NWL2023, and ENABLE word lists. It scores 13 points before premiums, with both M tiles worth 3 points each and Y worth 4. Check your game's word list if its dictionary edition differs.
How many anagrams does MEMORY have?
MEMORY has no full-length anagrams in Collins, NWL2023, or ENABLE. Its letters sort to EMMORY, and rearranging all six does not produce another word in those lists. Shorter plays can still use subsets of its letters.
What rhymes with MEMORY?
MEMORY shares the -ory ending with STORY, HISTORY, THEORY, VICTORY, and GLORY. The rhyme group contains 12 words, but STORY and HISTORY are familiar choices. Rhymes share an ending sound; they are not anagrams and do not use MEMORY's exact letters.

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