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virginia

VIRGINIA meaning: a US state, a climbing vine or a country dance. The eight-letter word scores 12 points and is Collins-only.

Not in NWL Collins Not in ENABLE

Meaning 1 meaning

  1. One of the States of the United States of America. -- a. Of or pertaining to the State of Virginia. Virginia cowslip (Bot.), the American lungwort (Mertensia Virginica). -- Virginia creeper (Bot.), a common ornamental North American woody vine (Ampelopsis quinquefolia), climbing extensively by means of tendrils; -- called also woodbine, and American ivy. [U.S.] -- Virginia fence. See Worm fence, under Fence. -- Virginia nightingale (Zoöl.), the cardinal bird. See under Cardinal. -- Virginia quail (Zoöl.), the bobwhite. -- Virginia reel, an old English contradance; -- so called in the United States. Bartlett. -- Virginia stock. (Bot.) See Mahon stock.

Definitions: Webster's 1913 (public domain)

VIRGINIA is best known as a US state, but the lowercase word also names a plant and a dance. Collins lists it; NWL2023 and ENABLE do not. That split decides if the play stands, far more than the meaning or the score.

VIRGINIA at a glance

  • Eight letters: A, G, I, I, I, N, R and V.
  • Base Scrabble value: 12 points.
  • Accepted in Collins; absent from NWL2023 and ENABLE.
  • No anagrams and no one-letter neighbours.
  • Frequency rank: 2,364, with a count of 11,288.

Is VIRGINIA a valid Scrabble word?

It depends on the dictionary. Collins, the list used in most of the world outside North America, accepts VIRGINIA. NWL2023 and ENABLE, the North American lists, do not list it, which fits a word that usually names a place.

If your game uses NWL2023, leave VIRGINIA on the shelf. A challenge costs you the turn, and the 12 points never land. In casual games, agree on a dictionary before the first tile goes down.

Where do the 12 points come from?

V is worth 4, G is worth 2, and the other six tiles are worth 1 each. That adds to 12: 4 plus 2 plus 6. Three I tiles make it a rack that is easy to jam up, so the word also works as a way to shed duplicates.

It needs eight tiles, so seven come from the rack and at least one from the board. Using all seven rack tiles earns the 50-point bonus. No anagram exists, so the letters offer no second route.

What does VIRGINIA mean in lowercase?

The word has several uses outside the state name. Virginia creeper is a climbing vine with tendrils; a Virginia reel is a country dance; and Virginia quail is another name for the bobwhite. These older senses are why a word list can accept it.

About 2 percent of eight-letter words start with V, so it sits in a thin lane.

Rhymes with virginia

All rhymes
  • PNEUMONIA13
  • SCHIZOPHRENIA32
  • MANIA7
  • INSOMNIA10
  • AMMONIA11
  • MILLENNIA11
  • BRITANNIA11
  • INSIGNIA9
  • HERNIA9
  • EUGENIA8
  • ZIRCONIA19
  • TITANIA7

Questions people ask

Is Virginia a valid Scrabble word?
VIRGINIA is valid in Collins but not in NWL2023 or ENABLE. If your game follows the North American lists, the play will be challenged off the board. Use it only where Collins is the agreed dictionary.
How many points is Virginia worth in Scrabble?
VIRGINIA is worth 12 points before bonus squares. The V scores 4, the G scores 2, and the six remaining tiles, three I tiles plus A, N and R, score 1 each. A double-word square would lift the total to 24.
Does Virginia have anagrams?
No. VIRGINIA has no anagrams in any tournament dictionary, and no word differs from it by one letter. That makes it a single-route play: the only word these eight tiles form is the one itself.

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