Word.ws English Dictionary

x-words

x-words is the plural of x-word.

Meaning of x-word

Noun (1)

x-word (plural x-words)

  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.2011 July 4, Kathleen Chaykowski, “Avoiding the X word — Jo’burg responds to refugees”, in Mail & Guardian

Noun (2)

x-word (plural x-words)

  1. 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.1969, Jacqueline Griffin, “Remedial Composition at an Open-Door College”, in College Composition and Communication, volume 20, number 5, →JSTOR, page 361

Questions about x-words

What is x-words the plural of?
X-words is the plural of x-word.

Words near x-words in the dictionary

  1. X-trees
  2. X-Verse
  3. x-wing
  4. x-wings
  5. x-word
  6. x-words
  7. X-Y recorder
  8. X-Y recorders
  9. X.
  10. x.m.
  11. X/Windows

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: x-words (page history and authors); x-word (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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Cite this entry: “x-words.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/x-words. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.