Inspirated

Few *nix users are aware of existence of one /usr/share/dict/words on their machines. The original purpose of this file was to assist Unix programs in spell-checking. Now that every program that supports typo-prevention includes its own dictionaries, the words file no longer fares as something significant in the geek universe.

Nevertheless, the nifty gem can still serve as a fun place to find or coin new words based on lexicographical constraints. The omnipresent egrep command can be used to exploit the power of regular expressions against the English dictionary. Here’s how:

• Find all words containing 6 or more characters which don’t contain any vowel, dot or dash:

  -bash-$ egrep -i '^[^aeiou.-]{6,}$' /usr/share/dict/words

  -bash-$ egrep -i '^[^aeiou.-]{6,}$' /usr/share/dict/words

  bkbndr
  BSDHyg
  BSFMgt
  BSGMgt
  BSPhTh
  crwths
  crypts
  Cynthy
  Cynwyd
  cywydd
  flybys
  Flysch
  flysch
  ftncmd
  ghylls
  glycyl
  glycyls
  glyphs
  gypsyfy
  gypsyry
  Khlyst
  Khlysts
  Khlysty
  Kylynn
  kyschty
  lymphs
  lymphy
  Lynndyl
  MSGMgt
  mtscmd
  myrrhs
  myrrhy
  Myrvyn
  Myrwyn
  nymphly
  nymphs
  pgnttrp
  Phyllys
  Phylys
  phytyl
  psychs
  pyrryl
  rhythm
  rhythms
  Schwyz
  spryly
  SSTTSS
  stddmp
  strych
  styryl
  sylphs
  sylphy
  symphysy
  synchs
  synths
  syzygy
  thymyl
  trysts
  tsktsk
  tsktsks
  tyddyn
  vyrnwy
  why’ll
  Wrycht
  WWMCCS
  xylyls

• Find all words containing exactly 4 characters which can be spelled in pure Hexspeak, e.g., 0xDEADBEEF or 0xBABEFACE:

  -bash-$ egrep -i '^[abcdef]{4}$' /usr/share/dict/words

  -bash-$ egrep -i '^[abcdef]{4}$' /usr/share/dict/words

  AAAA
  AAEE
  abac
  Abad
  Abba
  abba
  Abbe
  abbe
  abed
  ACAA
  acad
  acca
  acce
  ACDA
  aced
  Adad
  adad
  Adda
  adda
  Adee
  AFCC
  affa
  Baba
  baba
  Babb
  Babe
  babe
  BAcc
  Badb
  bade
  BAEd
  baff
  bead
  Bebe
  Bede
  bede
  Beeb
  beef
  BFDC
  caba
  Cabe
  Caca
  caca
  cace
  CADD
  Cade
  cade
  CAFE
  cafe
  caff
  CDCF
  ceca
  Cece
  cede
  CFCA
  dabb
  Dace
  dace
  Dada
  dada
  Dade
  dade
  daff
  DBAC
  dead
  deaf
  debe
  decd
  deda
  dedd
  Dede
  deed
  Eada
  Eade
  EAFB
  Ebba
  ebcd
  ECAD
  ecad
  Ecca
  ecce
  EDAC
  Edda
  edda
  Edea
  edea
  Edee
  Faba
  Fabe
  FACD
  face
  fade
  faff
  FEAF
  Febe
  feeb
  feed
  feff

• Find all words which contain ‘H’, ‘T’, ‘M’ and ‘L’ in precisely that order:

  egrep -i '^h.*t.*m.*l$' /usr/share/dict/words

  egrep -i '^h.*t.*m.*l$' /usr/share/dict/words

  haemathermal
  haematothermal
  hemathermal
  hematothermal
  hepatoumbilical
  hephthemimeral
  heptametrical
  heteroecismal
  heteromeral
  heterothermal
  hexahydrothymol
  hippotomical
  histochemical
  histomorphological
  homeothermal
  homoiothermal
  homothermal
  hydrothermal
  hygrothermal
  hyperrhythmical
  hypersentimental
  hyperthermal
  hypertridimensional
  hypostomial
  hypothermal
  hysteromaniacal

• Find all words containing ‘s’, ‘e’ and ‘x’ but at least one different character between each of them:

  -bash-$ egrep -i '^.*s[^sex]+e[^sex]+x.*$' /usr/share/dict/words

  -bash-$ egrep -i '^.*s[^sex]+e[^sex]+x.*$' /usr/share/dict/words

  antispermotoxin
  asterixis
  Asteroxylaceae
  Asteroxylon
  Cristineaux
  Erysipelothrix
  erysipelothrix
  Herstmonceux
  Hurstmonceux
  inspectrix
  Issy-les-Molineux
  Lisieux
  mesoappendix
  obstetrix
  pressure-fixing
  proces-verbaux
  salenixon
  salpingemphraxis
  salteaux
  saucebox
  sauceboxes
  sceuophylax
  scleronyxis
  scleroticonyxis
  scleroxanthin
  she-fox
  side-box
  sidebox
  Sideroxylon
  single-tax
  skeptophylaxia
  skeptophylaxis
  slipper-foxed
  smokebox
  sneakbox
  sore-pressedsore-taxed
  sore-taxed
  spectatrix
  speculatrix
  spermatoxin
  spermotoxin
  sphacelotoxin
  sphenomaxillary
  spice-box
  splanchnemphraxis
  splenauxe
  splenotoxin
  state-taxed
  stenothorax
  sternomaxillary
  sternoxiphoid
  stone-axe
  Streptothrix
  subbureaux
  sulfadimethoxine
  superaxillary
  superfix
  superfixes
  superflux
  supergalaxies
  supergalaxy
  superluxurious
  superluxuriously
  superluxuriousness
  supermaxilla
  supermaxillary
  supermixture
  superoxalate
  superoxide
  superoxygenate
  superoxygenated
  superoxygenating
  superoxygenation
  supertax
  supertaxation
  supertaxes
  sweatbox
  sweatboxes
  swine-pox
  swinepox
  swinepoxes
  Thrsieux

Now you can name your start-up company “SupErfiX” and hope that it will someday be acquired by Microsoft.