An anagram is a word or phrase formed by rearranging the letters of a different word or phrase, typically using all the original letters exactly once. For example, the word anagram itself can be rearranged into the phrase "nag a ram"; which is an Easter egg suggestion in Google after searching for the word "anagram".
The original word or phrase is known as the subject of the anagram. Any word or phrase that exactly reproduces the letters in another order is an anagram. Someone who creates anagrams may be called an "anagrammatist", and the goal of a serious or skilled anagrammatist is to produce anagrams that reflect or comment on their subject.
The word abc in all possible variations with a multiplier of 3.
a b c aa ab ac ba bb
bc ca cb cc aaa aab aac aba
abb abc aca acb acc baa bab bac
bba bbb bbc bca bcb bcc caa cab
cac cba cbb cbc cca ccb ccc
The word abc in all possible variations with a multiplier of 4.
a b c aa ab ac ba bb
bc ca cb cc aaa aab aac aba
abb abc aca acb acc baa bab bac
bba bbb bbc bca bcb bcc caa cab
cac cba cbb cbc cca ccb ccc aaaa
aaab aaac aaba aabb aabc aaca aacb aacc
abaa abab abac abba abbb abbc abca abcb
abcc acaa acab acac acba acbb acbc acca
accb accc baaa baab baac baba babb babc
baca bacb bacc bbaa bbab bbac bbba bbbb
bbbc bbca bbcb bbcc bcaa bcab bcac bcba
bcbb bcbc bcca bccb bccc caaa caab caac
caba cabb cabc caca cacb cacc cbaa cbab
cbac cbba cbbb cbbc cbca cbcb cbcc ccaa
ccab ccac ccba ccbb ccbc ccca cccb cccc
Anagrams may be created as a commentary on the subject. They may be a parody, a criticism or satire. For example:
"New York Times" = "monkeys write""Church of Scientology" = "rich-chosen goofy cult""McDonald's restaurants" = "Uncle Sam's standard rot"
An anagram may also be a synonym of the original word or phrase. For example:
"evil" = "vile""a gentleman" = "elegant man""silent" = "listen""eleven plus two" = "twelve plus one""angered" = "enraged""the eyes" = "they see"
An anagram that has a meaning opposed to that of the original word or phrase is called an "antigram". For example:
"restful" = "fluster""cheater" = "teacher""funeral" = "real fun""adultery" = "true lady""forty five" = "over fifty""Santa" = "Satan"
They can sometimes change from a proper noun or personal name into an appropriate sentence:
"William Shakespeare" = "I am a weakish speller""Madam Curie" = "Radium came""George Bush" = "He bugs Gore""Tom Marvolo Riddle" = "I am Lord Voldemort""Jim Morrison" = "Mr Mojo Risin""The Morse code" = "Here come dots""Anagrams" itself can be anagrammatized as "Ars magna" (Latin, 'the great art').
While anagramming is certainly a recreation first, there are ways in which anagrams are put to use, and these can be more serious, or at least not quite frivolous and formless. For example, psychologists use anagram-oriented tests, often called "anagram solution tasks", to assess the implicit memory of young adults and adults alike.