Showing definitions for ambigram

ambigram

American

[am-bi-gram] / ˈæm bɪ græm /

noun

a representation, typically of a word or number, that when viewed upside down or in mirror image forms the same word or number, or a different word or number, either coincidentally due to the natural form of the characters, as with “swims” or “dollop,” or intentionally, using calligraphy or graphic design.

Etymology

Origin of ambigram

ambi- ( def. ) + -gram ¹ ( def. ); coined by U.S. cognitive scientist and physicist Douglas R. Hofstadter (born 1945) in his anthology Metamagical Themas (1985)

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Since he hit on the ambigram idea as a teenager, he has made thousands.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 21, 2025

The date is also interesting because depending on the way its written, it may form a palindrome, or even an ambigram.

From Fox News • Feb. 22, 2022

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023