NYT Spelling Bee Answers for December 13, 2018

Spelling Bee "Hive" Board for December 13, 2018

Game Summary

Spelling Bee "Hive" Board for December 13, 2018
Center LetterP
Outer Lettersa, c, i, l, n, r
# of Pangrams1 (Perfect: none)
Total Words31 words
Total Points139 points
Genius Level97 points
Bingo?No

Table of Contents

As you scroll down this page, the clues get progressively more revealing. So scroll slowly!

  1. Spelling Bee Grid
  2. Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
  3. Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
  4. Extra Letter Hints (Incrementally Revealing) 🤯
  5. Today's Complete Solution
  6. Answer Definitions

If you're just here for a list of NYT Spelling Bee answers, Jump down to the answers ↓ (Spoiler Alert!).

Spelling Bee "Hive" Board for December 13, 2018

Spelling Bee Grid

The following table shows the standard Spelling Bee summary grid, which lists word lengths across the top and letters down the left-hand side. The cell where the word lengths and letters intersect displays the number of words in today's puzzle with the corresponding first letter and word length.

4</th><th>5</th><th>6</th><th>7</th><th>8</th><th>9Σ
A-13---4
C411---6
I-------
L-------
N-------
P83411219
R--1-1-2
Σ125912231

Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints

The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.

A
AL×1
AP×3
C
CA×3
CL×2
CR×1
I
L
N
P
PA×9
PI×4
PL×5
PR×1
R
RA×1
RI×1

Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints

The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.

A
ALP×1
API×2
APP×1
C
CAR×3
CLA×1
CLI×1
CRA×1
I
L
N
P
PAI×3
PAL×1
PAN×2
PAP×3
PIC×2
PIL×2
PLA×5
PRI×1
R
RAP×1
RIP×1

Extra Letter Hints (Incrementally Revealing)

The table below lists all of the solutions to today's puzzle, but they're concealed. You can click the plus button (+) to reveal additional letters, one-by-one.

Concealed definitions are provided as additional clues. You can toggle concealment of the definitions by clicking on the concealer bar or the text that appears when the definition is visible.

Pangrams are marked with a dagger symbol ().

Word2L RefDefinition (click to reveal)
al....AL6A sheep-like animal of the Andes, Vicugna pacos, in the camel family, closely related to the llama, guanaco, and vicuña.
ap...AP5Relating to bees.
ap....AP6Of or connected with the apex.
ap....AP6To fill with horror; to dismay.
ca..CA4Any of various freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae, especially the common carp, Cyprinus carpio.
ca....CA6Any of the eight bones of the wrist (carpus).
ca...CA5plural of carpus
cl..CL4The act of striking the palms of the hands, or any two surfaces, together.
cl..CL4To grip tightly.
cr..CR4The husk of grain; chaff.
pa..PA4A vessel of wood, tin, plastic, etc., usually cylindrical and having a handle -- used especially for carrying liquids, for example water or milk; a bucket (sometimes with a cover).
pa..PA4An ache or bodily suffering, or an instance of this; an unpleasant sensation, resulting from a derangement of functions, disease, or injury by violence; hurt.
pa..PA4Two similar or identical things taken together; often followed by of.
pa..PA4Senses relating to cloth. Fine cloth, especially purple cloth used for robes. A heavy cloth laid over a coffin or tomb; a shroud laid over a corpse. A piece of cardboard, covered with linen and embroidered on one side, used to cover the chalice during the Eucharist. A cloth used for various purposes on the altar in a church, such as a corporal (“cloth on which elements of the Eucharist are placed”) or frontal (“drapery covering the front of an altar”).
pa...PA5Alternative letter-case form of Panic (“pertaining to the Greek god Pan”)
pa....PA6A type of grilled sandwich made of a small loaf of bread, cut horizontally, filled with meat such as salami or ham, cheese or other food.
pa..PA4Dad, daddy, father; a familiar or old-fashioned term of address to one’s father.
pa...PA5Having to do with the pope or the papacy.
pa.....PA7A nipple-like protuberance on a part or organ of the body. A vascular process of connective tissue extending into and nourishing the root of a hair, feather, or developing tooth. Any of the vascular protuberances of the dermal layer of the skin extending into the epidermal layer and often containing tactile corpuscles. Any of the small protuberances on the upper surface of the tongue often containing taste buds.
pi..PI4A disorder characterized by appetite and craving for non-edible substances, such as chalk, clay, dirt, ice, or sand.
pi....PI6An informal social gathering, usually in a natural outdoor setting, to which the participants bring their own food and drink.
pi..PI4A small, usually round or cylindrical object designed for easy swallowing, usually containing some sort of medication.
pi....PI6A large post, often used as supporting architecture.
pl...PL5Flat, level.
pl..PL4A drawing showing technical details of a building, machine, etc., with unwanted details omitted, and often using symbols rather than detailed drawing to represent doors, valves, etc.
pl....PL6Of or pertaining to a plane.
pl......PL8plural of planarium
pl.......PL9Any of various flatworms of the order Tricladida living in marine, freshwater, or terrestrial environments.
pr....... PR9Primary; most important; first level in importance.
ra....RA6A vegetable native to China, Brassica rapa subsp. ruvo, with green spiky leaves and a bitter taste.
ri......RI8Of or relating to the bank of a river or stream.

Today's Complete Solution

The words that follow are a complete listing of all acceptable words in today's New York Time Spelling Bee puzzle.

Next to the answer word you'll see the two-letter reference (2L Ref) in parentheses. We added that 2L Ref for easier translation of the spoiler-avoidant language you see on the Spelling Bee Forum and Twitter. The 2L Ref signifies a word's two start letters followed by the total number of letters in the word.

  • alpaca  (AL6)
  • apian  (AP5)
  • apical  (AP6)
  • appall  (AP6)
  • carp  (CA4)
  • carpal  (CA6)
  • carpi  (CA5)
  • clap  (CL4)
  • clip  (CL4)
  • crap  (CR4)
  • pail  (PA4)
  • pain  (PA4)
  • pair  (PA4)
  • pall  (PA4)
  • panic  (PA5)
  • panini  (PA6)
  • papa  (PA4)
  • papal  (PA5)
  • papilla  (PA7)
  • pica  (PI4)
  • picnic  (PI6)
  • pill  (PI4)
  • pillar  (PI6)
  • plain  (PL5)
  • plan  (PL4)
  • planar  (PL6)
  • planaria  (PL8)
  • planarian  (PL9)
  • principal  (PR9)
  • rapini  (RA6)
  • riparian  (RI8)

Answer Definitions

  • alpaca (noun): A sheep-like animal of the Andes, Vicugna pacos, in the camel family, closely related to the llama, guanaco, and vicuña.
  • apian (adjective): Relating to bees.
  • apical (adjective): Of or connected with the apex.
  • appall (verb): To fill with horror; to dismay.
  • carp (noun): Any of various freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae, especially the common carp, Cyprinus carpio.
  • carpal (noun): Any of the eight bones of the wrist (carpus).
  • carpi (noun): plural of carpus
  • clap (noun): The act of striking the palms of the hands, or any two surfaces, together.
  • clip (verb): To grip tightly.
  • crap (noun): The husk of grain; chaff.
  • pail (noun): A vessel of wood, tin, plastic, etc., usually cylindrical and having a handle -- used especially for carrying liquids, for example water or milk; a bucket (sometimes with a cover).
  • pain (noun): An ache or bodily suffering, or an instance of this; an unpleasant sensation, resulting from a derangement of functions, disease, or injury by violence; hurt.
  • pair (noun): Two similar or identical things taken together; often followed by of.
  • pall (noun): Senses relating to cloth. Fine cloth, especially purple cloth used for robes. A heavy cloth laid over a coffin or tomb; a shroud laid over a corpse. A piece of cardboard, covered with linen and embroidered on one side, used to cover the chalice during the Eucharist. A cloth used for various purposes on the altar in a church, such as a corporal (“cloth on which elements of the Eucharist are placed”) or frontal (“drapery covering the front of an altar”).
  • panic (adjective): Alternative letter-case form of Panic (“pertaining to the Greek god Pan”)
  • panini (noun): A type of grilled sandwich made of a small loaf of bread, cut horizontally, filled with meat such as salami or ham, cheese or other food.
  • papa (noun): Dad, daddy, father; a familiar or old-fashioned term of address to one’s father.
  • papal (adjective): Having to do with the pope or the papacy.
  • papilla (noun): A nipple-like protuberance on a part or organ of the body. A vascular process of connective tissue extending into and nourishing the root of a hair, feather, or developing tooth. Any of the vascular protuberances of the dermal layer of the skin extending into the epidermal layer and often containing tactile corpuscles. Any of the small protuberances on the upper surface of the tongue often containing taste buds.
  • pica (noun): A disorder characterized by appetite and craving for non-edible substances, such as chalk, clay, dirt, ice, or sand.
  • picnic (noun): An informal social gathering, usually in a natural outdoor setting, to which the participants bring their own food and drink.
  • pill (noun): A small, usually round or cylindrical object designed for easy swallowing, usually containing some sort of medication.
  • pillar (noun): A large post, often used as supporting architecture.
  • plain (adjective): Flat, level.
  • plan (noun): A drawing showing technical details of a building, machine, etc., with unwanted details omitted, and often using symbols rather than detailed drawing to represent doors, valves, etc.
  • planar (adjective): Of or pertaining to a plane.
  • planaria (noun): plural of planarium
  • planarian (noun): Any of various flatworms of the order Tricladida living in marine, freshwater, or terrestrial environments.
  • principal (adjective): Primary; most important; first level in importance.
  • rapini (noun): A vegetable native to China, Brassica rapa subsp. ruvo, with green spiky leaves and a bitter taste.
  • riparian (adjective): Of or relating to the bank of a river or stream.