NYT Spelling Bee Answers for May 21, 2019

Spelling Bee "Hive" Board for May 21, 2019

Game Summary

Spelling Bee "Hive" Board for May 21, 2019
Center LetterO
Outer Lettersc, e, h, k, l, m
# of Pangrams1 (Perfect: 1)
Total Words38 words
Total Points104 points
Genius Level73 points
Bingo?Yes

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 May 21, 2019

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>8Σ
C652--13
E1----1
H52-119
K2----2
L6----6
M42---6
O1----1
Σ25921138

Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints

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

C
CE×1
CH×3
CL×2
CO×7
E
EC×1
H
HE×3
HO×6
K
KO×2
L
LO×6
M
ME×1
MO×5
O
OL×1

Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints

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

C
CEL×1
CHE×1
CHO×2
CLO×2
COC×2
COH×1
COK×1
COM×1
COO×2
E
ECH×1
H
HEL×2
HEM×1
HOC×1
HOK×1
HOL×1
HOM×1
HOO×2
K
KOH×1
KOO×1
L
LOC×3
LOL×1
LOO×2
M
MEM×1
MOC×1
MOH×1
MOL×2
MOO×1
O
OLE×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)
ce...CE5A large unfretted stringed instrument of the violin family with four strings tuned (lowest to highest) C-G-D-A and an endpin to support its weight, usually played with a bow.
ch...CH5Clipping of chemotherapy.
ch...CH5Any object used as a wedge or filler, especially when placed behind a wheel to prevent it from rolling.
ch...CH5To be unable to breathe because of obstruction of the windpipe (for instance food or other objects that go down the wrong way, or fumes or particles in the air that cause the throat to constrict).
cl....CL6A glass covering, originally bell-shaped, for garden plants to prevent frost damage and promote early growth.
cl...CL5An instrument that measures or keeps track of time; a non-wearable timepiece.
co..CO4A male bird, especially: A rooster: a male gallinaceous bird, especially a male domestic chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus). A cock pigeon.
co....CO6Any of various edible European bivalve mollusks, of the family Cardiidae, having heart-shaped shells.
co..CO4An anadromus and semelparous salmon, Oncorhynchus kisutch, found in the coastal regions of the northern Pacific Ocean, used as a symbol by several Native American tribes.
co..CO4Solid residue from roasting coal in a coke oven; used principally as a fuel and in the production of steel and formerly as a domestic fuel.
co..CO4To move from further away to nearer to.
co..CO4A person who prepares food.
co..CO4Having a slightly low temperature; mildly or pleasantly cold.
ec..EC4A reflected sound that is heard again by its initial observer.
he......HE8A place of intense hatred, misery, or turmoil.
he...HE5A greeting (salutation) said when meeting someone or acknowledging someone’s arrival or presence.
he..... HE7Any of the poisonous umbelliferous plants, of the genera Conium, either Conium maculatum or Conium chaerophylloides. Cicuta, water hemlock plant.
ho..HO4A Rhenish wine, of a light yellow color, either sparkling or still, from the Hochheim region; often applied to all Rhenish wines.
ho..HO4Alternative form of hook
ho..HO4A hollow place or cavity; an excavation; a pit; a dent; a depression; a fissure.
ho..HO4A dwelling. One’s own dwelling place; the house or structure in which one lives; especially the house in which one lives with one's family; the habitual abode of one’s family; also, one’s birthplace. The place where a person was raised; childhood or parental home; home of one’s parents or guardian. The abiding place of the affections, especially of the domestic affections. A house that has been made home-like, to suit the comfort of those who live there.
ho...HO5Alcoholic liquor, especially inferior or illicit whisky.
ho..HO4A rod bent into a curved shape, typically with one end free and the other end secured to a rope or other attachment.
ko..KO4A dark powder (usually powdered antimony) used as eye makeup, especially in Eastern countries; stibnite.
ko..KO4An eccentric, strange or crazy person.
lo..LO4A lake.
lo..LO4Something used for fastening, which can only be opened with a key or combination.
lo..LO4A direction in written or printed music to be returning to the proper pitch after having played an octave higher or lower.
lo..LO4To act lazily or indolently while reclining; to lean; to lie at ease.
lo..LO4To try to see, to pay attention to with one’s eyes.
lo..LO4A utensil; tool; a weapon; an article in general.
me..ME4A short note; a memorandum.
mo..MO4An imitation, usually of lesser quality.
mo...MO5The person who performs the circumcision in a Jewish bris.
mo..MO4A pigmented spot on the skin, a naevus, slightly raised, and sometimes hairy.
mo..MO4A female companion of a gangster, especially a former or current prostitute.
mo...MO5To wander around aimlessly, often causing irritation to others.
ol..OL4A type of energy-absorbing landing gear strut in which sudden compression or extension of the strut causes a gas-filled chamber to push or pull a piston which forces oil through a small orifice, resulting in absorption of energy through viscous effects.

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.

  • cello  (CE5)
  • chemo  (CH5)
  • chock  (CH5)
  • choke  (CH5)
  • cloche  (CL6)
  • clock  (CL5)
  • cock  (CO4)
  • cockle  (CO6)
  • coho  (CO4)
  • coke  (CO4)
  • come  (CO4)
  • cook  (CO4)
  • cool  (CO4)
  • echo  (EC4)
  • hellhole  (HE8)
  • hello  (HE5)
  • hemlock  (HE7)
  • hock  (HO4)
  • hoke  (HO4)
  • hole  (HO4)
  • home  (HO4)
  • hooch  (HO5)
  • hook  (HO4)
  • kohl  (KO4)
  • kook  (KO4)
  • loch  (LO4)
  • lock  (LO4)
  • loco  (LO4)
  • loll  (LO4)
  • look  (LO4)
  • loom  (LO4)
  • memo  (ME4)
  • mock  (MO4)
  • mohel  (MO5)
  • mole  (MO4)
  • moll  (MO4)
  • mooch  (MO5)
  • oleo  (OL4)

Answer Definitions

  • cello (noun): A large unfretted stringed instrument of the violin family with four strings tuned (lowest to highest) C-G-D-A and an endpin to support its weight, usually played with a bow.
  • chemo (noun): Clipping of chemotherapy.
  • chock (noun): Any object used as a wedge or filler, especially when placed behind a wheel to prevent it from rolling.
  • choke (verb): To be unable to breathe because of obstruction of the windpipe (for instance food or other objects that go down the wrong way, or fumes or particles in the air that cause the throat to constrict).
  • cloche (noun): A glass covering, originally bell-shaped, for garden plants to prevent frost damage and promote early growth.
  • clock (noun): An instrument that measures or keeps track of time; a non-wearable timepiece.
  • cock (noun): A male bird, especially: A rooster: a male gallinaceous bird, especially a male domestic chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus). A cock pigeon.
  • cockle (noun): Any of various edible European bivalve mollusks, of the family Cardiidae, having heart-shaped shells.
  • coho (noun): An anadromus and semelparous salmon, Oncorhynchus kisutch, found in the coastal regions of the northern Pacific Ocean, used as a symbol by several Native American tribes.
  • coke (noun): Solid residue from roasting coal in a coke oven; used principally as a fuel and in the production of steel and formerly as a domestic fuel.
  • come (verb): To move from further away to nearer to.
  • cook (noun): A person who prepares food.
  • cool (adjective): Having a slightly low temperature; mildly or pleasantly cold.
  • echo (noun): A reflected sound that is heard again by its initial observer.
  • hellhole (noun): A place of intense hatred, misery, or turmoil.
  • hello (interjection): A greeting (salutation) said when meeting someone or acknowledging someone’s arrival or presence.
  • hemlock (noun): Any of the poisonous umbelliferous plants, of the genera Conium, either Conium maculatum or Conium chaerophylloides. Cicuta, water hemlock plant.
  • hock (noun): A Rhenish wine, of a light yellow color, either sparkling or still, from the Hochheim region; often applied to all Rhenish wines.
  • hoke (noun): Alternative form of hook
  • hole (noun): A hollow place or cavity; an excavation; a pit; a dent; a depression; a fissure.
  • home (noun): A dwelling. One’s own dwelling place; the house or structure in which one lives; especially the house in which one lives with one's family; the habitual abode of one’s family; also, one’s birthplace. The place where a person was raised; childhood or parental home; home of one’s parents or guardian. The abiding place of the affections, especially of the domestic affections. A house that has been made home-like, to suit the comfort of those who live there.
  • hooch (noun): Alcoholic liquor, especially inferior or illicit whisky.
  • hook (noun): A rod bent into a curved shape, typically with one end free and the other end secured to a rope or other attachment.
  • kohl (noun): A dark powder (usually powdered antimony) used as eye makeup, especially in Eastern countries; stibnite.
  • kook (noun): An eccentric, strange or crazy person.
  • loch (noun): A lake.
  • lock (noun): Something used for fastening, which can only be opened with a key or combination.
  • loco (adverb): A direction in written or printed music to be returning to the proper pitch after having played an octave higher or lower.
  • loll (verb): To act lazily or indolently while reclining; to lean; to lie at ease.
  • look (verb): To try to see, to pay attention to with one’s eyes.
  • loom (noun): A utensil; tool; a weapon; an article in general.
  • memo (noun): A short note; a memorandum.
  • mock (noun): An imitation, usually of lesser quality.
  • mohel (noun): The person who performs the circumcision in a Jewish bris.
  • mole (noun): A pigmented spot on the skin, a naevus, slightly raised, and sometimes hairy.
  • moll (noun): A female companion of a gangster, especially a former or current prostitute.
  • mooch (verb): To wander around aimlessly, often causing irritation to others.
  • oleo (noun): A type of energy-absorbing landing gear strut in which sudden compression or extension of the strut causes a gas-filled chamber to push or pull a piston which forces oil through a small orifice, resulting in absorption of energy through viscous effects.