Hard-to-find words

This page lists words which might appear to be invalid but actually are valid. It is, of course, not exhaustive.

Word(s)	Details
AEOLIC, EOLIC	Headwords are capitalised, but definition 2 of the adjective says "usually with lower-case initial".
AMBERS	Searching directs to AMBER (mass noun), but it is not a mass noun under AMBEER.
AWENDA, AWENDAS, AWENDAW, AWENDAWS, OWENDAW, OWENDAWS	Headwords are capitalised, but definition says "also with lower-case initial".
BRICKWALL, BRICKWALLS	Headword is two words, but definition 1 says "often written as one word".
BUCKSHEES	Searching does not direct, but BUCKSHEE is listed as a noun under BAKHSHI.
DADDED, DADDING	Searching does not direct, but DAD is listed as a verb under the second entry for DAUD.
DOUGLAS	Searching directs to Douglas (capitalised). However, searching for the singular directs to DOUGLA, which can be pluralised.
EMPED, EMPING, EMPS, ENT, ENTED, ENTING, HEMPED, HEMPING	Searching does not direct, but EMP, ENT and HEMP are listed as verbs under EMPT.
FARSER, FARSEST	Searching does not direct, but FARSE is an alternative spelling of definition 7 of the adjective FAST.
FINELINER, FINELINERS	Headword is two words, but definition 2 says "often as one word". [1]
GINNELLED, GINNELLING	Searching does not direct, but GINNEL is listed as a verb under the second entry for GINNLE.
GOAFED	Searching does not direct, but GOAF is listed as a verb under GOAVE.
HEADCAP, HEADCAPS	Headword is two words, but definition 3 says "usually as one word". [2]
HYDROGENSULPHATE, HYDROGENSULPHATES	Headword is two words, but definition says "frequently as one word".
ISCHIA	Searching directs to Ischia (capitalised), but it is uncapitalised as the plural of ISCHIUM.
JIMMY	Searching directs to Jimmy (capitalised), but it is uncapitalised as an alternative spelling of JEMMY.
KINGSMAN, KINGSMEN	Headword is two words, but definition 5 and 6 say "usually as one word". [3]
LAGOBIS, LAGOBISES	Searching does not direct, but it can be found in bold under the adjective LEGGO. LAGOBISES is disputed, as LAGOBIS is listed under the adjective, but the definition (an animal that has got loose or gone wild; a person likened to this) implies it could be a noun.
LAGOS	Searching directs to Lagos (capitalised), but LAGO is listed under LEGGO, which can be pluralised.
LEGO, LEGOS	Searching directs to Lego (capitalised), but it is uncapitalised under LEGGO.
LAUGHTON, LAUGHTONS, LOGHTAN, LOGHTANS	Searching for LAUGHTON directs to Charles Laughton, and searching for LOGHTAN directs to Manx Loghtan. However, both are listed under the entry for LOAGHTAN (LOGHTAN can only be found in the ODP).
MAUGERS, MAUGERED, MAUGERING	Searching does not direct, but MAUGER it is listed as a verb under the second entry for MAUGRE.
MEDALISE, MEDALLISE	Searching does not direct to medallize unless MEDALIZE or MEDALLIZE are searched instead. MEDALISE and MEDALLISE have to be allowed on Countdown as per rule that says -ISE variant spellings of verbs ending in -IZE need not be specified.
MILLERED	Searching does not direct, but MILLER is listed as a verb under the second entry for MELLER.
MOULES	Searching directs to MOULES MARINIÈRE. However, searching for the singular directs to MOULE, which can be pluralised.
MUNSTER, MUNSTERS	Searching directs to Munster (capitalised), but it is uncapitalised under MUENSTER.
NIBBING	Searching does not direct, but NIB is listed as a verb under NEEB.
NIMBY, NIMBIES	Searching directs to Nimby (capitalised), but it is uncapitalised under NEMBIE.
OBO, OBOS	Searching directs to OBO (abbreviation), but it is listed as a noun under OBBO.
ORARIAN	Headword is capitalised, but definition says "chiefly with lower-case initial".
OUVERTE	Searching directs to MISÈRE OUVERTE, but it is listed under OUVERT.
PATAGON, PATAGONS	Searching directs to Patagon (capitalised), but it is uncapitalised under PATACON.
PENITENTE, PENITENTES	Headword is capitalised, but definition 2 says "with lower-case initial". [4]
PETRAEAN	Searching directs to Petraean (capitalised), but it is uncapitalised under PETREAN.
PETTIES	Searching does not direct, but PETTY is listed as a noun under PETTI.
PHOTURIS	Capitalised, but also listed in bold without an initial capital letter in the definition.
POULTED, POULTING	Searching does not direct, but POULT is listed as a verb under the second entry for POLT.
QUARKED, QUARKING, QUORKED, QUORKING, QUORKS, QUOUKED, QUOUKING, QUOUKS	Searching does not direct, but QUARK, QUORK and QUOUK are listed as verbs under the second entry for QUAWK.
RAVELING, RAVELINGS	Searching for RAVELING directs to RAVEL, where RAVELING is listed as a US spelling, and searching for RAVELINGS directs to RAVELLING. However, RAVELING can be found as a noun under RABBLING.
ROMANITE, ROMANITES	Searching directs to Romanite (capitalised), but it is uncapitalised under RUMANITE.
SPRANGS	Searching does not direct, but SPRANG is listed as a noun under SPRONG.
TESTUDINES	Searching directs to Testudines (capitalised), but it is uncapitalised under TESTUDO.
WATERHEAD, WATERHEADS	Headword is two words, but definition 1 says "now chiefly in as one word".
WATERSTOP, WATERSTOPS	Headword is two words, but definition 1 says "usually as one word".
WEBFOOT, WEBFEET	Headword is two words, but definition 2 and 3 say "chiefly as one word".
ZEMIROT, ZMIROT	Searching does not direct to ZEMIRAH, where the plural is specified (in bold, in Oxford Dictionaries Premium) in the definition. ZMIRAH can only be found in Premium, and the logical plural of that spelling is assumed ZMIROT (similarly, HEDERS and HEDARIM are assumed the plurals of HEDER because of CHEDER taking CHEDERS and CHEDARIM).