def exists?(word, options=nil)
      options = options || @options

      return false unless word.is_a?(String)

      word = word.dup
      word.strip! if options[:strip_whitespace]

      return false if word.empty?

      if block? word
        return false if options[:single_word_mode]
        return block_exists? word
      end
      
      return true if options[:ignore_numeric] && number?(word)
      return false if options[:exclude_alphabet] && word.length == 1 && @alphabet_exclusion_list.include?(word.upcase)

      valid_word? word
    end
def exists?(word, options=nil)
      options = options || @options

      return false unless word.is_a?(String)

      word = word.dup
      word.strip! if options[:strip_whitespace]

      return false if word.empty?

      if block? word
        return false if options[:single_word_mode]
        return block_exists? word
      end
      
      return true if options[:ignore_numeric] && number?(word)
      return false if options[:exclude_alphabet] && word.length == 1 && @alphabet_exclusion_list.include?(word.upcase)

      valid_word? word
    end
The constructor
 Interrogates the dictionary to determine whether or not [word] exists.

 @param [String] word the word or words to interrogate
 @param [Hash] options options to apply to this query (see #options=).  Options passed to this
   method are applied for this query only.

 @return [Boolean] true if the word/words in *word* exists, false otherwise.

 @example

  LittleWeasel::Checker.instance.exists?('C') # true (default options, :exclude_alphabet => false)
  LittleWeasel::Checker.instance.exists?('A', {exclude_alphabet:true}) # false
  LittleWeasel::Checker.instance.exists?('X', {exclude_alphabet:false}) # true
  LittleWeasel::Checker.instance.exists?('Hello') # true

  LittleWeasel::Checker.instance.exists?(' Hello ') # false (default options, :strip_whitespace => false)
  LittleWeasel::Checker.instance.exists?(' Yes ', {strip_whitespace:true}) # true
  LittleWeasel::Checker.instance.exists?('No ', {strip_whitespace:false}) # false
  LittleWeasel::Checker.instance.exists?('How dy', {strip_whitespace:true}) # false, strip_whitespace only removes leading and trailing spaces

  LittleWeasel::Checker.instance.exists?('90210') # true (default options, ignore_numeric => true)
  LittleWeasel::Checker.instance.exists?('90210', {ignore_numeric:false}) # false

  LittleWeasel::Checker.instance.exists?('Hello World') # true, we're accepting multiple words now by default (default options, single_word_mode => false) :)
  LittleWeasel::Checker.instance.exists?("hello, mister; did I \'mention\'' that lemon cake is \"great?\" It's just wonderful!") # true

  LittleWeasel::Checker.instance.exists?('I love ice cream', {single_word_mode:true}) # false; while all the words are valid, more than one word will return false