Merriam-Webster has added 455 words to its dictionary.
Merriam-Webster editors research the language and add words to the dictionary each year based upon their usage.
These new additions relate to internet slang and the coronavirus panademic. They also address politics and pop culture.
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Logophile's rejoiced this week as Merriam-Webster added 455 new words to its dictionary...."because."
The dictionary included words like dad bod and fluffernutter. This sparked a larger conversation on social media. Although some of these words could be considered slang terms or deeply embedded in online culture, Merriam-Webster says that this is why they were added to the dictionary's latest round-up.
Merriam-Webster is a publisher of reference books such as dictionaries that was founded in 1831. They add new words based upon their usage. Merriam-Webster editors analyze the language to decide which words should be included in the dictionary. They also monitor the usage of words and determine their meaning. January was the last time that new words were added to the dictionary.
The dictionary's website states that editors "scour the text in search of new words and new usages of words, variant spellings and inflected formin short, anything which might help in deciding whether a word belongs to the dictionary, understanding its meaning, and determining its typical usage." "All words of interest are marked along with the context surrounding them that provides insight into their form and usage."
Many of the words in October's additions relate to how we talk online, the ongoing coronavirus epidemic, politics, food and pop culture.
Merriam-Webster explained that the dictionary is constantly evolving just as language does. It also never stops growing in terms of new words, in an article that featured some notable examples. "The informal and quick nature of texting, messaging, and tweeting has led to a new vocabulary rich in efficient and abbreviated expression."
These are 11 of the strangest and most unusual words added to the dictionary. Merriam-Webster also provides their definitions.
Astroturf
Falsely presented as grassroots. This is the figurative usage of astroturf, which is a trademarked for artificial turf, is used to describe political campaigns, efforts, and organizations that appear to have been funded by ordinary people, but are actually backed by powerful organisations.
Because:
Because of: because is often used to convey ambiguity about the reasons for something. Because of its versatility, the preposition can be used to avoid getting too technical ("The process works because science"), or even to ignore explanation ("They left because reasons").
Copypasta:
A block of text or data that has been copied online. Copypasta can either be a humorous meme or a serious message with a political or cultural purpose.
Dad bod
Informal: A body that is typical of a father, especially one that is not very muscular and slightly overweight.
Deplatform
To ban or remove (a registered user) from any mass communication medium (such a blog or social networking site) broadly: To prevent having or providing a platform for communicating.
Fluffernutter:
Sandwich made with peanut butter, marshmallow crme and two slices of white bread.
FTW
A shorthand for "for the victory" that is used to indicate support or approval. FTW can be used in social media to indicate a funny or clever response to a question, meme, or other query.
Ghost kitchen:
Commercial cooking facility that prepares food for consumption off-site. Also known as cloud kitchen or dark kitchen.
COVID long:
A condition marked by symptoms such as fatigue, cough and shortness of breath that persists for a prolonged period of time, such as weeks or even months, after a person's initial COVID-19 recovery.
Oobleck
Mixture of corn starch, water and water. It behaves as a liquid at rest but as a solid under pressure. Oobleck is named after Dr. Seuss' Bartholomew, Bartholomew, and the Oobleck story. It is a popular component in science experiments for kids.
Whataboutism
A response to an accusation of wrongdoing that claims another offense was similar or worse than it is: this is the act or practice. British English is more familiar with the term "whataboutery".
