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Tuesday 14 August 2012

New dictionary words

The term "F-bomb" first surfaced in newspapers more than 20 years ago but only landed in the mainstream Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary today, along with sexting, flexitarian, obesogenic, energy drink and life coach.
In all, the company picks about 100 additions for the 114-year-old dictionary's annual update, gathering evidence of usage over several years in everything from media to the labels of beer bottles and frozen food.
Here are some of the new words — and some old words with new definitions:

aha moment, n. • a moment of sudden realization, inspiration, insight, recognition, or comprehension

brain cramp, n. • an instance of temporary mental confusion resulting in an error or lapse of judgment

bucket list, n. • a list of things that one has not done before but wants to do before dying

cloud computing, n. • the practice of storing regularly used data on multiple servers that can be accessed through the Internet

craft beer, n. • a specialty beer produced in limited quantities

energy drink, n. • a usually carbonated beverage that typically contains caffeine and other ingredients (as taurine and ginseng) intended to increase the drinker's energy

e-reader, n. • a handheld electronic device designed to be used for reading e-books and similar material

flexitarian, n. • one whose normally meatless diet occasionally includes meat or fish

game changer, n. • a newly introduced element or factor that changes an existing situation or activity in a significant way

gassed, adj. • drained of energy

gastropub, n. • a pub, bar, or tavern that also offers meals of high quality

geocaching, n. • a game in which players are given the coordinates of a cache of items which they search for with a GPS device

life coach, n. • an advisor who helps people make decisions, set and reach goals, or deal with problems

man cave, n. • a room or space (as in a basement) designed according to the taste of the man of the house to be used as his personal area for hobbies and leisure activities

mash-up, n. • something created by combining elements from two or more sources: as a: a piece of music created by digitally overlaying an instrumental track with a vocal track from a different recording b: a movie or video having characters or situations from other sources c: a Web service or application that integrates data and functionalities from various sources

obesogenic, adj. • promoting excessive weight gain: producing obesity

sexting, n. • the sending of sexually explicit messages or images by cellphone

tipping point, n. • the critical point in a situation, process, or system beyond which a significant and often unstoppable effect or change takes place

toxic, adj. • relating to or being an asset that has lost so much value that it cannot be sold on the market

underwater, adj • having, relating to, or being a mortgage loan for which more is owed than the property securing the loan is worth

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