Merriam-Webster dictionary gets first update since 2014, ghosting, FLOTUS make the cut

WASHINGTON: FLOTUS, face-palm, net neutrality along with terms from recent advances in science - such as CRISPR - are among over 1,000 new words added to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary for the first time since 2014.

The new entries include borrowings from foreign languages as well as words from tech, medicine, pop culture, sports.

"The work of revision is ongoing and constant; even though it seems that the latest slang gets the most attention when dictionaries issue lists of new words, the additions come from the whole range of registers and from every corner of the language," the Merriam-Webster Dictionary said in its blog.

"These are words that have demonstrated frequent and increasing use in a variety of sources, and are therefore likely to be encountered by a reader - and should be in the dictionary," it said.

In some cases, terms have been observed for years and are finally being added; in others, the fast rise and broad acceptance of a term has made for a quicker journey.

'Seussian' relating to or suggestive of the works of Dr Seuss is now in the online dictionary, along with 'conlang' - an invented language like Klingon - and 'prosopagnosia' (an inability to recognise faces).



New tech terms such as net neutrality, abandonware, and botnet have also been included in the list of new words.

The word ghost now has a new meaning - to abruptly cut off all contact with someone, such as a former romantic partner, by no longer accepting or responding to phone calls, instant messages.

Supercentenarian, EpiPen and urgent care are among the words added from the field of medicines.

Prosopagnosia, sometimes called "face blindness," is a neurological condition that has only relatively recently been the subject of study.

New words from the ever-expanding vocabulary of cooking and food include arancini, EVOO and macaron, as well as sharp tools of the kitchen santoku and chef's knife.

Political terms include 'town hall' and 'truther' as well as 'SCOTUS' and 'FLOTUS'.

The word snollygoster - a shrewd, unprincipled person - returned to the dictionary after being dropped in 2003 because it had fallen nearly completely from use.

Familiar words combine to give us metaphors or imagery like train wreck, side-eye and weak sauce.

As for verbs, 'shotgun', 'walk back an opinion', 'throw shade', 'face-palm', and 'geek out' were the new dictionary entries.

All of these words have been observed, collected, and researched, with many examples in context used to write definitions that explain both basic meanings and specific usage.

The verb 'boo-hoo' added the note "especially in mocking imitation of another's tears, complaints, unhappiness, etc" to the definition.