The average person knows more than 42,000 words in their native language according to Ghent University in Belgium, but Merriam-Webster wants to you learn 1,000 more.
The new entries include pop culture references, medical jargon, slang, sports and tech talk (and more), the American English word reference announced Tuesday it would be adding the new words to its online dictionary.
“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,” their website states. “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.”
READ MORE: Donald Trump’s grammar, vocabulary makes debate-watchers ‘cringe’
According to the word keepers over at Merriam-Webster, some of the chosen words have been around for years and are only now being added. Other words, they say, have experienced a fast rise in use and acceptance.
Here are just some of the new words (along with their definitions) that are now acceptable to use in your next email, essay or report (and you shouldn’t get flack for).
OK, that was weak sauce but there’s no need to throw shade.
Tech terms
- Binge-watch: to watch many or all episodes of (a TV series) in rapid succession.
- Photobomb: to move into the frame of a photograph as it is being taken as a joke or prank.
- Humblebrag: to make a seemingly model, self-critical, or casual statement or reference that is meant to draw attention to one’s admirable or impressive qualities or achievements.
Sports terms
- Airball: to completely miss the basket, rim and backboard with a shot.
- Up-fake: a fake in which a player makes an upward movement to simulate starting to take a shot.
- Five-hole: the space between the legs of a goaltender (in hockey).
Medical and science terms
- Supercentenarian: a person who is 110 years old or older.
- Prosopagnosia: a form of visual agnosia characterized by an inability to recognize faces.
Cooking and food terms
- Arancini: rounded balls of cooked rice with savory fillings (such as mozzarella cheese) that are coated with bread crumbs and deep-fried.
- EVOO: extra-virgin olive oil.
- Macaron: a light, often brightly coloured sandwich cookie consisting of two rounded disks from a batter of egg whites, sugar and almond flour surrounding a sweet filling (as of ganache, buttercream or jame).
Political terms
- Truther: one who believes that the truth about an important subject or event is being concealed from the public by a powerful conspiracy.
- SCOTUS: the supreme court of the United States – often used like a nickname.
- FLOTUS: the first lady of the United States – often used like a nickname.
Metaphors and imagery
- Side-eye: a sidelong glance or gaze especially when expressing scorn, suspicion, disapproval or veiled curiosity.
- Weak sauce: something inferior, ineffective or unimpressive.
- Walk back: to retreat from or distance oneself from (a previously states opinion or position).
- Throw shade: a facial expression of sadness or displeasure.
- Face-palm: to cover one’s face with the hand as an expression of embarrassment, dismay or exaxperation.
Other words
- Yowza
- Train wreck
- Fast fashion
- Woo-woo
- Safe space
- Ride shotgun
- Geek out
To see a more complete list, click here.
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