SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Go ahead, treat yourself. Check out the latest “chick flick,” get a “bikini wax” or enjoy an ice cream – but be careful about “brain freeze.”
If any of that isn’t clear, consult the latest edition of Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, which formally defines words that have taken root in American conversation.
| amuse-bouche (noun) 1984: a small complimentary appetizer offered at some restaurants.
battle dress uniform (noun) 1982: a military uniform for field service. bikini wax (noun) 1985: a procedure for removing pubic hair from the skin near the edge of the bottom half of a bikini by applying hot wax, covering the wax with a cloth to which the wax and hair adhere, and then peeling it off quickly. brain freeze (noun) 1991: a sudden shooting pain in the head caused by ingesting very cold food (as ice cream) or drink. chick flick (noun) 1988: a motion picture intended to appeal especially to women. civil union (noun) 1992: the legal status that ensures to same-sex couples specified rights and responsibilities of married couples. cybrarian (noun) 1992: a person whose job is to find, collect, and manage information that is available on the World Wide Web. DHS (abbreviation): Department of Homeland Security. hazmat (noun)1980 : a material (as flammable or poisonous material) that would be a danger to life or to the environment if released without precautions. hospitalist (noun) 1996 : a physician who specializes in treating hospitalized patients of other physicians in order to minimize the number of hospital visits by other physicians. metadata (noun)1983 : data that provide information about other data. otology (noun) 1842 : a science that deals with the ear and its diseases. retronym (noun) 1980 : a term consisting of a noun and a modifier which specifies the original meaning of the noun (“film camera” is a ~). SARS (noun) (severe acute respiratory syndrome) 2003: a severe respiratory illness that is caused by a corona virus, is transmitted especially by contact with infectious material (as respiratory droplets), and is marked by fever, headache, body aches, a dry cough, hypoxia, and usually pneumonia. steganography (noun) 1985 1 archaic: cryptography 2 : the art or practice of concealing a message, image, or file within another message, image, or file. tide pool (noun) 1853: a pool of salt water left (as in a rock basin) by an ebbing tide-called also tidal pool. Wi-Fi (certification mark): used to certify the interoperability of wireless computer networking devices. zaibatsu (noun) 1947: a powerful financial and industrial conglomerate of Japan. Source: Merriam-Webster |
Those terms are joined by 15 other new entries that make up the 1,664 pages of the newly published book. So if you’re not interested in movies meant to appeal to women, discreet hair removal procedures or running the risk of a sudden shooting pain in the head caused by very cold food, maybe there’s another endeavor to catch your fancy.
Try “steganography,” the “art or practice of concealing a message, image, or file within another message, image, or file.” That may not be the latest craze, but it’s an activity that caught the attention of Merriam-Webster’s lexicographers.
“We have editors who spend a part of each day reading magazines and newspapers, looking for evidence of how words are being more commonly used,” said John Morse, Merriam-Webster’s president and publisher. “We’re looking for words that show up in the contexts that the average adult might encounter.”
The new words reflect changes and developments in American language. You could try your hand at being a “cybrarian” (a person who finds, collects, and manages information available on the Internet), or as a “hospitalist” (“a physician who specializes in treating hospitalized patients of other physicians in order to minimize the number of hospital visits by other physicians”.)
The Springfield-based dictionary publisher has an ongoing list of about 17 million entries it monitors. Every year, a few of them make it into print, followed by a succinct definition.
It usually takes about 10 years for a promising word to get into the dictionary from the time it first gets noticed. But some have a speedy rise to Merriam-Webster legitimacy, depending on the urgency of their meaning and impact
Among this year’s fastest climbers is SARS, the acronym for severe acute respiratory syndrome, which began making headlines two years ago with an outbreak in Asia.
“That was enough of a public health concern to get it in the dictionary right away,” Morse said. “Now, one of two things could happen. Either we’ll never hear about SARS again, and if so, I’ve wasted three lines of type in the dictionary. Or it will come back, and everyone will go to the dictionary in a time of need to see how SARS is defined.”
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