OxfordDictionaries.com Update: Gen Z, Fidget Spinner, and Cheat Day Join the Dictionary
(PRWEB) September 21, 2017 -- As Oxford University Press today welcomes a new batch of words to OxfordDictionaries.com, its free online dictionary of current English, now seems like a good time to take a deep dive into what has been included.
The youngsters of Generation Z or Gen Z, the generation reaching adulthood in the second decade of the 21st century, make their linguistic mark as they dab—a dance move originating in hip hop and often performed as part of a celebration—or play with their fidget spinners.
Technology also continues to be an ever-pervasive theme as people put their devices into airplane mode, take screen grabs, or face swap with their friends, pets, or favourite celebrities.
Following high-profile election days across the globe in 2017, we are now able to enact an ambush interview to accuse our politicians of being snollygosters—a 19th century term referring to a shrewd, unprincipled person, especially a politician—or of doing things backasswards. We also see the addition of ultra-left and ultra-right, to describe the extreme ends of the political spectrum.
Achcha! During this updation (an Indian English term for the process of updating something), we welcome Indian English words like chakka jam, a traffic jam, and dadagiri, a noun for intimidating, coercive, or bullying behaviour. Turning to food, mirch masala, an Indian spice blend, and namkeen, a small savoury snack or dish in India, now feature in the dictionary. About time for a cheat day, we say…
Other words added to OxfordDictionaries.com:
Breviloquent - adjective: Using very few words; concise
Bug bounty - noun: A reward offered to a person who identifies an error or vulnerability in a computer program or system
Civic nationalism - noun: A political attitude of devotion to and vigorous support for one's country combined with a feeling of shared community with fellow citizens, especially as contrasted with a similar attitude based on ethnicity, race, or religion
Clicktivist - noun: A person who shows supports for a political or social cause via the Internet by means such as social media or online petitions, typically in a way characterized as involving little effort or commitment
Hicksville - noun: A place regarded as provincial and unsophisticated
Non-denial - noun: A statement that appears to deny that something is true but does not in fact constitute a rebuttal of the specific claim or accusation
Popcorn movie - noun: A film that is perceived as entertaining but lacking in depth or artistic merit
Puggle - noun: A dog that is a crossbreed of a pug and a beagle: he’s a puggle, a beagle and pug mix, sporting a permanently frowny face
Robo-adviser - noun: An online application that provides automated financial guidance and services
Sanctuary city - noun: (in North America) A city whose municipal laws tend to protect undocumented immigrants from deportation or prosecution, despite federal immigration law
Self-care - noun: The practice of taking action to preserve or improve one's own health
Silent Generation - noun: The generation of people born before that of the baby boomers (roughly from the mid 1920s to the mid 1940s), perceived to tend towards conformism or restraint in their outlook and behaviour
State-building - noun: The activity of building or strengthening the institutions and infrastructure of a weak or failing state, typically by a foreign power
Surge pricing - noun: The practice of charging more for a product or service during periods when it is in high demand
Sweetheart deal - noun: An arrangement or agreement reached privately by two sides in an unofficial or illicit way
Triple threat - noun: a person, especially a performer or athlete, who is proficient in three important skills within their particular field
Read more about the words that have been added in this update on the Oxford Words blog: http://blog.oxforddictionaries.com/fidget-spinner-generation-z-new-words-update.
*ENDS*
Notes for Editors
Definitions for each of the words mentioned above can be found on OxfordDictionaries.com.
Oxford Dictionaries editors are available for interviews.
Illustrations are available for select words.
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What’s the difference between OxfordDictionaries.com and the Oxford English Dictionary (OED)?
The new entries mentioned above have been added to OxfordDictionaries.com, not the OED.
The English language dictionary content on OxfordDictionaries.com focuses on current English and includes modern meanings of words and associated usage examples.
The OED, on the other hand, is a historical dictionary and forms a record of all the core words and meanings in English over more than 1,000 years, from Old English to the present day, including many obsolete and historical terms.
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