What’s New? In January, the Merriam Webster Dictionary added 520 words to its pages. The additions include new words that have found their way into common use, as well as expanded definitions for words that were already well-established. Here is a sampling of the new entries:
- Hygge: A cozy quality that makes a person feel content and comfortable
- Pod: A small group of people who interact closely while minimizing outside contact to avoid exposure to a contagious disease
- Hard pass: A firm refusal or rejection
- Cancel culture: The practice of engaging in mass canceling as a way of expressing disapproval and applying social pressure
- Crowdfunding: Obtaining needed funding by asking a large number of people, usually members of an online community, for contributions
- Gig worker: A person who works temporary jobs as an independent contractor or freelancer
- Second gentleman: The husband or male partner of a vice president or second in command of a country or jurisdiction
As new words become common or expand their meanings, other words become obsolete. What are some words that explained the world when you were younger and have fallen out of use? Britches, floppy disk, icebox, and yuppie come to mind.
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