February 2006

New Word Watch

Merriam-Webster editors are giving the following words serious consideration for entry in a Merriam-Webster dictionary:

• metanoia noun : a transformative change of heart; especially : a spiritual conversion
• peeps noun, plural [by shortening & alteration] slang : human beings making up a group or assembly or linked by a common interest
• spyware noun : software that is installed in a computer without the user's knowledge and that transmits information about the user's computer activities over the Internet

Do you have a suggestion for a word we should be watching for? E-mail us at comments@word.com, and we’ll tell you what we have on that word so far.