March 2006

New Word Watch

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

• glycemic index noun : a measure of the rate at which ingested food causes the level of glucose in the blood to rise; also : a ranking of foods according to the glycemic index
• mouse potato noun [after couch potato] slang : a person who spends a great deal of time using a computer
• soul patch noun : a small growth of beard under a man's lower lip

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.