June 2008

New Word Watch

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

*  carbon footprint noun a measure of the environmental impact of an activity or process

*  ciabatta noun [Italian ciabatta slipper] : an Italian white bread

*  mixed martial arts noun : a combat sport that permits fighting techniques derived from various martial arts disciplines

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.