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October 2006Report from the Open DictionaryEnglish speakers are constantly inventing new words, and it may take years for these words to establish themselves and get into the dictionary. In the meantime, there is Merriam-Webster's Open Dictionary, a feature on Merriam-Webster Online that allows users to submit their coinages and recent new-word discoveries. In this month's newsletter, we share some of our favorite submissions. January 2007Report from the Open DictionaryWe've talked before about Merriam-Webster's Open Dictionary, a feature on Merriam-Webster Online that allows users to submit their coinages and recent new-word discoveries. In this month's newsletter, we share a few more of our favorite submissions. September 2007Report from the Open DictionaryOver the summer months, visitors to Merriam-Webster Online continued to enjoy making contributions to the Open Dictionary, a feature that allows users to submit their coinages and recent new-word discoveries. In this month's newsletter, we share some of our favorite submissions. November 2007Report from the Open DictionaryWe're not the only folks on the lookout for new words. Our readers are too. When you notice a new word — on the radio, in a book or magazine, or online — and if you find that it's not found in any dictionary, then it's a good candidate for the Open Dictionary at Merriam-Webster Online, a feature that allows users to submit these discoveries. There are now over 12,000 entries in the Open Dictionary. In this month's newsletter, we share some of our favorite recent submissions. September 2008Report from the Open DictionaryOur editors aren't the only ones on the lookout for new words; our readers add words to Merriam-Webster's Open Dictionary every day. When you notice a new word — on the radio, in a book or magazine, or online — and find that it's not found in any dictionary, it's probably a good candidate. Here's a handful of our favorite recent submissions. March 2009Report from the Open DictionaryOur editors aren't the only ones on the lookout for new words; our readers add words to Merriam-Webster's Open Dictionary every day. When you notice a new word — on the radio, in a book or magazine, or online — and find that it's not found in any dictionary, it's probably a good candidate. Here are several recent submissions. April 2009Report from the Open DictionaryDictionary editors keep an eye out for new words, and so do readers. Merriam-Webster's Open Dictionary invites language watchers to pass along new or specialized words (or old words with new meanings) that have not yet made it into a standard print or online dictionary. Decide for yourself if any of these recent contributions will catch on. May 2009Report from the Open DictionaryWith summer holidays around the corner, Americans still worried about the economy have some new words to use when describing their situation. Decide for yourself if these new coinages will have the lasting power to earn a spot in the dictionary. Or, submit your own new or specialized words to a Merriam-Webster's Open Dictionary. June 2009Report from the Open DictionaryAs the school year draws to a close, Open Dictionary contributors are adding terminology for school-age youth. Tween, meaning "preteen," (a blend of between and teen) is so last century; it dates to 1967. Try these newer coinages on for size. Or, submit your own to Merriam-Webster's Open Dictionary. September 2009Report from the Open DictionaryThe Open Dictionary didn't go on vacation this summer, and many contributions were added for words that are too new or too specialized to be entered in our print dictionaries. In some ways the Open Dictionary represents a kind of future dictionary of real words that are spotted and reported by the public. Interested in adding a new word or new sense of an existing word to the Dictionary? We're always interested in the words that you hear and see that haven't yet been defined. Click for guidelines and join the amateur lexicographers! February 2010Report from the Open DictionaryMerriam-Webster's Open Dictionary invites language watchers to pass along new or specialized words (or old words with new meanings) that have not yet made it into a standard print or online dictionary. This month’s submissions focused on the passing of the century’s first decade, news events in China, and the chilly, chilly weather. Decide for yourself if any of these recent contributions will catch on. Do you know a word that ought to be considered for inclusion in the dictionary? Submit your word at the Submit an Entry page. March 2010Report from the Open DictionaryMerriam-Webster's Open Dictionary invites language watchers to pass along new or specialized words (or old words with new meanings) that have not yet made it into a standard print or online dictionary. Recent submissions to the Open Dictionary include terms about the recent extreme weather conditions on the East Coast and terms for new ways to organize, mix, and listen to audio recordings using the latest technology. If you know a word that should be considered for entry in the dictionary, submit your word at the Submit an Entry page. April 2010Report from the Open DictionaryPerhaps the long winter kept plenty of folks on the computer. Recent submissions to the Open Dictionary include several new words that come from the world of Internet commerce, art, and gossip. Interested in adding a new word or new sense of an existing word to the Dictionary? We're always interested in the words that you hear and see that haven't yet been defined. Click for guidelines and join the amateur lexicographers! May 2010Report from the Open DictionaryApril's word watchers showered the Open Dictionary with new words. Only time will tell if last month's offerings will flower in the lexicon, but these words already show evidence of use, which is the first step to becoming a part of the language. If you've noticed a new word or a new sense of a word and would like to add it to the Open Dictionary, check out the guidelines for entries. November 2010Report from the Open DictionaryWord watchers submitted many new words to the Open Dictionary during the month of October. Only time will tell if last month's offerings have staying power, but these words already show evidence of use, which is the first step to becoming a part of the language. If you've noticed a new word or a new sense of a word and would like to add it to the Open Dictionary, check out the guidelines for entries. January 2011Report from the Open DictionaryMerriam-Webster's Open Dictionary project invites readers to submit words for consideration in the dictionary and has welcomed thousands of entries over the past five years. Last month, Larissa MacFarquhar of The New Yorker picked her favorite submissions from 2010 (read her nice short analysis as well. Merriam-Webster's own choices for favorite submissions can be found in the blue box. Entries submitted to the Open Dictionary in December include: app (noun) : appetizer hacktivism (noun) : activism using information obtained illegally from computers or electronic networks TWD (abbreviation) : texting while driving vulture (verb) : to circle in a parking while looking for an open space March 2011Report from the Open DictionaryRecent technology inspires coinages – recent weather patterns and business practices that reflect the current economy do also. But sometimes fans of older music (think of The Monkees' hit version of Neil Diamond's I'm a Believer) also deserve some credit for influencing terms born in popular culture. If you've noticed a new word or a new sense of a word and would like to add it to the Open Dictionary, check out the guidelines for entries. Entries submitted to the Open Dictionary in February include: Belieber (noun) : a devoted fan of pop singer Justin Bieber followee (noun) : a person one chooses to follow in an online social network such as Twitter insourcing (noun) : the procurement of goods or services needed for a business or organization from within that business or organization rather than from outside contractors snowmageddon (noun) : a large snowstorm April 2011Report from the Open DictionaryWe can thank March Madness for last month's New Words & Slang entry bracketology. Does the term earworm sound familiar? Last month saw a new sense submitted for that old term. We also see that the evolution of inservice from a hyphenated adjective to a closed-compound noun has solidified. Finally, the word subsite is clearly one whose time has come. If you've noticed a new word or a new sense of a word and would like to add it to the Open Dictionary, check out the guidelines for entries. September 2011Report From the Open DictionaryThe English language doesn't go on vacation during the summer. Our open source Open Dictionary grew with excellent submissions from the public – new terms from military jargon, interstellar science, broadcast technology and, well, wasted time on the Internet. Visit New Words & Slang at Merriam-Webster.com to see the latest submissions, and be sure to submit those words and meanings that are new to the language. fast-rope (verb) : to descend from a flying helicopter by sliding down a thick rope heliopause (noun) : the outer boundary between the heliosphere and interstellar space and esp. the region of pressure balance between particles and plasma from the sun and the local interstellar cloud mashup (noun) : a musical recording made by combining elements from two or more different songs planking (noun) : the act of adopting a rigid face-down posture in unlikely surroundings for the purpose of a photograph October 2011Report from the Open DictionaryAmerican lexicographer Noah Webster was born October 16, 1758. Part of his genius lay in recognizing American English as a legitimate and respectable language source, not simply a poor cousin of British English. Fifty years ago, in 1961, Merriam-Webster published Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged, continuing Noah Webster's philosophy of describing language in actual use. That tradition of celebrating the dynamic nature of English continues with Merriam-Webster's Open Dictionary, where language lovers submit their own entries for consideration. Recent offerings include: bestie (noun) : a best friend convertext (verb) : to converse through text messaging hashtag (noun) : the symbol # esp. when used as a subject label or ironic remark on Twitter storm surge (noun) : water pushed toward shore due to winds and low pressure during an offshore storm Click on the New Words & Slang tab at Merriam-Webster.com to see the latest submissions, and be sure to submit new words that you've noticed. November 2011Report from the Open DictionaryFor the month of Thanksgiving, let us give thanks for the openness of our lexicon, where useful new coinages are welcomed. Recent submissions seem to reflect our age: words for job skills, protest movements, and digital rights have been added to the Open Dictionary. Have you seen a term you think belongs in the dictionary? Submit your entries! brandjack (verb) : to create a parody Web site or social media page using the official brand and logos of a company bulletize(verb) : to format text into a list of bullets or talking points skillset (noun) : the group of skills that a person has acquired in order to perform a task or job slacktivism (noun) : activism (such as signing an online petition) that requires very little commitment or action January 2012Report from the Open DictionaryTerms get coined and senses develop because they help us communicate; recent additions to the Open Dictionary include terms from politics, sports, foodie culture, and social media. Know of a new word (or word sense) you think merits a spot in the dictionary? Submit your suggestion. humblebrag (noun) : a statement that conveys false humility : a brag couched in self-deprecation macaron (noun) : a meringue sandwich cookie made of ground almonds, superfine sugar, and egg whites with flavored ganache filling optics (noun) : appearance; esp.: the way that the public understands a public or political decision tebowing (noun) : kneeling on one knee in prayer in a public place or being photographed doing this |