New Words

Below are some of the New Words to enter our most recently published dictionary of current English: the Concise Oxford English Dictionary (Revised Eleventh Edition).

Abdominoplasty : Noun : Medicine : a surgical operation involving the removal of excess flesh from the abdomen

Aerobicized or aerobicised : Adjective : (of a person's body) toned by aerobic exercise : aerobicized Hollywood women

Agroterrorism : Noun : terrorist acts intended to disrupt or damage a country's agriculture : DERIVATIVE : Agroterrorist : Noun

Bahookie : Noun : Scottish : a person's buttocks : ORIGIN 1930s : prob. a blend of BEHIND and HOUGH + -IE

Best of breed : PHRASE : Any item or product considered to be the best of its kind

Blowback : Noun : Chiefly US : the unintended adverse results of a political action or situation

Celebutante : Noun : a celebrity who is well known in fashionable society : ORIGIN :1930s : blend of CELEBRITY and DEBUTANTE

Crunk : Noun : a type of hip-hop or rap music characterized by repeated shouted catchphrases and elements typical of electronic dance music, such as prominent bass

Crunk : Adjective : US chiefly black slang (of a person) very excited or full of energy : ORIGIN 1990s : perhaps an alternative past part of CRANK or a blend of CRAZY and DRUNK

The elephant in the room : PHRASE : a major problem or controversial issue which is obviously present but avoided as a subject for discussion because it is more comfortable to do so

Emulsion : Noun : a fine dispersion of one liquid or pure food substance in another : ravioli with pea and ginger emulsion

Hardscape : Noun : chiefly US : the man-made features used in landscape architecture, e.g. paths or walls as contrasted with vegetation : DERIVATIVE : Hardscaping : hoody (also hoodie) : informal : a person, especially a youth, wearing a hooded top

Mentee : Noun : a person who is advised, trained or counseled by a mentor

Mesotherapy : Noun : (in cosmetic surgery) a procedure in which multiple tiny injections of pharmaceuticals, vitamins, etc. are delivered into the mesodermal layer of tissue under the skin to promote the loss of fat or cellulite

Mzee : Noun : (in East Africa) an older person; an elder : ORIGIN : Kiswahili, ancestor, parent, old person

Obesogenic : Adjective : tending to cause obesity

Plank : Noun : Britain informal : a stupid person

Ponzu : Noun : (in Japanese cookery) a sauce or dip made with soy sauce and citrus juice : ORIGIN : Japanese, from pon smack, pop + zu from su vinegar

Radge : Scottish informal : Noun : a wild, crazy or violent person

Radge : Scottish informal : Adjective : wild, crazy or violent : ORIGIN : 1920s : appararently an alternative of RAGE

Rendition : Noun : (also extraordinary rendition) (especially in the US) the practice of sending a foreign criminal or terrorist suspect covertly to be interrogated in a country with less rigorous regulations for the humane treatment of prisoners

Retronym : Noun : a new term created from an existing word in order to distinguish the original referent of the existing word from a later one that is the product of progress or technological development (e.g. acoustic guitar for guitar) : ORIGIN :1980s: blend of RETRO- and –ONYM

Riffage : Noun : informal : guitar riffs, especially in rock music

Shoulder-Surfing : Noun : the practice of spying on the user of a cash-dispensing machine or other electronic device in order to obtain their personal identification number, password, etc. : DERIVATIVES : shoulder-surfer : Noun

SIPP : Noun : (in the UK) a self-invested personal pension, a pension plan that enables the holder to choose and manage the investments made

Therapize or therapise : Verb : subject to psychological therapy : you don't need to therapize or fix each other

Tri-band : Adjective : (of a mobile phone) having three frequencies enabling it to be used in different regions (typically Europe and the US)

Twonk : Noun : Brit. informal : a stupid or foolish person ORIGIN 1980s : perhaps A blend of TWIT1 or TWAT and PLONKER

Upskill : Verb : [often as noun upskilling] teach (an employee) additional skills : (of an employee) learn additional skills

Wedge Issue : Noun : US a very divisive political issue, regarded as a basis for drawing voters away from an opposing party whose supporters have diverging opinions on it

Yogalates (also trademark Yogilates) : Noun : a fitness routine that combines Pilates exercises with the postures and breathing techniques of yoga : ORIGIN 1990s : blend of YOGA and PILATES

Zombie : Noun : a computer controlled by a hacker without the owner's knowledge which is made to send large quantities of data to a website making it inaccessible to other users


Most Frequently Viewed Questions:



What are the Longest Words in the dictionary?
Is there any English Word with the same letter 3 times in a row?
Are there any words that Rhyme With Orange?
How Many Words are there in the English language?
What is the longest One-Syllable Word in English?
What is a Split Infinitive and why should I avoid using one?
What is the Oxford Comma?
Does Bimonthly mean twice a month or every two months?
Are there words that contain The Letter Q without a U following it?
What comes after Once, Twice, Thrice?
Is a Banana a fruit or an herb?
What is the origin of the Dollar Sign ($)?
What are Five Events that Shaped the History of English?
A Word sums up a particular year : A Word A Year : 1906 - 2006
What are the most Frequently Used Words in English?
What are the Typical Errors that people usually commit?
What are the New Words?
Is there An Official Committee which regulates the English language?





Frequently Asked Questions | New Words to HOME PAGE

Follow These Links!