New Words in Merriam-Webster Dictionary Include ‘Tweet,’ ‘Fist Bump’

[Geee]

CNSnews:

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (AP) - Merriam-Webster Inc. has added dozens of entries to the latest edition of its Collegiate Dictionary. Here are some, along with the year in which Merriam-Webster researchers first found them used in an English-language publication, and their meanings:

-- Americana (1841): genre of American music with roots in early folk and country music.

-- boomerang child (1988): young adult who returns to live at her or her family home, especially for financial reasons.

-- bromance (2004): a close nonsexual friendship between men.

-- continuous positive airway pressure (1975): abbreviated CPAP; a technique for relieving breathing problems (as those associated with sleep apnea or congestive heart failure) by pumping a steady flow of air through the nose to prevent the narrowing or collapse of air passages or to help the lungs to expand.

-- cougar (1774): slang term for a middle-aged woman seeking a romantic relationship with a younger man.

-- crowdsourcing (2006): the practice of obtaining needed services, ideas or content by soliciting contributions from a large group of people, especially from the online community, rather than from traditional employees or suppliers.

-- duathlon (1988): a three-part long-distance race typically having a running phase, a bicycling phase and a final running phase.

[clearvision]

 

Obama's legacy, a new word in the dictionary.

[Pepper]