New Words for 2021: ABC

Image by Наталия Когут from Pixabay

Dictionaries. Does anyone even use print dictionaries anymore? You can easily look up a word in an online dictionary. And if you are reading on a Kindle, for example, you can just press on a word and get its meaning.  But I bet most of you still own a print dictionary or two. I have two on my bookshelves. One is very, very old. I received it as an award when I “graduated” from 6th grade, presented to me and three other students for outstanding achievement in Scholarship, Leadership, Character, and Service. It is Webster’s New American Dictionary, copyright 1939, 1940, 1941, 1944, 1947. And I actually hadn’t been born as of these copyright dates. The other dictionary I own is also pretty old, although not as old and yellowed as the first. It is Webster’s New World College Dictionary, copyright  1996, 1994, 1991, 1988. 

How old and quaint some of the words in those dictionaries must be: no social media, cell phone, texting, or mansplaining entries in them. Dictionaries are not as static as one might think. They are regularly updated with new words and phrases. And they are not all updated with the same new words and phrases, although there is obviously some overlap. One of the best books about updating dictionaries is a book I have recommended before –  Word by Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries by Kory Stamper. It, too, is a bit outdated, as it focuses on updating print dictionaries.

Although all dictionaries update regularly, I am going to talk about the OED, the mother of all dictionaries: The Oxford English Dictionary, which is updated with thousands of new words every year. It is updated quarterly. New entries are added, but subentries under the main entries are also added and revised. Here are some recent updates (September 2021) to the OED.

New entries

anti-vax and anti-vaxxer (adj. n) – Describes someone against vaccinations; someone who is against vaccinations.

bants (n) -Playfully teasing or mocking remarks exchanged with another person or group, esp. among men; banter. 

bassa-bassa (n) -Trouble, commotion; a noisy altercation; a fight.

brata (n) -An extra amount or small gift added to a purchase by a seller, esp. in a market, to encourage the customer to return.

brown-nosing (n) -Excessive or insincere flattery, esp. with the aim of gaining favour or advancement. (I find it hard to believe this entry is new!)

bulgogi (n) -In Korean cookery: a dish of thin slices of beef or pork which are marinated then grilled or stir-fried.

cardioversion (n) -The treatment of atrial fibrillation and other cardiac arrhythmias by means of a direct-current shock to the chest. (Also hard to believe this one is new.)

Conchy Joe (n) -A Bahamian who is white or of mixed black and white descent.

I just noticed that there are no verbs on my list. I would think there would be fewer verbs than nouns and adjectives. I mean, it has all been done before, right?

New subentries

These words and phrases are additional subentries for the word in parentheses.

Asian miracle (Asian) (n, adj) -The rapid economic growth of certain East Asian countries (esp. Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, and South Korea) in the second half of the 20th century.

Asian pear (Asian) (n, adj) -The nashi pear, Pyrus pyrifolia, native to eastern Asia.

bath bomb (bath)  (n) – A ball or other-shaped item made of a perfumed substance or mixture which dissolves when placed in water (typically with effervescence).

to be a beast (beast) (n, adj) – Colloquial. To be someone who is exceptionally gifted, adept, persistent, or hard-working.

big tech (big) (adj, n) -Major, multinational technology companies considered collectively as a sector of industry; frequently as a modifier.

caravan tea (caravan) (n) -Tea transported overland from China to Russia rather than by sea, commonly thought to acquire a distinctive and superior flavour.

cardiac output (cardiac) (n) – The quantity of blood pumped by the heart in a given period of time (typically measured in litres per minute). (New phrase??)

cardiganed (cardigan) (adj) – Wearing a cardigan. ( are vested, shorted, pantsed, skirted, shoed, and socked similar words?)

to catch one’s arse (catch) (v) – Caribbean: to suffer or undergo misfortune, hardship, or difficulty. 

conjure bag (conjure) (n) -A charm consisting of a small bag or pouch containing an assortment of objects such as herbs, hair, coins, etc., intended to be used to ward off evil.

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