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).
n. Medicine a surgical operation involving the removal of excess flesh from the abdomen.
aerobicized or aerobicised
adj. (of a person's body) toned by aerobic exercise: aerobicized Hollywood women.
n. terrorist acts intended to disrupt or damage a country's agriculture.
– derivatives
agroterrorist n.
n. Scottish a person's buttocks.
– origin 1930s : prob. a blend of behind and hough + -ie.
– phrases
best of breed
· any item or product considered to be the best of its kind.
n.
2. chiefly US the unintended adverse results of a political action or situation.
n. a celebrity who is well known in fashionable society.
– origin 1930s : blend of celebrity and debutante.
n. a type of hip-hop or rap music characterized by repeated shouted catchphrases and elements typical of electronic dance music, such as prominent bass.
adj. US, chiefly black slang (of a person) very excited or full of energy.
– origin 1990s : perh. an alt. past part. of crank1 or a blend of crazy and drunk.
– phrases
the elephant in the room 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.
n.
1.
· a fine dispersion of one liquid or puréed food substance in another: ravioli with pea and ginger emulsion.
n. chiefly US the man-made features used in landscape architecture, e.g. paths or walls, as contrasted with vegetation.
– derivatives
hardscaping n.
hoody (also hoodie)
n.
· informal a person, especially a youth, wearing a hooded top.
– origin 1960s : of unknown origin.
n. a person who is advised, trained, or counselled by a mentor.
n. (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.
n. (in East Africa) an older person; an elder.
– origin Kiswahili, 'ancestor, parent, old person'.
adj. tending to cause obesity.
n.
3. Brit. informal a stupid person.
n. (in Japanese cookery) a sauce or dip made with soy sauce and citrus juice.
– origin Japanese, from pon 'smack, pop' + zu, from su 'vinegar'.
n. a wild, crazy, or violent person.
adj. wild, crazy, or violent.
– origin 1920s : appar. an alt. of rage.
n.
3. (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.
n. 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.
n. informal guitar riffs, especially in rock music.
n. 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 n.
n. (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
v. subject to psychological therapy: you don't need to therapize or fix each other.
adj. (of a mobile phone) having three frequencies, enabling it to be used in different regions (typically Europe and the US).
n. Brit. informal a stupid or foolish person.
– origin 1980s : perh. a blend of twit1 or twat and plonker.
v. [often as noun upskilling] teach (an employee) additional skills.
· (of an employee) learn additional skills.
n. 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)
n. a fitness routine that combines Pilates exercises with the postures and breathing techniques of yoga.
– origin 1990s : blend of yoga and Pilates.
n.
3. 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.
Useful links
Bubbling Under: words not yet in an Oxford Dictionary
How new words are added to Oxford Dictionaries
Have you spotted a new word you'd like to tell Oxford Dictionaries about? Just email us with the word and a brief explanation of what it means, and if possible, where you came across it, to askoxford@oup.com.
Please note, we cannot respond to every new word suggestion we receive, especially invented words. See our FAQ: Will you put the word I have invented into one of your dictionaries?
