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Est. 1828
Wordplay
Arts & Culture (page 7)
Words We're Watching: 'Crickets'
A word for the sound of silence
'Like Rats Fleeing a Sinking Ship': A History
The idiom goes back centuries
Words We're Watching: 'Bluebeard,' the Verb
No, it's not a coiffure trend
Where 'Cliff-hangers' Come From
You're on the edge of your seat
What the @% Is a ‘Grawlix'?
We can thank Beetle Bailey.
What is a 'thirst trap'?
A tall drink of water
Showing Off Your [Sic] Moves
The politics of editorial comment.
10 Snappy Words for Style
What's the 'funk' in 'funky'?
How to ‘Zhuzh’ Up Your Vocabulary
Roll up your sleeves.
You Wear Them On Your Head
Or you could, anyway.
A Lesson in Fine Art
11 words to know for the museum
Words We're Watching: 'Technoference'
When you can't look away
Fancy Pants: 8 Words for Clothes
Some like it haute
The Dictionary Just Got a Whole Lot Bigger
We added 850 new words and definitions
Words We're Watching: 'Nothingburger'
Where's the beef?
Words We're Watching: 'Explainer'
Some things require explanation
'Swole': An Old Word With New Meaning
When you're swole, you're ripped.
What's the 'Sitch'?
We've got ourselves a situation here.
What Is a 'Cord-Cutter'?
When you know it's time to let go.
Words We're Watching: 'Unbanked' and 'Underbanked'
Follow the money.
Words We're Watching: 'Metal,' the Adjective
It's a pretty metal development.
Standing Up for 'Stan'
When you're more than a little obsessed.
Words We're Watching: 'Bombogenesis'
Or "bomb cyclone," if you prefer.
Why is it called an 'Adam's apple'?
It's not the reason you think.
Words We're Watching: 'Doggo'
They're good dogs, Webster.
On 'Kawaii' and the Power of Cute
Why Hello Kitty is everywhere.
Words We're Watching: 'Cape'
You know us, always caping for new words
'Padawan': The new "intern"?
This might be the word you're looking for
Words We're Watching: 'Ratioed'
When your take is both hot and bad.
Merriam-Webster's 2017 Words of the Year
Our Word of the Year feminism, plus 9 more
Words We're Watching: Adjectival 'Dad'
'Dad' is tinkering with a new use.
It's a Living: Last Names That Started as Jobs
What's in a name? Sometimes, a paycheck.
Words We're Watching: 'Streisand Effect'
Don't try to keep this under wraps.
Who Has the 'Bandwidth' These Days?
Making room for a new sense of the word
Are you in a 'food coma'?
Eat big, crash hard
Words We're Watching: 'Gig Economy'
When there's work to be done
Words We're Watching: 'Pizzly' vs. 'Grolar'
Polar bear + grizzly
Out of the 'Ether'
From a diss track to discourse
8 Words and Phrases from the Road
Just you, these words, and the horizon
Words We're Watching: 'Xennial'
You know who you are.
What's a 'Silver Fox'?
Attractive? Clever? Both?
'Spox' May Go On The Record
From newsroom lingo to the mainstream
'Golden Ticket': A Word of Pure Imagination
An everlasting gobstopper of a word
Some Jawn About 'Jawn'
'Jawn' is some kind of amazing jawn.
'Meat Sweats': The Cookout's Worst Nightmare
They're real, but is meat the cause?
Let's Talk 'Tea'
Spill it, sip it: just make it hot.
Welcome to the New Words Added in September 2017
From 'hive mind' to 'sriracha'
8 Foods Named After Real People
A delicious collection of eponymous foods
What is a 'third-culture kid'?
A new form of cultural identity
Words We're Watching: 'Tiny House'
Just how tiny is a 'tiny house'?
What about 'whataboutism'?
Why mention X if someone else did Y?
Words We're Watching: 'Antifa'
What it means and how to say it
'Contactless': A New Way To Shop
Will you be paying by phone?
What's a 'Clapback'?
Mic. Drop.
Famous by Design: 'Starchitect'
'Star' + 'Architect' = 'Starchitect'
Devilish Words
Don't blame a word use error on the devil.
Don't Let Reading This Be Another 'Coulda' 'Shoulda' 'Woulda'
PSA: They're three separate words.
Words We're Watching: 'Record Scratch'
Used as an interjection
Don't Be a Victim of 'Smishing'
A brand new portmanteau.
'Tetris' is Being Used as a Verb
But does it fit into the dictionary?
Infomania in the Information Age
In the information age, can we ever be satisfied with what we know?
Are You 'For Reals?'
Just when you get comfortable with a slang phrase, they add an s.
What To Call Your Local Beer Expert
When you're looking for something to pair with your nachos.
When Fictional Words Become Real
A single author created them, but the public adopted them.
'Latinx' And Gender Inclusivity
How do you pronounce this more inclusive word?
Back To School Means Time For Scaffolding
Learn this term to help students learn.
Reaching Peak 'Peak': A Meta Study
On our way towards the wordy peak.
Words We're Watching: 'Aquafaba'
Don't dump out the bean water just yet...
The 'Best' Way to Sign Off On An E-mail
Give them your best
Words That Come From the Dinner Table
Have you ever been given the cold shoulder? Of mutton?
Words We're Watching: 'Scoby'
Kombucha lovers unite.
Words We're Watching: 'Fidget Spinner'
Don't fight the fad
Get Ready To 'Vanna White'
You don't even need an evening gown!
Don't Blame Millennials for the Introductory 'Which'
Which, history.
Don't @ Us
A social media convention goes beyond Twitter
'Negging' Moves Beyond The Bar Scene
Not just for pick-up artists anymore
'Pride': The Word That Went From Vice to Strength
Do you take pride in Pride?
Pretty in 'Pink'
From Fuchsia to Baker-Miller Pink
'All the Feels,' All the Time
Once more, with 'feels'
'Human Capital': More Than the Sum of Its Parts
Not just a fancy term for 'human resources'
That's So Meta
If you're thinking about thinking about meta, you're already there
Ah, 'Romance': A Word Borne to English on the Breastplates of Chivalry
The true and lovesome history of 'romance'
The History of 'Epic Fail'
Fail better
The rise of the 'promposal'
The most important decision you will ever make. Or not.
A Brief History of 'Squee'
The word has its fans
Is 'kryptonite' a real word?
The answer to this question is usually yes
Why does Eeyore have the name he does?
Donkeys don't say 'eeyore'—or do they?
From 'Ale' to 'Zymurgy': 8 Words About Beer
'Lager', 'stout', 'pilsner', and more
Tbh: To Be Honest, the Meaning is Perfectly Clear
Afaik
What does 'otaku' really mean?
Is 'otaku' an insult? It depends.
A Poet by any Other Name
Poets are makers. Literally.
9 Financial Words With Surprising Origins
In the beginning, 'income' simply meant "coming in"
The Nuclear Option
Figurative use of the term 'nuclear option' is relatively new
The Origins of 'Side-Hustle'
The word dates back at least as far as the 1950s
The Real Story of 'Fake News'
You can trust us
9 Words from P.G. Wodehouse
'Jeeves', 'snooter', and more
The History of 'Thon', the Forgotten Gender-Neutral Pronoun
Whatever happened to 'thon'?
Nice to E-Meet You
When e-meet meets the dictionary
What does it mean to be an egg on Twitter?
Are you a good egg or a bad egg?
8 Ways to Face the Music
'Shimmy', 'waltz', & 6 more words from dance
8 Words and Phrases from U.S. Presidents
How to sound presidential
7 Words for When You're Feeling Sentimental
Words for all those big, mushy feelings
What's 'balayage'?
The highlight(s) of your week
'Positive', 'Cheat', and 7 Other Words from Law
Don't be an ignoramus
We Added 1,000+ New Words to the Dictionary in February 2017
From 'binge-watch' to 'Seussian'
What's a 'Tweetstorm'?
Batten down the hatches
No, 'Snowflake' as a Slang Term Did Not Begin with 'Fight Club'
The lost history of 'snowflake'
7 Words That Will Expand Your Understanding of Cheese
From 'hard cheese' to 'headcheese'
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