Merriam-Webster adds 'e-reader,' 'gastropub' and more
Many of the 2012 inclusions in the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary are words that 'provide colorful images,' according to editor at large Peter Sokolowski.
One of the terms added to the dictionary this year is 'bucket list.'
Richard Drew/AP
Congratulations to “earworm,” “e-reader” and “game changer” – they and a host of other terms made the cut this year for the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary.
Merriam-Webster usually adds around a hundred words to the dictionary each year, and 2012’s inclusions ranged from slang to terms created by food aficionados.
“Some of the new words this year provide colorful images," Merriam-Webster Editor at Large Peter Sokolowski said in a statement. “Terms like 'man cave,' 'underwater' (when used to describe mortgages), 'earworm,' and 'bucket list' paint vivid pictures in your mind. They show that English-speakers can be very creative as they describe the world around them.”
Other notable newbies included “gastropub,” “f-bomb, “ “sexting” and “cloud computing.”