Words are everywhere! We say them. We write them. We read them. Lexicographers keep up with language. The word experts keep our dictionaries up to date. That’s what happened at Dictionary.com. The site just added 313 new words. Terms like “petfluencer” and “cakeage” made the cut!
So, what do these new words mean? Well, “petfluencer” combines the words “pet” and “influencer.” An influencer has a ton of followers. A petfluencer has those followers because they post about their pet! “Petfluencer” can also refer to the animal.
Then, there’s “cakeage.” Restaurants sometimes charge that fee. It happens when someone brings their own sweet to dinner!
Another tasty term involves cake as well. It’s “cakeism.” It comes from the expression “to have one’s cake and eat it too.” Say you wanted to play video games and do your homework. Your friend might say, “That’s cakeism!” It means you have to make a choice. It’s impossible to do both. If you eat your cake, you won’t have it anymore.
One new entry has become more popular. A “digital nomad” is a person who works while traveling. The COVID-19 pandemic made it so fewer people have to go to an office.
Speaking of travel, let’s go to Antarctica! The water that borders that icy continent is called the Southern Ocean. Dictionary.com added the body of water to its site.
One addition isn’t a word at all. It’s a phone number! Dictionary.com added “988.” That is an emergency number in the United States. A person dialing those digits can reach a mental health expert. That expert can then talk through the caller’s issue. The 988 worker can also send out emergency services.
These are just a few words a dictionary can hold. Are you curious about a term? Look it up!
Updated March 3, 2023, 5:01 P.M. (ET)
By Alexa Tirapelli
