Tweet, Fistbump, and Bromance Added to Merriam-Webster Dictionary
The Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary has had a plethora of modern terms added to its newest edition.
The edition, which was released Thursday, has added over 100 new terms. Among those are several popular culture expressions such as "bromance," "tweet," "fist bump," and "cougar."
Merriam-Webster notes that the simple frequency of usage made these terms eligible to be included in the dictionary.
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"Even if people had no interest or possible chance of getting a Twitter account themselves, they now have to know what 'tweet' means, and that's really why it's in the dictionary," said Merriam-Webster's editor at large, Peter Sokolowski.
The term "tweet," can be used as a noun or a verb and is defined by Merriam-Webster as a post made on the Twitter online message service.
Some terms were made notable by poignant events; such as "fist bump," defined by Merriam-Webster as a gesture in which two people bump their fists together, as in greeting or celebration.
Already popular at sporting events, "fist bump" was made especially popular by President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama in 2008 when the president had accepted his nomination. The Washington Post dubbed the gesture, "the fist bump heard 'round the world."
The term "bromance" was made famous by use on a number of television shows and refers to a close nonsexual friendship between men, according to Merriam-Webster.
Merriam-Webster says that their editors dedicate hours each day to tracking the popularity of various words, their frequency of use and in what medium they are used, including newspapers, magazines and electronic publications.
Many terms have been very popular for many years, but have only just made it into the dictionary. Such as "cougar," defined as a middle-aged woman seeking a romantic relationship with a younger man.
However, newer terms such as "helicopter parent," and "boomerang child," have made it into the dictionary a lot sooner.
"Helicopter parent" is defined as a parent who is overly involved in the life of his or her child.
"Boomerang child" is defined as a young adult who returns to live at his or her family home especially for financial reasons.
