Every word in the english dictionary

The dictionary chronicles how the language grows and changes, which means new words and definitions must continually be added. When many people use a word in the same way, over a long enough period of time, that word becomes eligible for inclusion. Here are a selection of words that met the criteria for our most recent update.

BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY

This update features a range of technology-related terms, including a playful retronym that contrasts with the ubiquitous smartphone.

dumbphone : a cell phone that does not include advanced software features (such as email or an internet browser) typically found on smartphones

video doorbell : a small security camera that is designed for use on an exterior door, that includes or connects to a doorbell, and that often has a microphone and speaker : DOORBELL CAMERA

microgrid : a small grid; especially : a local electrical grid (see GRID sense 2a(3)) that can be connected to a larger network but that is also capable of operating independently

use case : a use to which something (such as a proposed product or service) can be put : APPLICATION sense 1a(2)

supply chain : the chain of processes, businesses, etc. by which a commodity is produced and distributed : the companies, materials, and systems involved in manufacturing and delivering goods

greenwash verb 1 : to make (something, such as a product, policy, or practice) appear to be more environmentally friendly or less environmentally damaging than it really is 2 : to mislead (someone) by means of greenwashing
greenwash noun : something (such as a claim or action) that is intended to make a product, policy, activity, etc. appear to be more environmentally friendly or less environmentally damaging than it really is

THE VIRTUAL WORLD

All the time we spend online shapes how we communicate both online and in meatspace—that’s “the physical world and environment especially as contrasted with the virtual world of cyberspace.”

metaverse 1 computing : a persistent virtual (see VIRTUAL sense 2) environment that allows access to and interoperability of multiple individual virtual realities also : any of the individual virtual environments that make up a metaverse 2 cosmology : the hypothetical combination of all co-existing or sequentially existing universes

laggy : having a delayed or slow response (as to a user’s input) : marked or affected by lag

sponcon : content (see CONTENT entry 1 sense 1c) posted usually by an influencer on social media that looks like a typical post but for which the poster has been paid to advertise a product or service

virtue signaling : the act or practice of conspicuously displaying one’s awareness of and attentiveness to political issues, matters of social and racial justice, etc., especially instead of taking effective action

THE NATURAL WORLD AND BEING OUT IN IT

But of course the real world hasn’t gone away.

dawn chorus : the singing of wild birds that closely precedes and follows sunrise especially in spring and summer

atmospheric river : a concentrated band of water vapor that flows through the atmosphere and that is a significant part of the global hydrologic cycle and an important source of regional precipitation

surface wave : an earthquake vibration propagated near the surface of the earth

magnet fishing : the sport or hobby of using a strong magnet attached to the end of a rope to find metal objects in bodies of water

free dive : to swim beneath the surface of water especially at considerable depth without a portable breathing device and typically with a face mask and one or two flippers : to engage in free diving

mud season : a time of year (such as early spring) that is characterized by excessively muddy ground

OUT OF THIS WORLD

space force : the military organization of a nation for space warfare

terraform : to transform (a planet, moon, etc.) so that it is suitable for supporting human life

SLANG AND INFORMAL LANGUAGE

Words in this category have traditionally taken longer to meet our criteria, but that timeline is getting shorter as the internet accelerates the adoption of informal language.

yeet interjection, slang — used to express surprise, approval, or excited enthusiasm
yeet verb : to throw especially with force and without regard for the thing being thrown

janky informal : of very poor quality : JUNKY; also : not functioning properly or adequately : FAULTY

sus slang : SUSPICIOUS, SUSPECT

lewk slang : a fashion look (see LOOK entry 2 sense 2c) that is distinctive to the wearer and that is noticeable and memorable to others

pwn slang : to dominate and defeat (someone or something) : OWN sense 1b, ROUT entry 2 sense 1a

adorkable informal : socially awkward or quirky in a way that is endearing

MacGyver slang : to make, form, or repair (something) with what is conveniently on hand

baller informal : excellent, exciting, or extraordinary especially in a way that is suggestive of a lavish lifestyle

cringe slang : so embarrassing, awkward, etc. as to cause one to cringe : CRINGEWORTHY

FWIW abbreviation for what it’s worth

ICYMI abbreviation in case you missed it

WORKING, BANKING, AND MONEY

Our additions describe new ways to sell products, use (or not use) banks, and invest.

gift economy : a system in which goods and services are given freely between people rather than sold or bartered

shrinkflation : the practice of reducing a product’s amount or volume per unit while continuing to offer it at the same price

unbanked : not having money deposited in a bank; also : not deposited in a bank

underbanked : not using or having access to a full range of banking options

altcoin : any of various cryptocurrencies that are regarded as alternatives to established cryptocurrencies and especially to Bitcoin

side hustle : work performed for income supplementary to one’s primary job

HEALTH & HEALING

It’s been two and a half years since our special update in March 2020, but the effects of COVID-19 on our lives—and our language—continue to be felt. All of the new health-related terms have existed for years, but they’ve recently entered common speech, and therefore qualified for entry:

subvariant : one of two or more distinctive forms or types of the same variant

booster dose : a supplementary dose of a therapeutic agent designed to increase the effectiveness of one or more previously administered doses

emergency use authorization : an authorization granted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration during a public health emergency that allows for the use of a drug or other medical product prior to its full approval

false negative : a person or test result that is incorrectly classified as negative (as for the presence of a health condition) because of imperfect testing methods or procedures

false positive : a person or test result that is incorrectly classified as positive (as for the presence of a health condition) because of imperfect testing methods or procedures

JUST HAVING FUN

New to our dictionary is a term for a creature of remarkable cuteness, as well as a word for a rather complex kind of play.

hoglet chiefly British : a baby hedgehog (see HEDGEHOG sense 1a)

LARP : a live-action role-playing game in which a group of people enacts a fictional scenario (such as a fantasy adventure) in real time typically under the guidance of a facilitator or organizer (verb, LARPER, and LARPING also have new entries)

Galentine’s Day : a holiday observed on February 13th as a time to celebrate friendships especially among women

level up : to advance or improve (oneself, someone else, or something) in or as if in a game

WE ALL HAVE TO EAT

Names of foods from around the world become familiar to us through menus, recipes, and cooking shows. But homegrown flavors—particularly one that’s become (in)famously associated with autumn—also give us new words that need to be defined.

pumpkin spice : a mixture of usually cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and often allspice that is commonly used in pumpkin pie

omakase noun : a series of small servings or courses (as of sushi) offered at a fixed price and whose selection is left to the chef’s discretion
omakase adverb or adjective : “according to the chef’s choice”

ras el hanout : a mixture of ground spices that is used in northern African cooking and includes coriander, ginger, turmeric, peppercorns, cumin, cinnamon, cardamom, cayenne pepper, and other spices

mojo : a sauce, marinade, or seasoning that is usually composed primarily of olive oil, garlic, citrus juice, and spices (such as black pepper and cumin)

birria : a Mexican dish of stewed meat seasoned especially with chili peppers

oat milk : a liquid made from ground oats and water that is usually fortified (as with calcium and vitamins) and used as a milk substitute

sessionable of alcoholic beverages : having a light body and a lower-than-average percentage of alcohol

plant-based 1 : made or derived from plants 2 : consisting primarily or entirely of food (such as vegetables, fruits, nuts, oils, and beans) derived from plants

banh mi : a usually spicy sandwich in Vietnamese cuisine consisting of a split baguette filled typically with meat (such as pork or chicken) and pickled vegetables (such as carrot and daikon) and garnished with cilantro and often cucumbers

For the previous batch of new words, check out our October 2021 additions.

​In this article, you’ll ​learn ​how to pronounce all 270,000 words ​of the English language perfectly. ​​Sound unlikely? Actually, it’s not as difficult as you might imagine. Read on to discover ​exactly how you can ​achieve this.

More…

​Guessing pronunciation from written English

​Air flow through the body

When we speak, air travels from the lungs up towards the mouth. The air vibrates (shakes quickly) in the vocal cords to create noise. We use parts of our mouth to ‘shape’ this noise into ​​the sounds of our language.

The sounds of English

Leaning pronunciation from a dictionary

Here’s a dictionary definition of the word ‘oscillate’ that we looked at earlier (with the pronunciation notes highlighted):

​¹ ​https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/explore/how-many-words-are-there-in-the-english-language

English Collins Dictionary — English Definition & Thesaurus  

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eve·ry

 (ĕv′rē)

adj.

1.

a. Constituting each and all members of a group without exception.

b. Being all possible: had every chance of winning, but lost.

2. Being each of a specified succession of objects or intervals: every third seat; every two hours.

3. Being the highest degree or expression of: showed us every attention; had every hope of succeeding.

Idioms:

every bit Informal

In all ways; equally: He is every bit as mean as she is.

every now and then/again

From time to time; occasionally.

every once in a while

From time to time; occasionally.

every other

Each alternate: She went to visit her aunt every other week.

every so often

At intervals; occasionally.

every which way Informal

1. In every direction.

2. In complete disorder.

---

Usage Note: Every is representative of a group of English words and expressions that are singular in form but felt to be plural in sense. The class includes noun phrases introduced by every, any, and certain uses of some. These expressions invariably take a singular verb; we say Every car has (not have) been tested, Anyone is (not are) liable to fall ill, and Some pizza is left over from the party. But when a sentence contains a pronoun that refers to a previous noun phrase introduced by every, grammar and sense pull in different directions. The grammar of these expressions requires a singular pronoun, as in Every car must have its brakes tested, but the meaning often leads people to use the plural pronoun, as in Every car must have their brakes tested. The use of plural pronouns in such cases is common in speech, but it is still widely regarded as incorrect in writing. · The effort to adhere to the grammatical rule causes complications, however. The first is grammatical. When a pronoun refers to a phrase containing every or any that falls within a different independent clause, the pronoun cannot be singular. Thus it is not idiomatic to say Every man left; he took his raincoat with him. Nor is it grammatical to say No one could be seen, could he? If the plural forms seem wrong in these examples (Every man took their raincoat with them), one way around the problem is to rephrase the sentence so as to get the pronoun into the same clause (as in Every man left, taking his raincoat with him). Another is to substitute another word for every or any, usually by casting the entire sentence as plural, as in All the men left; they took their raincoats with them. · The second complication involves the issue of gender. When a phrase introduced by every or any refers to a group containing both men and women, what should the gender of the singular pronoun be? This matter is discussed in the Usage Notes at he and they. See Usage Notes at all, each, either, he¹, neither, none, they.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

every

(ˈɛvrɪ)

determiner

1. each one (of the class specified), without exception: every child knows it.

2. (not used with a negative) the greatest or best possible: every hope of success.

3. each: used before a noun phrase to indicate the recurrent, intermittent, or serial nature of a thing: every third day; every now and then; every so often.

4. every bit (used in comparisons with as) quite; just; equally: every bit as funny as the other show.

5. every other each alternate; every second: every other day.

6. every which way

a. in all directions; everywhere: I looked every which way for you.

b. US and Canadian from all sides: stones coming at me every which way.

[C15 everich, from Old English ǣfre ǣlc, from ǣfre ever + ǣlc each]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

eve•ry

(ˈɛv ri)

adj.

1. being one of a group or series taken collectively; each: We go there every day.

2. all possible; the greatest possible degree of: every prospect of success.

Idioms:

1. every now and then, on occasion; from time to time. Also, every once in a while, every so often.

2. every other, every second; every alternate: milk deliveries every other day.

3. every which way, in all directions; in disorganized fashion.

[1125–75; Old English ǣfre ǣlc ever each]

Random House Kernerman Webster’s College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

every

1. ‘every’

You use every in front of the singular form of a countable noun to show that you are referring to all the members of a group and not just some of them.

She spoke to every person at the party.

I agree with every word Peter says.

This new wealth can be seen in every village.

2. ‘every’ and ‘all’

You can often use every or all with the same meaning. For example, ‘Every student should attend’ means the same as ‘All students should attend’.

However, every is followed by the singular form of a noun, whereas all is followed by the plural form.

Every child is entitled to free education.

All children love to build and explore.

3. ‘each’

Instead of ‘every’ or ‘all’, you sometimes use each. You use each when you are thinking about the members of a group as individuals.

Each customer has the choice of thirty colours.

Each meal will be served in a different room.

4. referring back to ‘every’

You usually use a singular pronoun such as he, she, him, or her to refer back to an expression beginning with every.

Every businesswoman would have a secretary if she could.

However, when you are referring back to an expression such as every student or every inhabitant which does not indicate a specific sex, you usually use they or them.

Every employee knew exactly what their job was.

5. used with expressions of time

You use every to show that something happens at regular intervals.

They met every day.

Every Monday there is a staff meeting.

Every and all do not have the same meaning when they are used with expressions of time. For example, if you do something every morning, you do it regularly each morning. If you do something all morning, you spend the whole of one morning doing it.

He goes running every day.

I was busy all day.

6. ‘every other’

If something happens, for example, every other year or every second year, it happens one year, then does not happen the next year, then happens the year after that, and so on.

We only save enough money to take a real vacation every other year.

It seemed easier to shave every second day.

Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012

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