Taxonomize,” “e-dress,” and “rideshare” – just a sampling of the creative new words and expressions recently submitted by the public to Merriam-Webster’s Open Dictionary. Read on for their definitions…
taxonomize (verb): to create a taxonomy, to create a system of classification.
Example of use: But the new taxonomizing does more than increase knowledge—it reveals meaning.—David Weinberger, Bulletin of the American Society for Information Science & Technology, March 2007
e-dress (noun): e-mail address.
Example of use: How can I get in touch with you? What’s your e-dress?
rideshare (verb): to share the ride with someone, to carpool.
Example of use: We clearly need to encourage people to rideshare more.
victimist (noun and adjective): one who proclaims the victimization of a group thus excusing many failings of such group.
Example of use: Journalists can be susceptible to victimist clichés.
mocktail (noun): a non-alcoholic beverage that mimics a cocktail; a virgin drink.
Example of use: Whenever I am designated driver for the evening, I always order mocktails at the bar.
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When you notice a new word — on the radio, in a book or magazine, or online — and discover that it’s not in the dictionary, then it’s a good candidate for Merriam-Webster’s Open Dictionary. Some words catch on, some don’t. It usually takes a few years for a word to enter the language and be used by many people in many different places. Lexicographers collect the evidence of new words used in print to determine when they are to be entered in the dictionary.
The Open Dictionary is a place to record new or specialized words or old words with new meanings, and some of the more intriguing new words and expressions submitted to the Open Dictionary at www.merriam-webster.com make it into this semimonthly roundup at the Britannica Blog. Some of these words are being used in active English but have not yet found their way into the pages of print dictionaries. Others are clever or useful coinages.
We welcome your contributions to the Open Dictionary — simply click here to join the fun.