The English language just keeps getting bigger, and it’s mostly the Internet’s fault. Even Dictionary.com, the premier online destination for the lexically curious, can barely keep up with the deluge of webby terms social media churns out every day—but they try.
The site’s newest definitions encompass a range of these cutting-edge phrases, some of which have been in use quite a while: “revenge porn,” “dark web,” and “astroturfing” all made the grade. Here’s the entire list of additions and what, according to the experts, they mean.
agender
relating to a person who does not have a specific gender identity or recognizable gender expression.
anecdata
anecdotal evidence based on personal observations or opinions, random investigations, etc., but presented as fact.
astroturfing
the deceptive tactic of simulating grassroots support for a product or cause undertaken by people or organizations with an interest in shaping public opinion.
basic
characterized by predictable or unoriginal style, interests, or behavior.
bigender
relating to a person who has two gender identities or some combination of both.
blackhat
a hacker who violates the security of a system for personal profit or for the gratification of causing damage.
brogrammer
a male computer programmer who is characterized as a bro.
crash blossom
an ambiguously worded headline whose meaning can be interpreted in the wrong way, as “Missing Woman Remains Found.”
cybercrime
criminal activity or a crime that involves the Internet, a computer system, or computer technology.
dark web
the portion of the Internet that is intentionally hidden from search engines, uses masked IP addresses, and is accessible only with a special web browser.
dox
to publish the private personal information of (another person) without the consent of that individual.
esports
competitive tournaments of video games.
gender-fluid
relating to a person whose gender identity or gender expression is not fixed and shifts over time or depending on the situation.
glanceable
relating to information on an electronic screen that can be understood quickly or at a glance.
gesture
a particular movement of the fingers or hand over a screen, used to control or interact with a digital device.
haptics
the study or use of tactile sensations and the sense of touch as a method of interacting with computers and electronic devices.
hyperlocal
focused on a very small geographical community, as a neighborhood.
microaggression
a subtle but offensive comment or action directed at a minority or other nondominant group that is often unintentional or unconsciously reinforces a stereotype.
mRDC
mobile remote deposit capture: a method of depositing a check by using a mobile device to scan an image of it and transmit the image to a bank.
parallax
a 3-D effect observed when images and other elements in the foreground of a screen move at a different rate than those in the background.
revenge porn
sexually suggestive images of someone, typically a former romantic partner, that are posted online without the person’s consent.
ship
to take an interest in a romantic relationship between fictional characters or famous people.
smartwatch
a computing device that resembles a wristwatch and is attached to a band worn around the wrist.
swat
(especially among online video gamers) to cause a SWAT team to be deployed on an unsuspecting victim by falsifying a threat, often as a punishment or retaliation.
Got all that? Phew. This’ll be a lot easier a few years from now, when we all have automatically updating vocabulary chips implanted in our brains.
Photo via Flazingo Photos/Flickr (CC BY SA 2.0)
