Emoji, meme, photobomb, twerk among new Merriam-Webster words

Other entries include clickbait, jegging and NSFW


Reuters May 28, 2015
PHOTO: REUTERS

FWIW, new words have been added to the dictionary.

The abbreviation that stands for "for what it's worth" is among 1,700 new entries that have been added recently to the Merriam-Webster Unabridged dictionary, according to Merriam-Webster spokeswoman Meghan Lunghi and the unabridged dictionary's website.

Other new words include "clickbait," a noun defined as "something (such as a headline) designed to make readers want to click on a hyperlink especially when the link leads to content of dubious value or interest."

Read: Lotsa twerking and lolz in new Scrabble dictionary

Another new word is noun "jegging," usually plural, defined as "a legging that is designed to resemble a tight-fitting pair of denim jeans and is made of a stretchable fabric."

The new entries also include the well-known abbreviation "WTF" as well as "NSFW," which stands for "not safe or suitable for work," and is used to warn someone that something, such as a website or attachment, is not appropriate for viewing at places of employment.

Food and drink nouns "chilaquiles," "crema," "lambrusco" and "macaron" also made the list, according to the website.

The slew of new entries includes 160 new music and law terms, such as "cyberstalking," "identity fraud" and "hsaing-waing," which is a traditional Burmese musical ensemble mainly of drums and gongs.

Merriam-Webster Unabridged is the largest, most comprehensive American dictionary currently available, Lunghi said.

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