definition

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Cambridge Dictionary Adds New Definition for 'Woman'
Tuesday Was a Big Day
for a 'Common Word'
UPDATED
Dec 14, 2022 10:10 AM CST

Tuesday Was a Big Day for a 'Common Word'

'Woman' made headlines

(Newser) - Tuesday was a big day for the word "woman." In addition to a slew of headlines about a recent change the Cambridge Dictionary made to the word, another dictionary appointed it the word of 2022. Dictionary.com announced that "woman" was its word of the year, noting...

Woman Gets Dictionary to Redefine Racism

'It's not just "I don't like someone," it's a system of oppression for a certain group of people'

(Newser) - Merriam-Webster currently has, as its first listed definition of racism, "a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race." A 22-year-old Missouri woman had a problem with that, and as a result,...

New Dictionary Definition Is Just Insane ... 'Literally'

Oxford added new meaning because people mis-use the word

(Newser) - A recent change to the Oxford English Dictionary must have pedants ripping their hair out ... literally. It went unnoticed, but the OED added an additional meaning to the word "literally" two years ago because people use the word for exaggerated effect, the Daily Mail reports. "Our job is...

Oxford Dictionary May Tweak Definition of Marriage

Press says usage 'is shifting'

(Newser) - Conservatives have been warning for years that gay couples were trying to "redefine" marriage—and now they may literally have. The Oxford English Dictionary has announced that it will be reviewing its definition of marriage, which currently refers to "a formal union of a man and a woman,...

Unlikely Presence in Court: the Racy 'Urban Dictionary'

Site launched as a joke cited in dozens of cases

(Newser) - Your average court may not be able to define "nut" as a verb; it may struggle to figure out why a pair of thieves called themselves "jack boys." That's where the Urban Dictionary comes in. In the former case, its definition of "to nut"—...

Google Is Top Online Dictionary, But in Weak Field

Lack of sensical example sentences even in OED flummoxes Angwin

(Newser) - Nowadays, Google is just about as good a reference as the Oxford English Dictionary—or better, Julia Angwin writes in the Wall Street Journal. Type in a misspelled word, and the search engine corrects it. What’s more, Google will display a trove of up-to-date articles using the word, something...

How to Identify Hipsters: By What They Hate

(Newser) - Josh Skolnick was looking for a way to sum up what a hipster is for the Stimulist, and stumbled upon the perfect tool: Stuff Hipsters Hate, a website that "gives the world its most coherent vision yet of what defines these folks.” A sampling:
  • Other hipsters: "To
...

What Is This 'Mate' of Which You Speak?

Australian government gives immigrants a formal definition

(Newser) - For its new citizenship test, the Australian government has provided a formal definition of the word "mate." Yes, as in "G'day, mate." A 40-page guide for aspiring Aussies, the brainchild of the immigration minister, defines mateship as the condition “where people help and receive help...

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