Before this week's additions, Merriam-Webster hadn't updated its website listings since 2014, according to the Associated Press.
"Some of these we've been watching for many years, and some of these are very new words," said Peter Sokolowski, Merriam-Webster's editor at large.
Arancini, conlang, microaggression, ghost, prospagnosia, Seussian, face-palm, net neutrality, abandonware, botnet, photobomb, town hall, truther, SCOTUS and FLOTUS are among the new additions.
Here are some of the new listings and their definitions:
BINGE-WATCH (verb): "to watch many or all episodes of (a TV series) in rapid succession"
BOKEH (noun): "the blurred quality or effect seen in the out-of-focus portion of a photograph taken with a narrow depth of field"
FAST FASHION (noun): "an approach to the design, creation and marketing of clothing fashions that emphasizes making fashion trends quickly and cheaply available to consumers"
FOOD INSECURE (adjective): "unable to consistently access or afford adequate food"
HUMBLEBRAG (verb): "to make a seemingly modest, self-critical or casual statement or reference that is meant to draw attention to one's admirable or impressive qualities or achievements"
MUMBLECORE: (noun): "a genre of narrative film focusing primarily on the intimate lives of young characters and featuring scenes of ample dialogue and minimal action"
SANTOKU (noun): "a medium-sized, multipurpose kitchen knife of Japanese origin that has a lightweight blade with a straight or slightly curved cutting edge and a spine that curves downward to the tip"
WAYBACK (noun): "the area in the back of a van, station wagon or SUV"
WEAK SAUCE (noun): "something inferior, ineffective or unimpressive"
WOO-WOO (adjective): "dubiously or outlandishly mystical, supernatural or unscientific"
About the Author