Siraj Datoo
QZ.com
August 29, 2013
Oxford Dictionaries Online (ODO) is adding a slew of words that only recently came into general usage, many driven by fast-moving trends in technology and culture. Yes, “twerk” is now in the dictionary.
The most relevant addition to the dictionary for Quartz readers is probably “phablet,” a portmanteau of “phone” and “tablet” used to describe oversized smartphones. Other new words and phrases that resonate with Quartz include “bitcoin,” “internet of things,” and “space tourism.” We are less enamored of “vom,” which is shorthand for “vomit.”
Oxford University Press publishes both the ODO and the more famous Oxford English Dictionary (OED). These words are only going into the ODO, which prides itself on staying up-to-date with modern lingo. The OED describes itself as a “historic dictionary” and never removes any words, even if they fall out of use.
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