‘Ghost kitchen,’ ‘dumbphone’: See some of the 5,000 new words added to Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Dictionary
New edition FILE PHOTO: In a photo illustration, a Merriam-Webster's dictionary is seen placed on a lawn on January 11, 2024. The 11th edition seen here will soon be replaced with the 12th edition with 5,000 new words. (Photo illustration by Brandon Bell/Getty Images) (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

The language is evolving and with it come changes to the dictionary.

Merriam-Webster has updated the hard copy of its collegiate dictionary, adding 5,000 new words to the 12th edition, The Associated Press reported.

The new edition comes at a time when sales for hard-copy dictionaries have declined, and 22 years after the last update.

"For the first time in over twenty years, and only the twelfth time since 1898, Merriam-Webster has published a new edition of its iconic Collegiate Dictionary,” the company said, according to USA Today.

But if you need to get your hands on the new book, and forgo typing into a search bar for flipping through pages, the 12th edition dictionary will be released on Nov. 18, with preorders open now. The list price on Amazon is $34.95.

USA Today says the book weighs about 5 pounds and will have the easy-to-use thumb notches.

Some of the new words include:

Petrichor: "a distinctive, earthy, usually pleasant odor that is associated with rainfall especially when following a warm, dry period and that arises from a combination of volatile plant oils and geosmin released from the soil into the air and by ozone carried by downdrafts."

Ghost kitchen: "a commercial cooking facility used for the preparation of food consumed off the premises."

Dumbphone: "a cell phone that does not include advanced software features (such as email or an internet browser) typically found on smartphones."

Dad bod: “a physique regarded as typical of an average father especially: one that is slightly overweight and not extremely muscular."

Adulting: "the act or practice of attending to the ordinary tasks required of a responsible adult."

Beast mode: “an extremely aggressive or energetic style or manner that someone (such as an athlete) adopts temporarily (as to overpower an opponent in a fight or competition).”

Doomscroll: “to spend excessive time online scrolling (see scroll entry 2) through news or other content that makes one feel sad, anxious, angry, etc."

WFH: “work from home; working from home.”

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