'Nepo Baby' Joins New Terms & Words Added to Dictionary, Phrases Updated to Be Gender-Inclusive

justjared.com:

It’s time to learn some new words! Dictionary.com announced its latest update this week, which includes 566 new entries, 348 new definitions for pre-existing entries, and 2,256 revised definitions, via Literary Hub.

New additions include terms like “nepo baby” (a celebrity with a parent who is also famous”), “decision fatigue” (mental and emotional exhaustion resulting from excessive or relentless decision-making) and “box braids” (a hairstyle originating among Black people), as well as lesser known terms like “shower orange” (an orange that is peeled and eaten under a steamy shower) and “mountweazel” (a decoy entry in a reference work). Keep reading to find out more… “People are so creative!

As you can imagine, recording the ever-changing language is incredibly enjoyable while also being intellectually stimulating,” said Grant Barrett, head of lexicography at Dictionary.com in a press release. “Even though dictionary-making is what we do, we’re still delighted with the variety, depth and complexity of this big batch of terms.

There’s so much that shows how vibrant the language is, as it keeps up with changes in culture and society.” Lexicographers have also removed binary-gendered phrases in dictionary entries. “On the inclusivity side, his or her does not include people who use other pronouns,” they explained in the same press release. “In terms of usage, they is simply much more common as a generic pronoun than he or she, including in spoken and all but the most formal types of written English.