Dictionary.com has released a list of the new words added to their online dictionary. Here are a few:

(Photo illustration by Hugh Pinney/Getty Images)
(Photo illustration by Hugh Pinney/Getty Images)
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Do you even recognize some of these words? 'Astroturfing'?  The made-up word that means 'creating fake grassroots political support' is one of hundreds of new words and phrases that have just been added to the database of Dictionary.com.  Also entering the official word game are 'bi-gender,' 'revenge porn' and 'dark web,' which is defined as "that portion of the internet that is hidden from search engines."

The CEO of Dictionary.com had this to say about the newly selected words:

"Many of these new words show that the line continues to blur between our lives online and our vernacular, with personal and enterprise security top of mind for consumers, as shown by their searches," said Michele Turner, CEO of Dictionary.com. "One of our favorite recent additions is a concept very familiar to many of us these days: anecdata is anecdotal evidence based on personal observations but presented as fact."

 

agender: relating to a person who does not have a specific gender identity or recognizable gender expression.

anecdata: anecdotal evidence based on personal observations or opinions, random investigations, etc., but presented as fact.

astroturfing: the deceptive tactic of simulating grassroots support for a product or cause undertaken by people or organizations with an interest in shaping public opinion.

basic: characterized by predictable or unoriginal style, interests, or behavior.

blackhat: a hacker who violates the security of a system for personal profit or for the gratification of causing damage.

brogrammer: a male computer programmer who is characterized as a bro.

crash blossom: an ambiguously worded headline whose meaning can be interpreted in the wrong way, as "Missing Woman Remains Found."

cybercrime: criminal activity or a crime that involves the Internet, a computer system, or computer technology.

dox: to publish the private personal information of (another person) without the consent of that individual.

esports: competitive tournaments of video games.

gender-fluid: relating to a person whose gender identity or gender expression is not fixed and shifts over time or depending on the situation.

glanceable: relating to information on an electronic screen that can be understood quickly or at a glance.

gesture: a particular movement of the fingers or hand over a screen, used to control or interact with a digital device.

haptics: the study or use of tactile sensations and the sense of touch as a method of interacting with computers and electronic devices.

hyperlocal: focused on a very small geographical community, as a neighborhood.

microaggression: a subtle but offensive comment or action directed at a minority or other nondominant group that is often unintentional or unconsciously reinforces a stereotype.

mRDC: mobile remote deposit capture: a method of depositing a check by using a mobile device to scan an image of it and transmit the image to a bank.

parallax: a 3-D effect observed when images and other elements in the foreground of a screen move at a different rate than those in the background.

ship: to take an interest in a romantic relationship between fictional characters or famous people.

smartwatch: a computing device that resembles a wristwatch and is attached to a band worn around the wrist.

swat: (especially among online video gamers) to cause a SWAT team to be deployed on an unsuspecting victim by falsifying a threat, often as a punishment or retaliation.

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