Merriam-Webster Adds Over 5k Words To Collegiate Dictionary

The 12th edition of the dictionary comes 22 years after the book's last hard-copy update.

Merriam-Webster has added over 5,000 new words to the ‘Collegiate’ dictionary.

The 12th edition of the dictionary comes 22 years after the book’s last hard-copy update.

New words include ‘petrichor,’ meaning a pleasant odor after a rainfall following a dry spell. Also added was ‘teraflop,’ which is a measure for calculating the speed of a computer. ‘Dumbphones’ are mobile devices used before the smartphone revolution, while ‘ghost kitchens’ are commercial spaces for hire.

Other additions include ‘cold brew,’ ‘farm-to-table,’ ‘rizz,’ ‘dad bod,’ ‘hard pass,’ ‘beast mode,’ ‘side-eye,’ and many more. The new dictionary edition is set to be released on November 18.