Before your next party, consult the latest edition of Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, which now includes edamame (immature green soybeans), pescatarian (a vegetarian who eats fish), prosecco (a sparkling Italian wine), soju (a Korean vodka distilled from rice), mondegreen (words mistaken for other words) and about 100 other new words.
Wordsmiths at the Springfield, Mass.-based dictionary publisher say they picked the new entries after monitoring their use over years.
YOU COULD LOOK IT UP
Among the 100 new words added by Merriam-Webster, and the year first used in an English publication:
Air quotes n (1989): Gesture made by raising and flexing the index and middle fingers of both hands, used to call attention to a spoken word or expression.
Dirty bomb n (1956): Bomb that releases radioactive material.
Edamame n (1951): Immature green soybeans.
Mental health day n (1971): Day that an employee takes off from work to relieve stress or renew vitality.
Texas Hold 'em n (1995): Poker in which each player is dealt two cards facedown and all share five cards faceup.
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