Words
'Pandemic' Is Dictionary.com's Word of the Year for 2020
In case you weren't aware, it's defined as "a disease prevalent throughout an entire country, continent, or the whole world."
Merriam-Webster Adds 'Offensive' to 'Sexual Preference' Definition
In the dictionary's breakdown of the "usage of preference," it noted that the term, when used to refer to sexual orientation, "is widely considered offensive."
Trump Testing Positive for COVID Followed by Surge in Use of 'Schadenfreude
"Schadenfreude," which translates to "enjoyment obtained from the troubles of others," was used frequently on Friday.
Perfect German Words Americans Need To Describe Summer 2020
It's almost become a cliche at this point: the Germans have a word for everything. It turns out they even have a term or two that perfectly describes the particular summer malaise brought about by the events of 2020.
Twitter Engineers Share List of Terms They'll Swap Out to Be More Inclusive
The new list exchanges racially insensitive and gendered terms for more inclusive ones.
Immigration Director Compares Statue of Liberty's Face to Tucker Carlson
Acting Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Ken Cuccinelli compared the Statue of Liberty and Fox News pundit Tucker Carlson.
Scripps National Spelling Bee Awards Eight Winners $50,000 After 20 Rounds
Rishik Gandhasri, Erin Howard, Abhijay Kodali, Shruthika Padhy, Rohan Raja, Christopher Serrao, Sohum Sukhatankar and Saketh Sundar were named champions of the annual spelling bee.
Inspiring Quotes to Celebrate International Women's Day
The theme of 2019's International Women's Day is "Balance for Better," referring to gender balance.
'Wordscapes' Sea of Word Event Answers
Has a "Wordscapes" Sea of Words puzzle got you stumped? Check out our guide will all the answers for the February 12 - 14 puzzle event.
All the Lyrics of "Auld Lang Syne" for New Year's Eve
"For auld lang syne, my jo, for auld lang syne. We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet, for auld lang syne."
Russia Trolls CIA Over World Cup Congratulations
The U.S. intelligence agency tweeted a map of Russia that Moscow was not happy with, and not for the first time, the state-run account snapped back.
Your Identity Can Be Revealed From Just Two Words
A forensic linguist figured out a way to identify someone, thanks to a study using a database of Enron emails.
5 Common Word Pairs No One Knows How to Use
A new paper reveals 50 psychology-related terms that even professors confuse; which ones have you been getting wrong?
Donald Trump's Insults About Women Are Damaging
'Buffy' writer Marti Noxon discusses her own experience of sexual assault and the demeaning impact of insults.
Woman Alleges Trump Groped Her Exactly as Said on Tape
Jill Harth alleges "relentless" sexual harassment and assault by Trump, who was caught on tape boasting he "can do anything" to women.
Quest To Crown Most Unpopular Word In English Language
Today, Oxford Dictionaries launched an initiative to discover the least popular words in the English language
'I Am the Greatest:' Ali in His Own Words
A championship trash talker and an inspirational leader, Ali thrilled people with the power of his voice.
Researchers for New Scottish Thesaurus Find 421 Words for Snow
The Scots language is largely unused in Scotland today.
'I Can't Breathe' and Other Quotes of the Year
A Yale Law School librarian picks a list of 10 notable quotes of the year, while dictionaries name words of the year.
Feeling a Bit Iffy About 'Abilify'
The editor of The Vocabula Review thinks the name of an antipsychotic drug is about to enter the popular lexicon in the style of "Xerox" and "Kleenex"
Using Twitter, Linguists Find Global 'Superdialects'
Researchers discovered urbanites from cities across the globe sound closer to each other than to their rural cousins at home
Eating Our Words
Foodism has turned every restaurant outing into an adventure, and every dish an epiphany. What happened to, "I'm hungry?"