New millennium culture is validated when a.) Ellen DeGeneres discusses it on her talk show, b.) if your grandmother knows about it, and c.) if a word that is common on the Internet makes its way into the dictionary.
This week, 1,000 new words were added to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a move which Merriam-Webster spokeswoman, Meghan Lungi, said is one of the most significant in years.
Among the additions are “throw shade,” a term originally popularized in gay culture thanks to the film, Paris Is Burning. The dictionary definition is “to express contempt or disrespect for someone publicly especially by subtle or indirect insults or criticisms.”
“Ghosting” is another word that made it into the dictionary, a verb meaning to abruptly cease communication with someone. A few more words you’ll be able to look up include “weak sauce,” “binge-watch,” “photobomb,” “EVOO,” “SCOTUS,” “FLOTUS,” “face-palm” and “food insecure.”
