buzzword

[buhz-wurd]

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noun

a word or phrase, often sounding authoritative or technical, that is a vogue term in a particular profession, field of study, popular culture, etc.

Origin of buzzword

First recorded in 1965–70; buzz¹ + word

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for buzz word

slang, neology, coinage

British Dictionary definitions for buzz word

buzz word

noun

informal a word, often originating in a particular jargon, that becomes a vogue word in the community as a whole or among a particular group

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for buzz word

buzzword

also buzz word, 1946, from buzz (n.) + word (n.). Noted as Harvard student slang for the key words in a lecture or reading. Perhaps from the use of buzz in the popular counting game.