Word Trends & Stories
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Jefe, White Elephant, And Other Trending Words This Week
From the funeral of a former president to an international soccer trade, here’s what made words trend on Dictionary.com this week! Jefe The loss of President George H.W. Bush was felt across the nation, and his long-time friend and former secretary of state James A. Baker III was thrust once again into the spotlight this week. Baker, who was with the 41st president right until …
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The Grammar Rules About Who Or What To Call “It”
It. If you’re anything like us, this two-letter word makes you think of a Stephen King novel or, maybe, a certain cousin from the Addams Family. That’s most likely because It in King’s novel (and the horror movies it spawned) was the word used to describe Pennywise the Clown. And, Cousin Itt was a rather hairy human … yup, Cousin Itt was human. And these …
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What’s The Difference Between “i.e.” And “e.g.”?
What’s the difference between i.e. and e.g.? They may be small, but their power to befuddle writers and speakers of the English language is mighty. The term i.e. is a shortening of the Latin expression id est, which translates to “that is.” It is used to introduce a rephrasing or elaboration on something that has already been stated. The term e.g. is an abbreviation of …
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Dictionary.com’s 2018 Word Of The Year Is …
Our 2018 Word of the Year Is … Misinformation The rampant spread of misinformation poses new challenges for navigating life in 2018. As a dictionary, we believe understanding the concept is vital to identifying misinformation in the wild, and ultimately curbing its impact. But what does misinformation mean? Dictionary.com defines it as “false information that is spread, regardless of whether there is intent to mislead.” The …
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How December Got Its Name
Ah, December, that time of year when store fronts are festooned with holiday decorations, and another year is reaching its close. If you live in the northern hemisphere, December might mean pulling off your boots so you can curl up with your smartphone and read Dictionary.com (hey, we can dream). But, what does December mean in the Dictionary? And, where did the 12th month of …
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Doorbusters Going Gangbusters? Then This Quiz Is Yours, Buster
Thanksgiving season got you feeling gallinaceous? Peck at this week’s Word of the Day Quiz. If the quiz doesn’t display, please try opening in the Chrome browser. Interested in Words of the Day from the past? Check out this one that we brought to life … Tell us your favorite word from this week below (and share it with your friends …
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Cheesecake, Racketeering, And Other Trending Words This Week
Food, food, glorious food made its presence known in a big way on this Thanksgiving week edition of the Dictionary.com Trending Words list. From a rarely used plural for beef to a beef over the proper way to describe cheesecake, here’s what had you searching! Cheesecake If there’s one thing Americans love, it’s food. We have a whole holiday centered around consuming it, after all! …
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Why Do I F’ing Love Cursing So Much?
Raw, succinct, expressive, taboo: That’s why I love curse words, why do you?
