Best Independent Living in Salina, KS | Adding to the Dictionary

Every year, Merriam-Webster and other major dictionaries add words to their pages. Language has been changing since it was first written down. Though keeping up with every word in the dictionary is impossible, knowing some of the new terms will clear up confusion in our reading and conversations.
 
Have you heard any or all of these newer words?

• Super-spreader is a word that came from the COVID-19 pandemic. It describes an event where many people gather, which could result in the spread of a contagious condition.

 

• Long hauler is also a pandemic term. These are people who have long-lasting symptoms or complications, even after getting over the virus.

 

• Body-shaming refers to mocking someone based on their weight or other physical characteristics. 

 

• Air-fryer is one of the newest kitchen gadgets. A fan circulates convection currents to speed the cooking of food in a healthy way.

 

• A sofa surfer used to be called a "couch potato," but is the new way to describe anyone who sits around a lot and watches television.

 

• Photo bomb is when someone unexpected jumps into a posed group just as the photograph being snapped. Sometimes this produces a surprisingly funny picture. 

 
See if you can stretch your vocabulary this month by using one of these new words. Or keep your ears and eyes open for others. Invent your own; it might show up in the dictionary next year!
 
​Charlene Frazier
Community Coordinator
[email protected]
www.residence600.com
600 E. Elm
Salina KS 67401
(785) 822-1300