VOA慢速英语2021--词典新增455个新词

455 New Words Added to Dictionary

So, do you think learning all 1,500 words in the VOA Learning English Word Book is hard?

We have got news for you.

American publisher Merriam-Webster announced it has added 455 new words to its dictionary for October 2021.

The publisher said, "Just as the language never stops evolving, the dictionary never stops expanding." The 455 new words came from what the publisher called "extensive and established use."

Merriam-Webster said the quick and informal nature of messaging, texting and tweeting online has increased during the pandemic. That, in turn, has given rise to a vocabulary filled with shortened forms of words and expressions.

Listen to the conversation below to hear some of these new words in use:

Person A: "Our social media professional just asked me what FTW is."

Person B: "TBH, an expert in social media should really know the meaning of FTW, amirite?"

FTW is an abbreviation for "for the win." It is often used to express approval or support on social media. TBH is short for "to be honest." And the word amirite is a shortened way to spell "am I right?"

Coronavirus

The COVID-19 pandemic that started in early 2020 gave us terms like contact tracing, flattening¹ the curve, and social distancing.

Even with record-setting vaccination² programs, we know the pandemic is still not over. And new pandemic-related words have been added to our daily vocabulary.

Here are some of those phrases that Merriam-Webster has added to its dictionary:

breakthrough is often used to describe an infection occurring in someone who is fully³ vaccinated⁴ against an infectious disease like COVID-19

super-spreader is an event or place at which a large number of people contract the same communicable disease

long COVID is a condition that is marked by the presence of symptoms such as headache and shortness of breath that continue for weeks or months following a person's recovery from COVID-19

And a vaccine⁵ passport is now required to enter many countries and places. This is a document providing proof of vaccination against infectious diseases (such as COVID-19)

Tech, Science, Culture, etc...

Digital technology has helped many of us continue with our daily lives during the pandemic. The use of technology has led to new ways to describe technology-related risks. When digital information in an image or audio recording⁶ cannot be read, it is called a bit rot. And zero-day is a term to describe weakness in computer systems that cybercriminals discover.

From political events, we have whataboutism. This is "the act or practice of responding to an accusation⁷ of wrongdoing by claiming that an offense⁸ committed by another is similar or worse." And vote-a-rama describes the unusually large number of debates and votes that happen in one day in the United States Congress.

Other new words come from foods and drinks. One such word is fluffernutter. This is a sandwich made with peanut butter and marshmallow between two pieces of white bead⁹. Another is horchata – a cold drink made from ground rice or almonds, with spices like cinnamon or vanilla¹⁰.

Eating too many fluffernutters could give you a bit of a dad bod. The dictionary publisher describes a dad bod as the body of an average father, especially, it says, "one that is slightly overweight and not extremely muscular."

In today's program, we have only had time to tell you about 16 of the 455 new words from Merriam-Webster. And this is not even the first time this year it has added hundreds of new words. Last January, the dictionary publisher added 520 new words. That is a lot of new vocabulary for you to study.

Words in This Story

evolve - v. to change or develop slowly

informal - adj. relaxed in tone and not suitable for serious speech or writing

abbreviation - n. a shortened form of a word or name that is used in place of the full word or name

respond - v. to do something as a reaction to something that has occurred

sandwich - n. two pieces of bread with something in between

marshmallow - n. a soft, white, sweet food made of sugar and eggs

spice - n. a substance that is used in cooking to add flavor

1 flattening   

n. 修平 动词flatten的现在分词

参考例句：

• Flattening of the right atrial border is also seen in constrictive pericarditis. 右心房缘变平亦见于缩窄性心包炎。
• He busied his fingers with flattening the leaves of the book. 他手指忙着抚平书页。

2 vaccination   

n.接种疫苗，种痘

参考例句：

• Vaccination is a preventive against smallpox.种痘是预防天花的方法。
• Doctors suggest getting a tetanus vaccination every ten years.医生建议每十年注射一次破伤风疫苗。

3 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

4 vaccinated   

[医]已接种的，种痘的，接种过疫菌的

参考例句：

• I was vaccinated against tetanus. 我接种了破伤风疫苗。
• Were you vaccinated against smallpox as a child? 你小时候打过天花疫苗吗？

5 vaccine   

n.牛痘苗，疫苗；adj.牛痘的，疫苗的

参考例句：

• The polio vaccine has saved millions of lives.脊髓灰质炎疫苗挽救了数以百万计的生命。
• She takes a vaccine against influenza every fall.她每年秋季接种流感疫苗。

6 recording   

n.录音，记录

参考例句：

• How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间？
• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。

7 accusation   

n.控告，指责，谴责

参考例句：

• I was furious at his making such an accusation.我对他的这种责备非常气愤。
• She knew that no one would believe her accusation.她知道没人会相信她的指控。

8 offense   

n.犯规，违法行为；冒犯，得罪

参考例句：

• I hope you will not take any offense at my words. 对我讲的话请别见怪。
• His words gave great offense to everybody present.他的发言冲犯了在场的所有人。

9 bead   

n.念珠；(pl.)珠子项链；水珠

参考例句：

• She accidentally swallowed a glass bead.她不小心吞下了一颗玻璃珠。
• She has a beautiful glass bead and a bracelet in the box.盒子里有一颗美丽的玻璃珠和手镯。

10 vanilla   

n.香子兰，香草

参考例句：

• He used to love milk flavoured with vanilla.他过去常爱喝带香草味的牛奶。
• I added a dollop of vanilla ice-cream to the pie.我在馅饼里加了一块香草冰激凌。