If you don't know who Miley Cyrus is then the word 'twerking' may have escaped you. Mainly because she's been doing an awful lot of it lately. In fact, we'd argue she's been on a one woman twerking mission (although the goal of that mission is still somewhat unclear). That said, we're sure she'll be pleased to know that the verb has made it into the Oxford English Dictionary.
If you're still looking at your screen in a state of confusion, then allow us to explain. To twerk is to "dance to popular music in a sexually provocative manner involving thrusting hip movements and a low, squatting stance."
Other words that have made the dictionary, and which clearly prove that social media is taking over our lives, include the favourite celebrity pastime, 'selfie'. We even covered the phenomenon of the 'selfie' in a whole feature right here.
If you really don't know what this refers to, then we can only assume you've lived a hermetic life for the past six years. But, here's the definition all the same: n. (informal): a photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically one taken with a smartphone or webcam and uploaded to a social media website.
While your brain is processing these, here's a list of more words you can expect to see in the dictionary.
Bitcoin, n.: a digital currency in which transactions can be performed without the need for a central bank.
Vom: v. & n. informal: (be) sick; vomit
Digital detox, n.: a period of time during which a person refrains from using electronic devices such as smartphones or computers, regarded as an opportunity to reduce stress or focus on social interaction in the physical world.
Click and collect, n.: a shopping facility whereby a customer can buy or order goods from a store's website and collect them from a local branch.
Hackerspace, n.: a place in which people with an interest in computing or technology can gather to work on projects while sharing ideas, equipment, and knowledge.
Food baby, n.: a protruding stomach caused by eating a large quantity of food and supposedly resembling that of a woman in the early stages of pregnancy.
Street food, n.: prepared or cooked food sold by vendors in a street or other public location for immediate consumption.
Double denim, n.: a style of dress in which a denim jacket or shirt is worn with a pair of jeans or a denim skirt, often regarded as a breach of fashion etiquette.
Geek chic, n.: the dress, appearance, and culture associated with computing and technology enthusiasts, regarded as stylish or fashionable.
Unlike, v: withdraw one's liking or approval of a web page or posting on a social media website that one has previously liked.
Phablet, n: smartphone having a screen which is intermediate in size between that of a typical smartphone and a tablet computer
Just in case you're wondering where we stand on this, we gave up on the English language when 'Nom Nom' was allowed.
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