Dictionary has been updated to cover COVID-19. These are the new words
Rona. Hunker down. Fomites.
These are just a few of the new words added by Dictionary.com in an effort to keep up with the new vocabulary surrounding the coronavirus pandemic.
The words include those associated with public health (germaphobe), the economy (price gouging) and even social media trends (rona), according to a press release from Dictionary.com.
“One of the primary functions of language is to express identity, and there is something communal about the new vocabulary we are all acquiring during this crisis,” Dictionary.com lexicographer Heather Bonikowski said in the release obtained by McClatchy News. “When we use these new COVID-19 words with each other, we are showing our membership in a group, almost as an act of solidarity— a way to say we’re all in this together.”
Normally, the Dictionary tracks commonly used words for years to determine if they have “the staying power to merit inclusion” in the book, a blog by the company said.
But “it’s not a normal day at the office,” the blog said. “We’re all working at home, for one thing.”
Lexicographers — people who compile, write and edit dictionaries — sift through academic journals, pop culture sources and analyze search data to identify trends and interests, the release said.
But when a new vocabulary develops in just a few weeks, Dictionary.com decided to work fast to keep the public informed, according to the release.
Here are some new additions.
COVID-19: “coronavirus disease 2019: a potentially severe respiratory illness caused by a coronavirus and characterized by fever, coughing, and shortness of breath.”
fomites: “inanimate objects whose surfaces can become contaminated with pathogens when touched by the carrier of an infection and can then transmit the pathogens to those who next touch the surfaces.”
A common question is: Can I get the coronavirus from my mail? It’s unlikely, McClatchy News reported.
“In general, because of poor survivability of these coronaviruses on surfaces, there is likely very low risk of spread from products or packaging that are shipped over a period of days or weeks at ambient temperatures,” according to the CDC.
One postal worker in North Carolina tried to put smiles on residents’ faces and started sporting elaborate costumes such as a pirate and a safety cone, to name a few.
germaphobe: “a person who has an irrational or disproportionate fear of germs and contamination.”
If it’s any consolation, experts say many common household items can work as hand soap if you find that your supply ran out, McClatchy News reported.
That’s because they “contain ‘soap molecules,’ which trap dirt, oil and microbes — or germs — by grouping together,” according to the University of Kentucky Department of Chemistry.
hunker down: “to settle in to the safety of one’s home or other designated shelter for a potentially prolonged time, as would be necessitated by a natural disaster or an outbreak of a contagious disease.”
novel coronavirus: “a coronavirus that has not previously been detected or reported.”
price gouging: “an act or instance of charging customers too high a price for goods or services, especially when demand is high and supplies are limited.”
Some states, like North Carolina, have laws in place to protect consumers from paying too much for necessities like personal protective equipment and toilet paper, according to McClatchy News.
A consumer advocacy group monitoring prices on Amazon for things like surgical masks and sanitizing wipes said the cost for some items rose by 220%, according to the outlet.
profiteering: “the act or practice of seeking exorbitant profits, especially through the sale of scarce or rationed goods.”
rona: Slang. COVID-19.
When times are tough, many turn to social media to make light of an otherwise grim situation. Users did just that when creating the term “rona” around mid-March, Dictionary.com said in the blog.
Other slang terms the company has been tracking include covidiot — an insult to someone who disregards public health rules — and quarantini, slang for a cocktail people drink while quarantining.
shelter in place: “(noun) an official order, issued during an emergency, that directs people to stay in the indoor place or building that they already occupy and not to leave unless absolutely necessary. (verb) to stay in a safe indoor place or building during an emergency.”
In some cities, law enforcement can charge people with misdemeanors if shelter in place orders are violated, McClatchy News reported.
Dictionary.com also updated existing definitions because the pandemic has “brought a new relevance and meaning” to them, the release said.
“It has made terms such as social distance a part of everyday communication. It also has brought the medical abbreviation PPE to the forefront as healthcare workers face shortages of such equipment. News reports focus on worldwide containment efforts as research indicates asymptomatic carriers are contributing to the rapid spread of the virus,” according to the release.
“The virus has abruptly upended life for many,” the company said in the release. “In response, we see people doing what human beings have always done—acquiring and inventing new words to understand and to exercise control over the world.”
