New Words in English - 2
Recently-coined English words, terms and expressions with their meaning, for learners of English.
Alphabetical list of new words in English: C-F
New words from C to F
- copyleft
- Opposite of copyright.
Whereas copyright imposes restrictions on the distribution of a work or publication, copyleft eliminates restrictions and allows freedom of use for all.
- Opposite of copyright.
- coronacut
- Cutting your hair yourself when hairdressers and barbers
are closed due to Coronavirus restrictions.
- Cutting your hair yourself when hairdressers and barbers
are closed due to Coronavirus restrictions.
- coronials
- Babies conceived or born
during the Coronavirus pandemic.
- Babies conceived or born
during the Coronavirus pandemic.
- cosmeceutical
- A pharmaceutical product with beneficial effects on the skin
e.g. anti-ageing creams containing a product that changes the
cell biology.
- A pharmaceutical product with beneficial effects on the skin
e.g. anti-ageing creams containing a product that changes the
cell biology.
- cot potato
- Very young child who spends a lot of time watching television.
(cot = a baby's bed)
- Very young child who spends a lot of time watching television.
- couch commerce
- Buying goods online from one's home.
- Buying goods online from one's home.
- couch potato
- A person who spends a lot of time sitting in front of the television.
- A person who spends a lot of time sitting in front of the television.
- covidiot
- Someone ignoring public health advice such as lockdown rules during the Coronavirus pandemic.
- Someone ignoring public health advice such as lockdown rules during the Coronavirus pandemic.
- cronut
- A ring-shaped pastry that is a cross between a croissant and a doughnut.
- A ring-shaped pastry that is a cross between a croissant and a doughnut.
- crowdfunding
- Raising money for a project by getting a large number of people to make a small financial contribution,
particularly by using a website.
- Raising money for a project by getting a large number of people to make a small financial contribution,
particularly by using a website.
- cyberbully
- A person who uses the Internet, electronic communication or social networks to harm, harass
or intimidate another person.
- A person who uses the Internet, electronic communication or social networks to harm, harass
or intimidate another person.
- cyber cafe
- A place which provides internet access to the public.
- A place which provides internet access to the public.
- cyberchondriac
- A person who imagines that he/she is suffering from an illness
after reading about the symptoms on the Internet.
- A person who imagines that he/she is suffering from an illness
after reading about the symptoms on the Internet.
- cyberloafing/cyberslacking
- Using one's employer's Internet and email facilities for personal purposes during working hours.
- Using one's employer's Internet and email facilities for personal purposes during working hours.
- daycation
- A trip or short vacation which lasts only one day.
Daycationers do not stay away overnight.
- A trip or short vacation which lasts only one day.
Daycationers do not stay away overnight.
- decruitment
- Euphemism for laying-off staff or downsizing a company.
- Euphemism for laying-off staff or downsizing a company.
- demitarian
- A person who reduces by half their consumption of meat and animal products in order
to reduce the environmental impact of their diet.
- A person who reduces by half their consumption of meat and animal products in order
to reduce the environmental impact of their diet.
- dench
- Extremely attractive, fashionable, impressive, etc
- Extremely attractive, fashionable, impressive, etc
- docusoap
- Blend of 'documentary' and 'soap'.(soap opera: sentimental TV serial)
A 'docusoap' is a reality television programme in the style of a documentary.
- Blend of 'documentary' and 'soap'.(soap opera: sentimental TV serial)
- dramedy
- Combination of 'drama' and 'comedy'.
A film, play or TV programme that mixes drama and comedy.
- Combination of 'drama' and 'comedy'.
- droolworthy
- Something so attractive or exciting that it makes you want to have it
e.g. a droolworthy dress, a droolworthy cake...
- Something so attractive or exciting that it makes you want to have it
e.g. a droolworthy dress, a droolworthy cake...
- drug driving
- Driving a vehicle while under the influence of drugs.
- Driving a vehicle while under the influence of drugs.
- duffin
- A cake which is a combination of a muffin and a doughnut.
- A cake which is a combination of a muffin and a doughnut.
- dwell time
- The length of time spent on a website.
- The length of time spent on a website.
- earworm
- A tune that keeps repeating itself over and over again in our heads.
- A tune that keeps repeating itself over and over again in our heads.
- e-cruitment
- Online recruitment of employees, including online submission
of resumes and cover letters.
- Online recruitment of employees, including online submission
of resumes and cover letters.
- e-lancer
- A professional person who works from home and
sells their services on the internet.
- A professional person who works from home and
sells their services on the internet.
- elbow bump
- Greeting someone by touching elbows, a way of avoiding hand-touching.
- Greeting someone by touching elbows, a way of avoiding hand-touching.
- emoji
- Small icon or digital image used to express an idea or emotion in emails,
text messages and webpages.
- Small icon or digital image used to express an idea or emotion in emails,
text messages and webpages.
- emoticon
- A blend of 'emotion' and 'icon'.
A symbol, used in email and text messages, which is made out of punctuation marks and resembles a human face. It is used to convey the emotional attitude of the writer.
- A blend of 'emotion' and 'icon'.
- e-piracy
- Electronic piracy.
Illegal downloading of material found on the internet (films, music, etc.)
- Electronic piracy.
- e-quaintance
- A person you know only through online networks.
- A person you know only through online networks.
- e-stalk
- To stalk (follow) someone using Internet searches and email.
- To stalk (follow) someone using Internet searches and email.
- essential workers
- People allowed to continue working
in their usual workplace despite restrictions, for example medical staff, emergency personnel,
postal services, grocery store workers, delivery
drivers, etc.
- People allowed to continue working
in their usual workplace despite restrictions, for example medical staff, emergency personnel,
postal services, grocery store workers, delivery
drivers, etc.
- EV
- Electric vehicle.
A vehicle which runs entirely on electricity stored in rechargeable batteries.
- Electric vehicle.
- e-waste
- Electronic material and devices that have been thrown away.
- Electronic material and devices that have been thrown away.
- face time
- Application which enables people to make video phone calls.
They can speak and see each other at the same time.
- Application which enables people to make video phone calls.
They can speak and see each other at the same time.
- fandom
- Blend of’ fan’ and the suffix ‘-dom’, (as in 'kingdom').
The fans of a particular person, team, etc. regarded collectively as a community.
- Blend of’ fan’ and the suffix ‘-dom’, (as in 'kingdom').
- fashionista
- A person who dresses according to the latest fashion trends.
- A person who dresses according to the latest fashion trends.
- favicon
- Favourite icon.
A tiny little graphic that appears when you bookmark a site.
- Favourite icon.
- finlit / fin lit
- Financial literacy.
Knowledge and understanding of financial language and issues related to finance.
- Financial literacy.
- flame war
- A period during which angry or rude email messages are exchanged.
- A period during which angry or rude email messages are exchanged.
- flash mob
- A crowd that gathers in a pre-determined place, performs an action then disperses very quickly.
The mob is not told exactly what to do until just before the event.
- A crowd that gathers in a pre-determined place, performs an action then disperses very quickly.
The mob is not told exactly what to do until just before the event.
- flexitarian
- A vegetarian who sometimes eats meat or fish.
- A vegetarian who sometimes eats meat or fish.
- flotus
- First Lady Of The United States.
- First Lady Of The United States.
- freemale
- A woman who is happy to stay single and independent so that she can do what she wants when she wants.
- A woman who is happy to stay single and independent so that she can do what she wants when she wants.
- flightmare
- Blend of 'flight' and 'nightmare'.
Unpleasant air travel experience (lost luggage, missed connections, etc.)
- Blend of 'flight' and 'nightmare'.
- flog
- A fake blog.
A blog (online journal) which appears to have been written by an independent person but has in fact been created by a company or business in order to advertise a product or service.
- A fake blog.
- floordrobe
- Blend of 'floor' and 'wardrobe'.
An untidy pile of clothes that have been dropped on the floor of a room. Teenagers tend to develop floordrobes.
- Blend of 'floor' and 'wardrobe'.
- foodoir
- A blend of 'food' and 'memoir'.
An account of someone's life or personal experiences, with a strong emphasis on food, often including recipes and cookery advice.
- A blend of 'food' and 'memoir'.
- fracking
- A method of extracting oil or natural gas from rock formations deep below the earth's surface,
by drilling and creating cracks.
- A method of extracting oil or natural gas from rock formations deep below the earth's surface,
by drilling and creating cracks.
- frape
- Blend of ‘Facebook’ and ‘rape’.
Making changes to someone’s Facebook pages without their knowledge or permission.
- Blend of ‘Facebook’ and ‘rape’.
- frenemy
- An enemy who pretends to be your friend.
- An enemy who pretends to be your friend.
- frostjack / frostjacking
- A blend of the words 'frost' and 'hijack'.
Stealing a car on a cold day when the owner leaves the engine running to defrost the windows.
- A blend of the words 'frost' and 'hijack'.
- funemployed / funemployment
- A blend of 'fun' and
'unemployed' or 'unemployment'' meaning enjoyable
unemployment.
Someone who enjoys not having a job because they receive unemployment benefits from the state and have time for leisure and fun activities.
- A blend of 'fun' and
'unemployed' or 'unemployment'' meaning enjoyable
unemployment.
- funkinetics
- A form of energetic step aerobics that mixes exercise and soul music.
- A form of energetic step aerobics that mixes exercise and soul music.
previous page |
next page ...
back to homepage
Find out more about the origin of words here.
More new words - pages 1 to 5:
| page 1: A-C | page 2: C-F | page 3: G-N | page 4: N-S | page 5: S-Z |