Monday, 4 February 2008 7 new words that have entered the OED

  1. shoulder-surfing - n. the practice of spying on the user of a cash-dispensing machine or other electronic device in order to obtain their personal identification number, password, etc.
  2. mentee - n. a person who is advised, trained, or counselled by a mentor.
  3. retronym - n. a new term created from an existing word in order to distinguish the original referent of the existing word from a later one that is the product of progress or technological development (e.g. acoustic guitar for guitar).
  4. hardscape - n. the man-made features used in landscape architecture, e.g. paths or walls, as contrasted with vegetation.
  5. obesogenic - adj. tending to cause obesity.
  6. riffage - n. guitar riffs, especially in rock music.
  7. agroterrorism - n. terrorist acts intended to disrupt or damage a country's agriculture.

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