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Merriam-Webster

Fear Not: Here’s Why ‘Kill’ Is Found In So Many NY Locale, Waterway Names Fear Not: Here’s Why ‘Kill’ Is Found In So Many NY Locale, Waterway Names
Fear Not: Here’s Why ‘Kill’ Is Found In So Many NY Locale, Waterway Names What’s in a name? In the case of these New York locales and waterways, nothing nearly as sinister as their titles may imply. Pull up Google Maps and you’ll notice that the Empire State is dotted with several towns ending in the suffix -kill: Northern Westchester’s Peekskill, Dutchess County’s Fishkill, and of course the picturesque Catskill Mountains, to name a few. Zoom in a bit further and you’ll spot winding creeks and rivers that are curiously referred to as kills: Normans Kill near Albany and Poesten Kill near Troy, for example. So, what gives? It turns out there’s a perfectly logical…
Merriam-Webster Announces 2021 Pick For Word Of The Year Merriam-Webster Announces 2021 Pick For Word Of The Year
Merriam-Webster Announces 2021 Pick For Word Of The Year Merriam-Webster has announced its selection for 2021's word of the year. The publishing company selected "vaccine" as its word of the year, noting that searches for the word increased by 1,048 percent when comparing 2019 to 2021. Searches increased by 601 percent comparing 2020 to 2021. "The word vaccine was about much more than medicine in 2021. For many, the word symbolized a possible return to the lives we led before the pandemic," Merriam-Webster wrote. "But it was also at the center of debates about personal choice, political affiliation, professional regulations, school safety, healt…
COVID-19: These Are Words Webster's Has Added To Dictionary Amid Pandemic COVID-19: These Are Words Webster's Has Added To Dictionary Amid Pandemic
Covid-19: These Are Words Webster's Has Added To Dictionary Amid Pandemic The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has made terms like “self-quarantine” and “social distancing” common phrases in everyday conversations.  Now, Merrian-Webster is making them official. Hundreds of new words, highlighted by turns of phrase to emerge during the pandemic, have been added to Merrian-Webster’s lexicon as part of a special update to the dictionary last month. In total, more than 535 new words and meanings have been added to Merriam-Webster.com, from aerosolization to zonkey. The update includes COVID-19-related words as well as terms relating to a var…