Merriam-Webster Just Added 370 New Words to the Dictionary — And Pumpkin Spice Is One of Them

published Sep 7, 2022
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7 ramekins of pumpkin custard with whipped cream on top, and spoons on the side
Credit: Photo: Eric Kleinberg; Food Styling: Kristina Vanni
Easy Pumpkin Custard

Big news hit Martha Stewart’s internet today and if you’re in love with all things fall, you’re going to want to hear this. As it turns out, pumpkin spice — one of the most iconic flavors of the fall season (sorry not sorry, pumpkin spice haters) — is officially in the dictionary. Merriam-Webster has added 370 new words, and pumpkin spice (a mixture of usually cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and often allspice that is commonly used in pumpkin pie) is one of them.

Other food-themed additions in the new update include words like omakase (“a series of small servings or courses (as of sushi) offered at a fixed price and whose selection is left to the chef’s discretion), ras el hanout (“a mixture of ground spices that is used in northern African cooking”), and birria (“a Mexican dish of stewed meat seasoned especially with chili peppers”). Buzzy terms like “plant-based” have also been defined, as well as a popular milk alternative: oat milk.

“The dictionary chronicles how the language grows and changes, which means new words and definitions must continually be added,” reads a blog post on the Merriam-Webster site about the new additions. “When many people use a word in the same way, over a long enough period of time, that word becomes eligible for inclusion.”

Other general categories of note that have new words include business and technology (supply chain, greenwashing), the virtual world (metaverse, laggy, sponcon), and slang (yeet, sus, cringe). For slang, Merriam-Webster notes that while words in this category have traditionally taken longer to meet their criteria (and therefore be added to the dictionary), the internet has accelerated these timelines. In short, we’re changing the English language one hilarious meme at a time.

“Some of these words will amuse or inspire, others may provoke debate. Our job is to capture the language as it is used,” Peter Sokolowski, editor-at-large for Merriam-Webster, said in a press release. “Words offer a window into our ever-changing language and culture, and are only added to the dictionary when there is clear and sustained evidence of use.”

One of my favorite new definitions in the natural world category that is definitely inspiring (and a bit amusing) is dawn chorus — which means “the singing of wild birds that closely precedes and follows sunrise especially in spring and summer.” And now that I have a way to officially describe that early morning performance that goes on outside my window, my life is somewhat complete. I’ll raise a pumpkin spice latte to that.