Skip to main content
Collins Dictionary Language Blog
  • Language Lovers
  • Language Learners
    • Learning English
    • Learning French
    • Learning German
    • Learning Italian
    • Learning Spanish
  • Wordle
  • Collins Dictionary

#MeteorWatchDay – We delve into etymology behind this astronomical event

30th Jun 2017
June 30 this year has been designated Meteor Watch Day, and people are encouraged to look out for spectacular bursts of light in the sky caused by small pieces of rock or metal burning up when they enter the earth’s atmosphere from space. These objects get their… Read More

Do you ‘Jiffle’? – Lucy Mangan ponders your most recent word submissions

26th Jun 2017
It has, I think we can all agree, been a tough few weeks – months – year or two – for all of us. And the contributions to the Collins’ wordstock often reflect that. This week we have griefsploitation from LLKKMM, which is the practice of trying… Read More

We take a look at the etymology behind words like ‘pwn’, ‘covfefe’ and ‘newt’ that came about by mistake

13th Jun 2017
President Donald Trump recently caused his Twitter followers to scratch their heads when he wrote about ‘negative press covfefe’. The president had probably just made a mistake in typing the word ‘coverage’, but the apparently random assortment of letters got people wondering exactly what a covfefe might… Read More

From ‘mugwump’, ‘Mayism’ and ‘gerrymandering’ – 15 election words you should know about

7th Jun 2017
Do you know your filibuster from your flugie? As the 2017 General Election campaign comes to a close, we take a look at some of our favourite political words and phrases from this year’s campaign and from those that came before. Read More

Lucy Mangan takes a look at some election buzzwords and their meaning

7th Jun 2017
Every election yields its share of bafflegab – intentionally confusing jargon – along, of course, with all the gab that is not necessarily intended to baffle but somehow manages to do so anyway. This election has been no different. As the nation prepares to… Read More

‘Priming the pump’, ‘cloud eggs’, and ‘potica’: May’s Words in the News

1st Jun 2017
Remember when Al Gore invented the internet? Of course you don’t, because he didn’t. But during the 2000 US General Election campaign, he claimed he did, which was pretty embarrassing. Almost as embarrassing as when President Trump suggested he had just invented the phrase prime the pump, in the sense… Read More

Lucy Mangan is back and looks at the mystery that is ‘covfefe’

31st May 2017
There is really only one new contribution to our glorious language this week. The word was with Donald Trump and that word was… covfefe. It appeared in a tweet sent from the leader of the free world’s official Twitter account at… Read More

‘Avocado hand’, ‘cromniomancy’ and ‘negaholism’ – Lucy Mangan takes a look at your recent word submissions

16th May 2017
I remember once in the mid-nineties watching an episode of Oprah in which people came on to talk the then nascent mogul through their “bagel injuries”. How could bagels injure you, I wondered. Were they the weapon of choice in America? It seemed unlikely in a country free of gun… Read More

‘Micrub’, ‘Dadvice’ and ‘confuzzling’ – Lucy Mangan takes a look at your recent word submissions

8th May 2017
I’ve been pondering stanb’s submission – micrub – for some time now. According to him, it means a brief, affectionate little hug. In which case, of course, it should be “micrug”. Micrub is not a typo, however, because he’s used it repeatedly in his submission. And somehow,… Read More
Page 66 of 100 « Previous 1 … 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 … 100 Next »

Sign up for the newsletter

Get the latest news

Sign me up

collins_dictionary_official

The home of living language. #wotd #wordlovers #collinsdictionary
Read our word of the week definitions and blog posts:

Collins Dictionary
#wordoftheday EFFENDI NOUN 1. (in the Ottoman Em #wordoftheday 
EFFENDI

NOUN
1. (in the Ottoman Empire) a title of respect used to address men of learning or social standing.
2. (in Turkey since 1934) the oral title of address equivalent to Mr.

https://ow.ly/Smgm50PNOps

#collinsdictionary #words #vocabulary #language #effendi
#wordoftheday CAÏQUE NOUN long narrow light row #wordoftheday 
CAÏQUE

NOUN
long narrow light rowing skiff used on the Bosporus.

https://ow.ly/7NUv50PNOlU

#collinsdictionary #words #vocabulary #language #caïque
#wordoftheday MEZE NOUN a type of hors d'oeuvre #wordoftheday 
MEZE

NOUN
a type of hors d'oeuvre eaten esp with an apéritif or other drink in Greece and the Near East.

https://ow.ly/QaTI50PNTFy

#collinsdictionary #words #vocabulary #language #meze
#wordoftheday HAMMAM NOUN a bathing establishmen #wordoftheday 
HAMMAM

NOUN
a bathing establishment, such as a Turkish bath.

https://ow.ly/lkpe50PNOfu

#collinsdictionary #words #vocabulary #language #hammam
Load More… Follow on Instagram
collinsdictionary
Tweets by HarperCollinsPublishersUK
  • FAQS
  • Privacy Policy
  • CollinsDictionary.com
  • Security
  • Contact Us
© Collins 2023
Cookie Policy
We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners. Read our cookie policy
Cookie settingsACCEPT X
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Targeting
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Functional
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Performance
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our site, and will not be able to monitor its performance.
Save & Accept