About Words Cambridge Dictionaries Online blog Commenting on developments in the English language

Time 2020-12-20 11:04:04

Web Name: About Words Cambridge Dictionaries Online blog Commenting on developments in the English language

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Westend61 / Gettycomfort spending noun [U]UK /ˈkʌm.fət.ˌspendɪŋ/ US /ˈkʌm.fɚt.ˌspendɪŋ/the act of buying nice things for yourself in order to feel better when you are stressed or unhappyNow it’s almost fall, and we’ve graduated from hoarding toilet paper to making midnight online purchases that WalletHub calls “comfort spending.” It helps, somehow, to know that choices, even frivolous ones, are still possible. Maybe you can’t control a virus, but you can control Amazon Prime. [houstonchronicle.com, 10 September 2020]shecession noun [C]/ʃiːˈseʃ.ᵊn/an economic recession that affects mostly womenOne of the unique aspects of the current recession is the way it’s impacting women: though men are more likely to die of Covid-19, the pandemic’s toll on employment is heavier for women. While the 1970s marked the start of “mancession” periods in industries like construction, the current “shecession” is heavily affecting sectors like hospitality and retail. [www.bbc.com/worklife, 27 October 2020]mortgage prisoner noun [C]UK /ˈmɔː.gɪdʒ.ˌprɪz.ᵊn.əʳ/ US /ˈmɔːr.gɪdʒ.ˌprɪz.ᵊn.ɚ/someone who is unable to transfer their mortgage to a lender that offers lower interest rates because the rules for borrowing have become stricter or their house is worth less than they oweMortgage prisoners are customers who have previously been unable to switch mortgages despite being up-to-date with their payments. The FCA changed its rules last year to allow lenders to assess affordability based on a mortgage prisoner’s track record of making mortgage payments if they are not looking to move house, or borrow more.[ftadviser.com, 26 October 2020]About new wordsShare this:Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Like this:Like Loading... BSIP / Universal Images Group / Gettysuper pea noun [C]UK /ˈsuː.pə.piː/ US /ˈsuː.pɚ.piː/a type of pea that is thought to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by helping to control blood sugar levelsA type of wrinkled ‘super pea’ may help control blood sugar levels and could reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, suggests a new study. The research suggests incorporating the peas into foods, in the form of whole pea seeds or flour, may help tackle the global type 2 diabetes epidemic.[imperial.ac.uk, 26 October 2020]polypill noun [C]UK /ˈpɒl.i.pɪl/ US /ˈpɑː.li.pɪl/a pill that contains several different drugsA polypill packed with four different medications to treat high blood pressure and high cholesterol can cut the risk of heart attacks and strokes by up to 40 per cent when taken with aspirin, a study has suggested.[www.telegraph.co.uk, 14 November 2020]inflammageing noun [U]/ˌɪn.fləˈmeɪ.dʒ.ɪŋ/a quickening of the ageing process caused by inflammation in the bodyIf you’re stressed, your diet is out of whack, and your skin is feeling the effects of the colder weather, chances are you might be “inflammageing”. The beauty buzzword describes how an excess of inflammation – the body’s natural immune response to external aggressors – accelerates the skin’s ageing process. [vogue.co.uk, 11 October 2020]About new wordsShare this:Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Like this:Like Loading... Julia Davila-Lampe / Moment / Gettyawe walk noun [C]UK /ˈɔː.wɔːk/ US /ˈɑː.wɑːk/a walk outdoors during which the person walking makes a conscious effort to look at the objects, views etc. around themConsciously watching for small wonders in the world around you during an otherwise ordinary walk could amplify the mental health benefits of the stroll, according to an interesting new psychological study of what the study’s authors call “awe walks.” In the study, people who took a fresh look at the objects, moments and vistas that surrounded them during brief, weekly walks felt more upbeat and hopeful in general than walkers who did not.[nytimes.com, 1 October 2020]bee broker noun [C]UK /ˈbiː.brəʊ.kəʳ/ US /ˈbiː.brəʊ.kɚ/someone who organizes the moving of bees from where they are kept in their hives to where they will be needed to pollinate trees and crops, and to ensure this is done safelyThe Monsons don’t own these bees. The father-and-son team are bee brokers who serve as the middle men between beekeepers scattered throughout the eastern states and almond growers, facilitating the rental of hives for almond pollination, representing beekeepers to ensure their hives are safe and, when required, chauffeuring them from one job site to the next.[junctionjournalism.com, 20 October 2020]wildbelt noun [C, usually singular]/ˈwaɪld.belt/an area of land where building and other development is not allowed, so that nature can be protected and restoredA new “wildbelt” designation protecting land that is being restored for nature must be included in the UK government’s planning reforms, it has been urged This wildbelt designation would enable new land that currently does not do much for wildlife to be protected, so efforts to create or restore natural habitat or rewild the area are secure from future changes to land use.[theecologist.org, 17 September 2020]About new wordsShare this:Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Like this:Like Loading... VICTOR HABBICK VISIONS / SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Gettygenetic scissors noun [plural]UK /dʒəˈnet.ɪk.ˈsɪz.əz/ US /dʒəˈnet̬.ɪk.ˈsɪz.ɚz/a method of cutting the DNA in a cell so that it can be repaired Researchers need to modify genes in cells if they are to find out about life’s inner workings. This used to be time-consuming, difficult and sometimes impossible work. Using the CRISPR/Cas9 genetic scissors, it is now possible to change the code of life over the course of a few weeks. [nobelprize.org, 7 October 2020]lyfe noun [U]/laɪf/, /lɔɪf/any form of life, including but not limited to the human, animal and plant life we are aware of“Lyfe” is a recent scientific coinage defined as any system that combines four processes: “dissipation, autocatalysis, homeostasis, and learning”. Life in the familiar sense is merely “the instance of lyfe that we are familiar with on Earth”, but other much weirder types might exist. [www.theguardian.com, 6 August 2020]gigafactory noun [C]/ˌgɪg.ə.ˈfæk.tᵊr.i/a very large factory where batteries for electric vehicles are made A £1.2bn project to build Britain s first gigafactory to supply electric batteries for the UK car industry could unravel without changes to UK state aid rules, according to the company s chief executive.[telegraph.co.uk, 4 October 2020]About new wordsShare this:Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Like this:Like Loading... Image Source / DigitalVision / Gettyminimony noun [C]/ˈmɪnə.mə.ni/a small wedding ceremony that is held instead of, or before, a bigger celebrationMinimonies are a good compromise for couples who ve been forced to postpone their weddings due to COVID-19. A minimony is a wonderful way to honor and celebrate your original wedding date. You can choose to get legally married at your minimony even if you still plan to host a larger celebration at a later time.[thebudgetsavvybride.com, no date]microwedding noun [C]UK /ˈmaɪ.krəʊ.wed.ɪŋ/ US /ˈmaɪ.kroʊ.wed.ɪŋ/a wedding to which only a small number of guests are invitedThink of a microwedding as a cross between an elopement and a big, traditional wedding More is not always necessarily more, says renowned event planner Stefanie Cove. A microwedding is for the couple who wants to really focus and spend the majority of their budget on the smaller details, whereas it might be difficult to replicate the same experience for, say, 200 guests. [theknot.com, 6 May 2020]divorce tourism noun [U]UK /dɪˈvɔːs.tʊə.rɪ.zᵊm/ US /dɪˈvɔːrs.tʊr.ɪ.zᵊm/the activity of going to another country to take advantage of its divorce lawsRussia’s richest man, Vladmir Potanin, won a London court ruling as part of a long-running legal battle with his former wife after a judge said the English courts shouldn’t be used for “divorce tourism.” The couple divorced in Russia in 2014 and Natalia Potanina had applied to the court for a further award, which would have far outstripped the largest payout in a U.K. divorce.[bloomberg.com, 8 November 2019]About new wordsShare this:Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Like this:Like Loading...

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