WORD POWER

The editors at Merriam-webster added a whopping 850 words and definitions to the dictionary in 2018—including, appropriately, wordie (“lover of words”). Quiz yourself on these other newcomers, then look up the answers on page 130.

1. life hack n. ('life hak) a identity theft. b short bio. c clever tip.

2. chiweenie n. (chih-'wee-nee) a chewy noodle. b Chihuahua/dachshund hybrid. c crybaby.

3. demonym n. ('deh-muh-nim) a impish child. b floor model. c name for an inhabitant.

4. harissa n. (huh-'rih-suh) a spicy sauce. b hair dye. c brash woman.

5. cryptocurrency n. (krip-toh-'kuhr-en-see) a classified information. b digital money. c unpredictable events.

6. beach cruiser n. (beech 'croo-zer) a amateur surfer. b bike with wide tires. c migrating shorebird.

7. Wanderwort n. ('wahn-dur-wort) a daydreamer. b tofu sausage. c far-traveling word.

8. dumpster fire n. ('dump-ster fire) a total disaster. b mass layoff. c rumormonger.

9. poke n. (poh-'kay) a raw fish salad. b online pest. c rural town.

10. Silver Alert n. ('sil-ver uh-'lurt) a warning of a missing senior. b notice of a price drop. c ship’s distress signal.

11. kombucha n. (kahm-'boo-chuh) a fermented tea. b modular furniture. c gorilla species.

12. mansplain v. ('man-splayn) a mooch off a friend. b brag about money. c explain condescendingly.

13. piloerection n. (py-loh-ih-'rek-shun) a demolished building. b bristling of hairs. c new website.

14. gastroplasty n. ('ga-stroh-pla-stee) a culinary customs. b stomach surgery. c horrible crime.

15. cotija n. (koh-'tee-hah) a hard Mexican cheese. b ballroom dance. c poisonous snake.