skin streaming noun [U]
/ˈskɪn ˌstriː.mɪŋ/
the practice of using very few skincare products on your face

What if you could pack three effective, holistic, dermatologist-recommended products, and slip those right into your makeup bag … This is where skin streaming comes into play—finally a TikTok trend that influences you to buy less, and more effective, stuff.
[coveteur.com, 25 September 2023]

traptox noun [U]
UK /ˈtræp.tɒks/ US /ˈtræp.tɑːks/
a type of Botox injected into the trapezius muscle

The first time I saw a before and after pic of a traptox treatment, I immediately ran to the mirror to assess my shoulders. (For the uninitiated, traptox involves injecting a neurotoxin into your trapezius muscle to help relieve tension and possibly elongate your neck and slim your shoulders.) Over the next few weeks, I continued feeling hyper-aware and self-conscious about my shoulders as I saw an influx of traptox content on my Instagram feed.
[cosmopolitan.com, 1 January 2024]

looksmaxxing noun [U]
/ˈlʊks.mæk.sɪŋ/
the activity, for a man, of making himself as attractive as possible, often through cosmetic surgery

Looksmaxxing has existed for at least a decade, but has exploded in recent months from obscure forums and Reddit pages into mainstream social media – and TikTok in particular. Impossibly chiselled jaws, pouty lips and cheekbones as high as the Egyptian pyramids are prized, along with “hunter” eyes (those angled slightly downwards towards the nose – a positive canthal tilt).
[theguardian.com, 15 February 2024]

About new words

inverse vaccine noun [C]
UK /ˌɪn.vɜːs ˈvæk.siːn/ US /ɪnˌvɝːs vækˈsiːn/
a type of vaccine that stops the body from attacking and damaging its own healthy cells and tissues

It will take time before inverse vaccines are available for patients, but initial trials have already been conducted on people with coeliac disease, with encouraging results … If inverse vaccines could be developed for all autoimmune illnesses, it would be a real revolution, as we have said, because we would be able to switch off inappropriate reactions in a highly specific and definitive way.
[ibsafoundation.org, 28 September 2023]

zero-dose adjective
UK /ˌzɪə.rəʊˈdəʊs/ US /ˌzɪr.oʊˈdoʊs/
a zero-dose child is one who has never received any of the routine vaccinations that most children are given

Since 2019, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of zero-dose children globally due to COVID-19 disruptions, increased economic crises and conflict, and declines in vaccine confidence … To turn the tide on this unprecedented increase in zero-dose children, it is essential to know who and where these children are so we can reach every child with life-saving vaccinations.
[data.unicef.org, April 2023]

tarmac-to-arm adjective
UK /ˌtɑː.mæk.tuˈɑːm/ US /ˌtɑːr.mæk.tuˈɑːm/
tarmac-to-arm refers to the process involved in getting vaccines and other medicines delivered to the place where they are needed and given to the people who need them

According to assessments by the charity CARE, the average “tarmac-to-arm” delivery costs for a single vaccine dose is $9.97 in South Sudan, equivalent to 40% of the country’s per capita pre-pandemic expenditure on healthcare.
[pharmaceutical-technology.com, 22 June 2022]

About new words

stochastic parrot noun [C]
UK /stəˌkæs.tɪk ˈpær.ət/ US /stəˌkæs.tɪk ˈper.ət/
a way of describing a large language model, because it can produce text that sounds natural but it does not understand what it is saying

ChatGPT is the latest version of a type of generative AI called large language models (LLMs). These models are very large (and deep) neural networks that are notoriously expensive to train. Such models have been called “stochastic parrots” because they have no understanding of what they say. They can’t tell you where their answers come from and will propagate misinformation if [they have] enough frequency and buzz.
[forbes.com, 6 June 2023]

anthrobot noun [C]
UK /ˈæn.θrə.bɒt/ US /ˈæn.θrə.bɑːt/
a very small robot made out of human cells

Scientists have created tiny living robots from human cells that can move around in a lab dish and may one day be able to help heal wounds or damaged tissue … A team at Tufts University and Harvard University’s Wyss Institute have dubbed these creations anthrobots. The research builds on earlier work from some of the same scientists, who made the first living robots, or xenobots, from stem cells sourced from embryos of the African clawed frog.
[cnn.com, 30 November 2023]

See also xenobot

model collapse noun [U, C]
UK /ˈmɒd.ᵊl kəˌlæps/ US /ˈmɑːd.ᵊl kəˌlæps/
a situation where an AI system produces information of poor quality because it has been trained on information produced by other AI systems

AI models are computer programs that perform tasks such as language translation or image recognition by analyzing vast amounts of information, known as datasets. They identify patterns within this data to make predictions and enhance their performance and accuracy over time. However, AI systems can experience “model collapse,” a problem where they’re trained on data produced by other AI models without human-created data. This leads to a rapid decline in output quality due to a feedback loop.
[shortform.com, 7 December 2023]

About new words

teen-ternity leave noun [U]
UK /ˌtiːnˈtɜː.nə.ti ˌliːv/ US /ˌtiːnˈtɝː.nə.t̬i ˌliːv/
a period of time when someone chooses not to have a job because they want to spend more time with their teenage children

Increasingly, parents are choosing to take a career break as their kids reach their teenage years, for reasons including their children’s mental health, exam stress or other pressures that are part of teenage life. Known as ‘teen-ternity’ leave, the phenomenon has seen women with high-profile careers leave their jobs in order to devote more time to their children.
[goodto.com, 5 December 2023]

See also maternity leave

nepo parent noun [C]
UK /ˈnep.əʊ ˌpeə.rᵊnt/ US /ˈnep.oʊ ˌper.ᵊnt/
the parent of an actor, a musician etc. who achieves success because of their famous child

The rise of the nepo parent? Florence Pugh’s father may be making a leap into British politics … Pugh may be one of the first “nepo parents” to benefit from their offspring’s success as a springboard into a high-profile career, though Florence’s down-to-earth father would be the first to dismiss this.
[tatler.com, 25 October 2023]

See also nepo baby

inchstone noun [C]
UK /ˈɪntʃ.stəʊn/ US /ˈɪntʃ.stoʊn/
a small but important stage in the development of a baby or young child

Pinterest predicts that in 2024, parents will focus on celebrating inchstones, which they describe as “tiny triumphs” … Accomplishments like putting on shoes independently may not feel photo-worthy, but they still deserve to be celebrated. And parents who worked hard to help their children achieve those inchstones deserve to be celebrated, too.
[today.com, 12 January 2024]

See also milestone

About new words

super distruster noun [C]
UK /ˈsuː.pə dɪˌstrʌs.təʳ/ US /ˈsuː.pɚ dɪˌstrʌs.tɚ/
someone who thinks their country has many serious problems caused by politicians and other people in a position of power, and that these people should not be trusted at all

Almost a third of adults may be “super distrusters” who regard the system as broken and are highly suspicious of those they hold responsible, according to research. They defy traditional and demographic categorisation and are likely to opt out of supporting the main parties or voting at all.
[The Sunday Times, 17 September 2023]

vibecession noun [C]
/ˌvaɪbˈseʃ.ᵊn/
a period during which people feel very worried and pessimistic about the economy when in fact it is in a strong position

Oddly, surveys have consistently shown most Americans feeling pretty good about their own financial situation. But they insisted that bad things were happening to the economy — that is, other people. The commentator Kyla Scanlon coined the term “vibecession,” now widely used to mean a situation in which negative views about the economy don’t seem to match up with the data.
[nytimes.com, 22 January 2024]

p(doom) noun [U]
/ˌpiːˈduːm/
a humorous way, based on a scientific formula (where p = probability), of describing the chances that AI will kill all humans

The term that began as a half-serious inside joke on tech message boards to describe the odds that AI destroys humankind, has broken into the mainstream. The buzzword is p(doom), and it provides both AI experts and average know-nothings a common scale to describe where they stand on the question of whether AI is going to kill us.
[fastcompany.com, 7 December 2023]

About new words