gigamansion noun [C]
/ˈgɪg.ə.mæn.ʃᵊn/
a very large and expensive house

Gigamansion is the term we must now use to describe the new breed of homes that are landing like alien motherships on the fragrant hills of Bel Air, Beverly Hills and Holmby Hills.
[The Times, 18 February 2017]

furnitecture noun [U]
UK /ˈfɜː.nɪ.tek.tʃəʳ/ US /ˈfɝː.nɪ.tek.tʃɚ/
furniture that is part of the structure of a house or other building

The property … contains some fantastic examples of “furnitecture” – furniture that’s integrated into the architecture. Murphy has only four pieces of furniture because everything else – seating, beds, bookshelves, wardrobes – is part of the fabric.
[The Telegraph, 27 February 2017]

sky pool noun [C]
/ˈskaɪ.puːl/
a swimming pool suspended in the air between two buildings

The developers say the transparent ‘sky pool’ will be the first of its kind in the world, giving swimmers the ability to look 35 metres down to the world below, with only 20cm of glass between them and the outside world.
[Cosmopolitan, 13 February 2017]

About new words

Instagirl noun [C]
UK /ˈɪn.stə.gɜːl/ US /ˈɪn.stə.gɝːl/
a female model who has a large number of followers on Instagram, a social media site for sharing photographs

US Vogue coined the term “Instagirl” to describe the new crop of models whose careers and Instagram platforms are effectively one and the same.
[The Observer, 5 March 2017]

shelfie noun [C]
/ˈʃel.fi/
a photograph that someone takes of the books and other objects on their shelves and then publishes on a social media site

Instagram has a lot to answer for. While most us are just beginning to get to grips with the selfie, the ‘shelfie’ movement has been gaining digital ground.
[The Telegraph, 3 February 2017]

surroundie noun [C]
/səˈraʊn.dɪ/
a 360-degree photograph taken with a special camera

Forget selfies – 2017 is all about 360° cameras and ‘surroundies’, which capture the entire scene around you.
[Elle, January 2017]

About new words

sensitivity reader noun [C]
UK /ˌsen.sɪˈtɪv.ə.ti.riː.dəʳ/ US /ˌsen.səˈtɪv.ə.t̬i.riː.dɚ/
someone who reads a book not yet published in order to check the content for anything that may offend certain groups of people

It’s not clear that authors are equally free to ignore the censoriousness of “sensitivity readers”, to whom some American editors are currently sending unpublished work for review.
[The Observer, 19 February 2017]

breath coach noun [C]
UK /ˈbreθˌkəʊtʃ/ US /ˈbreθˌkoʊtʃ/
someone who you pay to give you advice about how to breathe correctly

I am lying on the floor with one hand on my belly, which I am trying to inflate like a balloon as I breathe in. I inhale through my mouth, try to send the air right down to my abdomen, exhale, then repeat. “Now connect each breath, like a wave,” instructs … my breath coach.
[The Times, 4 February 2017]

wine detective noun [C]
/ˈwaɪn.dɪˌtek.tɪv/
someone whose job is to prove that wine is counterfeit

While Mr Moulin’s official job title is “fine wine and authentication manager”, he is in fact BBR’s head wine detective, tasked with preventing any counterfeit bottles entering the facility.
[BBC News, 30 March 2017]

About new words

neo-generalist noun [C]
UK /niː.əʊˈdʒen.ᵊr.ᵊl.ɪst/ US /niː.oʊˈdʒen.ᵊr.ᵊl.ɪst/
an employee who has both general and specialist skills

First know that neo-generalists have always been here. We just have failed to recognize them. In a society that focuses on one skill or talent, all too often we miss those who criss-cross varying degrees of skills and talents in multiple realms.
[www.medium.com, 7 February 2017]

returnship noun [C]
UK /rɪˈtɜːn.ʃɪp/ US /rɪˈtɝːn.ʃɪp/
a period of time during which someone works for a company or organization in order to get experience of returning to employment after taking time off

And her placement wasn’t a graduate traineeship but a “returnship”: a paid position aimed at bringing women like her – who were once senior in the workplace but have taken significant breaks to raise children or care for elderly relatives – back into employment.
[Telegraph, 23 January 2017]

supertasker noun [C]
UK /ˈsuː.pə.tɑːs.kəʳ/ US /ˈsuː.pɚ.tæs.kɚ/
someone who is very good at doing more than one thing at the same time

Supertaskers can juggle multiple tasks because their brains are wired for more efficiency. It would be a mistake to think that more brain activity always means better. The more they had to do, the more efficient they became.
[www.bbc.com/future, 13 February 2017]

About new words

roamer noun [C]
UK /ˈrəʊm.əʳ/ US /ˈroʊm.ɚ/
someone who moves from one country to another to live and work

A new breed of traveller is, today, heading abroad to find better careers, more intellectual stimulation or simply more adventure … they’re happy to move from country to country in pursuit of personal or professional goals. Let us introduce you to the roamers.
[easyJet Traveller, February 2017]

champing noun [U]
/ˈtʃæm.pɪŋ/
a type of camping that involves sleeping in a church that is not being used. The word is a mixture of ‘church’ and ‘camping’.

Whereas glamping once reigned supreme, champing is now the latest craze.
[Daily Mail, 7 January 2017]

sight-doing noun [U]
/ˈsaɪt.duː.ɪŋ/
doing activities when on holiday, especially those that involve taking part in local culture

Now sight-doing (cultural immersion through local experiences) is a higher priority than sight-seeing (typically, group tours of historical landmarks), and travel companies are on the case to reflect that.
[Elle, January 2017]

About new words