cruffin noun [C] /ˈkrʌf.ɪn/
a kind of small cake that is shaped like a muffin but made of pastry layers like a croissant

The cruffin is a droolworthy hybrid rolled in sugar and filled with everything from coffee crème to passion-fruit curd.
[www.popsugar.com 14 October 2016]

piecaken noun [C/U] /paɪ.’keɪk.ən/
a pie baked inside a cake

When you just can’t choose between serving a pie or cake, satisfy your cravings for both with a piecaken! Whip up your favorite cake batter and throw in a pre-baked pie, and you’ll feel like a confectionery wizard in no time. 
[www.foodnetwork.ca 15 September 2016]

poke noun [U] UK /pəʊ.’keɪ/ US /poʊ.’keɪ/
a salad made with raw fish

If you live in any major U.S. city, you’ve probably caught wind of the nation’s new favorite food — the poke bowl. While it may seem like a new trend, this simple and addictive Hawaiian dish has been around for centuries.
[www.huffingtonpost.com 25 May 2016]

About new words

immersive hybrid reality noun [U]
UK /ɪˈmɜː.sɪv ˌhaɪ.brɪd riˈæl.ə.ti/ US /ɪˈmɝː.sɪv ˌhaɪ.brɪd riˈæl.ə.t̬i/
a set of images and sounds, produced by a computer, that seem to represent a workplace environment

Experts in construction and computer technology at Heriot-Watt University have developed a ground-breaking immersive hybrid reality (iHR) system which aims to take the danger out of extreme working conditions. 
[www.designingbuildings.co.uk 24 October 2016]

microlattice noun [U] UK /ˈmaɪ.krəʊ.læt.ɪs/ US /ˈmaɪ.kroʊ.læt̬.ɪs/
a very light, thin structure made from strips of metal that cross over each other with spaces in between

A metal microlattice developed by Boeing and HRL Laboratories has just been awarded the Guinness World Record for lightest metal. 
[www.archdaily.com 09 November 2016]

VEST noun [C] /vest/
abbreviation for Versatile Extra Sensory Transducer: a garment that transmits data and enables the wearer to receive it through their sense of touch

Imagine if you couldn’t hear with your ears but could through your skin. Well, Dr Scott Novich and Dr David Eagleman of NeoSensory set out to achieve just that and their Versatile Extra-Sensory Transducer (VEST) is bringing hearing to deaf people .
[www.redbull.com 14 November 2016]

About new words

ambient wellness noun [U] /ˌæm.bi.ənt ˈwel.nəs/
a state of improved health deliberately created by a company’s products and processes

Rising numbers will now expect brands to embed innovative health-boosting technologies into the environment around them. These ambient wellness initiatives should help offset damage to health and wellness – or even produce entirely new, health-positive effects (often with zero effort required).
[www.trendwatching.com April 2016]

clean sleeping noun [U] /ˌkliːn ˈsliː.pɪŋ/
the practice of getting enough good quality sleep in order to improve or maintain one’s health

The lifestyle I lead is based not just on clean eating, but also on clean sleeping: at least seven or eight hours of good quality sleep — and ideally even ten. 
[www.dailymail.co.uk 18.12.2016]

sage-smudge verb [T] /ˈseɪdʒ ˌsmʌdʒ/
to burn sage in a room in order to purify it and remove negative energy

When … Gabrielle Savoie first spotted sage bundles in Jenni Kayne’s chic Southampton, New York, store, it immediately piqued her interest. “Maybe it was when my friend—who works for a renowned high-end interior designer—told me they sage-smudged their clients’ homes after each install,” she wrote. 
[www.dailymail.co.uk 18.12.2016]

About new words

conversational commerce noun [U]
UK /kɒn.vəˌseɪ.ʃən.əl ˈkɒm.ɜːs/ US /kɑːn.vɚˌseɪ.ʃən.əl ˈkɑː.mɝːs/
direct conversations between people and companies or services using technology such as apps

Echo is part of the new wave of conversational commerce technologies, where the use of messaging, digital assistants, chat apps, or question-and-answer dialogue makes it possible for people to simply ask for what they need. 
[www.venturebeat.com 28 July 2016]

the internet of everything noun [S]
UK /ˌɪn.tə.net əv ˈev.ri.θɪŋ/ US /ˌɪn.t̬ɚ.net əv ˈev.ri.θɪŋ/
the interaction between people, data, machines, communications and interactions using a system of linked devices

The internet of everything in both the consumer and B2B market will continue to rise, especially in North America, connecting data, things, processes and people. 
[www.forbes.com 31 August 2016]

Whatsapp diplomacy noun [U]
UK /wɒt.ˈsæp dɪˌpləʊ.mə.si/ US /wɑːtˈsæp dɪˌploʊ.mə.si/
the use of the Whatsapp messaging service in international diplomacy to communicate and build relationships

The rise of WhatsApp diplomacy is transforming the negotiating chamber. There are countless groups of allies and virtual huddles, exchanges over policy statements and fine print, and fair amounts of banter and even emojis.
[The Guardian 04 November 2016]

About new words

Calexit noun [U] /kæl.’ek.sɪt/
an exit by the state of California from the United States of America

Californians would need to pass an amendment to the US Constitution, which requires the blessings of the other 49 states. The measure would also survey voters on whether a “Calexit” is something that interests them.
[Business Insider 21.11.2016]

Bremoaner noun [C] UK /brə.’məʊn.ə/ US /brə.’moʊn.ɚ/
someone who complains about Britain’s exit from the European Union

Anybody asking questions about our future relationship with our biggest trading partner is dismissed as a Bremoaner. I have been called worse in my time. 
[www.dailymail.co.uk 30.10.2016]

democracy sausage noun [C] UK /dɪˈmɒk.rə.si ˈsɒs.ɪdʒ/ US /dɪˈmɑː.krə.si ˈsɑː.sɪdʒ/
a sausage cooked on a barbecue and served on bread, sold at polling booths on election day in Australia

A humble barbequed sausage on a slice of bread sold at polling booths around Australia has been picked as the country’s official word of the year — “democracy sausage.”
[www.apnews.com 14.12.2016]

About new words

thrisis noun [C] /ˈθraɪ.sɪs/
feelings of unhappiness, worry, and disappointment that some people experience when they are around 30 years old and that can sometimes lead them to make important changes in their life

From the outside, my life looks pretty good. I’m 32. I have fantastic friends and a great job … So why do I feel like I’m doing everything wrong? Welcome to the 30-something crisis – or ‘thrisis’ – the feeling that, just a decade into being a grown-up, you’re running out of time.
[Grazia, 22 November 2016]

JAM noun [C] /dʒæm/
abbreviation for just about managing; used in the UK to describe people who have just enough money to survive, but nothing more

Jams account for two-thirds of all families with children receiving tax credits … More than two thirds have less than a month’s income’s worth of savings. So, the argument goes, Jams are especially vulnerable to weak income growth, rising costs and the freeze on working-age benefits until 2019.
[www.bbc.co.uk/news 21 November 2016]

social menopause noun [U] UK ˈsəʊ.ʃəl ˈmen.ə.pɔːz US ˈsoʊ.ʃəl ˈmen.ə.pɑːz
the time in a woman’s life when she no longer wants to stay out late, go to parties etc.

Late-twenties social menopause opens up space for new ventures. Maybe we’ll finally learn to cook. Maybe we’ll actually start saving.
 [www.manrepeller.com 05 October 2016]

About new words

Gameboy disease noun [U]
/ˈgeɪm.bɔɪ dɪz.iːz/
a spinal condition in children caused by looking down at hand-held devices for long periods

Kids these days are spending so much time hunched over smartphones and tablets that their spines are at risk of developing incorrectly – a condition known as gameboy disease.
[www.mirror.co.uk 07 June 2016]

computer vision syndrome noun [U]
UK /kəm’pjuː.təʳ ˌvɪʒ.ən ˌsɪn.drəʊm/ US /kəmˈpjuː.t̬ɚˌvɪʒ.ən ˌsɪn.droʊm/
a condition of the eye caused by spending a large amount of time looking at a computer screen

We spend nearly 50 hours a week looking at computer screens, according to research conducted by the College of Optometrists. But prolonged use can result in what has been dubbed “computer vision syndrome”, with symptoms including eye strain, double vision and temporary short-sightedness.
[www.express.co.uk 27 January 2016]

thunderstorm asthma noun [U] UK
/ˈθʌn.də.stɔːm æs.mə/ US /ˈθʌn.dɚ.stɔːrm æz.mə/
a medical condition that makes breathing difficult, caused by a large amount of pollen in the air after a storm

A sixth person has died almost a week after Melbourne was hit by an unprecedented thunderstorm asthma outbreak. 
[The Guardian 27 November 2016]

About new words

tech bro noun [C] UK /’tek.brəʊ/ US /’tek.broʊ/
a rich young man who works in the technology industry

The unfortunate tech bro insurgency in San Francisco continues with a guy … who has lived in the Bay Area for all of three years … and recently felt entitled enough to write the mayor and police chief about his distaste for the homeless. 
[www.jezebel.com 18 February 2016]

Textalyzer noun [C] UK /ˈtekst.ᵊl.aɪz.əʳ/ US /ˈtekst.ᵊl.aɪz.ɚ/
a device that the police could use to check if a driver has been using their phone while driving

The most provocative idea, from lawmakers in New York, is to give police officers a new device that is the digital equivalent of the Breathalyzer — a roadside test called the Textalyzer. 
[New York Times, 27 April 2016]

digital twin noun [C] UK /ˌdɪdʒ.ɪ.tᵊl ‘twɪn/ US /ˌdɪdʒ.ə.t̬ᵊl ‘twɪn/
a digital representation of a product or piece of equipment

Dunsdon says these “digital twins” are using information gathered during manufacture and operation to make predictions about the future. 
[www.ukbusinessinsider.com 11.07.2016]

About new words

deep learning noun [U]
UK /ˈdiːp ˌlɜː.nɪŋ/ US /ˈdiːp ˌlɝː.nɪŋ/
a branch of artificial intelligence that uses algorithms based on the neural networks of the brain

They’ve all been made possible by a family of artificial intelligence (AI) techniques popularly known as deep learning, though most scientists still prefer to call them by their original academic designation: deep neural networks.
[www.fortune.com 28 September 2016]

cybersoldier noun [C] UK  /ˈsaɪ.bəˌsəʊl.dʒəʳ/ US /ˈsaɪ.bɚˌsoʊl.dʒɚ/
a member of the military who works in the field of cyberwarfare

Through this new kind of training, the Army is trying to perfect the fieldcraft of these experts in computers and digital warfare – cybersoldiers.
[www.usnews.com 29 August 2016]

malicious insider noun [C] UK /məˌlɪʃ.əs ɪnˈsaɪ.dəʳ/ US /məˌlɪʃ.əs ɪnˈsaɪ.dɚ/
a person within an organization whose actions threaten the security of that organization’s activities or data

One in fifty employees is believed to be a malicious insider.
[SC Magazine 15 September 2016]

About new words

escape room noun [C] UK /ɪˈskeɪp ˌruːm/ US /ɪˈskeɪp ˌrʊm/
an activity that involves locking people in a room and giving them a set amount of time to escape by solving a series of puzzles

Escape rooms are very much the trendy way to gather your friends and family for a night out. You can put their puzzle skills to the test as the clock counts down every last second of your frantic attempts to emerge victorious from a locked room.
[Daily Record 22 October 2016]

night czar noun [C] UK /ˈnaɪt.ˌzɑʳ/ US /ˈnaɪt.ˌzɑːr/
a person who has been given special powers by the government to deal with a city’s night-time activities and events

Newly appointed London night czar Amy Lamé has described the challenge of reducing the number of live venue and nightclub closures as her “total priority” in a conversation with Music Week. 
[www.musicweek.com 7 November 2016]

micro-adventure noun [C] UK /ˈmaɪ.krəʊ.ədˌven.tʃəʳ/ US /ˈmaɪ.kroʊ.ədˌven.tʃɚ/
a short, exciting activity, such as a trip or experience

Bored of the 9 to 5? A micro-adventure could be just the thing.
[www.adaptnetwork.com 22 November 2016]

About new words