haycation noun [C]
/heɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/
a holiday spent on a farm, during which the guests sometimes help out with the farm work

Check out of the city life for a few days and check into a stay that’s raw, real, and rural. A haycation on a family-owned farm is good for the soul and a fast track to connecting with a more grounded way of life. Pack the car, pop on some hard-wearing denim, and spend a few nights at any one of these regional stays.
[www.australiasgoldenoutback.com, 15 February 2023]

trip lit noun [U]
/ˈtrɪp ˌlɪt/
a type of book whose story takes place in the city or country you are going to for your holiday

This summer, why not take a break with the most escapist “new” book trend – let’s call it “trip lit”. “Trip lit” per se is not a new concept for us, but nevertheless we are delighted to see that the idea of travelling by book is becoming much more mainstream and the pleasures of walking into new environments and wonderful settings are being appreciated.
[tripfiction.com, 4 August 2023]

gamma destination noun [C]
/ˌgæm.ə ˌdes.təˈneɪ.ʃᵊn/
a place to go on holiday that very few other people in the world go to

Over the next five years, high-net-worth explorers will increasingly be avoiding over-crowded “alpha destinations”. Even “beta destinations” such as Rwanda and Antarctica will start to become overly busy at certain times of year. As luxury travellers dream of even more extreme adventures, there is a greater opportunity to devise trips to emerging gamma destinations that offer an array of entirely new experiences.
[globetrender.com, 27 November 2022]

About new words

grandpa chic noun [U]
/ˈgræn.pɑː ˌʃiːk/
a way of decorating and furnishing your home that uses dark colours, a typically masculine style and old, good-quality furniture

The nature of grandpa chic? “It’s essentially a blend of vintage nostalgia and contemporary design,” explains interior designer Artem Kropovinsky. “It celebrates the loved, and the time-tested, infusing spaces with a warm sense of history and comfort.”
[homesandgardens.com, 12 July 2023]

minimaluxe noun [U]
UK /ˈmɪn.ɪ.mə.lʌks/ US /ˈmɪn.ə.mə.lʌks/
the trend of using a small number of high-quality items in simple shapes and neutral colours to create a spacious, elegant look in your home

Minimaluxe is the brand new design trend that will define this decade, making your home more elevated and you more calm. As an interior design trend, minimaluxe has been taking shape since 2020 and has now become a fully formed aesthetic era. It’s about paring back the visual clutter in order to celebrate the things that make you feel wonderful.
[livingetc.com, 4 May 2023]

clustering noun [U]
/ˈklʌs.tə.rɪŋ/
the trend of displaying several small objects in a group as a way of decorating a room

“Clustering is an art form,” she said. “And it’s hard to pull off because if you do it wrong, it can veer toward [being] messy. It’s the art of taking your things and putting them on display in little corners of your apartment.”
[apartmenttherapy.com, 14 February 2023]

About new words

global boiling noun [U]
UK /ˌgləʊ.bəl ˈbɔɪ.lɪŋ/ US /ˌgloʊ.bəl ˈbɔɪ.lɪŋ/
a very fast and sharp increase in world temperatures caused by gases such as carbon dioxide that are collecting in the air around the earth and stopping heat escaping into space

The era of global warming has ended and “the era of global boiling has arrived”, the UN secretary general, António Guterres, has said after scientists confirmed July was on track to be the world’s hottest month on record.
[theguardian.com, 27 July 2023]

heat storm noun [C]
UK /ˈhiːt ˌstɔːm/ US /ˈhiːt ˌstɔːrm/
a period of extremely hot weather and high humidity that lasts several days

Europe is preparing for a “severe heat storm” with a second heatwave pushing temperatures even higher in the coming days and triggering warnings for tourists planning to travel for the school holidays. The new “heat storm” is being triggered by an anticyclone – a large-scale circulation of winds around an area of high atmospheric pressure – pushing north.
[telegraph.co.uk, 16 July 2023]

cooling centre noun [C]
UK /ˈkuː.lɪŋ ˌsen.təʳ/ US /ˈkuː.lɪŋ ˌsen.t̬ɚ/
a place such as a library, museum or other public building where someone can go to cool down in periods of severe hot weather, run as a public service and providing air conditioning, cold water and other facilities

Some community centres and most public library branches have air-conditioned spaces. These facilities become cooling centres when Environment Canada issues a heat warning or declares an extreme heat emergency. You don’t need to register, pay, or show identification to visit a cooling centre.
[vancouver.ca/home-property-development, 28 July 2023]

About new words

autobesity noun [U]
UK /ˌɔː.təʊˈbiː.sə.ti/ US /ˌɑː.t̬oʊˈbiː.sə.t̬i/
the fact of cars being much bigger and heavier than they were in the past

Paris city hall is to impose higher parking fees on owners of SUVs in its battle to reduce pollution in the capital. A councillor from the party that proposed the increased charges said the aim was “to focus on an absurdity: autobesity … the inexorable growth in the weight and size of vehicles circulating in our cities, and particularly in Paris”.
[theguardian.com, 11 July 2023]

motonormativity noun [U]
UK /ˌməʊ.təʊ.nɔː.mə.ˈtɪv.ə.ti/ US /ˌmoʊ.t̬oʊ.nɔːr.mə.ˈt̬ɪv.ə.t̬i /
a way of thinking that means people accept problems and risks related to travelling by car that they would not find acceptable in other aspects of their lives

British people appear to have an in-built acceptance of risks and harms from motor vehicles that they would not accept in other parts of life, with potentially widespread repercussions for how policy decisions are made. Such is the cultural ubiquity of these assumptions, described by the researchers as “motonormativity”, that politicians are less likely to try to tackle issues such as pollution from vehicles or poor driving, they warned.
[modeshift.org.uk, 19 January 2023]

MaaS noun [S]
/ˌem.eɪ.eɪˈes/
abbreviation for “mobility as a service”: a service that allows users to book and pay for all the different types of transport needed for a journey from a single platform such as an app.

Simply put, MaaS is the concept of on-demand transportation, where a single digital platform offers riders the most efficient, seamless connection from point A to point B possible. By combining and coordinating various modes of transportation services, riders can effortlessly reach their destination at any time of the day or night.
[ecolane.com, 17 January 2023]

About new words

candyceutical noun [usually plural]
UK /ˌkæn.diˈsuː.tɪ.kᵊl/ US /ˌkæn.diˈsuː.t̬ɪ.kᵊl/
a small, chewy, coloured sweet that contains vitamins or other ingredients to improve your health

The booming market in chewable supplements needs to be taken seriously because these products “aren’t benign”, health experts have warned. The appearance and marketing of these so-called “candyceuticals” has a role to play in their attraction, experts say.
[diabetes.co.uk, 5 July 2023]

pangenome noun [U]
UK /ˌpænˈdʒiː.nəʊm/ US /ˌpænˈdʒiː.noʊm/
the complete set of genetic material of humans from different geographical and ethnic origins

More than 20 years after scientists first released a draft sequence of the human genome, the book of life has been given a long-overdue rewrite. Unlike the previous reference the new “pangenome” incorporates near-complete genetic sequences from 47 men and women of diverse origins, including African Americans, Caribbean Islanders, East Asians, West Africans and South Americans.
[nytimes.com, 10 May 2023]

robotherapist noun [C]
UK /ˈrəʊ.bəʊ.θer.ə.pɪst/ US /ˈroʊ.boʊ.θer.ə.pɪst/
a robot that can massage someone to treat pain and injury, in a similar way to a physiotherapist

Enter the Backhug: a robotic therapist equipped with 26 mechanical fingers to scan the unique curvature of your spine and press away stiffness in the joints of your back, neck and shoulders. When I was invited to try one of these “robotherapists”, I jumped at the chance. Despite taking regular exercise, I suffer from many complaints, and was intrigued to see what difference six weeks of daily massage could make.
[theguardian.com, 7 July 2023]

About new words

agrivoltaics noun [S]
UK /ˌæg.rɪ.vəʊlˈteɪ.ɪks/ US /ˌæg.rə.voʊlˈteɪ.ɪks/
the use of the same piece of land to grow crops and to create energy through solar panels

Putting solar panels on farmland, known as agrivoltaics, has been a bit of a political hot-potato in some parts of Europe and the U.S. For environmental engineer Chad Higgins, the choice between farmland and energy is a false one. There has to be thoughtful design, he says, but “our research indicates they can coexist and even create mutual benefits”. Indeed, agrivoltaics projects are springing up across the globe, especially in Asia.
[reuters.com, 20 March 2023]

Pyrocene noun [S]
UK /ˈpaɪ.rə.siːn/ US /ˈpaɪ.roʊ.siːn/
the present era, in which there are more frequent and more serious wildfires as a result of climate change

Geologists have renamed the present era as the “Pyrocene”, the age of fire, taking over from the Holocene epoch which dated from the last Ice Age. Fires are increasing in prevalence and intensity everywhere, adding to the cascading list of interlocking environmental disasters.
[independentaustralia.net, 8 November 2022]

gigafire noun [C]
UK /ˈɡɪɡ.ə.faɪəʳ/ US /ˈɡɪɡ.ə.faɪr/
a wildfire that burns more than 1 million acres (405,000 hectares) of land

What initially began as 37 separate fires caused by lightning strikes came together to form California’s first gigafire, a term used to describe fires that burn at least a million acres of land. The gigafire ranks at the top of the state’s five largest wildfires in modern history, all in one year.
[laist.com, 5 October, 2022]

About new words

salt tooth noun [S]
UK /ˌsɒlt ˈtuːθ/ US /ˌsɑːlt ˈtuːθ/
If you have a salt tooth, you like eating savoury foods, especially crisps, chips, etc.

Would you always choose crisps over chocolate? You’re not alone. While many of us may admit to a sweet tooth, more than 40 per cent of people have a weakness for salty rather than sugary flavours. Experts call this phenomenon a salt tooth, and it’s becoming more common. For while some people are genetically programmed to crave salt, others are now developing a salt tooth as a result of the prevalence of highly processed, salty food in our diet.
[irishnews.com, 18 June 2023]

food noise noun [U]
/ˈfuːd ˌnɔɪz/
the constant thoughts about food that some people have when they are trying to lose weight

Losing weight is never an easy feat. Besides implementing new nutrition and lifestyle choices, Another thing that can make losing weight (and keeping it off) more difficult is something called “food noise.” If you’ve ever wondered why you’re hungry all the time, even if you just ate, or find yourself consistently planning your next meal, you may be dealing with food noise.
[parade.com, 3 May 2023]

lion diet noun [S]
/ˈlaɪ.ən ˌdaɪ.ət/
a type of eating plan in which someone eats only meat from certain animals and no other types of food for a limited period of time

Are you a complete carnivore and love your meat? Well, then the lion diet may be something to your liking. A meat-based diet that focuses on eliminating major food groups and beverages from your meals, the eating pattern involves only consuming salt, water, and meat from ruminant animals (including beef, lamb, goat, bison, and deer). But why? To identify food sensitivities.
[indianexpress.com, 10 May 2023]

About new words

spathroom noun [C]
UK /ˈspɑːθ.ruːm/ US /ˈspæθ.ruːm/
a bathroom that has been designed to be very clean, comfortable and relaxing, like a spa

More people are looking to incorporate wellness into their home, particularly in the bathroom. The focus is on creating a “spathroom”, a bathroom/spa hybrid that promotes serenity and calm. Good lighting is a spathroom essential, as light has a huge effect on our wellbeing.
[county.wedding, 24 February 2023]

bed rotting noun [U]
UK /ˈbed ˌrɒt.ɪŋ/ US /ˈbed ˌrɑː.tɪŋ/
the habit of spending a lot of time in bed to relax

As experts and introverts continue to tout the benefits of self-care, “bed rotting” has become one of the most popular forms of recouping. While it may sound extreme “bed rotting” just refers to lying in bed for long periods of time … While people have laid around and stayed in bed for long periods of time for years, many Gen Zers online note that “bed rotting” has to be intentional and come with no guilt to really count and be regenerative.
[nypost.com, 29 May 2023]

table gown noun [C]
/ˈteɪ.bᵊl ˌgaʊn/
an expensive tablecloth usually made from shiny or sparkling material and highly decorated

Summerill & Bishop, which has been adorning the smartest tables since launching its fashion-forward collection of table linens eight years ago, has upped the ante with its new Couture collection of glamorous, sequin-bedecked “table gowns”. With a camouflage design inspired by the mottled bark on the London plane trees that surround the brand’s Holland Park flagship, each cloth is embellished with upwards of 260,000 sequins embroidered on to pure French linen.
[telegraph.co.uk, 8 June 2023]

About new words