New words list April 2020

New words: entirely new headword entries appearing in OED for the first time
New sub-entries: compounds or phrases integrated in to the body of newly or recently updated entries
Updated sub-entries: sub-entries which have been amended and have been previously updated recently
Additions to unrevised entries: new senses, compounds, or phrases appended to the end of existing OED entries which have not yet been updated for the Third Edition

New word entries

  • Covid-19, n.: “An acute respiratory illness in humans caused by a coronavirus, which is capable of producing severe symptoms and death, esp. in the elderly and…”
  • infodemic, n.: “A proliferation of diverse, often unsubstantiated information relating to a crisis, controversy, or event, which disseminates rapidly and…”
  • R0, n.: “The average number of cases of an infectious disease arising by transmission from a single infected individual, in a population that has not…”
  • self-isolate, v.: “intransitive and transitive (reflexive). To isolate oneself from others deliberately; (now) esp. to undertake self-imposed isolation for a period of…”
  • self-isolated, adj.: “Of a person or group: that has undertaken self-imposed isolation for a period of time, typically at home, in order to avoid catching or transmitting…”
  • self-isolating, adj.: “That adheres to or promotes self-isolation; (of a person, group, or population) undertaking self-imposed isolation for a period of time, now esp. in…”
  • self-isolation, n.: “The action, fact, or process of deliberately isolating oneself; an instance of this. Now esp.: self-imposed isolation undertaken in order to avoid…”
  • self-quarantine, n.: “Self-imposed isolation undertaken in order to avoid catching or transmitting an infectious disease, or as part of a community initiative to inhibit…”
  • self-quarantine, v.: “intransitive and transitive (reflexive). To undertake self-imposed isolation in order to avoid catching or transmitting an infectious disease, or as…”
  • self-quarantined, adj.: “Of a person or group: that has undertaken self-imposed isolation in order to avoid catching or transmitting an infectious disease, or as part of a…”
  • shelter in place, n.: “A public safety protocol invoked during an emergency in which there is an imminent threat to life or health, instructing people to find a place of…” plus one more sense…
  • shelter in place, v.: “intransitive. Originally during an emergency in which there is imminent threat to life: to find a place of safety in one’s present location or…”
  • social distancing, n.: “The action of practice of maintaining a specified physical distance from other people, or of limiting access to and contact between people (esp…” plus one more sense…
  • social isolation, n.: “The state of having little or no contact with other people; (now) esp. a condition in which an individual lacks social connections or has no access…”

    • New sub-entries

  • to flatten the curve (at CURVE n.):  “(Medicine, spec. Epidemiology) : to take measures designed to reduce the rate at which infection spreads during an epidemic, with the aim of lowering the peak daily number of new cases and extending the period over which new cases occur.”

    • Updated sub-entries

  • PPE n. (at P n.): “personal protective (or protection) equipment: clothing and equipment designed to provide the wearer or user protection against hazardous substances or environments, or to prevent transmission of infectious diseases (see personal protective equipment n.).”

  • personal protective equipment n. (at PERSONAL adj., n., and adv.): “(also personal protection equipment) clothing and equipment designed to provide the wearer or user protection against hazardous substances or environments, or to prevent transmission of infectious diseases; abbreviated PPE (see PPE n.).”

  • social recession n. (at SOCIAL adj. and n.): “a period of widespread deterioration in quality of life among members of a community, especially due to reduced interactions and weakened social bonds.”

    • Additions to unrevised entries

  • elbow bump n. (at ELBOW n.): “(a) a blow with or to the elbow; an injury resulting from this;  (b) a gesture (usually of greeting or farewell) in which two people lightly tap their elbows together as an alternative to a handshake or embrace, esp. in order to reduce the risk of spreading or catching an infectious disease.”

  • WFH n. (at W n.): “working (or work) from home, either as a regular or permanent alternative to office work or on an occasional or temporary basis.”

  • WFH v (at W n.): “to work from home, either as a regular or permanent alternative to office work or on an occasional or temporary basis.”