Stefan Mileschin

"Tweet", "dad dancing" and "geekery" have officially entered the English language.

The latest version of the Oxford English Dictionary, has more than 1,200 new or revised words which show how much the language has changed over recent years.

The dictionary said it expanded its entries for "follow" (verb), "follower" (noun), and "tweet" (noun and verb) to include social media terms.

It is now correct to refer to "tweet" as a posting on the social notworking service Twitter as well as its more traditional meaning which is a brief high-pitched sound.

To get Tweet into the dictionary the editors had to break an Oxford Dictionary rule that a new word needs to be current for ten years before consideration for inclusion.

Also included are "Crowdsourcing", "flash mob", "geekery" and "dad dancing".

Crowdsourcing is defined by the dictionary as the practice of obtaining information or services by soliciting input from a large number of people, typically via the internet and often without offering compensation.

A "flash mob" is a large group of people organised by means of the internet, or mobile phones or other wireless devices, who assemble in public to perform a prearranged action together and then quickly disperse.

Geekery, which originally meant "bizarre circus acts," has come to mean obsessive devotion to or knowledge of a particular subject or pursuit and also the state of being a geek or "geekiness".

"Fiscal cliff", "e-reader" and "fracking" also make appearances.

"Dad dancing" is defined as an awkward, unfashionable, or unrestrained style of dancing to pop music, as characteristically performed by middle-aged or older men, the Oxford Dictionary claims. Which means I have been Dad dancing since I was 12.

http://news.techeye.net/science/twee...glish-language