Welcome to the first Words to Watch blog on the new Macquarie Dictionary website!
If Macquarie establishes that there is enough usage of a term to warrant an entry in the Dictionary, it may turn up as a contender for the annual Word of the Year.
This month we see that ever-improving technology is increasing the availability and range of femtech, while also raising fears of an impending Q-day. Social media is seeing the rise of kidfluencers with massive followings and gym rats parading their latest gains. Meanwhile, communities in NSW’s Northern Beaches have an increasing infestation of fat bikes.
So what do you think? Should these words be recognised as part of the Australian lexicon by being added to the Macquarie?
fat bike
a type of electric bike with wide tyres, originally designed to be ridden on snow or sand
Q-day
the theoretical point in time at which quantum computers become powerful enough to overcome encryption
gym rat
a person who regularly works out at a gym, often to an obsessive degree
kidfluencer
a child influencer whose social media is often controlled by their parents
femtech
technology that relates to women’s health
As always, we encourage you to submit new words through our Suggest a Word page. Submissions are reviewed for potential future inclusion in the Macquarie Dictionary, or a Words to Watch blog.
