‘Facebook’ pokes its way into dictionary
LONDON – The online social networking site Facebook has made it into the latest print edition of the Collins English Dictionary, the publishers said.
A spokeswoman for the firm said Facebook would be included as both a trademarked noun referring to “a popular social networking website” and as a verb, meaning “to search for (a person’s profile) on the Facebook website”.
As an example of usage, the entry reads: “I thought one of the interviewees was perfect for the job, until I Facebooked him.”
“‘Facebook’ has been the phenomenon of 2007,” the spokeswoman said. “Though social networking has been around for several years, this year has seen it break into the mainstream, with 200,000 signing up every day.”
Other neologisms included in the new edition are “subprime” and “green collar”.
As an adjective, “subprime” is referred to as a loan “made to a borrower with a poor credit rating, typically at a high rate of interest” and as a noun, meaning “a high-interest loan made to a borrower with a poor credit rating”.
Collins defines “green collar” as an adjective, meaning “of, relating to, or designating workers involved in environmental protection, or employed by companies that have protection of the environment as a stated aim”.
“Facebook”, “subprime” and “green-collar” are currently included in the online version of the Collins English Dictionary.
AFP
Loading ...