Dictionary publisher Merriam-Webster has launched an interactive online feature called the Time Traveler tool, allowing users to discover which words entered written English during their birth year.
The new feature shows how every generation is defined by distinct vocabulary, ranging from historical terms like sweatbands and air guitar to modern expressions such as doomscrolling and avocado toast. Users can enter any specific year on the Merriam-Webster website to view the terms added to the dictionary during that exact twelve-month period.
The database extends back hundreds of years, enabling readers to explore vocabulary first recorded in print during the birth years of prominent historical figures such as English playwright William Shakespeare, born in 1564, and natural scientist Charles Darwin, born in 1809.
"When was a word first used in print? You may be surprised! Enter a date below to see the words first recorded on that year," Merriam-Webster explained in an announcement inviting readers to try the tool on its site.
Merriam-Webster editors noted that the date of first known use does not represent the very first time a word was spoken in the English language. According to researchers, many terms circulated in spoken conversation for decades or centuries before appearing in print, meaning the dates strictly reflect the earliest written or printed evidence uncovered by dictionary staff.
Merriam-Webster is America's oldest dictionary publisher, headquartered in Springfield, Massachusetts. Founded in 1831 as G. & C. Merriam Co., the company acquired the rights to lexicographer Noah Webster's pioneering 1828 dictionary after his death and has served as a standard reference for American English for nearly two centuries.
Dictionary additions from 1950 to 1970
The Time Traveler database details how specific eras introduced new terms into written record. Words first recorded in print in 1950 include action figure, anti-boss, blindside, BLT, flak jacket, goofball, house sitter, LSD, tank top and test-drive.
A decade later, the year 1960 saw the dictionary addition of AAA battery, acid reflux, brain drain, cockapoo, crudités, mini, plant-based, reality check and valet parking.
By 1970, new vocabulary reflected evolving medical, societal and cultural topics. Words introduced to dictionary records that year included anxiety disorder, contraceptive implant, control freak, erectile dysfunction, love handles, pumpkin-spiced and X-rated.
Technological shifts and pop culture in 1980 and 1990
Advances in consumer technology and changing social norms were mirrored in dictionary additions during the 1980s. Words first recorded in 1980 included home video and voicemail, alongside terms such as air guitar, baby bump, comb-over, exfoliator, fugly, high five, oat milk and PTSD.
The year 1990, in the grips of the Millennial era, heralded the introduction of bodycon, console game, gift card, hoodie, malware, microplastic, rewild, soundbar, spam and World Wide Web.
Millennium lexicon and digital culture additions
At the turn of the millennium, technological developments and environmental awareness continued to expand the dictionary. Words added in the year 2000 included climate change denial, crunk, deep web, e-book, emotional support animal, FaceTime, Google and side plank.
By 2010, online interactions and modern social trends dominated language growth. Additions for 2010 included 5G, body-shamer, breadcrumbing, Galentine's Day, Instagram, orange wine and polycule.
The year 2020 was heavily defined by the outbreak of a global pandemic, which brought specialized terminology into general usage. Words added that year included Covid-19, Covid toes, doomscroll, mask acne, passenger princess, physically distance and wandering dude.
Online popularity and social media reactions
The Time Traveler feature has proven popular across social media, where users have posted their birth year results online. One user shared: "I was born the same year the phrase 'carbon capture and storage' was invented."
Another social media user described the tool as "so useful for understanding how culture develops." A third commenter joked: "I was born with bi-curious, death metal, French pedicure, socially distance and sriracha and by god I will die by them as well."
Resurgence of traditional British idioms
The launch of the dictionary tool coincides with wider interest in how language evolves over time. Earlier this year, experts from language platform Preply revealed Britain's favourite traditional idioms following a study into expressions undergoing a modern revival.
Preply researchers analysed literacy data across the United Kingdom to identify classic expressions experiencing increased usage among modern speakers.
Topping the list of revived phrases was "not my cup of tea," a polite expression used to indicate that someone does not like or enjoy something. Despite originating in the late 1800s, the phrase recorded a 614 per cent increase in usage between 2000 and 2022.
The study found that "faff around," meaning to mess around or engage in unnecessary tasks, was the second most popular revived idiom, registering a 449 per cent resurgence. Preply is an online educational platform that regularly conducts linguistic research into regional dialects and vocabulary trends.
