'OMG' And 'Heart' Symbol Included In Oxford English Dictionary

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More technology-inspired words have entered the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) as well as the first graphical symbol to signify a word in the dictionary's history. The popular abbreviation of Oh My God; OMG, which is popular among mobile texters has got a place in the Oxford English Dictionary. The latest edition of the Oxford English Dictionary with 5,437 new words, includes several inspired by the web and technology, like 'ego-surfing' and 'dot bomb', as well as the first ever graphical symbol for heart to be given a definition.

The newest addition to the rich variety of English words for being drunk is now lashed (also included as the phrase on the lash), while the happy camper and the domestic goddess should avoid bogus callers, or they might suffer a crack-up and end up in singledom. Several entries reflect the nation’s increasingly eclectic diet, with the first mentions of: banh mi – a Vietnamese sandwich with pickles and meat; taquito - a small Mexican taco, or fried roll of filled maize bread; and kleftiko – a Greek dish of slow-cooked lamb.

The OED was first published in 10 volumes in 1884, but it took 100 years for the full second edition to be published, by which time its size had doubled to over 59million words in 20 volumes. A comprehensive updating was begun in 1989, and it is now available online, where the latest meanings will be added today.