Category: 2. World

3-D: Short for three-dimensional. This term is an adjective for something that has features that can be described in three dimensions — height, width and length.  

amber: Fossilized tree resin (not sap). Researchers think most of this gemstone likely comes from conifers, or evergreen trees that bear cones. 

ancestor: A predecessor. It could be a family forebear, such as a parent, grandparent or great-great-great grandparent. Or it could be a species, genus, family or other order of organisms from which some later one evolved. For instance, ancient dinosaurs are the ancestors of today’s birds. (antonym: descendant) 

behavior: The way something, often a person or other organism, acts towards others, or conducts itself. 

caterpillar: The larval stage of moths and butterflies. Somewhat wormy-shaped crawlers, caterpillars tend to eat leaves and other plant bits. Some will, however, dine on other insects. 

fossil: Any preserved remains or traces of ancient life. There are many different types of fossils: The bones and other body parts of dinosaurs are called “body fossils.” Things like footprints are called “trace fossils.” Even specimens of dinosaur poop are fossils. The process of forming fossils is called fossilization. 

fungus: (plural: fungi) One of a group of single- or multiple-celled organisms that reproduce via spores and feed on living or decaying organic matter. Examples include mold, yeasts and mushrooms. 

gland: A cell, a group of cells or an organ that produces and discharges a substance (or “secretion”) for use elsewhere in the body or in a body cavity, or for elimination from the body. 

infect: To spread a disease from one organism to another. This usually involves introducing some sort of disease-causing germ to an individual. 

insect: A type of arthropod that as an adult will have six segmented legs and three body parts: a head, thorax and abdomen. There are hundreds of thousands of insects, which include bees, beetles, flies and moths. 

insight: The ability to gain an accurate and deep understanding of a situation just by thinking about it, instead of working out a solution through experimentation. 

paleontologist: A scientist who specializes in studying fossils, the remains of ancient organisms. 

pupa: (plural: pupae) The life stage in insects following the larval (caterpillar) stage and preceding adulthood. 

spore: (in fungi) The species’ single-celled reproductive stage — functioning much like a seed — that is released and spread by wind or water. Most are protected against drying and heat, so they can remain viable for long periods, until conditions are right for their growth. 

Authorities in Bagh, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, have ordered the temporary closure of all schools and educational institutions following a high flood alert issued by the Meteorological Department.

According to an official notification, both public and private schools across the district will remain closed on August 18 and 19 as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of students and staff.

The Met Office has forecast heavy rainfall and thunderstorms in several districts, including Muzaffarabad, Rawalakot, Bagh, Haveli, Kotli, Mirpur and Bhimber, over the coming days. It has cautioned that the weather conditions could trigger flash flooding and landslides, particularly in hilly areas.

Officials said the decision to close schools was taken as a necessary step to reduce risks as the region braces for the impact of the ongoing monsoon spell.

Meanwhile, the Meteorological Department has also warned of heavy to very heavy rainfall in Islamabad within the next 24 hours, with intermittent breaks.

Morning temperatures were recorded at 26°C in Islamabad, 28°C in Lahore and Peshawar, 29°C in Karachi, 21°C in Quetta and Gilgit, 17°C in Murree, and 23°C in Muzaffarabad.

In Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, cloudy weather with chances of rain, wind and thunderstorms is expected in Srinagar, Jammu, Leh, Pulwama, Anantnag, Shopian and Baramula. The morning temperature was recorded at 18°C in Srinagar, Pulwama and Baramula, 26°C in Jammu, 10°C in Leh, and 19°C in Anantnag and Shopian.

“Skibidi”, “tradwife” and other slang terms popularised on social media are among thousands of new words to be added to the Cambridge Dictionary this year.

Skibidi is a gibberish term coined by the creator of a viral animated video series on YouTube, while tradwife is a shortening of “traditional wife” – a married mother who cooks, cleans and posts on social media.

More than 6,000 new words have been added, including those that relate to tech giants and remote working.

“Internet culture is changing the English language and the effect is fascinating to observe and capture in the dictionary,” said lexical programme manager Colin McIntosh.

Skibidi is defined in the dictionary as “a word that can have different meanings such as ‘cool’ or ‘bad’, or can be used with no real meaning as a joke”. An example of its use is “What the skibidi are you doing?”

Reality TV star Kim Kardashian revealed her familiarity with the phrase when she posted a video on Instagram showing a necklace engraved with “skibidi toilet” – the name of the YouTube series.

As well as new phrases, some shortened versions of existing terms have been added, including “delulu” – a play on the word “delusional”, with a similar definition: “believing things that are not real or true, usually because you choose to”.

An increase in remote working since the pandemic has seen “mouse jiggler” – a device or piece of software used to make it seem as though you are working when you are not – gain its place in the dictionary.

Other work-related words to make the cut include “work wife” and “work spouse”, which acknowledge workplace relationships where two people help and trust each other.

Some composite terms such as “broligarchy” have also been added. Merging “bro” and “oligarchy”, it means “a small group of men, especially men owning or involved in a technology business, who are extremely rich and powerful, and who have or want political influence”.

It was used to describe tech leaders Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg attending Donald Trump’s inauguration in January.

Mr McIntosh said Cambridge Dictionary only added words which they believed could stand the test of time.

“It’s not every day you get to see words like ‘skibidi’ and ‘delulu’ make their way into the Cambridge Dictionary,” he said.

“We only add words where we think they’ll have staying power.”

London
 — 

The increasing use of TikTok trends and social media terms in everyday conversation has led Cambridge Dictionary to include “skibidi,” “delulu” and “tradwife” in the 6,000 new words it has added to its online edition over the past year.

To those of us who spend less time online, some of the phrases the UK-based dictionary uses to show how these new words fit into sentences may look like gibberish. How exactly do you describe the precise meaning of “that wasn’t very skibidi rizz of you” or “As Gen Z say, I’ve entered my ‘delulu era?’”

Well, the Cambridge Dictionary defines skibidi as “a word that can have different meanings such as ‘cool’ or ‘bad,’ or can be used with no real meaning as a joke” and delulu as a “play on the word delusional, means ‘believing things that are not real or true, usually because you choose to.’”

Skibidi was first coined by the creator of “Skibidi Toilet,” a viral, nonsensical, animated YouTube series that depicts human heads emerging from toilets.

Delulu, meanwhile, emerged about a decade ago as a way to rebuke particularly obsessive K-pop fans, but it has since become a more general way of saying “delusional” online.

It was brought into the offline mainstream in March when Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese dropped the phrase “they are delulu with no solulu” during a speech in Parliament, after two podcast hosts dared him to use it.

“It’s not every day you get to see words like skibidi and delulu make their way into the Cambridge Dictionary,” said Colin McIntosh, the dictionary’s lexical program manager.

“We only add words where we think they’ll have staying power. Internet culture is changing the English language and the effect is fascinating to observe and capture in the Dictionary.”

Other words added by the dictionary include “tradwife” – an abbreviated form of “traditional wife” used to describe influencers who glorify that role – and “broligarchy,” a mashup of bro and oligarchy, which referenced the tech leaders who attended US President Donald Trump’s inauguration in January.

Language changes in more ways than simply developing new words. Pre-existing phrases or words have also picked up new meanings, which are now reflected in the dictionary. The word “snackable,” originally referring to addictive food, can now also describe online content that you can read or watch in small bursts.

Meanwhile, the phrases “red flag” and “green flag” are increasingly used to express undesirable or desirable qualities in a partner, rather than their more literal meaning.