BEV BUTULA: Word Spy is the first word on an ever-evolving culture

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Online dictionaries range from the standard Merriam-Webster to specific practice areas such as the American Banker’s Glossary of Banking Terms.

Legal professionals often rely on dictionaries to ensure the proper meaning of words. We realize that as the world changes, so does the vocabulary. Twenty five years ago, you never would have “Googled” something.

For readers who appreciate how words continue to evolve with our culture, check out Word Spy. It’s an online resource that follows new words and phrases. Word Spy’s website explains that it features “new terms that have some traction in the language, meaning that they’ve appeared at least three times in print or online, ideally in significant sources such as newspapers, magazines and books.”

It goes on to define “new” as words no older than 20 years that have been used within the past year. The online entry for each term includes the definition, specific examples of usage and related words.

Researchers can locate words via the alphabetical index, category or date. There is also a full text search option.