Every year, editors at the New Oxford American Dictionary choose a word of the year. For 2009, it's unfriend: what you do to a former friend on Facebook or other social networking site.
Other trending words in 2009 include:
- intexticated - distracted because texting on a cellphone while driving a vehicle
- netbook - a small, very portable laptop computer with limited memory
- freemium - a business model in which some basic services are provided for free, with the aim of enticing users to pay for additional, premium features or content
- ecotown - a town built and run on eco-friendly principles
For help with words old and new, see our library Guide to Dictionary and Encyclopedia Resources.
