Dictionary.com Adds Emoji to Site, Including Tears of Joy, Eggplant, Pile of Poo

Also Adds New Slang: Bye Felicia, Netflix and Chill, Rickrolling

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Mar 06, 2018, 01:00 ET

OAKLAND, Calif., March 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Dictionary.com, the leading online and mobile English-language resource, added hundreds of emoji and slang articles to its site, becoming the first dictionary to include published summaries for emoji. In addition to the emoji articles, the new slang terms include everything from adulting and Hey Girl to basic b*tch and f*ckboy, in the site's latest update reflecting the ever-evolving nature of the English language, with hundreds of additional new articles to be added this year.

The first set of emoji explanations include some of the most popular images used today for communication across text, social media, email, and more, including everything from common facial expressions like face with rolling eyes and face with tears of joy to objects like the pile of poo and the eggplant (which has a well-known double NSFW meaning).

"As time goes on, old words take on new meanings, new words are introduced, and new forms of communication, like emoji and memes, emerge," said Liz McMillan, CEO, Dictionary.com. "Our products are meant to help users understand the many ways language is actually being used, so we consistently publish new additions, even when communication surpasses the traditional written word. With this update, consumers now have access to comprehensive, accurate meanings and example sentences using the latest emoji and slang terms."

Internet culture has given way to a whole new way of communicating with memes, GIFs, and tongue-in-cheek jokes. For instance, the use of bye Felicia, which originated in the 1995 movie Friday, has since expanded in both its popularity and meaning, and is now used as a dismissive response. Rickrolling is a collective inside joke used to troll people with bait-and-switch links to Rick Astley's Never Gonna Give You Up music video. Other terms like f*ckboy and Netflix and chill have found prominence in today's culture due to the shift toward more casual relationships, especially among younger generations, in no small way influenced by the rise of online dating.

"We're constantly identifying new terms and the nuanced ways that English speakers are using them to ensure Dictionary.com evolves along with language," said Jane Solomon, Linguist-in-Residence, Dictionary.com. "Emoji have developed from their 12x12 pixel origins on early Japanese cellphones to the major cross-cultural mode of expression they are today. Their use is loaded with meaning, and it's part of our job as lexicographers to capture this meaning as best we can."

Dictionary.com's list of emoji and slang articles include:

Emoji:

Slang:

About Dictionary.com
Dictionary.com, an IAC (NASDAQ: IAC) company, is the world's leading, definitive online and mobile resource dedicated to helping people master the art of language. We provide tens of millions of global monthly users with reliable access to millions of definitions, synonyms, audio pronunciations, example sentences, translations and spelling help through our services at Dictionary.com and Thesaurus.com. Our leading mobile applications for reference and education have been downloaded more than 100 million times.

SOURCE Dictionary.com