New Words

HuffPo reports Merriam-Webster has added (among others) these new words:

_ Americana (1841): genre of American music with roots in early folk and country music.

_ boomerang child (1988): young adult who returns to live at her family home, especially for financial reasons.

_ bromance (2004): a close nonsexual friendship between men.

_ continuous positive airway pressure (1975): abbreviated CPAP; a technique for relieving breathing problems (as those associated with sleep apnea or congestive heart failure) by pumping a steady flow of air through the nose to prevent the narrowing or collapse of air passages or to help the lungs to expand.

_ cougar (1774): slang term for a middle-aged woman seeking a romantic relationship with a younger man.

_ crowdsourcing (2006): the practice of obtaining needed services, ideas or content by soliciting contributions from a large group of people, especially from the online community, rather than from traditional employees or suppliers.