Find Out Which Words Were First Used in Print in the Year You Were Born
The year I was born was the year when “punching” was first used in print.
Other highlights of the year include Boombox, Auto Correction, Bastard and Buffalo Wing.
Do I need this information? Probably no. Is it interesting to know this information? Absolutely.
Merriam-Webster’s Time Traveler can help you find the same information for your year of birth or any year of interest.
To use it, simply go to the dedicated Merriam-Webster Time Traveler page and select a year from the drop-down menu. When you have done this, you will be presented with a list of words that are believed to have been used for the first time in print that year.
If you come across something that you don’t understand, you can click on it for a short definition.
The available years range from 2017 to the 12th century, so you can do some pretty important research as well.
It can be a fun way to take a look at what was happening in the world at a certain point in time, and kill a few minutes in the afternoon with it.