'Amazeballs' new dictionary words

Man cave was one of about a hundred additions in the recent 11th edition of Merriam-Webster's Dictionary. Photo / AP

More than 80 words and terms including "blootered", "amazeballs" and "mummy porn" have been added to an online dictionary.

Publisher Collins said on Tuesday it was "blown away" by the thousands of entries it received for its online resource, after inviting all English-speaking members of the public to become "word-spotters" and suggest new and emerging words for inclusion.

A total of 86 were chosen and can now be seen at www.collinsdictionary.com.

The site was launched last year and is based in Glasgow, where Collins English Dictionary print editions and other best-selling reference titles are produced.

Collins said opening the normally closed process would make the way the English language is recorded more democratic.

The term "mummy porn" was coined when the novel Fifty Shades of Grey, by British author EL James, shot to popularity this year.

The book explores themes of a sexual nature and has a reputation for being popular with women.

"Blootered", an adjective commonly used in Scotland to describe someone who is drunk, was added, along with "Facebook", "cyber bullying" and "floordrobe", which is defined as "a pile of clothes left on the floor of a room".

Tanya Clarke, 30, from Nottingham, submitted the successful entry "amazeballs", which is a slang word for giving approval to something.

"My daughter is 10 and she uses it all the time. I think it is one of those words that will be used a lot by teenagers and pre-teens.

"I think the opportunity offered by Collins to submit words is really good as it means people have the chance to give their views on things that people are actually saying and the terms they are using. It will keep things up-to-date."

Other new entries to the dictionary include "frenemy", for a person who is considered as both a friend and a rival, "shabby chic", which is a style of interior design that uses worn or distressed furnishings to achieve a "romantic effect", and tiger mother, describing "a very strict mother who demands that her children reach a high level of achievement".

Abbreviations such as "Locog" (London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games) and "BBM" (BlackBerry Messenger) have also been added, as well as "marra", a northern English word for "mate".

The entries will now be considered for the dictionary's print edition, but people can continue to submit words to Collins' online resource, which the publisher said allows it to keep up-to-date in real-time.

-AAP