Brexit, Grexit earn a place in Oxford dictionary; ‘Get your freak on’ does too

Britain has yet to leave the European Union, but the term for its departure — Brexit — has earned a place in the Oxford English Dictionary.

Britain has yet to leave the European Union, but the term for its departure — Brexit — has earned a place in the Oxford English Dictionary.

A British Union flag flies near the Elizabeth Tower, otherwise known as Big Ben, in London. (AFP Photo)

Oxford University Press said on Thursday that the Brexit is among new entries in the authoritative reference work’s latest update. It’s defined as “the (proposed) withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union, and the political process associated with it”.

The word has rapidly entered common usage since Britain voted in June to leave the 28-nation EU. The formal exit process is expected to start next year.

The related word Grexit — a potential Greek exit from the EU’s single currency — is also a new addition to the dictionary.

Other new entries include glam-ma, a glamorous grandmother; YouTuber, a producer of material for the video-sharing website; verklempt, an adjective meaning overwhelmed by emotion; and “get your freak on,” a term for exuberant sex or dancing.

The OED traces the history, meaning and pronunciation of more than 829,000 words and aspires to be the most complete record of the English language ever assembled.