Now updated for CSW19. New words, if any, and new inflections of existing words, are shown in red.
| adriamycin | a tradename of the anticancer drug doxorubicin. |
| airbus | an aeroplane that provides the equivalent of a bus service > AIRBUSES or AIRBUSSES. |
| alnico | a permanent magnet alloy of aluminium, nickel and cobalt > ALNICOS. |
| amidol | a colourless chemical used as a photographic developer. |
| amberina | a type of clear glassware. |
| ansaphone | a telephone answering machine. |
| apiezon | as in apiezon oils, the residue of almost zero vapour pressure left by vacuum distillation of petroleum products. |
| aqualung | a type of diving apparatus. |
| aspirin | a pain reliever. |
| astroturfing | political, advertising, or public relations campaigning that seeks to create the impression of being spontaneous 'grassroots' behavior . |
| atabrin atabrine atebrin | a tradename for mepacrine, a bitter yellow powder, formerly used against malaria |
| autocue | a text device to assist newsreaders. |
| autoharp | a zither with a keyboard chord-making mechanism which mutes unwanted strings. |
| baggie | a thin strong plastic bag used for storing food. |
| bakelite | a thermosetting resin used in electric insulators etc. |
| bandaid | referring to a type of sticking-plaster. No —S. |
| barathea | a pebbly silk or worsted fabric with a broken rib weave. [Said to be a trademark by Merriam-Webster, though Chambers and Collins have 'origin unknown']. |
| beaverboard | a building material of wood fibre. |
| benadryl | an antihistamine drug used in sleeping tablets. |
| bergen | a type of large rucksack. |
| biodot | a temperature-sensitive device stuck to the skin to monitor depression. |
| biro | a kind of ballpoint pen. |
| bizarro | a strange person > BIZARROS. [From DC Comics]. |
| blokart | a land vehichle with a sail. |
| blokarting | the sport of using a blokart. |
| blanco | a white substance used for treating uniform belts etc.; (verb) to whiten with blanco. |
| borazon | a manmade compound of nitrogen and boron, as hard as diamond. |
| botoxed | having had Botox treatment (Botox itself is not valid). |
| boursin | (Fr.) a type of cheese. |
| bowser | a light tanker used for refuelling aircraft, named after S.F.Bowser. |
| breathalyser breathalyzer | a device which measures the amount of alcohol on a person's breath. |
| brillo | a proprietary name for: a steel-wool pad, typically impregnated with soap and used for scouring pans, etc. |
| broccolini | a cultivated variety of cabbage. |
| bubbler | a kind of drinking fountain. |
| bundy | to arrive or depart from work. |
| cablevision | television transmission by cable. |
| calcimine kalsomine | a kind of whitewash or colour wash for walls; (verb) to whitewash with this. |
| califont | a kind of gas water heater. |
| calotype kalotype | an early method of taking photographic pictures, on paper sensitized with iodide of silver. |
| caplet | a kind of medicinal tablet, usually in oval form for easy swallowing. |
| captopril | an antihypertensive drug that is an ace inhibitor. |
| celluloid | a thermoplastic, made from nitrocellulose, camphor and alcohol, which is elastic, very strong and often transparent or translucent. |
| celotex | a type of insulation board. |
| chapstick | a small stick of a substance for soothing chapped lips. |
| charmeuse | (Fr.)a soft satiny material. |
| cineplex | a number of cinemas on one site. |
| claxon | see KLAXON. |
| claymation | the animation of clay or Plasticene figures. |
| cleantech | short for clean technology, technology that reduces negative environmental impacts through significant energy efficiency improvements, the sustainable use of resources, or environmental protection activitity. |
| cointreau | a colourless liqueur with orange flavouring > COINTREAUS. |
| comsat | a communications satellit. |
| crockpot | a brand of slow cooker. |
| cursillo | a type of spiritual retreat. |
| cuisinart | a type of food processor. |
| dacron | a synthetic polyester fibre. |
| dayglo | of a luminous green, yellow, pink or orange. No —S. |
| deepfreeze | a type of refrigerator in which food, etc, is stored for long periods at temperatures below freezing; (verb) to freeze or keep as in a deepfreeze. |
| dex | a sulfate used as a stimulant. |
| diazinon | a kind of insecticide. |
| digitron | a type of tube for displaying information which can be lit by a low discharge. |
| dobro | a type of acoustic guitar with a metal resonator built into the body. |
| dodgem | an amusement park ride. |
| dolcelatte | a soft blue-veined Italian cheese. |
| doona | in Australia, a kind of duvet. |
| dracone | a towed flexible container for transporting liquids by water. |
| dumpster | a large skip for refuse. |
| dural duralumin | a strong light aluminum alloy. |
| duvetine duvetyn duvetyne | a smooth lustrous velvety fabric. |
| dynel | a synthetic fibre used to create a textile similar to wool. |
| ebayer | one who sells on eBay. |
| ebaying | selling on eBay > EBAYINGS. |
| emmy | a gold plated statuette awarded annually for television > EMMYS. |
| esky | a portable insulated container for keeping drinks cool. |
| to look for someone's profile on the social network Facebbok. | |
| facetime | to communicate with (a person) using the FaceTime application. |
| favrile | a type of iridescent glassware developed in America at the turn of the 20c by LC Tiffany. |
| fedex | to send by Federal Express > FEDEXES, FEDEXING, FEDEXED. |
| fiberglass fibreglass | a synthetic fibre made of fine filaments of molten glass; (verb) to coat with fiberglass. |
| fibro fibrocement fibrolite | a kind of wallboard, made of compressed asbestos and cement. |
| formica | any of various laminated plastic sheets. |
| freon | an aerosol propellant. |
| frisbee | a disc used for throwing. |
| gemclip | a kind of paperclip. |
| geophone | an instrument used to pick up vibrations passing through soil, rocks or ice. |
| gilsonite | tradename of the mineral UINTAITE or UINTAHITE, an especially pure kind of asphalt, after company owner Samuel H. Gilson. |
| gladwrap | in New Zealand, a thin film to wrap in food; (verb) to cover with gladwrap > GLADWRAPS, GLADWRAPPING, GLADWRAPPED. |
| gonk | the proprietary name of an egg-shaped doll. |
| gramophone | an instrument (invented by E. Berliner in 1887) for reproducing sounds by means of a needle moving along the grooves of a revolving disc. |
| granola | a type of crunchy breakfast cereal made with mixed grain, oats, dried fruit, nuts, etc, and honey or brown sugar. |
| gunite | a finely graded cement concrete sprayed into position under air pressure. |
| gunk | any unpleasant, dirty, sticky material (orig. the trademark of a grease solvent). |
| heliochrome | a photograph in natural colours. |
| heroin | the drug, originally a proprietary name of the Baer company. |
| hoover | a kind of vacuum cleaner; (verb) to vacuum clean using a Hoover > HOOVERS, HOOVERING, HOOVERED. |
| hoovering | the act of cleaning with a hoover. |
| horlicks | a mess, as in to make a horlicks of. [See Michael Quinion's excellent site for a discussion of this]. No HORLICK*. |
| humbucker | a twin-coil guitar pickup. |
| humvee | a high mobility multipurpose military wheeled vehicle. |
| identikit | a system for assembling a composite picture of a person whom the police wish to interview, from features described by witnesses; a picture assembled in this way. |
| invar | an iron nickel alloy. |
| jacuzzi | a kind of large bath which uses underwater jets of warm water to massage the body > JACUZZIS. |
| jarlsberg | a Norwegian cheese. |
| jedi | a person who claims to live according to a philosophy based on that of the fictional Jedi in Star Wars. [Registered to LucasFilm]. |
| jeep | a small four-wheel drive vehicle; (verb) to travel by jeep > JEEPS, JEEPING, JEEPED. |
| jello | JELLY, in the sense of the dessert > JELLOS. [Formerly a tradename]. |
| jetway | a mobile elevated gangway connecting an aircraft to a departure gate. |
| junglegym | a climbing frame for children. |
| kewpie | as in kewpie doll, a brightly coloured doll. |
| kinescope | a cathode ray tube for a television; a motion picture made from an image on this; (verb) to make a kinescope. |
| kirbigrip | a kind of hairgrip. |
| klaxon | a loud mechanical horn; (verb) to sound such a horn. |
| kleenex | a kind of soft paper tissue, used esp as a handkerchief. |
| laetrile | a drug derived from apricot pits, used in the treatment of cancer. |
| lalique | (Fr.) a type of ornamental glass. |
| leatherette | imitation leather. |
| levis | heavy close-fitting denim trousers. No LEVI*. |
| lilo | an inflatable mattress. |
| linoleum | a sheet material made of hessian, jute, etc., coated under pressure and heat with a mixture of powdered cork, linseed oil, rosin, and pigment, used as a floor covering |
| linotype | a brand of typesetting machine; (verb) to set a line of type using a linotype machine > LINOTYPES, LINOTYPING, LINOTYPED. |
| linux | a nonproprietary computer operating system for personal computers > LINUXES. |
| listserv | an Internet mailing service. |
| loafer | a shoe like a moccasin for casual wear > LINUXES. |
| lucifer | a kind of friction match, originally a 19th century tradename. |
| lucite | a type of transparent acrylic-based plastic. |
| lurex | a thin glittery thread. |
| lux | to clean with a vacuum cleaner, from Electrolux. |
| lycra | a type of synthetic elastic fabric. |
| lysol | a kind of disinfectant |
| magnox | an alloy of magnesium and aluminum used to make containers for fuel for nuclear reactors. |
| mahjong mahjongg | an Oriental game. |
| mailgram | a proprietary name for a system of sending messages whereby the text of a message is transmitted to a post office near its ultimate destination, printed out, and delivered by ordinary post; (verb) to send a message by these means. |
| malathion | a kind of insecticide. |
| marconi | to communicate by wireless telegraphy > MARCONIS, MARCONIING, MARCONIED. |
| martini | a kind of cocktail. |
| masonite | a kind of dark brown hardboard. |
| mellotron | an electronic keyboard instrument which reproduces the sounds of other instruments by means of pre-recorded tapes. |
| methedrine | a former proprietary name for an amphetamine, methylamphetamine hydrochloride. |
| metrazol | a drug used to improve blood circulation. |
| mimeograph | an autographic stencil copying device invented by Edison; (verb) to copy by mimeograph > MIMEOGRAPHS, MIMEOGRAPHING, MIMEOGRAPHED. |
| minitrack | a satellite tracking system. |
| mobisode | an episode of a TV show made for downloading and viewing on mobile phones. |
| movieola | a brand of film-editing machine. |
| moviola | a brand of film-editing machine. |
| moxie | (US sl.) courage, daring, vigour. [From the proprietary name of a nerve tonic]. |
| muppet | (Coll.) a stupid person > MUPPETS. |
| muzak | piped background music. |
| mylar | a strong polyester film. |
| myspace | to search for a person's space on the MySpace website. |
| naugahyde | a type of vinyl-coated fabric. |
| neoprene | an oil-resisting and heat-resisting synthetic rubber. |
| nichrome | an alloy of nickel and chrome. |
| novocaine | a proprietary name for cocaine, as a dental anaesthetic. |
| nylon | a synthetic material; a stocking made from this. |
| olestra | an artificial fat. |
| oligochrome | the brand name of a light-filtering device used in photography. |
| oncomouse | (US) a mouse bred for cancer treatment research > ONCOMICE. |
| orlon | a crease-resistant acrylic fibre or fabric used for clothing, furnishing etc. |
| ouija | a board with signs and letters on it, used with a planchette to receive alleged messages from the dead. |
| oxazepam | a tranquillising drug. |
| ozalid | a method of duplicating writing or illustrations. |
| pablum | a proprietary name for a wheat-based children's breakfast cereal. Hence more widely: soft, easily digested food; (fig.) insipid or undemanding intellectual fare. |
| paraquat | a herbicide that kills green vegetation by interfering with photosynthesis. |
| parcheesi | in the US, a proprietary name for pachisi, a game somewhat resembling backgammon, originating in India. |
| pentel | a kind of pen. |
| pepsi | offensive name for a French Canadian, from the name of the soft drink. |
| pernod | (Fr.) an aniseed-flavoured aperitif from France. |
| perspex | any of various clear acrylic resins. |
| photofit | a method of building up a picture of a person by assembling a number of photographs of individual facial features. |
| photoshop | to manipulate a digital image using editing software. |
| photostat | a photographic apparatus for making facsimiles of documents; (verb) to make facsimiles by this means > PHOTOSTATS, PHOTOSTATING, PHOTOSTATED. |
| pianola | a type of player piano. |
| pingpong | table-tennis (registered in the US by Parker Bros but now generic). |
| plasticine | a kind of modelling material that remains soft and can be reworked, used esp by children. |
| plexiglass | acrylic plastic sheets |
| pliofilm | a transparent plastic material. |
| pogo | to jump up and down on the spot to music > POGOS, POGOING, POGOED. |
| popsicle | a kind of ice lolly. |
| posidrive pozidrive | having a patent screwhead that allows greater torque. |
| proto | as in proto team, a team of people trained to deal with underground rescues, etc. |
| puffa | as in puffa jacket, a warm quilted and padded jacket. |
| pulmotor | an apparatus for forcing air into or out of the lungs. |
| pyrex | a heat-resistant glassware. |
| pyroceram | a transparent ceramic material. |
| pyronine | any of several xanthene dyes. |
| quaalude | a type of sedative, aka METHAQUALONE. |
| quantometer | an instrument for measuring proportions of elements in metallic samples. |
| realtor | (US) an estate agent. |
| regulo | a thermostatic control system for gas ovens. |
| rexine | a kind of artificial leather. |
| rolamite | two or more rollers connected by a belt but relatively loose. |
| rollerblade | a type of rollerskate with wheels set in line resembling the blade of an ice skate. |
| roneo | to produce copies by duplicating machine > RONEOS, RONEOING, RONEOED. [From Roneo, an early duplicating machine]. |
| rotameter | an instrument for measuring the length of curved lines. |
| rotavator rotovator | a tool for breaking up the soil. |
| salvarsan | a compound of arsenic once used as a remedy for syphilis. |
| saran | a tough flexible thermoplastic resin. |
| seconal | proprietary name for the drug SECOBARBITAL. |
| sellotape | a kind of adhesive tape; (verb) to stick with sellotape > SELLOTAPES, SELLOTAPING, SELLOTAPED. |
| shazam | a magic slogan. [From DC Comics]. |
| sheetrock | a type of plasterboard. |
| shinola | a kind of boot polish. |
| silastic | a flexible silicone rubber, used in the production of artificial limbs. |
| skidoo skiddoo | a motorized sledge, fitted with tracks at the rear and steerable skis at the front; (verb) to go by skidoo. |
| skidooing | the act of travelling by skidoo > SKIDOOINGS. |
| spackle | a paste for filling cracks; (verb) to fill cracks or holes in a surface, eg a wall, with paste. |
| spam | to send out electronic junk mail > SPAMS, SPAMMING, SPAMMED. [From Spam, a type of luncheon meat]. |
| spandex | a synthetic elastic fibre. |
| >spandexed | wearing spandex. |
| spansule | a time release capsule for a drug. |
| spork | a proprietary name for a piece of cutlery combining the features of a spoon, fork, (and sometimes, knife). |
| stellite | any of various alloys. |
| stetson | a type of cowboy hat. |
| stillson | a kind of wrench. |
| stylophone | a type of battery-powered electronic instrument played with a steel-tipped penlike stylus. |
| styrofoam | a type of expanded plastic made from polystyrene. |
| superglue | a powerful adhesive; (verb) to glue with superglue > SUPERGLUES, SUPERGLUING, SUPERGLUED. |
| swannie | in New Zealand, a type of allweather heavy woollen shirt. |
| syrette | a kind of disposable syringe. |
| talbotype | an early method of taking photographic pictures, on paper sensitized with iodide of silver. |
| tanalised tanalized | of timber, treated with Tanalith, a proprietary preservative. |
| tannoy | a public announcement system; (verb) to announce by tannoy. |
| targa | as in targa top, a removable hard roof on a car, which fits into the boot when not in use; proprietary to Porsche. |
| tarmac | a road covering; (verb) to surface with tarmac > TARMACS, TARMACKING, TARMACKED. |
| tarmacadam | tarmac. |
| taser | a gunlike device which fires electrified darts; (verb) to immobilize with a taser. |
| taxol | a drug obtained from Pacific yew. |
| technicolour technicoloured | in artificially or exaggeratedly bright colours. |
| teflon | a non-stick surface used in cooking utensils. |
| telemessage | any of various messages sent by telephone or a telecommunication system, spec. a message sent by telephone or telex. |
| teleran | an air-traffic control system, in which ground based radar screen is televised to pilots. |
| teletype | a type of teleprinter; (verb) to send a typed message by telegraph > TELETYPES, TELETYPING, TELETYPED. |
| telex | to send a message by a type of telegraphic system > TELEXES, TELEXING, TELEXED. |
| terylene | a synthetic polyester fibre. |
| thermette | a devices, used outdoors, for boiling water rapidly. |
| thermit thermite | an incendiary explosive. |
| thermos | (Greek) a vacuum flask > THERMOSES. [Gk. thermos, hot]. |
| thyratron | a gas-filled valve with a heated cathode, able to carry very high currents. |
| tinkertoy | a child's construction set. |
| tiptronic | a type of gearbox that has both manual and automatic options (Porsche). |
| tofutti | any of a variety of nondairy, soya-based food products > TOFUTTIS. |
| touchtone | (A phone) having a pushbutton rather than a dial. |
| toxaphene | chlorinated camphene used as an insecticide. |
| trampoline | a springy mat for bouncing on; (verb) to use a trampoline. |
| tricotine | a double-twilled worsted fabric. |
| trimphone | a phone designed in the 1960s. |
| twinkie twinky | a stereotypically brainless person. [From a brand of sponge cake]. |
| vaseline | a translucent gelatinous substance obtained from petroleum > VASELINES. |
| vegemite | (Coll.) a child. [From Vegemite, a vegetable extract]. |
| velcro | a fastening consisting of two nylon strips > VELCROS. |
| veronal | A hypnotic drug, aka barbital. |
| victrola | a type of gramophone. |
| windbreaker | a type of windproof jacket with elasticated cuffs and waistband. |
| windsurfer | the proprietary name in the U.S. of a kind of sailboard. |
| woodburytype | a photomechanical process in which an exposed and developed bichromated film is forced into a metal plate by great pressure, and so forms a matrix for subsequent printing. |
| xeriscape | a landscaping method developed especially for arid and semiarid climates that utilizes water-conserving techniques (as the use of drought-tolerant plants, mulch, and efficient irrigation). |
| xerox | to photocopy > XEROXES, XEROXING, XEROXED. |
| zambuck | a member of the St John's ambulance brigade, esp. one on duty at a sporting event. [The proprietary name of an antiseptic ointment]. |
| zambuk | a member of the St John's ambulance brigade, esp. one on duty at a sporting event. [The proprietary name of an antiseptic ointment]. |
| zip zipper | a kind of fastener. |