Oxford English Dictionary (OED) lexicographers were astounded to find out that the word "twerk" has roots "quite spectacular" than the reputation that precedes it. In fact, Fiona McPherson, an OED senior editor, said that they were quite surprised that the word has been in use for 200 years already and continues to mean the same thing today.

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On Thursday, OED announced that it has added more than 500 new entries, including the modern definition of "twerking." According to an article by The Guardian, "a word must have been in popular use for at least 10 years in novels and newspapers" to qualify. OED is also known to enforce stricter admission criteria than other Oxford dictionaries. Although "twerking" gained a notorious reputation just in 2013, its origin dates back to centuries.

McPherson's team discovered that the word was originally spelled as "twirk" and used as a noun in 1820. It was then described as a "twisting or jerking movement." In 1848, it was believed to have been used as a verb and eventually spelled as "twerk" in 1901. The word also refers to a dance that was born in the 1990s New Orleans music scene, Yahoo! Singapore cited McPherson.

Today, OED's definition of "twerking" is "to dance to popular music in a sexually provocative manner, using thrusting movements of the bottom and hips while in a low, squatting stance," Time quoted.

Other new entries that are actually older than popularly known include "meh," which is used as an interjection to convey lack of enthusiasm. According to a report by The Guardian, it was first used in 1992 and made popular by "The Simpsons." Meanwhile, the word "half-ass" seems to be a recent invention of the youth that corresponds to a generally laid-back image. But according to Time, the word was first used back in 1954 and means "to perform (an action or task) poorly or incompetently."

More words that officially made it to the esteemed dictionary and in the modern day's everyday conversation are "Twitterati," "fo' shizzle," "webisode," "e-cigarette," "voluntourism," "ecotown," "freegan," "hot mess," "autotune," "backronym," boiler room," "cisgender," and "koozie," as listed by The Guardian and Time. 

Tagstwerking Oxford Dictionary, twerk Oxford Dictionary