Bailout is Merriam-Webster's word for 2008. Words from the 2008 election like bipartisan, maverick and socialism were also on Merriam-Webster's top ten list for 2008. The Boston Globereports that the word bailout received the most look-ups on Merriam-Webster's online dictionary in the shortest amount of time.
The word that received the most look-ups over the shortest period of time was bailout, which the dictionary defines as "a rescue from financial distress," the company said.
"Typically our online dictionary lookups are for slightly difficult but still generic nonspecialized vocabulary," John M. Morse, president and publisher of Merriam-Webster Inc., said in a statement. "But a word in the headlines can grab people's attention to become a most frequently looked-up word. This year's presidential campaign produced voluminous hits for words like 'vet,' 'bipartisan,' 'misogyny,' and the word used to describe both candidates on the Republican ticket, 'maverick.'"
Another frequently looked-up word was "socialism."
Here's the top ten list from Merriam-Webste OnLine. You can also see the list here.
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Bailout is Merriam-Webster's word for 2008. Words from the 2008 election like bipartisan, maverick and socialism were also on Merriam-Webster's top ten list for 2008. The Boston Globe 