The Oxford English Dictionary is the unrivalled reference to the meaning, history and pronunciation of the English language. It defines over half a million words, and lists 2.5 million quotations to illustrate their meanings. Its ten volumes took 50 years to compile.

These days, the OED's lexicographers publish quarterly updates to the online edition. On 16th June, 2011, they added and updated around 1,840 entries from across the alphabet, notably those beginning with 'auto', 'brain', 'field', 'gender' and 'green'. The new words included many in common usage, including 'autosave', 'jet ski', and 'Scotchgard'.

The other new words added to the OED in this update were maybe a little more obscure, but how many of them can you identify? I've listed 20 of the new words added in June 2011, and have given four possible definitions for each one - can you spot the correct one?

You'll find the answers at the foot of the page, but no peeking until you've guessed them all!

1. anole


a) a kitchen implement

b) a space or gap

c) a synthesized chemical compound

d) a tree lizard

2. autogestion


a) an automatically-processed employee suggestion

b) an employee-run workplace organisation

c) fuel economy

d) stomach pain

3. autogolpe


a) fuel economy

b) a graphic design process

c) a Latin-American military coup

d) a neurone

4. Baba Yaga


a) a Columbian drug runner

b) an Israeli midwife

c) a Russian man-eating witch

d) a Serbian cocktail

5. babaco


a) an East African trade organisation

b) an Ecuadorian fruit tree

c) A Spanish doll

d) a synthesized tobacco substitute

6. babalaas


a) an antelope

b) an arranged marriage

c) a hangover

d) a type of cheese

7. Babesia


a) a muscular disease

b) a protozoan parasite

c) a star in the constellation of Hydra

d) a West African tribe

8. babka


a) a Czech library

b) a Finnish remote control unit

c) a Polish cake

d) a Russian glass

9. bavian


a) bat-like

b) an inhabitant of Bath, UK

c) a Morris-dancing baboon

d) a prehistoric era

10. Bezpopovtsy


a) a folk dance

b) a pork and celeriac stew

c) reticence

d) a sect of the Russian Orthodox church

11. croque madame


a) a bathing costume

b) an enamelled baking dish

c) an in-store changing room

d) a toasted sandwich

12. Dalriad


a) an item of laboratory glassware

b) a member of a Gaelic tribe

c) a member of a right-wing political party

d) a very large number

13. doula


a) a shallow basket in which seeds are ground

b) a single-masted fishing vessel

c) a vagrant

d) a woman present when a friend gives birth

14. erw


a) a farming implement

b) a measure of land

c) a poem

d) a shawl

15. giclée


a) a love affair

b) a printing process

c) a sorbet

d) a strike-breaker

16. greenbul


a) an African bird

b) the alternative energy commodity market

c) a banknote

d) a lubricant

17. greenswardsmanship


a) archery

b) environmental credentials

c) lawn-growing skill

d) a martial art

18. luchador


a) an apartment block

b) a breed of dog

c) a Mexican wrestler

d) a unit of currency

19. Scotti


a) a biscuit

b) a breed of dog

c) an engineer

d) Irish Scots

20. urb


a) a city

b) a geek

c) a prison

d) a security loophole

1d 2b 3c 4c 5b 6c 7b 8c 9c 10d 11d 12b 13d 14b 15b 16a 17c 18c 19d 20a

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