Twerking has become such a phenomenon, arguable thanks to Miley Cyrus, that it’s landed a spot in the Oxford English Dictionary.
The Online Dictionary’s Katherine Connor Martin says despite its popularity right now, twerking has been around for at least 20 years. It’s defined as to "dance to popular music in a sexually provocative manner involving thrusting hip movements and a low, squatting stance."
Martin told The Associated Press "There are many theories about the origin of this word, and since it arose in oral use, we may never know the answer for sure,” adding, “We think the most likely theory is that it is an alteration of work, because that word has a history of being used in similar ways, with dancers being encouraged to 'work it.' The 't' could be a result of blending with another word such as twist or twitch."
Twerk isn’t the only new word added, as “selfie” has also been added. Selfies have become popular due to iPhones and other smartphones.
It is being defined as “a photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically one taken with a smartphone or webcam and uploaded to a social media website,” The Huffington Post reports.
Other words added are food baby, double denim, hackerspace, digital detox and more.