'Twerk' And 'Meh' among new 500 words added To Oxford Dictionary as legit words.

The dance move gains a place in linguistic history, with "meh" and "e-cigarette" also among the new words in this year's edition.

It was a dance move made famous by Miley Cyrus - and now, "twerk" is among 500 words which have been added to the latest edition of the Oxford English Dictionary.

Following twerking's successful infiltration into popular culture, the dictionary's definition describes it as "dancing in a sexually provocative manner, using thrusting movements of the bottom and hips while in a low, squatting stance".

And if you're looking to express your lack of enthusiasm at this modern dance move, the word you're looking for might be "meh" - another new phrase that's made the cut.

"FLOTUS", the abbreviated term to describe the First Lady of the United States, also receives an honourable mention - as does the "e-cigarette".

For new words to be added to the Oxford English Dictionary, they need to have been frequently used in newspapers and novels for at least 10 years.

Although "twerking" may only seem to have entered the modern lexicon in the past couple of years, the word's origins have been traced back to the 19th century.

In 1820, "twirk" was used to refer to a "twisting or jerking movement" - and researchers believe it may be a blend of the words "twist" and "jerk".

Fiona McPherson, the dictionary's senior editor, said her team was "quite surprised" by the discovery.

Meanwhile, "meh" can be traced back to 1992 - and a few years later, the word's popularity grew when it featured regularly in The Simpsons.

Ms McPherson has insisted that all new entries have "earned their place" in the history of the English language.

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