Merriam-Webster's Words of the Week - Oct. 22

’Walkout’

Walkout took another semantic step away from its strike-related meaning, as a number of stories focused on such an action staged by employees recently at Netflix.

Netflix employees are staging a walkout amid Dave Chappelle controversy
— (headline) CNN, 20 Oct. 2021

The earliest meaning of walkout was related to an employee cessation of labor: “a work stoppage by a body of workers to enforce compliance with demands made on an employer.”

Feminine Bolters. A Walk-Out from the W.C.T.U. Convention—Mrs. Foster Leads the Revolt
— (headline) The Moline Review-Dispatch (Moline, IL), 15 Nov. 1880

The sense applicable to Netflix is “the action of leaving a meeting or organization as an expression of disapproval.” The word began its life as an open compound (walk out), but in modern use is mostly found as a closed compound (walkout). The last time this sense of walkout spiked in lookups was in early 2020, when employees of Hachette staged one in protest of that publisher releasing a book by Woody Allen.

’Great White Shark’ & ’Carcharodont’

Great white sharks have been on many people’s minds lately, after a number of people were spotted in waters close to these animals.

After great white shark researchers tag 3 sharks off Massachusetts, they tag 10 off Nova Scotia
— Boston Herald, 17 Oct. 2021

A California drone photographer has captured incredible photos and video of the great white sharks he’s spotted along the coast of Del Mar over the past few weeks.
— Brittney Donovan, KXAN, 21 Oct. 2021

We define this kind of shark as “a large mackerel shark (Carcharodon carcharias) of warm seas that is bluish when young but becomes whitish with age and has been known to attack humans.” If you need an adjective that is specific to great white sharks we can suggest carcharodont, which is “of, belonging to, or resembling the great white shark; especially : having teeth of sharp triangular flattened form with finely serrate edges like those of this shark.” Should you need a less specific adjective, and would prefer one that just means “resembling a shark” you may use squaloid.

’Terminate’

Terminate has been in the news a considerable amount of late, used in reference to actions taken against (or planned/threatened to be taken against) employees who refused to take a vaccine for Covid-19.

Tucson will terminate employees who don’t get a COVID-19 vaccine by December
— (headline) Arizona Mirror, 20 Oct. 2021

When terminate came into English use in the 15th century it initially had the meaning of “to come to an end in space or extent : extend only to a point, line, surface, or other limit.” Terminate was use in reference to the end of employment from the beginning of the 20th century:

Notice is hereby given—That we have terminated the employment of M. E. Hunter, who heretofore worded for this company in the show case department, , and we will not be responsible for any obligations of his of any nature whatsoever.
— (advt) The Pittsburgh Press, 19 Aug. 1908

The use of the word as a transitive verb with the meaning of “to discontinue the employment of” dates in use from the early 1920s.

’Platform’

Former President Trump has continued his practice of driving many people to focus on words, in recent days through announcing that he would soon helm a social media platform of his own.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump will launch his own social media app, TRUTH Social, that he said would "stand up to Big Tech" companies such as Twitter and Facebook that have barred him from their platforms.
— Dan Whitcomb, Reuters, 21 Oct. 2021

Platform, which typically carries such meanings as “a flat surface that is raised higher than the floor or ground and that people stand on when performing or speaking” or “a usually raised structure that has a flat surface where people or machines do work,” has in recent decades seen a number of computer-related senses become increasingly prominent. The word may refer to a computer’s operating system (or the computer architecture and equipment using a particular operating system), or may have the meaning of “an application or website that serves as a base from which a service is provided.”

Our Antedating of the Week

This week’s antedating is unappreciative: “not giving recognition or thanks for something : showing no appreciation : not appreciative." Our earliest known use had come in 1840, but recent findings show that we’ve been unappreciative about things since at least 1834.

He evidently knew nothing of the amiable feelings which usually animate boobies; or if he knew, he was unappreciative of them.
— Chamber’s Edinburgh Journal (London, Eng.), 23 Aug. 1834