If time travel fascinates you, we have something special for you — and without threat of running into Morlocks.
That’s for all you “The Time Machine” fans out there.
Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary has a special online feature called Time Traveler.
Find out when a word was first used in print. Enter a date — your birth year, a special anniversary date, or whatever piques your interest — to see the words first recorded for that year.
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Concerned your birth year won’t be on there?
Don’t be.
Time Traveler has entries from “before the 12th century!”
Oh, and don’t worry about having to scroll through a lengthy list. Just enter the year or century you’re interested in at the top.
Here’s a few highlights we found of interest as the Florida Connect Team played with it. Yes, sometimes we get a little distracted by things we discover!
By the way, distracted first appeared in print in 1576.
What is Time Traveler?
Time Traveler is an online platform at Merriam-Webster.com.
“When was a word first used in print? You may be surprised!” the site said.
How do you use dictionary’s Time Traveler?
Go to Merriam-Webster’s Time Traveler website.
You can scroll through a lengthy list or enter a specific year or century in the box at the top.
First year available is 2025, but you can go back as far as “before the 12th century.”
Fun ways to play with Merriam-Webster Time Traveler?
Fun ways to play with Time Traveler are limited only by your imagination or interests.
Search for words first found in print in the year you were born.
Look for pop culture moments.
Or find out what new words appeared at key historical moments.
In honor of America250, we looked up 1776 and found (there are a lot more!):
What were some new words first used in print over the past 10 years?
Jump into the Time Traveler for some of the new words found in print over the past 10 years:
Here are a few interesting new words that popped up in the 21st century
Flapjack? Polite? When did those words first appear in print?
Merriam-Webster.com said the word polite first appeared in print in 1500. No word (pun intended) on how people treated each other prior to that.
There’s not much better than starting your day with a flapjack (1600) covered in syrup (14th century) with a cup of hot coffee (1598)?
We know you’re busy, but don’t shilly-shally (1700) to check out (1921) this site and have fun!
Word of the day for July 31, 2026
Want to expand your vocabulary?
Merriam-Webster offers a word of the day.
The word of the day for July 31 is comely.
“Comely is an adjective with an old-fashioned and literary feel that describes someone or something that has a pleasing appearance, or that is pretty or attractive.”
Cheryl McCloud is a journalist for the USA TODAY Network-Florida’s service journalism Connect team. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://floridatoday.com/newsletters.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: What words were born the same year you were? Explore Time Traveler
Reporting by Cheryl McCloud, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Sarasota Herald-Tribune
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Cheryl McCloud, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida | USA TODAY Network
