Photo Special5 New Dictionary Words Defined by Stars
From "f-bomb" to "aha moment," see how Oprah Winfrey, Steven Tyler and more have incorporated Merriam-Webster's latest additions
Credit: Kiichiro Sato/AP
Updated: Tuesday Aug 14, 2012 | 02:00 PM EDT By: Alison Schwartz
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AHA MOMENT
(noun) A moment of sudden realization, inspiration, insight, recognition or comprehension
Usage: Oprah Winfrey had a major aha moment on her talk show in 1990 while discussing forgiveness and letting go of the past. "That was a transcendent moment for me – bigger even than an aha," she recalled in 2011. (Though the catchphrase has long been associated with Winfrey, it actually originated in 1939, according to Webster.)
