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20 words added to the English language 100 years ago, after World War 1                 
hundred years ago, in 1918, ended the First World War. A few months after that, in a diary entry dated September 10, 1918, the term entered English language. We didn't wait for the Second World War to coin the word "First" before the only World War the world had seen at the time.

Though it was called the Great War or the War To End Wars prior to this, the changing terminology in a way, the decision predicted the future yet to unfold.

The year 1918 saw a great many developments on the planet apart from the World War and the incredible number of "new things" happening created the need for a lot of new words.

Society was advancing by leaps and bounds in the fields of arts, aviation and industry. It was barely two decades since moving pictures or films entered the scenario, while medicine was improving and the concept of women's freedom was on the rise.

Around 524 new words joined the English language that year --- 333 by the Oxford English Dictionary and 191 by America's Merriam-Webster.

Here are 20 English words which entered the language in 1918 and have stayed with us changed or unchanged 100 years down the line:

1. Devalue:

When there is war, there must be massive financial losses. A term was needed to define the strategy used to lower the value of currency to affect war.

2. Mass graves:

A large number of casualties are a side effect of war and a term was required to define the same. It took on new meaning after the Second World War.

3. Welfare:

With war, comes the need for a "statutory procedure or social effort designed to promote the basic physical and material well-being of people in need."

4. Friendly fire:

When you face battle after battle, you are bound to end up shooting your own teammates by mistake and this term arose to define that occurrence.

5. Queued:

As millions of people stood in line for rations, a word came to define the act.

6. Interview:

This used to define the face-to-face meeting required to identify potential military recruits.

7. Breakthrough:

This word defined a burst of some major progress, but only in a war scenario.

8. Stormtrooper:

Back in 1918, this word had nothing to do with Star Wars. It referred to elite German infantry men, handpicked and specially trained.

9. Dog-tag:

US Army soldiers wore metal tags around their necks for identification in case of death. These had the person's name and ID number stamped on them.

10. Bob:

The Bob-cut for women was a radical hairstyle back then, popularized more as women took to working outside the home with the men leaving for war.

11. Retake:

The film industry was on the rise and actors discovered that unlike in theatres, they could take a shot again on camera, thus giving rise to this word.

12. Troubleshoot:

Troubleshooters were people working to fix telegraph/telephone lines. The verb meaning 'problem-solving' came into play in 1918.

13. Climax:

With increasing emancipation of women, came the word 'climax' as opposed to 'orgasm'. It was described by birth-control pioneer Marie Stopes in a book of hers and showed the growing acceptance of women enjoying sex.

14. Blah:

Used to define "meaningless talk", this word entered the vocabulary as the society changed radically in times of war.

15. Surrealist:

As the art movement gained momentum, this term crossed the Channel from France to England.

16. Shimmy:

After 'Shim-Me-Sha-Wabble', a popular dance number was released by Spencer Williams in 1917, the word 'shimmy' quickly began to mean any suggestive dance by the next year.

17. West:

As a geopolitical setting, the use of this word was first recorded in 1918 to distinguish Britain, Italy, and France from Russia.

18. Lifespan:

With advancements in the medical industry, interest in longevity grew and this term came into play.

19. Microclimate:

As procedures for data and research improved, one could focus on the climates of small areas and draw comparison between the same. This word is extremely relevant today.

20. Extrovert/Introvert:

These two important psychological terms were coined in 1918.