( CNN ) -- The Oxford English Dictionary has finally gotten around to acknowledging that tweeting is n't just for the birds . In its latest update , the dictionary that describes itself as `` the accepted authority on the evolution of the English language over the last millennium '' has revamped the entry for `` tweet '' to include its social networking usage . Although the move may seem behind the curve given the widespread use of `` tweet '' to refer to activity on Twitter , the dictionary 's chief editor says he 's actually broken one of its rules by including it so soon . `` A new word needs to be current for ten years before consideration for inclusion , '' John Simpson wrote on the dictionary 's website . `` But it seems to be catching on . '' The dictionary 's entry for tweet now includes the verb -- `` to make a posting on the social networking service Twitter '' -- and the noun -- `` a posting made on the social networking service Twitter . '' They sit alongside the well established bird-related definitions of the word , whose traces go as far back as the 16th century , according to the dictionary . By recognizing that people can tweet , too , the main Oxford English Dictionary is playing catch up with its smaller , snappier cousin , the Concise Oxford English Dictionary . The concise dictionary , a different product that seeks to be `` progressive and up to date , '' already included the word `` retweet '' -- meaning to repost or forward a message posted by another user on Twitter -- in its 12th edition in 2011 . But the mother dictionary , which began life in the 19th century and contains information on more than 600,000 words , tends to move more cautiously in adding and revising entries , something it does four times a year . It has nonetheless ingested several new tech-related words in this month 's update , along with `` tweet . '' They include `` big data , '' `` crowdsourcing , '' `` e-reader '' and `` mouseover . '' And in a belated nod to 1990s pop culture , the dictionary has also just added the Bart Simpson catchphrase `` to have a cow . '' Simpson -- the dictionary 's editor , not the cartoon character -- points out that while Bart made the slang term popular , its use can be traced back to 1959 . That means it took more than half a century to find its way into the dictionary 's pages , a far longer journey than the rapid rise of the non-avian `` tweet . '' It 's settled ! Creator tells us how to pronounce 'GIF '
The Oxford English Dictionary revises its entry for `` tweet '' It now includes verb and noun definitions related to Twitter use . The dictionary 's editor says adding the word so soon breaks one of its rules . Its cousin , the Concise Oxford English Dictionary , already added `` retweet '' in 2011 .