Don't use common words in new ways

Most people know the common definition of words—usually the one that appears first in the dictionary. Refer to The American Heritage Dictionary if you have any doubts. Use words in the most familiar sense, or define them if you can’t.

• Don’t create a new word from an existing word.
  Example
  Don’t use bucketize to mean group.

• Don't apply a new meaning to an ordinary word.
  Example
  Don’t use graveyard to mean archive.

• Be careful with common words that have industry-specific uses. Assume customers know the common definition of the word, not the industry-specific definition. If you must use the industry-specific definition, define the word in context.
  Writing tip Sometimes industry-specific usage, such as hacker, becomes part of everyday speech. Know your customer and the language they use. When in doubt, use a simple word with a well-understood meaning.

• Don’t use verbs as nouns or nouns as verbs.
  Examples

  Use this	Not this
  affect performance	impact performance
  download the paper	get the download
  respond to the request	respond to the ask