Other articles by Kathleen Purvis:

Good habits will help save water all year long Y'all love or hate her cuz she's over the top Shortcake is longtime dessert fixture Rinsing cooked ground beef in hot water will remove some fat Pigs in a blanket are cocktail-party fave Tasteful memories are long-lasting Tomatoes shine in August High-end beers at home in the kitchen Braising brings out food's best Pinot Noir: Its time is now

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. — It started with "carnivore" — someone who eats meat. Then we had "omnivore" — someone who eats from all food groups.

Next came "locavore" — someone who eats food grown or produced locally.

"Locavore" ended up being named "Word of the Year" last year by the New Oxford American Dictionary.

Now it's really taking off. I was on an eating trip with friends the other night when they announced they were "opportunivores." They'll eat anything when they get the chance.

That started the new food words spinning in my head. If you spend enough time in the food world — prowling for restaurants, poking around the food Web sites — you'll see all kinds of tribes.

Let's see, could they be . . .

● Cultivores. These are members of the eating cults, people who lurch from one food fad to the next in search of the most obscure food.

● Omnibores. People who endlessly brag about all the places where they've eaten, including neighborhoods, cities and very distant countries.

● Snap-and-eaters: People who shoot pictures of their plates to post on blogs. (Turn off your flash — the light bouncing off your fork is blinding us.)

● Baggists. Those who bring our own bags everywhere we go. ("Sorry I'm late — I got caught in line behind a baggist with $300 worth of frozen food.")

● Campovores. People who take gourmet meals on camp-outs.

● Campyvores: People who embrace any food with retro appeal. Their logo would be a marshmallow Peep holding a pack of Teaberry gum.

● Cardivores: People who hold up the take-out line at lunch while they shuffle through their wallet for their frequent-buyer card.

● Gimmemores: People who have no standards for food other than the size of the portion.

● Foodfearists: Otherwise mature adults who are still avoiding things they didn't like when they were children. "Don't serve me anything green — I'm a foodfearist."

● Never-happytarians: People who pick apart every meal, particularly any meal in a restaurant that got a favorable review.

● Mommy direst: Someone who is afraid no source of food will be pure enough for her children.

● Martha maidens: People who make everything from scratch, right down to forging the metal for their own pots. (Avoid getting a gift from a Martha maiden. You have to make your own paper and ink for the thank-you card.)

● A Childsian Slip: This is when someone shows off his or her knowledge of food but misuses the words. Named in honor of all the people who think the name of the late cookbook author was "Julia Childs."