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Activists want to change the official dictionary definition of "circus" - to "animal cruelty."
PETA members are petitioning the publishers of the Webster's Dictionary to alter the definition of circus to reflect what PETA says are the miserable lives of elephants, lions and other wild animals.
"As more people become aware of the cruelty and violence that goes on behind the scenes [at circuses], the definition needs to be updated," said PETA campaigner Matt Rice.
But "we don't base our work on petitions to the dictionary," said Merriam Webster spokesman Arthur Bicknell. "We're not a political organization whatsoever. Our job is to reflect the English language as it is actually being used."
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