 The Chinese term "xǐnăo" (洗脑，"wash brain") was originally used to describe the coercive persuasion used under the Maoist government in China, which aimed to transform "reactionary" people into "right-thinking" members of the new Chinese social system.The term punned on the Taoist custom of "cleansing / washing the heart / mind" ("xǐxīn"，洗心) before conducting ceremonies or entering holy places.The "Oxford English Dictionary" records the earliest known English-language usage of the word "brainwashing" in an article by journalist Edward Hunter, in "Miami News", published on 24 September 1950.