Oxford Dictionaries have announced that “vape” is their international word of the year for 2014 as a result of the rise in the use of electronic cigarettes.
“As vaping has gone mainstream, with celebrities from Lindsay Lohan to Barry Manilow giving it a go, and with growing public debate on the public dangers and the need for regulation, so the language usage of the word vape and related terms in 2014 has shown a marked increase,” said editorial director, Judy Pearsall.
Staff at the dictionary also explained that the verb vape means to inhale or exhale the vapour of e-cigarettes but that the word can also be used as a noun.
Other words that were shortlisted for the top spot include “bae” which is a term of endearment for your romantic partner, mainly used on social media and in hip-hop music, while “indyref” was also selected following on from the Scottish Independence poll this year.
The term “vape” was added to the online dictionary and it is being looked at for inclusion in the print edition of the Oxford English Dictionary.
