Oxford Dictionaries Names “Vape” a 2014 Word of the Year
On November 18, according to foreign media reports, the Oxford Dictionary announced that "vape" has become the new word of the year for 2014.
The Oxford Dictionary editorial team stated that "vape" has become a mainstream term, with its usage doubling in 2014 compared to the previous year. The editorial team believes that the involvement of more celebrities has driven the use of "vape". The term also reflects people's attention to public issues.
Reportedly, the term "vape" first appeared in the 1980s and can be used as a verb to describe the act of inhaling and exhaling vapor from an e-cigarette, or as a noun referring to the device itself.
The term "vape" was included in the Oxford Online Dictionary in August of this year, and the editorial team is considering officially adding it to the Oxford English Dictionary.
Other candidates for the word of the year included "bae" and "slacktivism." "Bae" is commonly used among trendy artists as an abbreviation of "babe," usually referring to a term of endearment for a close partner; "slacktivism" literally means lazy activism, referring to being active on public issues online but lacking participation in real life.
