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'Vape' named Oxford Dictionaries Word of the Year, beating out 'bae' and 'indyref'

Tough competition, you’ll agree.

Image: AP/Press Association Images

FOLLOWING IN THE footsteps of ‘photobomb’ and ‘overshare‘, ‘vape’ has been named Oxford Dictionaries Word of the Year.

‘Vape’ beat out the likes of ‘bae’, ‘normcore’ and ‘indyref’, all of which were shortlisted.

Vape is used to describe the act of smoking an electronic cigarette and usage of the word has reportedly skyrocketed over the last year as the habit has become more common.

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.

The first recorded usage of the word ‘vape’ is from an article published in 1983 in which the possibilities of an electronic cigarette device were explored.

The word has not yet been included in Oxford Dictionaries, but is reportedly under consideration.

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Amy O'Connor

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