Vape is the word of the year: Oxford

The word vape has been named the Oxford English Dictionaries word of the year, beating bae, a term of endearment for a romantic partner, and indyref - used to describe the poll on Scottish independence.

To vape is to inhale and exhale the vapour produced by an electronic cigarette. As a noun it describes the actual device.

Computer robots which scour the web for Oxford Dictionaries show that use of the word "vape" doubled in 2014 compared to 2013.

Judy Pearsall, editorial director for Oxford Dictionaries, said: "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."

Oxford also released a list of honourable mentions:

bae, n. used as a term of endearment for one's romantic partner.

budtender, n. a person whose job is to serve customers in a cannabis dispensary or shop.

contactless, adj. relating to or involving technologies that allow a smart card, mobile phone, etc. to contact wirelessly to an electronic reader, typically in order to make a payment.

indyref, n. an abbreviation of 'independence referendum', in reference to the referendum on Scottish independence, held in Scotland on 18 September 2014, in which voters were asked to answer yes or no to the question 'Should Scotland be an independent country?'

normcore n. a trend in which ordinary, unfashionable clothing is worn as a deliberate fashion statement.

slacktivism, n., informal actions performed via the Internet in support of a political or social cause but regarded as requiring little time or involvement, e.g. signing an online petition or joining a campaign group on a social media website; a blend of slacker and activism.