'Single use' announced as the word of the year 2018 – here's what previously topped the list

Collins Dictionary’s word of the year for 2018 has been announced as ‘single-use’, reports the BBC.

The word is said to be linked to the issue of single use plastics, according to Collins, as news stories and shows like the BBC’s ‘Blue Planet II’ have highlighted their devastating effect on the environment.

Other popular words this year included gaslighting (a form of emotional abuse through manipulation) and gammon (an insult to describe middle-aged Brexit supporters).

Word of the year 2017: Fake news

Inspired by Donald Trump, fake news – a practice the US President constantly accused his critics of – is defined by Collins as “false, often sensational, information disseminated under the guise of news reporting”.

Word of the year 2016: Brexit

Hinging on the 23 June referendum, “the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union” – more snappily known as Brexit – became the year’s hot topic.

Word of the year 2015: Binge-watch

Coinciding with the growing popularity of Netflix, binge-watch – a.k.a. “to watch a large number of television programmes (especially all the shows from one series) in succession” – set the tone for 2015.

Word of the year 2014: Photobomb

This is a verb meaning: “spoiling a photograph by stepping in front of them as the photograph is taken, often doing something silly such as making a funny face”. Suffice to say, we can all relate.

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