‘Tweet’ becomes an official word
Added as both a noun and a verb, the Oxford English Dictionary breaks at least one of its own rules in approving its newest term.
The Oxford English Dictionary has added tweet as both a noun and a verb. The following meaning has been added to the previous bird-related definitions: “To make a posting on the social networking service Twitter. Also: to use Twitter regularly or habitually.”
John Simpson, chief editor of the Oxford English Dictionary, had this to say about the move in a blog post:
“The noun and verb tweet (in the social-networking sense) has just been added to the OED. This breaks at least one OED rule, namely that a new word needs to be current for ten years before consideration for inclusion. But it seems to be catching on.”
The OED had also added social-media-related entries for the words “follow” and “follower.”
Become a Ragan Insider member to read this article and all other archived content.
Sign up today
Already a member? Log in here.
Learn more about Ragan Insider.
