'Tweet' now an official word
Oxford English Dictionary / June 17, 2013
SEATTLE -- In the latest sign that social media is changing the way we speak and behave, the Oxford English Dictionary announced the inclusion of the definition of the word "tweet" in its latest update.
John Simpson, the dictionary's chief editor, said tweet was added despite not having yet been used for 10 years, which is one rule the dictionary considers before adding a new word. But as Simpson said, the word "seems to be catching on."
The Oxford English Dictionary officially defines tweet as "a posting made on the social networking service Twitter" and as a verb, it is defined as "to post on Twitter."
But tweet wasn't the only tech word included in the dictionary's June update.
The Oxford English Dictionary also added definitions for "big data," meaning "computing data of a very large size," "crowdsourcing," which is defined as "the practice of obtaining information or services by soliciting input from a large number of people" and "e-reader," which is a tablet device used for digital books.
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