Sorry , `` bae . '' The noun -- a `` term of endearment for one 's romantic partner '' -- was shown no love by Oxford Dictionaries , which instead selected `` vape '' as the 2014 word of the year . `` Vape '' can be used as either a noun meaning `` an electronic cigarette or similar device '' or a verb in which one would `` inhale and exhale the vapour produced by an electronic cigarette or similar device . '' According to a press release from Oxford , research showed the use of the word `` vape '' more than doubled in 2014 over the previous year . Couple that with the growth of electronic cigarettes into a multimillion dollar industry and the Oxford editors decided that the word 's time had come . `` A gap emerged in the lexicon , as a word was needed to describe this activity , and distinguish it from 'smoking ' , ' '' the Oxford press release says . `` The word vape arose to fill this gap , and it has proliferated along with the habit . '' Oxford 's lexicographers grapple every year with a list of potential winners . Last year , `` selfie '' -- `` a photograph that one has taken of oneself , typically one taken with a smartphone or webcam and uploaded to a social media website '' -- trumped `` bitcoin '' and `` twerk '' to take the honor . In addition to `` vape '' and `` bae , '' this year 's shortlist included : . budtender , noun : . A person whose job is to serve customers in a cannabis dispensary or shop . contactless , adjective : . 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 , noun : . The referendum on Scottish independence , held in Scotland on September 18 , 2014 , in which voters were asked to answer yes or no to the question `` Should Scotland be an independent country ? '' normcore , noun : . A trend in which ordinary , unfashionable clothing is worn as a deliberate fashion statement . slacktivism , noun , 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 .
The word `` vape '' grew in use over last year . Vaping is a form of electronic cigarette that uses liquid nicotine to deliver nicotine-free vapor into the lungs. The word beat out `` bae '' and `` normcore ''