Podcast a Term for the Ages

The New Oxford Dictionary announces their 2005 word of the year is the term coined by users of Apple's iPod.

And the New Oxford Dictionary 2005 Word of the Year is…podcast. This was the choice announced yesterday by the publishers of the venerable dictionary, beating out bird flu, ICE, lifehack and reggaeton, among others.

Podcast, defined by the New Oxford Dictionary as “a digital recording of a radio broadcast or similar program, made available on the Internet for downloading to a personal audio player”, was chosen by the dictionary’s editors because of the huge growth in popularity the term as seen since last year. The word of the year is reportedly chosen through a complex process which involves looking at online and offline publications and taking reader suggestions.

“Podcast was considered for inclusion last year, but we found that not enough people were using it, or were even familiar with the concept,” said Erin McKean, editor in chief of the New Oxford American Dictionary. “This year it’s a completely different story. The word has finally caught up with the rest of the iPod phenomenon.”