In Pictures: Collins Dictionary's ten words of the year 2020

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LOCKDOWN: Collins defines 'lockdown' as 'the imposition of stringent restrictions on travel, social interaction, and access to public spaces'. Lexicographers said they picked it as Word of The Year in 2020 because it had become synonymous with the experience of populations across the world as governments look to curb the coronavirus pandemic. Image Credit: AFP

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CORONAVIRUS: According to the dictionary, coronavirus is: “Any one of a group of RNA-containing viruses that can cause infectious illnesses of the respiratory tract, including COVID-19.” | A transmission electron micrograph of SARS-CoV-2 virus particles, isolated from a patient, captured and color-enhanced. Image Credit: NIAID/AFP

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KEY WORKER: "2020 has been dominated by the global pandemic," Helen Newstead, a language consultant at Collins, said. "Key worker" alone has seen a 60-fold increase in usage reflecting the importance attributed this year to professions considered to be essential to society. Image Credit: Reuters

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FURLOUGH: From Dutch verlof, from ver- for- + lof leave, permission; related to Swedish förlof; (noun) a temporary laying-off of employees, usually because there is insufficient work to occupy them. | "2020 has been dominated by the global pandemic," Helen Newstead, a language consultant at Collins, said. Image Credit: Stock photo

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SOCIAL DISTANCING: (Noun) the practice of maintaining a certain distance between oneself and other people in order to prevent infection with a disease. Image Credit: Reuters

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SELF-ISOLATE: (Verb) To quarantine oneself in one has or suspects one has a contagious disease. Because of the way the pandemic has affected the daily use of language, six of Collins' 10 words of the year in 2020 are related to the global health crisis. Image Credit: Pexels

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BLM: Significant social and political developments beyond the virus have also been reflected in the list, which has already made its way into online editions of the English dictionary. The abbreviation "BLM", often used as a hashtag on social media, was widely used in conversations and reporting following the protests, registering an increase in usage of 581 percent by Collins. Image Credit: AFP

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MEGXIT: The UK royal family influenced the shortlist in 2020. 'Megxit', which refers to the withdrawal of Prince Harry and his wife Meghan from royal duties, passed into regular usage. The word, modelled on "Brexit", which was Collins' word of the year in 2016, illustrates just how firmly established that word now is in the British lexicon. Image Credit: AFP

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TIKTOKER: Social media regularly throws up new words for the dictionary. This year, Collins has included 'TikToker', which describes someone who shares content on the TikTok social media platform. Image Credit: Bloomberg

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MUKBANG: Refers to a South Korean trend of video bloggers eating large quantities of food in videos broadcast to their followers, has also made the list. Image Credit: YouTube/ Stephanie Soo

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