Most Popular Words Used In 2014:

Most Popular Words Used In 2014:

It turns out that the most popular word of 2014 wasn't actually a word at all.

The heart emoji was used billions of times a day around the globe. It was the first time in the ranking's 15-year history that a symbol earned the top honors. 

"Hashtag" came in second, and "vape" was third

1. The Heart ♥ Emoji (for love) — People usually use the heart emoji to express love or warm feelings.

2. Hashtag — A repurposed pound sign, still powerful thanks to Twitter and Instagram.

3. Vape — Short for vaporize, or vaping, the act of smoking an electronic or e-cigarette.

4. Blood Moon — Four total eclipses of the moon in an eighteen-month span. Some Christians see it as presaging a lunar apocalypse.

5. Nano — From Greek for dwarf, small; now 1 billionth of a meter. It's used in any number of words surrounding nano technology.

6. Photobomb —  Breaking into a photograph without permission.  

7. Caliphate — A land ruled by an Islamic Caliph, typically governed under Sharia Law.

8. Privilege — The alleged advantages of having lighter colored skin in a diverse society.

9. Bae — A millennial's term of endearment.

10. "Bash" Tag —  Co-opting a brand's hashtag to undermine it.

11. Transparency — A state of openness, usually used in reference to the government.

12. Sustainable — Environmentally conscious lifestyle choices.

13. Clickbait — A link structured so that you just have to click on it.

14. Quindecennial — Fifteen-year anniversary of an event.

15. Comet — Comet 67p had a visitor from the Rosetta Spacecraft this fall.