British dictionary's word of the year: 'Single-use'

摘要

Amid a flurry of bans on plastics meant to be used only once, Collins Dictionary has chosen "single-use" as 2018's word of the year. The British dictionary makes a list of new and notable words each year. Images such as albatrosses feeding plastic to their chicks in BBC's nature documentary series "Blue Planet II" have helped fuel an uptick in usage of the word, Collins said. "Images of plastic adrift in the most distant oceans, such as straws, bottles and bags, have led to a global campaign to reduce their use," the dictionary said. "The word [single has seen a four-fold increase since 2013." Single-use means "made to be used once only" and "describes items whose unchecked proliferation are blamed for damaging the environment and affecting the food chain." In 2016, the word of the year was Brexit, followed by "fake news" in 2017. Plogging — the Scandinavian trend of runners who pick up trash along the way — was also among the contenders for this year's word of the year (Greenwire. Feb. 23).