‘Binge-watch’ named word of the year by Collins

A survey, conducted by digital video recording company Tivo, found 92% of viewers admitted to “binge-watching” - viewing more than three episodes of a series in one day.

This fits in with the CollinsDictionary.com definition: “To watch a large number of television programmes (especially all the shows from one series) in succession.”

Other words that have been significant in 2015 include clean eating, dadbod and Corbynomics.

Helen Newstead, head of language content at Collins, said: “The rise in usage of ‘binge-watch’ is clearly linked to the biggest sea change in our viewing habits since the advent of the video recorder nearly 40 years ago.

“Due to subscription services such as Netflix or Sky’s NOW TV, or ‘smart’ digital video recorders such as Tivo, fans can watch what they want, when they want, for as long as they want.

“It’s not uncommon for viewers to binge-watch a whole season of programmes such as House Of Cards or Breaking Bad in just a couple of evenings - something that, in the past, would have taken months - then discuss their binge-watching on social media.”

All these words and their definitions appear in CollinsDictionary.com, while those that stand the test of time could be included in the next print edition of the Collins English Dictionary in 2018.

Previous ‘words of the year’ include:

Photobomb - 2014

Selfie - 2013

Omnishambles - 2012

Squeezed middle - 2011

Big Society - 2010

Simples - 2009

Credit Crunch - 2008

Carbon Footprint - 2007

Bovvered - 2006

Sudoko - 2005