'Vax' is Oxford English Dictionary publisher's 2021 Word of the Year
CTV
'Vax' is the Word of the Year for 2021, according to the annual report from Oxford Languages.
Defined as "a colloquialism meaning either vaccine or vaccination as a noun and vaccinate as a verb," vax was relatively rare until this year, the company, which publishes the Oxford English Dictionary, said Monday.
In September, vax appeared more than 72 times more frequently than the year before, said Oxford Languages, which analyzes news content to track changes in the English language.
The word first appeared as a noun in the 1980s and then started to be used as a verb in the early 21st century, according to the report.
"It has generated numerous derivatives that we are now seeing in a wide range of informal contexts, from vax sites and vax cards to getting vaxxed and being fully vaxxed, no word better captures the atmosphere of the past year than vax," Oxford Languages said.
Tropical storm Sara drenches Honduras’ northern coast, with flash flooding and mudslides in forecast
Tropical storm Sara stalled over Honduras on Saturday. The area could see life-threatening flash flooding and mudslides through the weekend.
It's a growing trend online: fragrance influencers who rave about the beauty, sexiness and notes of vanilla in perfume have caught the attention of Canadian teenagers who are, in turn, flocking to cologne counters across the country.
The Edmonton Valley Zoo is debuting two red panda cubs named after the mischievous twin wizards in the "Harry Potter" series.
While it remains small compared to established online spaces such as X, Bluesky has emerged as an alternative for those looking for a different mood, lighter and friendlier and less influenced by Musk.
The two biggest children’s hospitals in Montreal - the CHU Sainte-Justine and Montreal Children's Hospital - are asking parents to avoid bringing their children to the emergency room if possible due to a surge in patients.
The ancient Roman Colosseum will be the venue of gladiator fights -- albeit staged -- for the first time in two millennia under a US$1.5 million sponsorship deal with Airbnb that aims to promote 'a more conscious tourism.'
Starting in January, people will be able to make online reservations for campsites for the 2025 season.
Premier Doug Ford's government has signed a $100-million deal with Elon Musk's SpaceX to deliver high-speed internet to remote residents in rural and northern Ontario.
Hallmark Canada has recalled a Star Wars-themed Christmas ornament after mould was found on several of the products.
In case you can't get enough of the little pygmy hippo Moo Deng from Thailand, there's now an official song featuring the internet's favourite baby animal — released in four languages for her global fans.
In part two of a three-part series into how thieves are able to drive off with modern vehicles so easily, CTV W5 correspondent Jon Woodward uses a device flagged by police to easily clone a car key.