(EsPCEx - 2021)
Lockdown Named 2020's Word of the Year by Collins Dictionary
Lockdown, the noun that has come to define so many lives across the world in 2020, has been named word of the year by Collins Dictionary. Lockdown is defined by Collins as "the imposition of stringent restrictions o travel, social interaction, and access to public spaces". The 4.5-billion-word Collins Corpus, which contais written material from websites, books and newspapers, as well as spoken material from radio, television and conversations, registered a 6,000% increase in _______ (1) usage. In 2019, there were 4,00 recorded instances of lockdown being used. In 2020, this had risen to more than quarter of a million.
"Language is a reflection of the world around us and 2020 has been dominated by the global pandemic." says Collins language content consultant Helen Newstead. "We have chosen lockdown as _______ (2) word of the year because it encapsulates the shared experience of billions of people who have had to restrict _______ (3) daily lives in order to contain the virus. Lockdown has affected the way we work, study, shop and socialise. It is not a word of the year to celebrate, but it is, perhaps, one that sums up the year for most of the world."
Other pandemic-related words such as coronavirus, social distancing and key worker were on the dictionary's list of the top 10 words. However, the coronavirus crisis didn't completely dominate this year's vocabulary: words like "Megxit", a termo to describe Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepping back as senior members of the royal family, also made the shortlist along with "TikToker" (a person who regularly shares or appears in videos on TikTok), and "BLM." The abbreviation BLM, for Black Lives Matter is defined by Collins as "a movement that campaigns against racially motivated violence and oppression", it registered a 581% increase in usage.
Adapted from https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/nov/10/lockdown-named-word-of-the-year-by-collins-dictionary
Lockdown is defined by Collins as "the imposition of stringent restrictions on travel, social interaction, and access to public spaces (paragraph 1). Choose another possible definition for lockdown.
The ability to do something very dangerous, or to face great pain or opposition when necessary.
A document or statement that does not officially represent regular or current government policy.
A section of a large public or private organization such as government, business, university, etc.
An official order to control the movement of people or vehicles because of a dangerous situation.
A common disease that causes a high temperature and small red spots that cover the body.