Are You A Locavore?

The New Oxford American Dictionary announced earlier this week that Locavore is the 2007 Word of the Year.


Locavore, or localvore, is a word used to describe and promote the practice of eating locally grown food (a very popular practice here in Portland, but San Francisco gets credit for inventing the word).


“The word ‘locavore’ shows how food-lovers can enjoy what they eat while still appreciating the impact they have on the environment,” said Ben Zimmer, editor for American dictionaries at Oxford University Press. “It’s significant in that it brings together eating and ecology in a new way.”


Other candidates for word of the year included "tase" ("to stun with a Taser"), "cougar" ("an older woman who romantically pursues younger men"), and "upcycling" ("the transformation of waste materials into something more useful or valuable").