Merriam-Webster announced this week in a press release that it was adding the word
"hashtag" to the dictionary. "Hashtag" is defined as follows:
a word or phrase preceded by the symbol # that
classifies or categorizes the accompanying text (such as a
tweet)
Conveniently, the press release provides an example of proper
hashtag usage: "Join the New Words conversation on Twitter
using hashtag #MW2014NewWords."
Still confused about how to use hashtags? Jimmy Fallon and
Justin Timberlake provided the following helpful tutorial on Late
Night with Jimmy Fallon:
The hashtag phenomenon has created new branding opportunities.
It is now common for TV shows to promote themselves through branded
hashtags. Singing shows like NBC's The Voice and Fox's
American Idol are known for their extensive use of hashtags.
