# hashtag

Pronunciation: say "HASH-tag" /ˈhæʃˌtæɡ/

## Noun

1. A label attached to online content, marked by a hash sign (#) before a word or phrase.
   - Simple: A word or phrase with a # sign in front, used to label posts online.
   - _She added a hashtag to her post so more people would see it._
   - _Popular hashtags can spread a message to millions of users overnight._
3. The hash symbol (#) itself, especially as used at the start of a hashtag. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: The # symbol, especially when used in front of a word online.
   - _Enter your PIN and then press the hashtag to confirm._
   - _The form asked me to type a hashtag before the room number._

## Verb

2. To mark a message with a hashtag so it can be grouped with related content.
   - Simple: To add a # tag to a message so people can find it by topic.
   - _Brands often hashtag their campaigns to track engagement._
   - _He hashtagged the announcement so followers could join the conversation._

## Origin

From an earlier 'hash tag', combining 'hash' (the # sign) and 'tag'. The # sign was proposed by Chris Messina as a 'tag hash' to create groups on Twitter, modeled on the IRC channel prefix, with the first published use as 'hash tag' by Stowe Boyd in 2007.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/hashtag (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).