hashtag

[hash-tag]

noun

1. (on social media websites)

   1. a word or phrase preceded by a hash mark (#), used within a message to identify a keyword or topic of interest and facilitate a search for it.

      The hashtag #sandiegofire was used to help coordinate an emergency response to the fire.

   2. a hash mark used in this way.

2. 1. a word or phrase preceded by a hash mark (#) or by the word hashtag , used to add wit or emphasis to a spoken or written statement.

   2. a hash mark or the word hashtag used in this way, as in the sentence His goodbye was so hashtag awkward.

verb (used with or without object)

hashtagged, hashtagging 

1. to add a hashtag to (a word, topic, or message).

   Someone on Twitter just hashtagged the film festival.

hashtag

/ ˈhæʃˌtæɡ /

noun

1. (on the Twitter website) a word or phrase preceded by a hash mark, used to denote the topic of a post

Word History and Origins

Origin of hashtag¹

First recorded in 2005–10; hash (mark) + tag ¹ (in the sense “a label or keyword”)

Example Sentences

She said: "I've been tagging everybody, like 'hashtag John Lewis your ad is nothing on this'".

Read more on BBC

Beauty, appliance maker Ninja and BMW had “ghosted” them too, sometimes but not always adding a hashtag or note indicating that their videos were satire to avoid confusion or potential legal trouble.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Taking to social media in a coordinated movement with Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation, she asked followers to take a black and white photo holding their finger to their lips with the hashtag BreakTheSilence.

Read more on BBC

"Today's lunch is sushi and miso soup," a message posted with the photo said, along with the hashtag #Yellowtail from Kagoshima and scallops from Hokkaido.

Read more on Barron's

“With the election underway, we need to make sure that this rebranding is consistent among all platforms. Campaign speeches, social media hashtags, pamphlets, all of it.”

Read more on Literature

When To Use

What does hashtag mean?

A hashtag is a word or phrase preceded by a hash mark (#), also known as a pound sign, used primarily on social media.On social media, hashtags provide users a way to search for posts related to the word or phrase in the hashtag. You can click on a hashtag to see a list of recent posts that include that keyword. (A couple of our favorites are #WordOfTheDay and #WordNerd.)To hashtag means to add a hashtag to a word, topic, or message, as in We hashtag our posts about history with #HistoryMatters so you can find them easily.Example: Use the hashtag #petthedog with a video of you petting your dog for a chance to win our contest.