It’s actually not even a word; it’s a pictograph — the “face with tears of joy” emoji.
“(The emoji) was chosen as the ‘word’ that best reflected the ethos, mood, and preoccupations of 2015,” according to the website.
Other contenders
Other words or phrases that were considered for this year’s choice, according to OxfordDictionaries.com:
sharing economy - An economic system in which assets or services are shared between private individuals, either for free or for a fee, typically by means of the internet
they - Used to refer to a person of unspecified sex
on fleek - Extremely good, attractive or stylish
Ad blocker - A piece of software designed to prevent advertisements from appearing on a web page
refugee - A person who has been forced to leave their country in order to escape war, persecution or nature disaster
Brexit - A term for the potential or hypothetical departure of the United Kingdom from the European Union
Dark Web - The part of the world Wide Web that is only accessible by means of special software, allowing users and website operators to remain anonymous
lumbersexual- A young urban man who cultivates an appearance and style of dress (typified by a beard and check shirt) suggestive of a rugged outdoor lifestyle