"w00t" Named Word of the Year 2007

'w00t', has been named Word of the Year for 2007 by dictionary gurus Merriam-Webster. Visitors to the Merriam-Webster website were asked to vote for one of 20 commonly searched words and phrases. Facebook was the runner-up. Previously honored geek words include google (runner-up in 2006) and blog (winner in 2004)."

The word, which is typically spelled with two zeros in the middle, is the equivalent of "yay." It's an expression of joy. The origin of the word is debated - some say it's derived from a sound made in the game Quake III. Others say it came from Dungeons and Dragons, and is shorthand for "Wow, loot!" Still others attribute it to hackers, calling it code for root access to a computer.