/ˈpɒd.kɑːst/·noun·February 12, 2004 (Ben Hammersley, The Guardian)·Established
Origin
'Podcast' was an offhand coinage by a journalist in 2004 — despite never requiring an iPod, thename stuck.
Definition
A digital audio program available for download or streaming, typically released as a series of episodes on a particular topic.
The Full Story
English (portmanteau)2004well-attested
Coined by journalist Ben Hammersley in a February 2004 article for The Guardian, as a portmanteau of 'iPod' (Apple's portable media player) and 'broadcast.' Hammersley was brainstorming names for the emerging phenomenon of downloadable internet audio shows and tossed out 'podcasting' alongside 'audioblogging' and 'GuerillaMedia.' The name stuck despite never being endorsed by Appleand despite podcasts not
Did you know?
Ben Hammersley coined 'podcasting' almost as an afterthought. Writing for The Guardian in 2004, he needed to fill a gap in his article about downloadable audio and rattled off several possible names. 'Podcasting' was just one option alongside 'audioblogging' and 'GuerillaMedia.' He has since said he spent about thirty seconds
that Apple — which had never endorsed the term — eventually trademarked 'Pod' and 'Podcast' and built podcast support into iTunes in 2005, retroactively