Australia makes 'captain's call' on best words of 2015

'Lumbersexual' - referring to urban men who adopt the bushy beards and clothing of lumberjacks - has been voted one of Australia's words of the year for 2015

Captain's call - a phrase "plucked" from the cricket pitch and politicised by former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott - has become the Macquarie Dictionary's Word of the Year for 2015.

Mr Abbott's controversial choice to award Prince Philip a knighthood was one of his many "captain's calls".

The noun is defined as "a decision made by a political or business leader without consultation with colleagues".

The dictionary said the word "perfectly encapsulates" Australia in 2015.

"There has been an interesting change in usage; an infrequent item of the jargon of cricket makes the leap into politics and is now being used generally with an ironic tinge to it that is very Australian," the Macquarie Dictionary said in a statement.

Coming in second was the word "lumbersexual" - a portmanteau of lumberjack and metrosexual - referring to urban men who adopt the style of an outdoorsman as a fashion statement.

The former Australian prime minister Tony Abbott brought the term "captain's call" into mainstream use in Australia

Other contenders for Australia's best word in 2015

deso: Colloquially refers to a designated driver, who refrains from drinking alcohol in order to drive others safely home. Also, deso driver.

open kimono: A business policy of sharing information freely with an outside party.

keyboard warrior: a person who adopts an excessively aggressive style in online discussions which they would not normally adopt in person-to-person communication, often in support of a cause, theory, world view, etc.

ghost plate: a clear plastic numberplate cover which becomes opaque when viewed from certain angles, thereby obscuring the registration number; designed to circumvent identification by speed cameras.

athleisure: clothing, shoes, etc., designed for both exercise and general casual wear.tri-tip: a cut of beef, taken from the bottom of the sirloin.

digital disruption: Commerce the impact of digital technology in making various established industries and products obsolete.

abandoned porn: a genre of photography which romanticises abandoned buildings and urban areas in a state of decay. Also, ruin porn.

wombat gate: a swing gate installed in a ditch going underneath a fence, so that wombats, who follow very predictable patterns at night, can come and go without destroying the fence.