Comparethemarket's Aleksandr Orlov has made it into the dictionary with his catchphrase "Simples".

The advertising character's trademark sign-off is among a host of trendy additions to the Collins English Dictionary.

Its inclusion is a further PR fillip for comparison site Comparethemarket, whose TV ads starring the meerkat have proved a hit with viewers.

Several Twitter terms have also made it into the dictionary, reflecting the social media site's growing popularity.

Sharing term "retweet" is included along with "tweet-out" - a greeting sent to one's friends - and "tweetheart" - a person who is much loved or admired by other twitterers.

"Hashtag", the ubiquitous Twitter sight used to mark discussion topics, also makes an appearance.

And so does Apple's iPad, the tabloid computer entering the popular lexicon following its launch earlier this year.