Like many technology entrepreneurs, Jay Samit says he knew ooVoo LLC, a video-chat startup, was poised for growth last year when he heard a group of teenagers use it as a verb.

WSJ: How I Built It: Video-Chat Tool Expands From Its Teen Base

Skype is the dominant player in Internet audio and video communications--people use "Skype" as a verb--and now Microsoft owns it.

FORBES: Technology

When I had my first job in journalism many, many years ago, I was told that I could never use the word contact as a verb.

NPR: A Down-to-Earth View of the Planet Debate