Ship

Definition:

Refers to the act of supporting or imagining a romantic pairing (aka 'relation-ship') between two characters in fiction or real life

Context:

The term "ship" originated in the mid-1990s within the X-Files fandom. Fans who supported a romantic relationship between the show's main characters, Fox Mulder & Dana Scully, referred to themselves as "relationshippers," which was later shortened to "shippers." Since then, the term has evolved and become common practice in fan communities, encompassing everything from canon relationships (those that exist within the original work) to non-canon pairings that fans create based on their own interpretations or desires - often expressed through fanfiction, fan art, or online discussions.

The practice has given rise to related terminology such as "OTP" (One True Pairing) for a fan's favorite ship, and "shipping wars" for debates between fans supporting different pairings. In addition, fans often create portmanteau names for their favorite ships by combining the characters' names. For example, "Harmione" (Harry Potter & Hermione Granger), "Reylo" (Rey & Kylo Ren from Star Wars), or "Zutara" (Zuko & Katara from Avatar).

Shipping is also used by Gen-Z / Millennials to show support IRL for relationships (or potential relationships) between celebrities or within friend groups.

Example:

Monica: “Can't believe it took sooo long for Ross & Rachel to end up together!”

Phoebe: “I knowww, right?! I've shipped them since season one!”