Definitions
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun linguistics A word which combines the meaning of two words (or, rarely, more than two words), formed by combining the words, usually, but not always, by adjoining the first part of one word and the last part of the other, the adjoining parts often having a common vowel; for example,
smog , formed fromsmoke andfog .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun a new word formed by joining two others and combining their meanings
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
Coined by Lewis Carroll in 1872, based on the concept of two words packed together, like a portmanteau (a travelling case having two halves joined by a hinge).
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Examples
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oroboros commented on the word portmanteau word
A word formed by mixing two other words: brunch from breakfast and lunch.
May 24, 2008
seanahan commented on the word portmanteau word
See portmanteau, or the tag for portmanteau.
May 27, 2008
slumry commented on the word portmanteau word
not to be confused with a compound word.
May 8, 2015