portmanteau
/pɔ:t'mæntou/
Definition
- Noun:
- A large suitcase, typically made of stiff leather and opening into two equal parts: A type of traveling bag, historically common, that is hinged and opens like a book.
- A word formed by merging the sounds and meanings of two other words: A linguistic blend where parts of two or more words are combined to create a new word with a combined meaning.
Examples of Usage
- Noun (Suitcase):
- He packed his clothes into a leather portmanteau for the long voyage.
- The old portmanteau in the attic was covered in dust and travel stickers.
- Noun (Word Blend):
- 'Brunch' is a portmanteau of 'breakfast' and 'lunch'.
- The term 'spork' is a clever portmanteau combining 'spoon' and 'fork'.
- Many modern company names, like 'Microsoft' (microcomputer + software), are portmanteaus.
Advanced Usage
- Portmanteau word: This is the full term used specifically in linguistics to describe the blended word itself.
- 'Motel' is a classic example of a portmanteau word.
- Portmanteau morph: A more technical linguistic term for a single morpheme (the smallest unit of meaning) that represents a blend of two distinct semantic components.
Variants and Related Words
- Portmanteaus (plural, common for both meanings).
- Portmanteaux (plural, traditional, especially for the suitcase meaning).
- Blend (n): The most common synonym for the linguistic meaning of 'portmanteau'.
- Frankenword (n, informal): A humorous, sometimes pejorative term for a long or awkward portmanteau.
Synonyms
- For the suitcase: Traveling bag, suitcase, case, valise.
- For the word blend: Blend, fusion, amalgam, compound word.
Related Phrases
- To form a portmanteau: The act of creating such a word.
- The author loved to form portmanteaus for the creatures in his fantasy world.
Related Idioms
- A portmanteau of ideas: Used metaphorically to describe something that combines multiple concepts.
- His theory was a portmanteau of ideas from philosophy and science.
Noun
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a large travelling bag made of stiff leather
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a new word formed by joining two others and combining their meanings
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`smog' is a blend of `smoke' and `fog'
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`motel' is a portmanteau word made by combining `motor' and `hotel'
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`brunch' is a well-known portmanteau
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