portmanteau

1 of 2

noun

port·man·teau pȯrt-ˈman-(ˌ)tō How to pronounce portmanteau (audio)

plural portmanteaus or portmanteaux pȯrt-ˈman-(ˌ)tōz How to pronounce portmanteau (audio)

: a large suitcase

: a word or morpheme whose form and meaning are derived from a blending of two or more distinct forms (such as smog from smoke and fog)

portmanteau

2 of 2

adjective

: combining more than one use or quality

: being a portmanteau

a portmanteau word

Did you know?

In Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking Glass, Alice asks Humpty Dumpty to explain words from the nonsense poem "Jabberwocky" and is told that slithy is "like a portmanteau-there are two meanings packed up into one word." Although slithy hasn't caught on (it's made up of slimy and lithe, according to Humpty Dumpty), another portmanteau invented by Carroll has in fact found a place in the language: chortle (supposedly from chuckle and snort). English includes other portmanteaus, too, such as brunch (breakfast and lunch) and dramedy (drama and comedy). Following Carroll's lead, English speakers have come to call these fairly common words by the not-so-common name for a type of traveling bag with two compartments. The technical (and simpler) term for such words is blend.

Example Sentences

Noun carried her possessions with her in an old portmanteau

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Other names for the practice include nibbling, pick-up meal, alchemy, kitchen sink, deja vu and the fun portmanteau, plannedovers.

G. Daniela Galarza, Washington Post, 21 July 2022 More:Juneteenth festivities in Milwaukee will be a celebration of freedom but also an opportunity to educate Juneteenth, a portmanteau of June and the date of the 19th, commemorates when the last remaining slaves were freed in the United States.

La Risa R. Lynch, Journal Sentinel, 20 June 2022 The winery was the first to use the word Meritage — a portmanteau of merit and heritage — on its Bordeaux-style red wines.

Washington Post, 5 May 2022 The term is a portmanteau of oligarch and siloviki, a Russian word for the country’s military and security elite.

John Hyatt, Forbes, 14 Mar. 2022 In between public displays of French kissing and a multitude of designer fittings, Fox even christened herself and Ye with their very own portmanteau.

Glenn Rowley, Billboard, 7 Feb. 2022 Peneloise — Bridgerton viewers' favorite platonic portmanteau — is seemingly no more.

Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 26 Mar. 2022 Only the Puerto Rican superstar himself could get away with naming his farewell full-length with a portmanteau as cocksure as Legendaddy, a title fittingly in line with his perception of himself (with respect to Don Omar) as the King of Reggaeton.

Gary Suarez, Rolling Stone, 24 Mar. 2022 The name is a portmanteau of its main ingredients: bananas and toffee pudding.

Casey Barber, CNN, 14 Mar. 2022

Adjective

So many of the words created our dozens of neologism contests over the decades are portmanteau words, the combination of two words.

Washington Post, 18 July 2019 So many of the words created our dozens of neologism contests over the decades are portmanteau words, the combination of two words.

Washington Post, 18 July 2019 See More

单词	portmanteau
释义	portmanteau 1 of 2 noun port·man·teau pȯrt-ˈman-(ˌ)tō plural portmanteaus or portmanteaux pȯrt-ˈman-(ˌ)tōz 1 : a large suitcase 2 : a word or morpheme whose form and meaning are derived from a blending of two or more distinct forms (such as smog from smoke and fog) portmanteau 2 of 2 adjective 1 : combining more than one use or quality 2 : being a portmanteau a portmanteau word Did you know? In Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking Glass, Alice asks Humpty Dumpty to explain words from the nonsense poem "Jabberwocky" and is told that slithy is "like a portmanteau-there are two meanings packed up into one word." Although slithy hasn't caught on (it's made up of slimy and lithe, according to Humpty Dumpty), another portmanteau invented by Carroll has in fact found a place in the language: chortle (supposedly from chuckle and snort). English includes other portmanteaus, too, such as brunch (breakfast and lunch) and dramedy (drama and comedy). Following Carroll's lead, English speakers have come to call these fairly common words by the not-so-common name for a type of traveling bag with two compartments. The technical (and simpler) term for such words is blend. Synonyms Noun carry-on carryall grip handbag holdall [chiefly British] suitcase traveling bag wallet See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Noun carried her possessions with her in an old portmanteau Recent Examples on the Web Noun Other names for the practice include nibbling, pick-up meal, alchemy, kitchen sink, deja vu and the fun portmanteau, plannedovers. G. Daniela Galarza, Washington Post, 21 July 2022 More:Juneteenth festivities in Milwaukee will be a celebration of freedom but also an opportunity to educate Juneteenth, a portmanteau of June and the date of the 19th, commemorates when the last remaining slaves were freed in the United States. La Risa R. Lynch, Journal Sentinel, 20 June 2022 The winery was the first to use the word Meritage — a portmanteau of merit and heritage — on its Bordeaux-style red wines. Washington Post, 5 May 2022 The term is a portmanteau of oligarch and siloviki, a Russian word for the country’s military and security elite. John Hyatt, Forbes, 14 Mar. 2022 In between public displays of French kissing and a multitude of designer fittings, Fox even christened herself and Ye with their very own portmanteau. Glenn Rowley, Billboard, 7 Feb. 2022 Peneloise — Bridgerton viewers' favorite platonic portmanteau — is seemingly no more. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 26 Mar. 2022 Only the Puerto Rican superstar himself could get away with naming his farewell full-length with a portmanteau as cocksure as Legendaddy, a title fittingly in line with his perception of himself (with respect to Don Omar) as the King of Reggaeton. Gary Suarez, Rolling Stone, 24 Mar. 2022 The name is a portmanteau of its main ingredients: bananas and toffee pudding. Casey Barber, CNN, 14 Mar. 2022 Adjective So many of the words created our dozens of neologism contests over the decades are portmanteau words, the combination of two words. Washington Post, 18 July 2019 So many of the words created our dozens of neologism contests over the decades are portmanteau words, the combination of two words. Washington Post, 18 July 2019 See More Word History Etymology Noun Middle French portemanteau, from porter to carry + manteau mantle, from Latin mantellum — more at port First Known Use Noun 1553, in the meaning defined at sense 1 Adjective 1909, in the meaning defined at sense 1 portmanteau noun as in suitcase a bag carried by hand and designed to hold a traveler's clothing and personal articles carried her possessions with her in an old portmanteau Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance suitcase wallet backpack carryall briefcase handbag holdall bags luggage knapsack traveling bag rucksack packsack haversack carpetbag carry-on overnight bag valise duffel bag baggage attaché grip weekender kit overnight case cosmetic case kit bag weekend bag attaché case traveling case weekend case
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portmanteau

noun

adjective

Did you know?

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

noun