bahuvrihi
Grammar. a compound noun or adjective consisting of two constituents, the first of which is adjectival and describes the person or object denoted by the second, which is nominal: the compound as a whole denotes or describes a person or object having what is denoted by the second element, as bonehead, heavy-handed, redcoat.
Origin of bahuvrihi
1Words Nearby bahuvrihi
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
British Dictionary definitions for bahuvrihi
/ (ˌbɑːhuːˈvriːhiː) /
a class of compound words consisting of two elements the first of which is a specific feature of the second
a compound word of this type, such as hunchback, bluebell, highbrow
Origin of bahuvrihi
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Browse