hyphen
[ hahy-fuhn ]
/ ˈhaɪ fən /
noun
a short line (-) used to connect the parts of a compound word or the parts of a word divided for any purpose.
verb (used with object)
QUIZZES
LEARN THE SPANISH WORDS FOR THESE COMMON ANIMALS!
Are you learning Spanish? Or do you just have an interest in foreign languages? Either way, this quiz on Spanish words for animals is for you.
Question 1 of 13
How do you say “cat” 🐈 in Spanish?
Origin of hyphen
1595–1605; <Late Latin <Greek hyphén (adv.) together, derivative of hyph' hén (prepositional phrase), equivalent to hyp(ó) under (see hypo-) + hén, neuter of heîs one
OTHER WORDS FROM hyphen
hy·phen·ic [hahy-fen-ik], /haɪˈfɛn ɪk/, adjectivede·hy·phen, verb (used with object)un·hy·phened, adjectiveWords nearby hyphen
hypethral, hypha, hyphedonia, hyphema, hyphemia, hyphen, hyphenate, hyphenated, hyphen help, hyphenize, hyphidrosis
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for hyphen
What Is “GOP” Short For?
“Capital” vs. “Capitol”: Do You Know Where You’re Going?
“Have” vs. “Has”: When To Use Each One
“Affect” vs. “Effect”: Use The Correct Word Every Time
Laying Down The Law On “Sedition” vs. “Treason” vs. “Insurrection” vs. “Coup”
The People’s Choice 2020 Word Of The Year: 2020 Was A $#@#%%$@!
British Dictionary definitions for hyphen
hyphen
/ (ˈhaɪfən) /
noun
the punctuation mark (-), used to separate the parts of some compound words, to link the words of a phrase, and between syllables of a word split between two consecutive lines of writing or printing
verb
(tr) another word for hyphenate
Word Origin for hyphen
C17: from Late Latin (meaning: the combining of two words), from Greek huphen (adv) together, from hypo- + heis one
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Cultural definitions for hyphen
hyphen
A punctuation mark (-) used in some compound words, such as self-motivation, seventy-five, and mother-in-law. A hyphen is also used to divide a word at the end of a line of type. Hyphens may appear only between syllables. Thus com-pound is properly hyphenated, but compo-und is not.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.