hyphenate

[ verb hahy-fuh-neyt; adjective, noun hahy-fuh-nit, -neyt ]

/ verb ˈhaɪ fəˌneɪt; adjective, noun ˈhaɪ fə nɪt, -ˌneɪt /

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verb (used with object), hy·phen·at·ed, hy·phen·at·ing.

to join by a hyphen.

to write or divide with a hyphen.

adjective

of or relating to something of distinct form or origin that has been joined; connected by a hyphen.

noun

Informal. a person working or excelling in more than one craft or occupation: He's a film-industry hyphenate, usually listed as a writer-director-producer.

QUIZ

ARE YOU A TRUE BLUE CHAMPION OF THESE "BLUE" SYNONYMS?

We could talk until we're blue in the face about this quiz on words for the color "blue," but we think you should take the quiz and find out if you're a whiz at these colorful terms.

Question 1 of 8

Which of the following words describes “sky blue”?

navy

beryl

azure

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

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Origin of hyphenate

First recorded in 1850–55; hyphen + -ate¹

OTHER WORDS FROM hyphenate

hy·phen·a·tion, noun

Words nearby hyphenate

hypha, hyphedonia, hyphema, hyphemia, hyphen, hyphenate, hyphenated, hyphen help, hyphenize, hyphidrosis, hyphopodium

How to use hyphenate in a sentence

Rihanna is the poster child for the millennial multi-hyphenate.
Sally Rooney and the Art of the Millennial Novel|Cady Lang|September 3, 2021|Time
For the contemporary sports superstar as multi-hyphenate, Jordan is the blueprint and he’s set the bar high.
Debating How Space Jam: A New Legacy Stacks Up Against the Original|Cady Lang|July 19, 2021|Time
Unlike Gibson, Tom Cruise is not a multi-hyphenate who can retreat behind the camera.
Tom Cruise's Career Rehab Secrets|Kim Masters|March 11, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Index entries tend to not hyphenate words that are unhyphenated in the text.
The Life of Isaac Ingalls Stevens, Volume II (of 2)|Hazard Stevens

Frequently the printer made an mistake and forgot to hyphenate all or part of a word.
Young Folks' Bible in Words of Easy Reading|Josephine Pollard
Hyphenate compounds of great in phrases indicating degrees of descent; great-grandmother, great-great-grandfather.
Compound Words|Frederick W. Hamilton
Hyphenate compounds of life and world; life-history, world-influence, but (by exception) lifetime.
Compound Words|Frederick W. Hamilton
Hyphenate compounds of master; master-builder, master-stroke, but (by exception) masterpiece.
Compound Words|Frederick W. Hamilton

British Dictionary definitions for hyphenate

hyphenate

hyphen

/ (ˈhaɪfəˌneɪt) /

verb

(tr) to separate (syllables, words, etc) with a hyphen

Derived forms of hyphenate

hyphenation, noun

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