definitions

nonce word

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR nonce word ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a word coined and used only for a particular occasion.Compare neologism(def 1).

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RELATED WORDS

neologism, singleton

Nearby words

noncancelable, noncandidate, noncanonical, noncash, nonce, nonce word, noncellular, noncellulosic, nonchalance, nonchalant, nonchromaffin paraganglioma

Origin of nonce word

First recorded in 1880–85
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for nonce word

nonce word

noun

a word coined for a single occasion
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