Synonyms

nonce word

American

noun

a word coined and used only for a particular occasion.

nonce word British

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

Etymology

Origin of nonce word

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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nonce word

According to the N.E.D. the use of finical as a verb is a nonce word only found in this passage. p.

From The Works of Aphra Behn, Volume III by Montague Summers

Hypocronicall Ð a nonce word whose meaning is unclear.

From The Noble Spanish Soldier by Thomas Dekker

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023