definitions
  • synonyms

nonce word

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, nonce-word, noncellular, noncellulosic, nonchalance, nonchalant

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

Word Origin and History for nonce-word

nonce-word

n.

"word coined for a special occasion," 1922, from nonce + word (n.).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper