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Synonyms

nonce word

American  

noun

  1. a word coined and used only for a particular occasion.

nonce word British  

noun

  1. 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.

Hypocronicall Ð a nonce word whose meaning is unclear.

From The Noble Spanish Soldier by Dekker, Thomas

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 Summers, Montague

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.