portmanteau word
Britishnoun
Etymology
Origin of portmanteau word
C19: from the idea that two meanings are packed into one word
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.
“Smog” is a turn-of-the-century portmanteau word mashing together “smoke” and “fog” to describe the sooty, sulfurous air of the London of Sherlock Holmes and Jack the Ripper.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026
Tokarev, whose real first name — Vilen — is a portmanteau word for Vladimir Lenin, told the Associated Press he wrote the song after friends who also know Trump asked him to compose something.
From Time • Jan. 19, 2017
Tokarev, whose real first name — Vilen — is a portmanteau word for Vladimir Lenin, told The Associated Press he wrote the song after friends who also know Trump asked him to compose something.
From Seattle Times • Jan. 19, 2017
Carroll also coined the term "portmanteau word", for merging two existing words into one new word.
From The Guardian • Jun. 17, 2014
Yep, her name is a portmanteau word, which means it’s made up of two different words.
From "Booked" by Kwame Alexander
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.
