portmanteau
Use Portmanteau in a sentence
toʊ, poʊrt-; ˌpɔrt
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
|
Link To portmanteau
Collins
World English Dictionary
portmanteau (pɔːtˈmæntəʊ) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n , pl -teaus, -teaux | |
| 1. | (formerly) a large travelling case made of stiff leather, esp one hinged at the back so as to open out into two compartments |
| 2. | (modifier) embodying several uses or qualities: the heroine is a portmanteau figure of all the virtues |
| [C16: from French: cloak carrier, from porter to carry + manteau cloak, | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
00:10
Portmanteau
is always a great word to know.
So is quincunx. Does it mean:
| a screen or mat covered with a dark material for shielding a camera lens from excess light or glare. |
| an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle. |
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
portmanteau
1584, "traveling case or bag for clothes and other necessaries," from M.Fr. portemanteau "traveling bag," originally "court official who carried a prince's mantle" (1547), from porte, imperative of porter "to carry" (see porter (1)) + manteau "cloak" (see
mantle). Portmanteau word "word blending the sound of two different words," is 1882, coined by Lewis Carroll for the sort of words he invented for "Jabberwocky," on notion of "two meanings packed up into one word."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Cite This Source
Example sentences
Environmental management is somewhat of a portmanteau term that comprises many of the more academically accepted disciplines.
It's a perfect example of a portmanteau word, a coined word that blends two other words in form and meaning.
In the struggle the horse's bridle broke, and away went the horse into the woods, with a heavy portmanteau dancing at his side.
Portmanteau film projects tend to be traps for second-rate work, but this collection is an exception to the dismal rule.
Nearby Words
Copyright © 2013 Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
