Home / Dictionary / Portmanteau

Portmanteau Common

Origin: French suffix -eau

Portmanteau has 6 different meanings across 1 category:

Noun

Definitions
Noun
1

a new word formed by joining two others and combining their meanings

"`smog' is a blend of `smoke' and `fog'"

"`motel' is a portmanteau word made by combining `motor' and `hotel'"

"`brunch' is a well-known portmanteau"

2

a large travelling bag made of stiff leather

3

A large travelling case usually made of leather, and opening into two equal sections.

4

A portmanteau word.

Verb
1

To make a portmanteau word.

Adjective
1

Made by combining two (or more) words, stories, etc., in the manner of a linguistic portmanteau.

Example Sentences
"`smog' is a blend of `smoke' and `fog'" noun
"`motel' is a portmanteau word made by combining `motor' and `hotel'" noun
"`brunch' is a well-known portmanteau" noun
Related Terms
Broader Terms (hypernyms)

Origin

The word portmanteau comes from the Middle French phrase portemanteau, which literally means "coat carrier." It originally referred to a stand used to hold coats before evolving into its modern sense of a large traveling bag.

Rhyming Words
Compare
Portmanteau vs