Definition of PORTMANTEAU

portmanteau

Meanings

Plural: portmanteaus, portmanteaux

Noun

  • a new word formed by joining two others and combining their meanings
    • "`motel' is a portmanteau word made by combining `motor' and `hotel'"
    • "`brunch' is a well-known portmanteau"
  • a large travelling bag made of stiff leather
  • A large travelling case usually made of leather, and opening into two equal sections.
  • A schoolbag.
  • A hook on which to hang clothing.
  • A word formed by putting two words together and thereby their meaning e.g. shrinkflation.
  • A portmanteau film.

Adj

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

Verb

  • To create a portmanteau word.

Origin / Etymology

From Middle French portemanteau (“coat stand”), from porte (“carries”, third-person singular present indicative of porter (“to carry”)) + manteau (“coat”), literally “[that which] carries coat”.

Synonyms

blend, frankenword, Gladstone, Gladstone bag, port, portmanteau word, portmantologism, school port

Scrabble Score: 15

portmanteau is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL word
portmanteau is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
portmanteau is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 19

portmanteau is a valid Words With Friends word