Portmanteau - Meaning, Definition and List of Examples (2024)

A portmanteau is a blended word that is formed by combining two words. In that case, you might wonder if they are compound words. To that, the answer is no. So, what are portmanteaus? Find out from the article the meaning and definition of portmanteau and how they are formed. Furthermore, check out the list of portmanteau words and enrich your vocabulary.

Table of Contents

  • What Are Portmanteaus? – Meaning and Definition
  • How Are Portmanteau Words Formed?
  • How Is a Portmanteau Word Different from a Compound Word?
  • List of 100+ Most Common Portmanteau Words in English
  • Frequently Asked Questions on Portmanteau Words in English

What Are Portmanteaus? – Meaning and Definition

The term ‘portmanteau’ refers to words that are created with the combination of the beginning of a word and the ending of another word. The Oxford Learner’s Dictionary defines a portmanteau as “a word that is invented by combining the beginning of one word and the end of another and keeping the meaning of each”. The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms defines a portmanteau word as “a word concocted by fusing two different words together into one”.

How Are Portmanteau Words Formed?

Generally, portmanteau words are formed by putting the first part of a word and the latter part of another word together. There are, however, some portmanteau words that are formed in other ways. Here is one example. You can take the first few letters of one word, the first few letters of the second word and the last one or two letters of the first word. This method is found when the two words have similar spellings. ‘Slithy’ – a combination of ‘slimy’ and ‘lithe’ is an example of this method. The word was coined by Lewis Carroll and used in his novel, ‘Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There’. He explains the idea of portmanteaus as follows, “Well, ‘SLITHY’ means ‘lithe and slimy.’ ‘Lithe’ is the same as ‘active.’ You see it’s like a portmanteau — there are two meanings packed up into one word.”

Now, does the pronunciation of the portmanteau word differ completely? The sounds of the letters in both words mostly remain the same as it is not random letters but syllables that are combined to form a portmanteau word.

The next question that would arise in your mind would be regarding the meaning of the portmanteau words. What do you think? Does the meaning of the portmanteau words differ from the individual words? It doesn’t exactly have a different meaning; it has a combined meaning. Take a look at the following list of examples to understand how exactly they are formed and used.

List of 100+ Most Common Portmanteau Words in English

Word 1

Word 2

Portmanteau Word

Meaning of the Portmanteau Word

Motor

Hotel

Motel

A roadside hotel meant primarily for motorists

Education

Entertainment

Edutainment

TV programmes, songs, movies, video games, etc. that are both educational and entertaining

Biography

Picture

Biopic

A film that presents the life and works of renowned personalities

Ankle

Bracelet

Anklet

An ornament like the bracelet worn around the ankle

Breakfast

Lunch

Brunch

A meal eaten in the late morning instead of having breakfast and lunch

Emotion

Icon

Emoticon

Icons that represent facial expressions either with the use of various keyboard characters or with digital representations

Hungry

Angry

Hangry

The quality of being angry since one is hungry

Smoke

Fog

Smog

An atmosphere where fog is made even more intense with the release of smoke

iPod

Broadcast

Podcast

A programme that is available for listening on the internet

Jeans

Legging

Jegging

A legging made of stretchable fabric and looks like tight-fitted denim jeans

Guess

Estimate

Guesstimate

An estimate drawn based on guesswork

Mock

Cocktail

Mocktail

A non-alcoholic drink that is a mixture of soft drinks and fruit juices

Pop

Icicle

Popsicle

Flavoured ice cream on a stick

Television

Broadcast

Telecast

Broadcast something on a television

Labrador

Poodle

Labradoodle

A dog breed that has the characteristics of both a labrador and a poodle

Fourteen

Night

Fortnight

A period of fourteen nights or two weeks

Costume

Roleplay

Cosplay

The action of dressing up as a particular character from a movie, book, TV series or video game

Animation

Electronics

Animatronics

The techniques used to design, develop and operate lifelike robots most often to be used in movies, video games and other entertainment

Blue

Purple

Blurple

A colour formed by a blend of blue and purple

Autobiography

Fiction

Autobiografiction

An autobiographical work that is fictionalised

Advertisement

Editorial

Advertorial

An advertisement in a newspaper or magazine that is presented in the form of an editorial

Breath

Analyser

Breathalyser

A device used by the police force to analyse the level of alcohol in a person’s breath

Athletic

Leisure

Athleisure

Casual and comfortable wear for exercise as well as for everyday use

Cybernetic

Organism

Cyborg

A hypothetical or fictional character whose mental and physical abilities are way more advanced and efficient than a normal human being

Alphabetic

Numeric

Alphanumeric

A combination of both numeric and alphabetic characters

Celebrity

Debutante

Celebutante

A debutante with media attention to the extent that they could be considered a celebrity

Brother

Romance

Bromance

A close and friendly relationship between two men

Friend

Enemy

Frenemy

An individual who acts like a friend but is in fact, a rival or an enemy

Romance

Comedy

Romcom

Refers to a romantic comedy

Tragedy

Comedy

Tragicomedy

Refers to a genre that has characteristics of both a tragedy and a comedy

Internal

Communication

Intercom

A device that lets you communicate one-way or both ways, mostly not intended for public communication

Documentary

Drama

Docudrama

A film based on real-life events or facts

Web

Seminar

Webinar

A seminar that is content online

Interconnected

Network

Internet

A medium consisting of multiple networks that are interconnected to provide information and allow communication

Medical

Care

Medicare

A programme designed to provide medical care, especially for the aged

Frozen

Yoghurt

Froyo

A frozen dessert that is made with yoghurt

Fact

Fiction

Faction

A genre that uses factual information or real-life events to create a work of fiction

Sea

Landscape

Seascape

The view of the wide sea

Store

Cache

Stash

Store something in a secret place

Meta

Universe

Metaverse

A hypothetical three-dimensional virtual space that is single, shared and connected

Video

Log

Vlog

A video record of news, media, travel, entertainment, etc., shared on the internet

List

Article

Listicle

An article wholly or partly written in the form of lists

Fan

Magazine

Fanzine

A magazine created by amateurs for fans

Scrambled eggs

Omelette

Scromlette

An omelette that is scrambled so it is not an omelette and not scrambled enough to be called scrambled eggs

Information

Commercial

Infomercial

An advertisement/ commercial which presents a product or an idea in an informative manner

News

Broadcast

Newcast

News that is broadcast on radio or television

Sound

Landscape

Soundscape

A combination of sounds in a given space and time

Information

Entertainment

Infotainment

Any media that is broadcast with the intention of both informing and entertaining

Banana

Toffee

Banoffee

A pie made of banana and toffee

Broil

Roast

Broast

Food made by broiling and roasting

Brain

Maniac

Brainiac

An adjective used to describe someone who is extremely intelligent

Picture

Dictionary

Pictionary

A board game in which players have to identify what the pictures drawn by their teammates represent

Croissant

Doughnut

Cronut

A pastry that is shaped and tastes like a doughnut but has the texture of a croissant

Spoon

Ladle

Spoodle

A piece of cutlery that is neither a spoon nor a ladle, something in between

Quesadilla

Burrito

Quesarito

It is a combination of a quesadilla and a burrito

Electricity

Execute

Electrocute

To be injured as a result of electric shock

Spoon

Fork

Spork

A spoon with lines at the tip like a fork

Electronic

Mail

Email

A medium of communication that allows you to share and receive mails/information online

Chill

Relax

Chillax

To calm down and relax

Cappuccino

Frappuccino

Frappré

A cold drink made with coffee, milk, ice, cream, chocolate chips or fruits

Spoon

Knife

Spife

A piece of cutlery that is a combination of a spoon and a knife

Fantastic

Fabulous

Fantabulous

Excellent

Hazardous

Material

Hazmat

A substance that is harmful

Celery

Lettuce

Celtuce

A vegetable that has the flavours of both a celery and a lettuce

Dumb

Confounded

Dumbfounded

Completely amazed or astonished

Arm

Anklet

Armlet

A piece of jewellery that is worn around the arm

Mechanical

Electronics

Mechatronics

A field of engineering or technology that combines both mechanical and electronic elements

Permanent

Frost

Permafrost

A permanently frozen layer of sedimentary soil and rock

Blizzard

Disaster

Blizzaster

A very heavy and destructive blizzard or snowstorm

Reproduce

Photography

Reprography

The process by which you can copy and reproduce any graphic material or documents

Cellulose

Diaphane

Cellophane

A thin material made of cellulose and diaphane

Smoke

Haze

Smaze

A mixture of haze and smoke

Fun

Fantastic

Funtastic

An adjective used to describe something very enjoyable and entertaining

Stay

Vacation

Staycation

A holiday that is spent at home including trips to local places

Squirm

Wiggle

Squiggle

Wavy and twisting movement

Television

Marathon

Telethon

A television show or programme that runs a whole day probably with the motive of raising money for charity

Global

Localisation

Glocalisation

Altering the terms of a business to suit both local and global needs

Transmitter

Responder

Transponder

A device that picks up signals and sends responses automatically, meant for communication and monitoring

Handicapped

Capable

Handicapable

Refers to a disabled person

Twist

Whirl

Twirl

Spin quickly and repeatedly

Imagination

Engineering

Imagineering

Implementation of creative ideas into a practical element

Trouser

Legging

Tregging

A legging that resembles trousers

Work

Alcoholic

Workaholic

A person who keeps working the whole time and finds it difficult not to work

Bit

Emoji

Bitmoji

A cartoonised image that resembles you, created with reference to your photograph

Coder

Decoder

Codec

A device that compresses and decompresses large amounts of data and information

Parallel

Olympics

Paralympics

A number of international contests for athletes with disabilities from all around the world

Modulator

Demodulator

Modem

A device meant to do both modulation and demodulation

Picture

Element

Pixel

The smallest unit of a graphical image or a digital display

Internet

Citizen

Netizen

A keen user of the internet

Screen

Snapshot

Screenshot

A snapshot of what is displayed on a mobile or computer screen

Desktop

Notebook

Desknote

A non-portable computer that is the size of a notebook

Window

Gadget

Widget

An application or a small computer program that can be added to the website or another application to perform additional functions

Knowledge

Database

Knowledgebase

Information or date that is stored and can be drawn when necessary

Telephone

Marketing

Telemarketing

A marketing procedure by which products or services are advertised and sold through telephones

Multiple

Complex

Multiplex

A cinema theatre with multiple screens

Telecommunications

Informatics

Telematics

The technology used to send, receive and store information, particularly transmitted over long distances

Motorcycle

Cross country

Motocross

Refers to cross-country racing on motorcycles

Parachute

Sailing

Parasailing

The adventurous activity of sailing in the air wearing an open parachute while being towed by a motorboat

Motorised

Bicycle

Motorcycle

A motorbike

Motor

Pedal

Moped

Either a light motorcycle which has to be driven by an initial pedalling supported by a motor or a bicycle which does not require pedalling

Triple

Catamaran

Trimaran

A fast-sailing boat with three hulls – one in the centre and two on the sides, placed parallelly

Electronic

Communication

Electrocommunication

The mode of communication that uses electronic signals to transmit information with the help of electronic devices such as computers, mobile phones, fax machines, etc.

How Is a Portmanteau Word Different from a Compound Word?

When you look at the definition of a portmanteau word and a compound word, you might feel that they would be in some way similar. Well, no, they are not. The only similarity is that they are formed by combining two or more words to form new words. Let us see how they are different.

Portmanteau words

Compound words

Combination of two words to create an entirely new blended word.

Combination of two words to form hyphenated or non-hyphenated words.

The first part of one word is combined with the last part of the other word.

The two words are combined without omitting any of the letters in the two words.

For example, Permanent + Frost = Permafrost

For example, White + Wash = Whitewash

Frequently Asked Questions on Portmanteau Words in English

Q1

What is a portmanteau word?

The term ‘portmanteau’ refers to words that are created with the combination of the beginning of a word and the ending of another word.

Q2

What is the definition of portmanteau?

The Oxford Learner’s Dictionary defines a portmanteau as “a word that is invented by combining the beginning of one word and the end of another and keeping the meaning of each”. The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms defines a portmanteau word as “a word concocted by fusing two different words together into one”.

Q3

Give 10 examples of portmanteau words.

  • Smog – smoke + fog
  • Frappé – Frappuccino + Cappuccino
  • Smaze – smoke + haze
  • Telecast – television + broadcast
  • Parasailing – parachute + sailing
  • Motorcycle – motorised + bicycle
  • Handicapable – handicapped + capable
  • Electrocommunication – electronic + communication
  • Vlog – video + log
  • Staycation – stay + vacation
Portmanteau - Meaning, Definition and List of Examples (2024)

FAQs

What is a portmanteau and examples? ›

Examples in English include chortle (from chuckle and snort), smog (from smoke and fog), brunch (from breakfast and lunch), mockumentary (from mock and documentary), and spork (from spoon and fork). A portmanteau is a suitcase that opens into halves.

What are 5 portmanteau words? ›

List of 100+ Most Common Portmanteau Words in English
Word 1Word 2Portmanteau Word
MotorHotelMotel
SpoonKnifeSpife
FantasticFabulousFantabulous
HazardousMaterialHazmat
98 more rows

What is the most famous portmanteau? ›

Common examples of portmanteaus are “internet” (interconnected + network), labradoodle (labrador + poodle), and spork (spoon + fork).

Is Netflix a portmanteau? ›

Portmanteau and marketing

Microsoft, Intel, Netflix, Accenture and Groupon are all examples of companies that have opted for portmanteaux in their brand names in order to be easily recognized for what they do and to effectively convey their brand message.

Is breakfast a portmanteau? ›

Meanwhile, "breakfast" is an example of a compound word because it combines two words: "break" and "fast" without blending or altering the original words at all. If "breakfast" had been a portmanteau, it would've looked something like "brast."

What is another word for portmanteau? ›

Definitions of portmanteau. noun. a large travelling bag made of stiff leather. synonyms: Gladstone, Gladstone bag. type of: bag, grip, suitcase, traveling bag, travelling bag.

Is Cheeseburger a portmanteau? ›

The rise of technology and the internet, in particular, has led to many portmanteau words being created, e.g. pixel, emoticon, and vlog. Blog is a blend of 'web' and 'log'. Brunch is a blend of 'breakfast' and 'lunch'. Cheeseburger is a blend of 'cheese' and 'hamburger'.

Is velcro a portmanteau? ›

De Mestral gave the name Velcro, a portmanteau of the French words velours ("velvet"), and crochet ("hook"), to his invention as well as his company, which continues to manufacture and market the fastening system.

Is a helicopter a portmanteau? ›

The helicopter was named by Gustave Ponton d'Amécourt in 1861 (almost a century before the concept produced a workable aircraft) as a portmanteau of the Greek words helico meaning "spiral" and pteres meaning "wing".

What is the difference between a malapropism and a portmanteau? ›

A malapropism is the use of an incorrect word in place of a word with a similar sound, resulting in a nonsensical utterance. An example of a malapropism is Yogi Berra's statement: "Texas has a lot of electrical votes," rather than "electoral votes". A portmanteau is a word made up of two or more combined words.

Is ginormous a portmanteau? ›

Ginormous, a portmanteau of gigantic and enormous, traces back to World War II and was first recorded in a 1948 British dictionary of military slang (though recent research has found the word used in British newspapers as early as 1942).

What is the first portmanteau word? ›

The word portmanteau was introduced in this sense by Lewis Carroll in the book Through the Looking-Glass (1871), where Humpty Dumpty explains to Alice the coinage of unusual words used in "Jabberwocky". Slithy means "slimy and lithe" and mimsy means "miserable and flimsy".

Is Lego A portmanteau? ›

The name Lego is a portmanteau of two Danish words, “leg” and “godt,” which should mean “God's leg” but, because Danish is incomprehensible, actually means “play well (or God will kick you).”

What is a word made of two words put together? ›

A portmanteau is a word created by combining two other words. Usually, the spellings and meanings of two words are blended into a new one, like “brunch” (breakfast + lunch) or “motel” (motor + hotel). Portmanteau words help us describe new phenomena or concepts.

Is spam a portmanteau? ›

SPAM, usually rendered as Spam, was introduced to the market in 1937, its name a portmanteau for spiced ham. The brand name was coined by a New York actor named Ken Daigneau, whose brother was an executive at Hormel Foods, the manufacturer.

How do you pronounce portmanteau in English? ›

The first syllable sounds like the word 'port', and the second, like the word 'man'. The final syllable is like the word 'toe'. The word is pronounced 'port-MAN-toe' with the stress on the second syllable.

Why is it called a portmanteau? ›

According to The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (AHD), the etymology of the word is the French porte-manteau, from porter, "to carry", and manteau, "cloak" (from Old French mantel, from Latin mantellum).

What is the difference between a compound word and a portmanteau? ›

Compound words are often confused with blended words, also known as portmanteaus, but the two are very different. In compound words, each individual word remains unchanged. However, in portmanteaus, or blended words, only parts of each word are used.

What is the rule of portmanteau? ›

In a typical portmanteau, the two words chosen relate to the new item or concept that the new portmanteau word describes. For instance, 'motoring' and 'hotel' are combined to make the word 'motel', which describes the unique accommodation it provides for road travellers.

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