noun
portmanteau
port-MAN-toh/pɔːrtˈmæntəʊ/
A word formed by blending parts of other words.
"Brunch" is a portmanteau that blends "breakfast" and "lunch".
Etymology
The 'carry' and 'cloak' compound came to name a traveling bag. Lewis Carroll applied that container image to blended words: two meanings packed together into one word.
In context
spork is an example of a portmanteau because you're taking the word spoon and fork and you're blending them together
More examples
- The portmanteau "smog" combines "smoke" and "fog".
- Can you spot the two words in the portmanteau "motel"?
- Some portmanteaus become so familiar that we forget their origins.
Forms
portmanteau · portmanteaus · portmanteaux
Similar words
- blend
- Also describes mixtures of substances, sounds, or other things.