ENGLISH
REFERENCE

portmanteau

n. countable
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈpɔɹtmɑnˌtoʊ// UK //pˈɔːtmɑːntˌəʊ// port·man·teau Archaic

n. a word made by combining parts of two or more words, like 'brunch' from 'breakfast' and 'lunch'.

n. a compound word formed by blending parts of two or more words, typically retaining the initial syllables of each source word.


SIMPLE

Brunch is a portmanteau of 'breakfast' and 'lunch'.

CONTEXTUAL

The company created a new product name that's a portmanteau of 'smartphone' and 'watch'.

COMPLEX

Oxford English Dictionary notes that 'portmanteau' itself is a portmanteau of French 'porte-manteau' (meaning 'clothes carrier') and 'manteau' (coat).

Synonyms
Etymology 1

From Middle French portemanteau, from porte (“carries”) + manteau (“coat”), literally “[that which] carries coat”.

Etymology 2

First used by Lewis Carroll in Through the Looking-Glass to describe the coined words in Jabberwocky.

Usage

Typically preceded by articles ('a portmanteau') and often modified by adjectives describing the blend ('creative portmanteaus').

© 2026 English Reference