Word
portmanteau
Phoneticsport·man·teau, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈpɔɹtmɑnˌtoʊ/
UK/pˈɔːtmɑːntˌəʊ/
Countable noun
Definition
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.
Examples
“Brunch is a portmanteau of 'breakfast' and 'lunch'.”
“The company created a new product name that's a portmanteau of 'smartphone' and 'watch'.”
“Oxford English Dictionary notes that 'portmanteau' itself is a portmanteau of French 'porte-manteau' (meaning 'clothes carrier') and 'manteau' (coat).”
Examples
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).”
Usage
Typically preceded by articles ('a portmanteau') and often modified by adjectives describing the blend ('creative portmanteaus').
Real-World Examples
“The most popular digital ibuprofen at the moment is the Japanese webcomic "Chiikawa" (2020), a portmanteau of the Japanese words for small (chiisai) and cute (kawaii).” “Ones to watch include new portmanteau flavours “spour” (spicy and sour) and “fricy” (fruity and spicy).” “Ginormous itself is argot, the portmanteau of gigantic and enormous to form a new blended word.” “So even though Pocognoli’s middle name, Jean, gave him a bit of a portmanteau open goal, he didn’t ask to be called Jockognoli.” Etymology
From Middle French portemanteau, from porte (“carries”) + manteau (“coat”), literally “[that which] carries coat”.
First used by Lewis Carroll in Through the Looking-Glass to describe the coined words in Jabberwocky.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/portmanteau