You may not be familiar with the term portmanteau, but you probably use portmanteaus in your vocabulary and write more than you think.
meaning of acronym
an acronym (pronounced port-man-toe) is a word that is formed by combining at least two words. the new word combines both the sounds and the meanings of the originals.
To form an acronym, normally the first segment of a word is attached to the final segment of another word. some compound words are combined in other ways, such as combining the initial segments of both words.
why is it called a portmanteau?
author lewis carroll describes the idea of suitcases in his book through the looking glass:
“well, ‘slithy’ means ‘slime and slimy’. ‘slime’ is the same as ‘active’. You see, it’s like an acronym: there are two meanings in one word.”
The word portmanteau itself is an appropriate embodiment of this verb form, since portmanteau, which is French for porte (“carry”) + manteau (“cloak”), describes a suitcase that opens into two halves. acronyms “carry” both meanings of their word pairs.
what is the function of a travel trunk?
A portmanteau is a literary device that encourages linguistic creativity. combining two different words into one creates a new word that has its own specific meaning.
This play on words stretches the boundaries of the language while keeping readers engaged in creative work.
56 examples of common and unexpected trunks
1 advertorial(advertisement + editorialtorial): an advertisement that takes the form of a written editorial
2 affluenza (affluenzaence + influenza): unhealthy feelings of privilege or lack of motivation experienced by rich people
3 alphanumeric (alphabetic + numeric) – formed by letters and numbers
4 animatronics (animation + electronictronics): the electronic animation of puppets or similar figures to create realistic effects
5 anklets (ankletle + bracelet) – jewelry designed to wrap around the ankle
6 athleisure (athletic + leisure): comfortable clothes that can be used for exercise or as casual wear for day to day day
7 biopic (biographygraphy + phototure) – a biographical film
8 bollywood (bombay + hollywood) – the Indian film industry
9 botox (botulism + toxin): an injectable drug that uses a strain of botulism to treat signs of aging in the skin
10 brainiac (brain + maniac) – a very intelligent person
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11 breathalyzer (breath + analyzeralyzer): a device used to analyze a person’s breath for its alcohol content in the blood or to detect viruses
12 brexit (britain + exit) – Great Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union in 2020, after voting to leave in a 2016 referendum
13 bromance (brotherter + romance) – a close platonic relationship between two male friends
14 brunch (breakfast + lunch): a meal that takes place between breakfast and lunch
15 carjack (car + hijack) – carjacking with violence or intimidation
16 celebutante (celebrity + debutante): a wealthy person who receives media attention as if he were a celebrity
17 chillax (chill + relax) – to calm down
18 cosplay (costume + roleplay): an art or practice in which people dress as fictional characters
19 cyborg (cybernetic + organism): a creature with human features created with mechanical components
20 dumbstruck (dumb + conconfused) – astonished or completely speechless
21 electrocute (electricity + execute) – damage or kill with electricity
22 electronic mail (electronic + mail): the electronic alternative to communication by paper mail
23 emoticon (emotion + icon): facial expressions or emotions expressed through keyboard symbols
24 froyo (froyozen + yogurt) – a frozen dessert made from yogurt
25 frenemy (friend + enemy): someone who acts or pretends to be a friend despite an underlying rivalry
26 fortnight (foureen + night) – two weeks of fourteen nights
27 fauxhawk (faux + mohawk): hair styled to resemble a mohawk
28 gastropub (gastronomy + pub) – a bar serving gourmet food
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29 glamping (glamorous + camping): a style of camping that includes luxurious amenities and supplies
30 estimate (guess + estimateestimate): an estimate based on a hunch rather than data
31 hungry (hungry + angry) – irritable or angry as a result of hunger
32 hazmat (hazardous + materialerial): substances that could be dangerous if not contained properly
33 intercom (internalnal + comcommunication): a two-way speaker system used to communicate between people in a specific place
34 internet (interconnected + networkwork) – a computer information network
35 jeggings (jeans + leggings): leggings designed to look like jeans
36 juneteenth (june + nineteenth) – the day that commemorates the announcement of the emancipation proclamation and the end of the slavery in the united states
37 labradoodle (labrado + poodle) – a hybrid breed of dog with ancestry from a Labrador retriever and a poodle
38 listicle (list + article) – an article formatted as a list
39 mansplain (man + explain) – to explain something (usually to a woman) in a condescending or patronizing way
40 medicare (medical + care): The US government-run health insurance program for people with disabilities and seniors. age sixty-five years or older; similar to medicaid (medical + aid), the health insurance program for people with limited incomes.
41 metaverse (meta + universe): a virtual environment intended for social connection
42 mocktail (mock + cocktail) – a cocktail that does not contain alcohol
43 motel (motor + hotel) – a hotel designed for motorists
44 news (news + broadcast broadcast): a radio or television segment featuring current events
45 obamacare (obama + health care): a colloquial term describing the affordable care law created under the administration of the president barack obama
46 pluot (plum + apricot) – a hybrid stone fruit that combines the characteristics of a plum and an apricot
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47 podcast (ipod + broadcast): a digital audio program that can be downloaded and listened to on demand
48 pokemon (pocket + monsters): a Japanese animated media franchise focusing on creatures kept in pocket balls and trained to fight each other
49 popsicle (pop + icicle) – a frozen dessert, usually made with fruit juice or fruit flavor
50 romcom (romance + comedy): a program or movie plot that combines comedy and romance; similar to “sitcom”, which is a compound word that combines situational + comedy
51 spork (spoon + fork) – an eating utensil that doubles as a spoon and fork
52 stash (warehouseore + cache): a secret hiding place where valuables are kept
53 three times (three + repetitionof) – a situation or event with the same result three times, usually in reference to a sport event, such as a championship
54 vlog (video + log): a video diary published online
55 webinar (web + seminar): a presentation or seminar held online
56 wi-fi (wireless + fidelity): wireless technology that allows devices to connect to each other and to the Internet
frequently asked questions about the acronym
what is an acronym?
An acronym is a combined word made up of two or more words. the words in the acronym adopt the meanings of both words.
why is it called a travel trunk?
The French word portmanteau describes a two-part suitcase. combines the words porte, which means “to carry”, and manteau, which means “cloak”. like suitcase, a word trunk contains or carries the meaning of two or more words.
what are some common examples of portmanteaus?
Common examples of acronyms are “internet” (interconnected + networkwork), labradoodle (labrado + poodle ), and spork (spoonon + fork).
what are some other words for portmanteaus?
A portmanteau is a type of literary device. it is often mistaken for a compound word but is linguistically different as acronyms do not combine two whole words (such as “firefighter”). instead, compound words combine parts of two different words.
