Portmanteau

United States
March 15, 2026 6:30am CST
Even though I've heard of this word before, I didn't actually know what it meant. But it came on in an online Word Game I was playing, so I searched it on Google and now it makes perfect sense. It's a made-up word that becomes a new word blending the sounds and combining the meanings of two others. They gave a couple of examples and I thought of a couple myself: MOTEL (motor hotel) BRUNCH (breakfast and lunch) SMOG (smoke and fog) PODCAST (iPod and broadcast) You get the drift. Did you know this word? Can you add any more portmanteau words?
8 people like this
9 responses
Amber
@AmbiePam (115226)
• United States
15 Mar
I don’t believe I’ve heard the word “portmanteau”.
2 people like this
LooeyVille
@LooeyVille (86)
• United States
15 Mar
Do you like it? Isn't it neat how we combine two words to make up a new word?
1 person likes this
Anna
@LadyDuck (495649)
• Italy
15 Mar
@AmbiePam It's a French word that means "Coat Rack". It is composed by two words Porte (hold) manteau (coat).
2 people like this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (374530)
• Rockingham, Australia
16 Mar
Were you doing Connections? I had to look up portmanteau too. I always thought it was a case/bag/holdall type things
1 person likes this
LooeyVille
@LooeyVille (86)
• United States
16 Mar
Yes I was doing Connections.
1 person likes this
OceanTiara
@RebeccasFarm (91293)
• United States
15 Mar
I learn something new everyday.
1 person likes this
Fiacre Banks
@xFiacre (14381)
• Ireland
15 Mar
@looeyville I only lnow it in its French form - a coatrack.
1 person likes this
Ron Rybs
@Ronrybs (21202)
• London, England
15 Mar
This one crops up on Radio 4 regularly
1 person likes this
LindaOH
@LindaOHio (216704)
• United States
15 Mar
This is a new word for me. Tangelo is one example. Or in the dog world, a doodle.
1 person likes this
Juliaacv
@Juliaacv (55082)
• Canada
15 Mar
After some pondering, I have come up with something that I believe we all would recognize, especially here...wifi. I know that it is basically a short form of wireless fedelity. I would imagine that the word supermarket falls into the same category, along with highway. I does draw you into the core words of each.
1 person likes this
DE
@DaddyEvil (170192)
• United States
15 Mar
I've read the word before but never used it.
1 person likes this
Jehanne
@Jehanne (116)
•
15 Mar
I only know the combine word example. It's new learning and a word to add in my vocabulary Portmanteau. Memorize it as Port Man Tea U so I won't misspelled it.
1 person likes this