Portmanteau - Meaning, Definition and List of Examples

A portmanteau is a blended word that is formed by combining two words. In that case, you might wonder if they are compound words. To that, the answer is no. So, what are portmanteaus? Find out from the article the meaning and definition of portmanteau and how they are formed. Furthermore, check out the list of portmanteau words and enrich your vocabulary.

What Are Portmanteaus? – Meaning and Definition
How Are Portmanteau Words Formed?
How Is a Portmanteau Word Different from a Compound Word?
List of 100+ Most Common Portmanteau Words in English
Frequently Asked Questions on Portmanteau Words in English

What Are Portmanteaus? – Meaning and Definition

The term ‘portmanteau’ refers to words that are created with the combination of the beginning of a word and the ending of another word. The Oxford Learner’s Dictionary defines a portmanteau as “a word that is invented by combining the beginning of one word and the end of another and keeping the meaning of each”. The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms defines a portmanteau word as “a word concocted by fusing two different words together into one”.

How Are Portmanteau Words Formed?

Generally, portmanteau words are formed by putting the first part of a word and the latter part of another word together. There are, however, some portmanteau words that are formed in other ways. Here is one example. You can take the first few letters of one word, the first few letters of the second word and the last one or two letters of the first word. This method is found when the two words have similar spellings. ‘Slithy’ – a combination of ‘slimy’ and ‘lithe’ is an example of this method. The word was coined by Lewis Carroll and used in his novel, ‘Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There’. He explains the idea of portmanteaus as follows, “Well, ‘SLITHY’ means ‘lithe and slimy.’ ‘Lithe’ is the same as ‘active.’ You see it’s like a portmanteau — there are two meanings packed up into one word.”

Now, does the pronunciation of the portmanteau word differ completely? The sounds of the letters in both words mostly remain the same as it is not random letters but syllables that are combined to form a portmanteau word.

The next question that would arise in your mind would be regarding the meaning of the portmanteau words. What do you think? Does the meaning of the portmanteau words differ from the individual words? It doesn’t exactly have a different meaning; it has a combined meaning. Take a look at the following list of examples to understand how exactly they are formed and used.

List of 100+ Most Common Portmanteau Words in English

Word 1	Word 2	Portmanteau Word	Meaning of the Portmanteau Word
Motor	Hotel	Motel	A roadside hotel meant primarily for motorists
Education	Entertainment	Edutainment	TV programmes, songs, movies, video games, etc. that are both educational and entertaining
Biography	Picture	Biopic	A film that presents the life and works of renowned personalities
Ankle	Bracelet	Anklet	An ornament like the bracelet worn around the ankle
Breakfast	Lunch	Brunch	A meal eaten in the late morning instead of having breakfast and lunch
Emotion	Icon	Emoticon	Icons that represent facial expressions either with the use of various keyboard characters or with digital representations
Hungry	Angry	Hangry	The quality of being angry since one is hungry
Smoke	Fog	Smog	An atmosphere where fog is made even more intense with the release of smoke
iPod	Broadcast	Podcast	A programme that is available for listening on the internet
Jeans	Legging	Jegging	A legging made of stretchable fabric and looks like tight-fitted denim jeans
Guess	Estimate	Guesstimate	An estimate drawn based on guesswork
Mock	Cocktail	Mocktail	A non-alcoholic drink that is a mixture of soft drinks and fruit juices
Pop	Icicle	Popsicle	Flavoured ice cream on a stick
Television	Broadcast	Telecast	Broadcast something on a television
Labrador	Poodle	Labradoodle	A dog breed that has the characteristics of both a labrador and a poodle
Fourteen	Night	Fortnight	A period of fourteen nights or two weeks
Costume	Roleplay	Cosplay	The action of dressing up as a particular character from a movie, book, TV series or video game
Animation	Electronics	Animatronics	The techniques used to design, develop and operate lifelike robots most often to be used in movies, video games and other entertainment
Blue	Purple	Blurple	A colour formed by a blend of blue and purple
Autobiography	Fiction	Autobiografiction	An autobiographical work that is fictionalised
Advertisement	Editorial	Advertorial	An advertisement in a newspaper or magazine that is presented in the form of an editorial
Breath	Analyser	Breathalyser	A device used by the police force to analyse the level of alcohol in a person’s breath
Athletic	Leisure	Athleisure	Casual and comfortable wear for exercise as well as for everyday use
Cybernetic	Organism	Cyborg	A hypothetical or fictional character whose mental and physical abilities are way more advanced and efficient than a normal human being
Alphabetic	Numeric	Alphanumeric	A combination of both numeric and alphabetic characters
Celebrity	Debutante	Celebutante	A debutante with media attention to the extent that they could be considered a celebrity
Brother	Romance	Bromance	A close and friendly relationship between two men
Friend	Enemy	Frenemy	An individual who acts like a friend but is in fact, a rival or an enemy
Romance	Comedy	Romcom	Refers to a romantic comedy
Tragedy	Comedy	Tragicomedy	Refers to a genre that has characteristics of both a tragedy and a comedy
Internal	Communication	Intercom	A device that lets you communicate one-way or both ways, mostly not intended for public communication
Documentary	Drama	Docudrama	A film based on real-life events or facts
Web	Seminar	Webinar	A seminar that is content online
Interconnected	Network	Internet	A medium consisting of multiple networks that are interconnected to provide information and allow communication
Medical	Care	Medicare	A programme designed to provide medical care, especially for the aged
Frozen	Yoghurt	Froyo	A frozen dessert that is made with yoghurt
Fact	Fiction	Faction	A genre that uses factual information or real-life events to create a work of fiction
Sea	Landscape	Seascape	The view of the wide sea
Store	Cache	Stash	Store something in a secret place
Meta	Universe	Metaverse	A hypothetical three-dimensional virtual space that is single, shared and connected
Video	Log	Vlog	A video record of news, media, travel, entertainment, etc., shared on the internet
List	Article	Listicle	An article wholly or partly written in the form of lists
Fan	Magazine	Fanzine	A magazine created by amateurs for fans
Scrambled eggs	Omelette	Scromlette	An omelette that is scrambled so it is not an omelette and not scrambled enough to be called scrambled eggs
Information	Commercial	Infomercial	An advertisement/ commercial which presents a product or an idea in an informative manner
News	Broadcast	Newcast	News that is broadcast on radio or television
Sound	Landscape	Soundscape	A combination of sounds in a given space and time
Information	Entertainment	Infotainment	Any media that is broadcast with the intention of both informing and entertaining
Banana	Toffee	Banoffee	A pie made of banana and toffee
Broil	Roast	Broast	Food made by broiling and roasting
Brain	Maniac	Brainiac	An adjective used to describe someone who is extremely intelligent
Picture	Dictionary	Pictionary	A board game in which players have to identify what the pictures drawn by their teammates represent
Croissant	Doughnut	Cronut	A pastry that is shaped and tastes like a doughnut but has the texture of a croissant
Spoon	Ladle	Spoodle	A piece of cutlery that is neither a spoon nor a ladle, something in between
Quesadilla	Burrito	Quesarito	It is a combination of a quesadilla and a burrito
Electricity	Execute	Electrocute	To be injured as a result of electric shock
Spoon	Fork	Spork	A spoon with lines at the tip like a fork
Electronic	Mail	Email	A medium of communication that allows you to share and receive mails/information online
Chill	Relax	Chillax	To calm down and relax
Cappuccino	Frappuccino	Frappré	A cold drink made with coffee, milk, ice, cream, chocolate chips or fruits
Spoon	Knife	Spife	A piece of cutlery that is a combination of a spoon and a knife
Fantastic	Fabulous	Fantabulous	Excellent
Hazardous	Material	Hazmat	A substance that is harmful
Celery	Lettuce	Celtuce	A vegetable that has the flavours of both a celery and a lettuce
Dumb	Confounded	Dumbfounded	Completely amazed or astonished
Arm	Anklet	Armlet	A piece of jewellery that is worn around the arm
Mechanical	Electronics	Mechatronics	A field of engineering or technology that combines both mechanical and electronic elements
Permanent	Frost	Permafrost	A permanently frozen layer of sedimentary soil and rock
Blizzard	Disaster	Blizzaster	A very heavy and destructive blizzard or snowstorm
Reproduce	Photography	Reprography	The process by which you can copy and reproduce any graphic material or documents
Cellulose	Diaphane	Cellophane	A thin material made of cellulose and diaphane
Smoke	Haze	Smaze	A mixture of haze and smoke
Fun	Fantastic	Funtastic	An adjective used to describe something very enjoyable and entertaining
Stay	Vacation	Staycation	A holiday that is spent at home including trips to local places
Squirm	Wiggle	Squiggle	Wavy and twisting movement
Television	Marathon	Telethon	A television show or programme that runs a whole day probably with the motive of raising money for charity
Global	Localisation	Glocalisation	Altering the terms of a business to suit both local and global needs
Transmitter	Responder	Transponder	A device that picks up signals and sends responses automatically, meant for communication and monitoring
Handicapped	Capable	Handicapable	Refers to a disabled person
Twist	Whirl	Twirl	Spin quickly and repeatedly
Imagination	Engineering	Imagineering	Implementation of creative ideas into a practical element
Trouser	Legging	Tregging	A legging that resembles trousers
Work	Alcoholic	Workaholic	A person who keeps working the whole time and finds it difficult not to work
Bit	Emoji	Bitmoji	A cartoonised image that resembles you, created with reference to your photograph
Coder	Decoder	Codec	A device that compresses and decompresses large amounts of data and information
Parallel	Olympics	Paralympics	A number of international contests for athletes with disabilities from all around the world
Modulator	Demodulator	Modem	A device meant to do both modulation and demodulation
Picture	Element	Pixel	The smallest unit of a graphical image or a digital display
Internet	Citizen	Netizen	A keen user of the internet
Screen	Snapshot	Screenshot	A snapshot of what is displayed on a mobile or computer screen
Desktop	Notebook	Desknote	A non-portable computer that is the size of a notebook
Window	Gadget	Widget	An application or a small computer program that can be added to the website or another application to perform additional functions
Knowledge	Database	Knowledgebase	Information or date that is stored and can be drawn when necessary
Telephone	Marketing	Telemarketing	A marketing procedure by which products or services are advertised and sold through telephones
Multiple	Complex	Multiplex	A cinema theatre with multiple screens
Telecommunications	Informatics	Telematics	The technology used to send, receive and store information, particularly transmitted over long distances
Motorcycle	Cross country	Motocross	Refers to cross-country racing on motorcycles
Parachute	Sailing	Parasailing	The adventurous activity of sailing in the air wearing an open parachute while being towed by a motorboat
Motorised	Bicycle	Motorcycle	A motorbike
Motor	Pedal	Moped	Either a light motorcycle which has to be driven by an initial pedalling supported by a motor or a bicycle which does not require pedalling
Triple	Catamaran	Trimaran	A fast-sailing boat with three hulls – one in the centre and two on the sides, placed parallelly
Electronic	Communication	Electrocommunication	The mode of communication that uses electronic signals to transmit information with the help of electronic devices such as computers, mobile phones, fax machines, etc.

How Is a Portmanteau Word Different from a Compound Word?

When you look at the definition of a portmanteau word and a compound word, you might feel that they would be in some way similar. Well, no, they are not. The only similarity is that they are formed by combining two or more words to form new words. Let us see how they are different.

Portmanteau words	Compound words
Combination of two words to create an entirely new blended word.	Combination of two words to form hyphenated or non-hyphenated words.
The first part of one word is combined with the last part of the other word.	The two words are combined without omitting any of the letters in the two words.
For example, Permanent + Frost = Permafrost	For example, White + Wash = Whitewash

Frequently Asked Questions on Portmanteau Words in English

What is a portmanteau word?

The term ‘portmanteau’ refers to words that are created with the combination of the beginning of a word and the ending of another word.

What is the definition of portmanteau?

The Oxford Learner’s Dictionary defines a portmanteau as “a word that is invented by combining the beginning of one word and the end of another and keeping the meaning of each”. The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms defines a portmanteau word as “a word concocted by fusing two different words together into one”.

Give 10 examples of portmanteau words.

Smog – smoke + fog
Frappé – Frappuccino + Cappuccino
Smaze – smoke + haze
Telecast – television + broadcast
Parasailing – parachute + sailing
Motorcycle – motorised + bicycle
Handicapable – handicapped + capable
Electrocommunication – electronic + communication
Vlog – video + log
Staycation – stay + vacation