What does "portmanteau" mean?
A large travelling case usually made of leather, and opening into two equal sections.
Portmanteau
/pɔːtˈmæn.təʊ/ adj, noun, verb
adj, noun, verb ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A large travelling case usually made of leather, and opening into two equal sections.
- Grammar: portmanteau is listed as adj, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: baggage, blend, blended, blended word.
- Useful contrasts: separate, unblended.
- Usage evidence: Slacktivism is a portmanteau formed out of the words slacker and activism.
How to use "portmanteau"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "portmanteau" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "portmanteau" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "portmanteau" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "portmanteau" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "portmanteau" is acting as adj, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "baggage" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "portmanteau", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A large travelling case usually made of leather, and opening into two equal sections.
"Rodolphus therefore finding such an earnest Invitation, embrac'd it with thanks, and with his Servant and Portmanteau, went to Don Juan's; where they first found good Stabling for their Horses, and afterwards as good Provision for themselves."
- 2 A word formed by putting two words together and thereby their meaning e.g. shrinkflation.
"Well then, ‘mimsy’ is ‘flimsy and miserable’ (there’s another portmanteau for you)."
- 3 a large travelling bag made of stiff leather wordnet
- 4 A schoolbag. Australia, dated
- 5 A portmanteau film.
"We're so bombarded with images, it's a struggle to preserve our imaginations.' In response, he's turned to cinema, commissioning 11 film-makers to contribute to a portmanteau film, entitled '11'09"01' and composed of short films each running 11 minutes, nine seconds and one frame."
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 a new word formed by joining two others and combining their meanings wordnet
- 7 A hook on which to hang clothing. archaic
"But before I started that long and rather far-fetched and not frightfully original digression, what I meant to say quite simply was that there are no portmanteaux to be examined here because the clientele of this café, ladies and gentlemen, does not sit down."
Verb
- 1 To create a portmanteau word. transitive
Adjective
- 1 Made by combining two (or more) words, stories, etc., in the manner of a linguistic portmanteau. attributive, not-comparable
"The overall narrator of this portmanteau story - for Dickens co-wrote it with five collaborators on his weekly periodical, All the Year Round - expresses deep, rational scepticism about the whole business of haunting."
Example
"Slacktivism is a portmanteau formed out of the words slacker and activism."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "portmanteau"?
Common synonyms include: baggage, blend, blended, blended word, blending, blends.
How do you use "portmanteau" in a sentence?
Slacktivism is a portmanteau formed out of the words slacker and activism.
How do you pronounce "portmanteau"?
Pronounced /pɔːtˈmæn.təʊ/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle French portemanteau (“coat stand”), from porte (“carries”, third-person singular present indicative of porter (“to carry”)) + manteau (“coat”), literally “[that which] carries coat”.
Etymology 2
First used by Lewis Carroll in Through the Looking-Glass to describe the words he coined in “Jabberwocky”.