portmanteau

American  

[pawrt-man-toh, pawrt-man-toh] / pɔrtˈmæn toʊ, ˌpɔrt mænˈtoʊ /

noun

plural

portmanteaus, portmanteaux

1. Chiefly British. a case or bag to carry clothing in while traveling, especially a leather trunk or suitcase that opens into two halves.

2. Linguistics.

   1. Also called portmanteau word.  a word that combines the form and meaning of two or more other words; a blend.

   2. Also called portmanteau morph.  a phonological unit of more than one morpheme, as French au (to the) from à to + le masculine article, which realizes a preposition and the definite article; a single morph that is analyzed as representing two underlying morphemes.

3. something that combines or blends several items, features, or qualities.

   I've gathered a portmanteau of ideas from my colleagues.

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adjective

1. combining or blending several items, features, or qualities.

   a portmanteau film with two good stories.

portmanteau British  

/ pɔːtˈmæntəʊ /

noun

1. (formerly) a large travelling case made of stiff leather, esp one hinged at the back so as to open out into two compartments

2. (modifier) embodying several uses or qualities

   the heroine is a portmanteau figure of all the virtues

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Etymology

Origin of portmanteau

From French portemanteau literally, “(it) carries (the) cloak”; port ⁵, mantle; portmanteau def. 1 was first recorded in 1575–85, and portmanteau def. 2a in 1871 in Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll.

Example Sentences

With Australian billionaire James Packer, Ratner formed RatPac Entertainment—a portmanteau nodding to the Frank Sinatra era of showbiz that Ratner venerated.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 29, 2026

Swinging from keychains, the Tamagotchi -- whose name is a portmanteau of the Japanese words for "egg" and "watch" -- has become a popular fashion accessory among young people in recent years, according to Bandai.

From Barron's • Jan. 7, 2026

The word "PANICAN" could be a portmanteau of "panic" and "Americans", although an alternative theory suggests that it combines "panic" and "Republicans".

From BBC • Apr. 8, 2025

The word is a portmanteau of mudflow and landslide, and is commonly used to describe debris flows or mudflows.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 10, 2025

Let us name this portmanteau legal sense Evidence-Legal.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton