A portmanteau is literally a bag for carrying (porter) a coat (manteau). The term was first used by Humpty Dumpty in Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking Glass:
“Well, ‘slithy’ means “lithe and slimy” and ‘mimsy’ is “flimsy and miserable”. You see it’s like a portmanteau - there are two meanings packed up into one word.” Sometimes we get so used to these words we no longer see them as blends (eg breathalyser - breath and analyser)
- Bionic (biology/electronic): Artificial body parts that have been enhanced by technology
- Bodacious (bold/audacious): Insolent or unrestrained, extraordinary or impressively large
- Chortle (chuckle/snort): Laugh in a breathy, gleeful way.
- Cyborg (cybernetic/organism): A human or fictional entity whose physiological functioning is enhanced by mechanical elements.
- Dumbfound (dumb/confound): Greatly astonish or amaze.
- Edutainment (education/entertainment): Games or other forms of entertainment that have an educational aspect
- Electrocution (electricity/execution): Death by electricity
- Flare (flame/glare): A sudden brief burst of bright flame or light
- Ginormous (giant/enormous): Large, huge. glamping (glamour/camping): Luxury camping
- Glitz (glamour/Ritz): Extravagant yet superficial
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