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Literature Glossary

Don’t be an oxymoron. Know your literary terms.

Over 200 literary terms, Shmooped to perfection.

Portmanteau

Definition:

If you read US Weekly or TMZ, you know all about portmanteaus. Brangelina. Kimye. Timberbiel.

Okay, okay. We made that last one up. But those are all examples of a portmanteau, which is when you blend two words together to make one new word with a singular meaning.

Prefer your portmanteau examples to not come from pop culture? Try these on for size: The word sitcom is a portmanteau of situation comedy. That thing you eat your chalupa with, the spork, is a portmanteau of spoon and fork. Add jazz to exercise and you get jazzercise.

Ask your parents about that last one.