hyphen

hyphen
['hʌɪf(ə)n]
noun the sign (-) used to join words to indicate that they have a combined meaning or that they are grammatically linked, or to indicate word division at the end of a line.
Origin
C17: via late L. from Gk huphen 'together'.
Usage
In modern English the use of hyphens is in general decreasing, especially in compound nouns: website is preferred to web-site, and air raid to air-raid. Hyphens are still often employed to clarify meaning where a compound expression precedes a noun, as in twenty-odd people. When a phrasal verb such as build up is made into a noun it is usually hyphenated (a build-up of pressure). However, a normal phrasal verb should not be hyphenated: write continue to build up your pension not continue to build-up your pension.

English new terms dictionary. 2014.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • hyphen — hyphen, hyphenate, verbs. Both words mean ‘to spell (a word or phrase) with a hyphen’. This book uses hyphen, following the practice of the successive OED editors C. T. Onions and R. W. Burchfield, although hyphenate is more common in general… …   Modern English usage

  • hyphen — 1620s, from L.L. hyphen, from Gk. hyphen mark joining two syllables or words, probably indicating how they were to be sung, noun use of an adverb meaning together, in one, lit. under one, from hypo under (see SUB (Cf. sub )) + hen, neuter of heis …   Etymology dictionary

  • hyphen — [hī′fən] n. [LL < Gr hyphen (for hyph hen), a hyphen, lit., under one, together, in one < hypo , under + hen, neut. acc. of heis, one: for IE base see SAME] a mark ( ) used between the parts of a compound word or the syllables of a divided… …   English World dictionary

  • Hyphen — Hy phen, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Hyphened}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Hyphening}.] To connect with, or separate by, a hyphen, as two words or the parts of a word. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Hyphen — Hy phen (h[imac] f[e^]n), n. [L., fr. Gr. yfe n, fr. yf e n under one, into one, together, fr. ? under + ?, neut. of ? one. See {Hypo }.] (Print.) A mark or short dash, thus [ ], placed at the end of a line which terminates with a syllable of a… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Hyphen — (gr.), Figur, wenn zwei od. mehrere Wörter als ein einziges zusammengesetztes betrachtet werden, z.B. das Nach Hause Gehen …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Hyphen — (griech., »in eins [zusammen]«; auch ins Englische übergegangen, spr. hais n), die Zusammenziehung zweier Wörter zu einem Kompositum und das dabei gebräuchliche Bindezeichen ( ) …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Hyphén — (grch.), Zusammenziehung zweier Wörter zu einem Kompositum; auch das Bindezeichen ( ) …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

  • hyphen — ► NOUN ▪ the sign ( ) used to join words to indicate that they have a combined meaning or that they are grammatically linked, or to indicate word division at the end of a line. ORIGIN from Greek huphen together …   English terms dictionary

  • Hyphen — This article is about the punctuation mark. For other uses, see Hyphen (disambiguation). Hyphen Punctuation …   Wikipedia

  • hyphen — /ˈhaɪfən / (say huyfuhn) noun 1. a short stroke ( ) used to connect the parts of a compound word or the parts of a word divided for any purpose. –verb (t) 2. to hyphenate. {Late Latin, from Greek: name of sign, special use of hyphen (adverb)… …  

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