Nonce word
English
[edit | edit source]Etymology
[edit | edit source]From “for the nonce” and “word”. Coined by James Murray, the influential first editor of the Oxford English Dictionary.
Noun
[edit | edit source]nonce word (plural: nonce words)
- A word invented for a particular occasion or purpose.
- A word invented for a particular occasion, especially to create alliteration or a rhyme.
Walkthrough Video
[edit | edit source]Example
[edit | edit source]- Sometimes I feel quite certain there's a jertain in my curtain. — Dr. Seuss
Synonyms
[edit | edit source]Hypernyms
[edit | edit source]See also
[edit | edit source]- non-word
- hapax legomenon (one attestation)
- dis legomenon (two attestations)
- tris legomenon (three attestations)