Adjacent Words

Hyphen definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

HY'PHEN, n. [Gr. under one, or to one.] A mark or short line made between two words to show that they form a compound word,or are to be connected; as in pre-occupied; five-leafed; ink-stand. In writing and printing, the hyphen is used to connect the syllables of a divided word, and is placed after the syllable that closes a line, denoting the connection of that syllable or part of a word with the first syllable of the next line.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a punctuation mark (-) used between parts of a compound word or between the syllables of a word when the word is divided at the end of a line of text [syn: hyphen, dash] v
1: divide or connect with a hyphen; "hyphenate these words and names" [syn: hyphenate, hyphen]

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: Late Latin & Greek; Late Latin, from Greek, from hyph' hen under one, from hypo under + hen, neuter of heis one — more at up, same Date: circa 1620 a punctuation mark - used especially to divide or to compound words, word elements, or numbers • hyphenless adjective II. transitive verb Date: 1814 hyphenate

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & v. --n. the sign (-) used to join words semantically or syntactically (as in fruit-tree, pick-me-up, rock-forming), to indicate the division of a word at the end of a line, or to indicate a missing or implied element (as in man- and womankind). --v.tr. 1 write (a compound word) with a hyphen. 2 join (words) with a hyphen. Etymology: LL f. Gk huphen together f. hupo under + hen one

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Hyphen Hy"phen, n. [L., fr. Gr. ?, fr. ? 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 word, the remainder of which is carried to the next line; or between the parts of many a compound word; as in fine-leaved, clear-headed. It is also sometimes used to separate the syllables of words.

Webster's 1913 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.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(hyphens) A hyphen is the punctuation sign used to join words together to make a compound, as in 'left-handed'. People also use a hyphen to show that the rest of a word is on the next line. N-COUNT