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Webster 1913 Edition


Hyphen

Hy′phen

(hī′fĕn)
,
Noun.
[L., fr. Gr.
ὑφέν
, fr.
ὑφ ἕν
under one, into one, together, fr. [GREEK] under + [GREEK], neut. of [GREEK] 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.

Hy′phen

,
Verb.
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.

Webster 1828 Edition


Hyphen

HY'PHEN

,
Noun.
[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.

Definition 2024


hyphen

hyphen

English

Noun

hyphen (plural hyphens)

  1. Symbol "", typically used to join two or more words to form a compound term, or to indicate that a word has been split at the end of a line.
  2. (figuratively) Something that links two more consequential things.

Usage notes

Because the original symbol "-" (technically the hyphen-minus) covered usages aside from hyphenation there have been additional subsequent symbols created for hyphenation needs. They include the "" (hyphen), (non-breaking hyphen) and the non-visible soft hyphen.

Related terms

Translations

Verb

hyphen (third-person singular simple present hyphens, present participle hyphening, simple past and past participle hyphened)

  1. (transitive, dated) To separate or punctuate with a hyphen; to hyphenate.

Proper noun

hyphen

  1. (colloquial) Used to refer to a person with a hyphenated name

Conjunction

hyphen

  1. Used to emphasize the coordinating function usually indicated by the punctuation "-".
    • 1945, Robert Gessner, Youth is the time:
      You are sitting at the wrong table, if I may be so bold, among the misguided who believe in the mass murder of mentalities, otherwise known as the liberal arts hyphen vocational training hyphen education.
    • 1950, Cleveland Amory, Home town:
      Ax was now a Hollywood hyphenated man. An actor hyphen director hyphen writer.
    • 1983, Linda Crawford, Vanishing acts:
      He described himself as a poet-composer and actually said the word hyphen when he did so: "I'm a poet hyphen composer.
    • 1983, David S. Reiss, M*A*S*H: the exclusive, inside story of TV's most popular show:
      He is an actor (hyphen) writer (hyphen) director. In the fifth year of the series Alan Alda added another title to his growing list — that of creative consultant.
    • 2007, Stephen M. Murphy, What If Holden Caulfield Went to Law School?, page 65:
      One reason he has avoided reading legal thrillers is that “they seem really to have been written by lawyer-hyphen-authors.”

Synonyms

See also

Punctuation


French

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈi.fɛn/

Noun

hyphen m (plural hyphens)

  1. Old symbol with the shape of a curved stroke, formerly used in French instead of the modern hyphen, with the same function.