open compound

Definition

A compound word with spaces in it, for example, high school, school bus, or science fiction.

Example Sentences

• "Two-word compounds--named open compounds in Edward N. Teall's Meet Mr. Hyphen--are in fact very common."
• "Thus such words, to give only a very few examples, as pismire, baise-mains, favonian, hearstling, happenstance, chanticleer, and open compounds like guardhouse lawyer,sidewalk superintendent and slush fund are registered without any kind of status label ..."
• "Further, the language permits open compounds, as indicated above, so that we might conjecture such spellings as "battlecry, battle-field, battle ground, battle-piece and battlewise.""