Compound Nouns: Definition, Types and Examples

Compound Nouns: As the name suggests, a compound noun is a combination of two or more nouns or other parts of speech that form a distinct noun. These compound nouns can be hyphenated or non-hyphenated. There are different types of compound nouns which are further explained in this article. We have also provided a detailed explanation of compound nouns, their definitions, types and examples.

What are compound Nouns?

A noun that is made up of two or more distinct nouns or parts of speech are compound nouns. These nouns can be separated by spaces or using hyphens. In English grammar, compound refers to the combination of two or more elements of speech which can be either nouns, adjectives, verbs, or even prepositions. These words when separated also give a meaning, but when used together denote another meaning. Examples of Compound Nouns are, Homework, Headache, Underworld, Sunshine, passerby and so on.

Compound Nouns Definition

A compound noun is a noun that consists of two or more distinct words or parts of speech to denote a specific meaning, which is according to the Cambridge dictionary. In English grammar, these words can be separated by spaces or can be put together using hyphens. According to the Oxford Dictionary, compound words comprise words that can be two or more nouns, adjectives, verbs, and prepositions.

Types of Compound Nouns

There are mainly three main types of compound nouns. They are:

• Spaced or Open Compound Nouns
• Hyphenated Compound Nouns
• Closed or Solid Compound Nouns

1. Spaced or Open Compound Nouns: The compound word that comprises two words with a space in-between are spaced or open compound nouns. This spaced compound noun denotes the meaning of the new word. Some examples of open compound nouns are Ice cream, Fast food, rainforest, Flower shop, and Entrance exam.

2. Hyphenated Compound Nouns: Hyphenated compound words are those words that have a hyphen in-between and have a distinct meaning. Some examples of hyphenated compound nouns are Chit-chat, Daughter-in-law, Self-esteem, Check-in, and Check-out.

3. Closed or Solid Compound Nouns: A closed compound word comprises two words that are neither separated by hyphens nor spaces and are placed together continuously. They are considered as a single word together although they have two separate words in it example: Notebook, Sunflower, Rainbow, Rainfall, and Bathroom.

Compound Noun Formation and Examples

A compound noun is formed by the combination of two or more words or parts of speech such as nouns, adjectives, prepositions or verbs. The compound noun formation uses different combinations of elements of speech. Various combinations of compound nouns along with examples are tabularized below:

Some Exercises on Compound nouns

Identify the compound words in the following sentences:

1. The teacher uses the blackboard.

2. My very old great-grandfather had a heart attack.

3. They play on the golf course daily.

4. She is my sister-in-law. 

5. We booked a dining table to treat them in a five-star hotel.

6. He is very much interested in playing a football match.

7. A driving license is mandatory for all drivers.

8. Please highlight the word.

9. Due to complete power shutdown, the work was not completed on time.

10. She is my mother-in-law. 

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