Dictionary

hyphenate en · VERB · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈhaɪf(ə)ˌneɪt/ (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *upó Ancient Greek ῠ̔πό (hŭpó) Ancient Greek ῠ̔πο- (hŭpo-) Proto-Indo-European *sem- Proto-Indo-European *sḗm Proto-Indo-European *sémsder. Proto-Hellenic *hens Ancient Greek εἷς, μῐ́ᾰ, ἕν (heîs, mĭ́ă, hén) Ancient Greek ῠ̔φ’ ἕν (hŭph’ hén) Ancient Greek ῠ̔φέν (hŭphén)bor. Late Latin hyphenlbor. English hyphen Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂tos Proto-Italic *-ātos Latin -ātuslbor. English -ate English hyphenate From hyphen + -ate (verb-forming suffix).

Meanings

1. (transitive) to break a word at the end of a line according to the hyphenation rules by adding a hyphen on the end of the line.
2. (transitive) to join words or syllables with a hyphen.
   • you have to hyphenate his surname as it's double-barrelled

Forms

Deriveds

hyphenator · hyphenated · multihyphenate · multihyphenated · rehyphenate · mishyphenate · unhyphenate · unhyphenated

Translations (17)

fi tavuttaa (to break a word at the end of a line according to the hyphenation rules) · hu kötőjelez (to join words or syllables with a hyphen) · es guionizar (to break a word at the end of a line according to the hyphenation rules) · pt hifenizar (to break a word at the end of a line according to the hyphenation rules) · es guionar (to break a word at the end of a line according to the hyphenation rules) · pt hifenar (to break a word at the end of a line according to the hyphenation rules) · pt translinear (to break a word at the end of a line according to the hyphenation rules) · hu elválaszt (to break a word at the end of a line according to the hyphenation rules) · pt hifenizar (to join words or syllables with a hyphen) · el συλλαβίζω (to join words or syllables with a hyphen) · fr mettre la césure (to break a word at the end of a line according to the hyphenation rules) · sv avstava (to break a word at the end of a line according to the hyphenation rules) · pt hifenar (to join words or syllables with a hyphen) · bg пренасям дума (to break a word at the end of a line according to the hyphenation rules) · de abteilen (to break a word at the end of a line according to the hyphenation rules) · de trennen (to break a word at the end of a line according to the hyphenation rules) · hu kötőjellel ír (to join words or syllables with a hyphen)

hyphenate en · NOUN · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• /ˈhaɪfənət/ (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *upó Ancient Greek ῠ̔πό (hŭpó) Ancient Greek ῠ̔πο- (hŭpo-) Proto-Indo-European *sem- Proto-Indo-European *sḗm Proto-Indo-European *sémsder. Proto-Hellenic *hens Ancient Greek εἷς, μῐ́ᾰ, ἕν (heîs, mĭ́ă, hén) Ancient Greek ῠ̔φ’ ἕν (hŭph’ hén) Ancient Greek ῠ̔φέν (hŭphén)bor. Late Latin hyphenlbor. English hyphen English -ate English hyphenate From hyphen + -ate (noun-forming suffix).

Meanings

1. A person or object with multiple duties, abilities or characteristics, such as "writer-director", "actor-model", or "singer-songwriter".
2. A person whose ethnicity is a multi-word hyphenated term, such as "African-American".
   • We seem to have settled on African-American, and at first glance it certainly does seem logical. […] Not to mention what happens when hyphenates marry other hyphenates and have baby hyphenates. 2006, Nick Adams, Making Friends With Black People, page 15:

Forms