Compound noun can be defined as “Compound nouns can be words written together, words that are hyphenated, or separate words that go together by meaning.”
Explanation
Two or more nouns combined together to form a single word which is called as compound noun. Some of the compound nouns are written with space between two words (such as grapefruit juice), words separated by the hyphen (such as sister-in-law, brother-in-law), or as single word (such as schoolteacher).
There are some compounded nouns whose origins are unclear (such as bonfire, marshall, etc) so they called as amalgamated compound. Generally, one word of the compound nouns contain noun whereas other word may be an adverb, verb, adjective, preposition, or gerund. First word becomes modifying word or add meaning to second one (main word).
Examples of compound nouns are like washing machine, boyfriend, dining-table, public speaking, greenhouse, bus stop, fire-fly, football, full moon, bystander, blackboard, software, breakfast, lookout, swimming pool, sunrise, upturn, haircut, train-spotting, check-out, mother-in-law, underworld, truckful, bedroom, motorcycle, printer cartridge, water tank, rainfall, train-spotting, hanger-on, passer-by, driving license, take-off, drawback, onlooker, dry-cleaning, redhead, output, overthrow, input, policeman, etc.
Compound nouns are written in the capital letter when they start the sentence otherwise written in small letter when occur anywhere in the sentence. Following are the examples of compound noun:
For Example:
There are three forms of compound noun based on the arrangements of the two or three words into one word. All three forms are described below with proper example:
Solid or closed compound nouns are those words that have no space in between and used as a single word with proper meaning such as rollback, restroom, classroom, whatever, whoever, breakfast, needlepoint, slingshot, etc.
Open or spaced compound nouns are those words that have space in between and separated by the space. They are used as a single unit of meaning in-spite of written separately as two words such as wet nurse, full moon, roller coaster, bus stop, sleeping bag, swimming pool, first aid, mug shot, christmas, tree, christmas father, christmas card,
Hyphenated compound nouns are those words that are connected by one or more hyphens such as sister-in-law, mother-in-law, jack-in-the-box, state-of-the-art, brother-in-law, shout-out, mind-set, five-year-old, etc.
Compound nouns are formed by the combination of two words. Two words unite to form new combinations which we use in various ways daily. Compound nouns have two parts in which first part indicate the type of object or person or purpose whereas second part indicates an object or person in question.
Compound nouns have a different and more specific meaning than its two combining words separately means. Compound nouns are written as single words, as a word separated with hyphen, or its two words having space in between. Various parts of speech are used to make compound nouns. Following are the category wise examples of compound nouns:
Compound Nouns using Noun+Verb: snow drop, air dash, tongue slip, book mark, headline, bus stop, time line, earmark, monthly pay, typewriter, telephone call, headache, moonlight, sunset, waylay, tieknot, browbeat, laybreak, toothache, blood shed, earth quake, rootcause, backbite, cloud burst, bee sting, hand shake, house arrest, etc.
Compound Nouns using Noun+Noun: taxpayer, cellphone, headteacher, railroad, money market, bluewhale, timetable, postcard, picture book, field glasses, engine driver, air ticket, crime novel, garden flowers, blackboard, servant maid, police officer, ice-cream, firefighter, cricket ball, family business, handbag, sunlight, toothpaste, football, fish tank, etc.
Compound Nouns using Noun+Gerund: cat walking, slow cycling, air blowing, cross heading, ear piercing, white washing, time consuming, account checking, time serving, heart rending, English training, day dreaming, bread baking, heart bleeding, test driving, mind reading, snow skidding, book-binding, account checking, mountain trekking, bird watching, eve teasing, freedom loving, house cleaning, thought provoking, etc.
Compound Nouns using Gerund+Noun: sleeping room, working day, resting room, waiting hall, learning material, driving school, fishingnet, starring hero, sitting bench, glittering jewels, visiting card, cooking gas, waiting list, helping hand, blotting paper, drawing room, living room, cleaning lady, spinning wheel, steering wheel, swimming pool, washing machine, drinking water, peeping Tom, sleeping pill, writing desk, looking glass, steppingstone, passing cloud, spelling book, blotting paper, etc.
Compound Nouns using Preposition+Noun: over-bridge, inbox, off-day, by line, underclass, bypath, outlaw, forethought, offspring, overcoat, afternoon, inside, middleman, downfall, downhill, upland, top-hat, inmate, foresight, underground, underworld, bystander, onlooker, etc.
Compound Nouns using Noun and Adjective: forceful, ageless, homesick, bad tempered, snow white, beauty full, downward, grateful, harmless, accident prone, black gold, silk soft, deadslow, careful, mercy less, picture perfect, honey sweet, roundabout, milk white, red-hot, etc.
Compound Nouns using adverb+noun: downtime, overtime, etc.
Compound Nouns using adverb+verb: input, output, upswing, etc.
Compound Nouns using verb+adjective: tumbledown
Compound Nouns using preposition+adjective: over-ripe
Compound Nouns using preposition+preposition: without
Compound Nouns using preposition+verb: output, undercut, outlook, overthrow, etc.
Compound Nouns using verb+noun: swimming pool, cross-road, breakwater, cookbook, washing machine, jump rope, etc.
Compound Nouns using adjective+adjective: blue-green
Compound Nouns using adjective+noun: blackboard, full moon, black eye, blue jeans, hot-dog, etc.
Compound Nouns using adjective+preposition: forthwith
Compound Nouns using adjective+verb: dry-cleaning, highlight, etc.
Compound Nouns using noun+preposition: love-in, hanger on, passer-by, etc.
Compound Nouns using noun+verb: haircut, browbeat, milkshake, rainfall, car-wash, etc.
Compound Nouns using verb+preposition: takeout, check-in, drawback, lookout, etc.
Compound Nouns using verb+verb: freeze-dry
Some of the rules concerning compound noun are mentioned below:
We have provided below some compound noun exercises in order to help you to improve your knowledge about compound noun. You need to get detail information about compound noun provided above and check your skill by doing following exercises.
Answers: 1 – bus stop, 2 – fire flies, 3 – toothpaste, 4 – six-pack, 5 – full moon, 6 – blackboard, 7 – washing machine, 8 – swimming pool, 9 – sunrise, 10 – hairstyle, 11 – check-up, 12 – mother-in-law, 13 – underworld, 14 – time table, 15 – overcome, 16 – earth quake, 17 – classrooms, 18 – foot ball, 19 – driving license, 20 – underground, 21 – without, 22 – distance learning, 23 – traffic light, 24 – airport, 25 – keyboard, input, 26 – output, 27 – railway station, 28 – travel agents, 29 – freeway, 30 – ticket office, 31 – bookstore.
Related Topics:
Noun
Proper Noun
Common Noun
Countable Noun
Uncountable Noun
Collective Noun
Possessive Noun
Concrete Noun
Abstract Noun
Singular Noun
Plural Noun