hyphen

Meanings

Noun

• The 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.
• Something that links two more consequential things.
• An enclosed walkway or passage that connects two buildings.
• Someone who belongs to a marginalized subgroup, and can therefore described by a hyphenated term, such as "German-American", "female-academic", etc.

Verb

• To separate or punctuate with a hyphen; to hyphenate.

Related

Similar words

• slash, cum

Origin

• From Late Latin, from Ancient Greek ὑφέν ("together"), contracted from ὑφ’ ἕν, from ὑπό + ἕν, neuter of εἷς.