nonce word
One-time invention
A nonce word is a word coined for a single occasion, not intended for repeated use.
Writers create nonce words to fill momentary gaps—a playful term for a specific situation, a one-off coinage in a novel.
Some nonce words catch on and enter the language; most disappear after their single appearance: The author's nonce word "snarkasm" never spread beyond that essay.
- JabberwockyInvented meaningless language
- nonsense verseIntentionally illogical poetry
- portmanteauWord combining two others
- coinageInvented term or currency
- snarkCutting, mocking commentary
Lewis Carroll · blend · chortle · wordplay · onomatopoeia · reduplication · back-formation · derivation · slang · lexeme · invented · improvised · creative · whimsical · fleeting · spontaneous · on the spot · made-up