We sometimes place one noun in front of another noun or adjective in front of a noun and several other types of combinations that will give more precise information about that person or thing. For example, we can combine the noun car with another noun park that works as a single unit, i.e., car park; this means a car park is a place where we park cars. This combination of car and park made a new noun, car park, called a compound noun.
Definition of Compound Noun
The combination of two or more words to make a noun that works as a single unit is called a compound noun. Compound nouns tell us from what something is made, where something is when something happens, or what someone does.
Compound nouns may consist of a single word; some can be written as separate words, and others have a hyphen.
Examples of Compound Nouns
Arm + chair= armchair
Blackboard
Fountainpen
Forget-me-not
Merry-go-round
Penknife
Railway
Rainbow
Schoolgirl
Snowball
Snowman
Touch-me-not
Air-traffic controller
Coffee-house
Eye-glass
Flower-garden
Lamp-oil
Race-horse
Moonlight
Timetable
Ice-cream
Gunpowder
Schoolmaster
Shopkeeper
Housemaid
Seashore
Postcard
Newspaper
Steam-engine
Night train
Apple-tree
Sand-storm
Postman
Postmark
Postmaster
Gentleman
Forehead
Dining room
Breakfast
Housewife
Schoolroom
Toothbrush
Office-worker
fish-farm
oil-rig
Blackboard
Fountainpen
Forget-me-not
Merry-go-round
Penknife
Railway
Rainbow
Schoolgirl
Snowball
Snowman
Touch-me-not
Air-traffic controller
Coffee-house
Eye-glass
Flower-garden
Lamp-oil
Race-horse
Moonlight
Timetable
Ice-cream
Gunpowder
Schoolmaster
Shopkeeper
Housemaid
Seashore
Postcard
Newspaper
Steam-engine
Night train
Apple-tree
Sand-storm
Postman
Postmark
Postmaster
Gentleman
Forehead
Dining room
Breakfast
Housewife
Schoolroom
Toothbrush
Office-worker
fish-farm
oil-rig
Compound nouns consist of a single word are a bathroom, tablecloth, toothbrush, bedroom, etc.
Compound nouns consist of two separate words are waste paper, water bottle, dining room, etc.
Compound nouns separated by a hyphen are father-in-law, check-in, window-cleaner, etc.
How to Form a Compound Noun?
Compound nouns are formed with different types of combinations. Some of these combinations are noun + noun, adjective + noun, noun + verb, noun + preposition, noun + prepositional phrase, noun + adverb, verb + noun. From the above combinations, noun + noun and adjective + noun is the most commonly used combining strategy of forming a compound noun.
There are some ways in which these combinations can be used.
There are some ways in which these combinations can be used.
1. When the second noun is part of the first noun. For example
shop window
picture frame
college library
school bell
garden gate
picture frame
college library
school bell
garden gate
2. When the first noun in a compound can indicate the place of the second noun. For example
city street
comer shop
country lane
comer shop
country lane
3. The first noun can indicate the time of the second. For example
Sunday magazine
winter holiday
4. The second noun is made of the material express by the first noun.
gold medal
bricks wall
5. The first word can indicate the purpose of the second.
tin opener
notice board
coffee cup
Noun + Noun
A significant number of compound nouns are formed with this combination.
Examples
Bathroom
Fireman
Football
hall door
petrol pump
traffic warden
kitchen table
hitch-hiker
winter clothes
Toothpaste
Table cloth
Table tennis
Handbag
Headlight
Coal mine
Shopkeeper
Bedroom
Wallpaper
Picture book
website
Ticket inspector
bookshelf
Sometimes the possessive form of the first noun is used in a compound noun when the first noun is the user of the thing expressed in the second noun or when the first noun is the producer of the item described in the second noun.
a baby’s bedroom (baby is the user of the second noun bedroom)
a women’s clinic
lamb’s wool
goat’s milk (goat is the producer of the milk)
hen’s eggs
Bathroom
Fireman
Football
hall door
petrol pump
traffic warden
kitchen table
hitch-hiker
winter clothes
Toothpaste
Table cloth
Table tennis
Handbag
Headlight
Coal mine
Shopkeeper
Bedroom
Wallpaper
Picture book
website
Ticket inspector
bookshelf
Sometimes the possessive form of the first noun is used in a compound noun when the first noun is the user of the thing expressed in the second noun or when the first noun is the producer of the item described in the second noun.
a baby’s bedroom (baby is the user of the second noun bedroom)
a women’s clinic
lamb’s wool
goat’s milk (goat is the producer of the milk)
hen’s eggs
Ing- form + Noun or Adjective + Noun and Gerund + Noun
The -ing form is sometimes called a gerund, verbal noun, or -ing noun. The -ing form usually tells the function of a noun that follows it.
Examples
Whiteboard
drinking water
Redhead
Working party
Blackberry
Quicksilver
living room
Swimming pool
Greenhouse
Turning point
risk-taking
fly-fishing
film-making
coal-mining
life-saving
surf-riding
weight-lifting
fruit picking
printing machine
advertising campaign
mailing list
drilling machine
selling cost
waiting list
six-pack
blackboard
blackbird
mobile phone
small talk
Besides these two most common combination methods, there are several other combinations through which compound nouns are formed below.
Noun + Verb
Rainfall
Sunset
Haircut
Noun + Preposition
Hanger-on
Passerby
Noun + Prepositional Phrase
Father-in-law
Mother-in-law
Sister-in-law
Noun + Adverb
Hanger on
Passerby
Runner-up
Verb + Noun
Washing machine
Driving license
Driving license
Rules of Making Plural of Compound Nouns
Compound nouns that constitute one or more words can be made plural by adding “s” or “-es” to the principle word.
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| Push-up | Push-ups |
| Boyfriend | Boyfriends |
| Teapot | Teapots |
| Football | Footballs |
| Bookcase | Bookcases |
| Bus Stop | Bus Stops |
| Bedroom | Bedrooms |
| Bus Driver | Bus Drivers |
| Tea-leaf | Tea-leaves |
| Summer Party | Summer Parties |
But if the first part is the main word followed by a modifier to make them plural add “s” to the chief word.
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| Father-in-law | Fathers-in-law |
| Commander-in-chief | Commanders-in-chief |
| Stepson | Stepsons |
The plural of a compound noun formed from the combination -ing form/adjective + noun is made by adding “s” or “-es” to the singular noun.
Examples
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| Rocking-horse | Rocking-horses |
| Darkroom | Darkrooms |
| Dining room | Dining rooms |
Others make their plural by making the principal word plural without adding “s” or “es.”
Examples
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| Dormouse | Dormice |
| Frenchman | Frenchmen |
| Man-farmer | Men-farmer |
The following compound nouns cannot be used in plural form.
Software
Dry-cleaning
Rainfall
train-spotting
Compound Nouns Examples in Sentences
- Do you need a water bottle?
- Their home has four bedrooms.
- They play football today.
- She has a collection of teapots.
- Did you install this software on your computer?
- Could you clean the blackboard, please?
- I grow a lot of vegetables in my greenhouse.
- They always eat breakfast early in the morning.
- She has cleaned the washing machine.
- I asked to be put on their mailing list.
- The workmen set out at sunset for a night’s shift.
- The dormice often come out at night.
- 700 mm is the average annual rainfall in our region.