Tamilnadu State Board Class 10 English Vocabulary Compound Words
♦ Compound Words (Text Book Page No.: 99-100)
A compound word is a combination of two or more words that a function is a single unit of meaning. There are three types of compound:
- Closed compound words are formed when two unique words are joined together, e.g. flowerpots.
- Open compound words have a space between the words, but when they are read together, a new meaning is formed,
E.g: living room. - Hyphenated compound words are connected by a hyphen, e.g brother-in-law.
Read these sentences :
- Beyond the iron gates were the playing field and the two-storeyed school building.
- The owner of the tea shop, now over sixty, a little fustic in appearance, with his white neatly-combed hair and clean look, was the same as before.
- His nerves seemed overwrought for some reason. The words in italics are Compound words
By Formation:
1. Compound Nouns:
| Type | Word 1 | Word 2 | Compound Word |
| 1. Noun + Noun | moon | light | moonlight |
| chess | board | chess-board | |
| shoe | maker | shoemaker | |
| man | servant | manservant | |
| 2. Adjective + Noun | sweet | heart | sweetheart |
| noble | man | nobleman | |
| short | hand | shorthand | |
| black | board | blackboard | |
| 3. Verb + Noun | pick | pickpocket | |
| play | ground | playground | |
| hang | man | hangman | |
| dare | devil | daredevil | |
| 4. Gerund + Noun | spelling | book | spelling-book |
| walking | stick | walking-stick | |
| drawing | room | drawing-room | |
| visiting | card | visiting-card | |
| 5. Adverb(or Preposition) + Noun | in | side | inside |
| over | coat | overcoat | |
| by | path | bypath | |
| off | spring | offspring | |
| 6. Verb + Adverb | draw | back | drawback |
| lock | up | lockup | |
| die | hard | diehard | |
| send | off | sendoff | |
| 7. Adverb + Verb | out | set | outset |
| up | keep | upkeep | |
| out | cry | outcry | |
| in | come | income |
2. Compound Adjectives:
| Type | Word 1 | Word 2 | Compound Word |
| 1. Noun + Adjective (or Participle) | hand | made | handmade |
| heart | broken | heartbroken | |
| home | sick | homesick | |
| sky | blue | sky blue | |
| 2. Adjective + Adjective | red | hot | red-hot |
| blue | black | blue-black | |
| white | hot | white-hot | |
| dull | grey | dull-grey | |
| 3. Adverb + Participle | in | born | inborn |
| out | spoken | outspoken | |
| never | ending | never-ending | |
| long | suffering | long-suffering |
3. Compound Verbs:
| Type | Word 1 | Word 2 | Compound Word |
| Noun + Verb | back | bite | back-bite |
| type | write | type-write | |
| brow | beat | brow-beat | |
| ear | mark | earmark | |
| Adjective + Verb | white | wash | whitewash |
| safe | guard | safeguard | |
| Adverb + Verb | over | throw | overthrow |
| over | take | overtake | |
| under | take | undertake | |
| under | go | undergo |
More examples:
| Word 1 | Word 2 | Compound Word |
| air | port | airport |
| blood | count | blood count |
| blood | bank | blood bank |
| blood | shed | bloodshed |
| blue | cross | blue cross |
| book | marks | bookmarks |
| book | seller | book seller |
| break | fast | break fast |
| car | park | car park |
| child | labour | child-labour |
| child | hood | childhood |
| cricket | ground | cricket ground |
| cup | board | cupboard |
| day | break | daybreak |
| deep | fry | deep fry |
| dining | table | dining table |
| door | step | doorstep |
| down | cast | downcast |
| dry | clean | dry clean |
| eye | brow | eyebrow |
| fast | food | fast food |
| flash | back | flashback |
| fly | catcher | fly catcher |
| foot | steps | foot steps |
| gear | box | gearbox |
| good | will | good will |
| hair | cut | haircut |
| hair | dresser | hairdresser |
| hand | made | handmade |
| hand | written | handwritten |
| hand | cuff | handcuff |
| hard | copy | hard copy |
| hard | disk | hard disk |
| head | ache | headache |
| head | master | headmaster |
| head | light | headlight |
| ice | caps | ice caps |
| in | coming | incoming |
| in | sight | insight |
| land | mark | landmark |
| light | sensitive | light sensitive |
| make | over | make over |
| mdon | light | moonlight |
| mouth | wash | mouthwash |
| mouth | piece | mouthpiece |
| night | fall | nightfall |
| open | mind | open mind |
| out | post | outpost |
| out | come | outcome |
| out | let | outlet |
| out | sourcing | outsourcing |
| over | draft | overdraft |
| over | load | overload |
| over | weight | overweight |
| over | come | overcome |
| radio | wave | radio wave |
| radio | active | radio active |
| river | bank | river bank |
| river | bed | river bed |
| river | side | riverside |
| root | cause | root cause |
| safe | guard | safeguard |
| school | boy | school boy |
| sea | food | seafood |
| sea | shore | seashore |
| sewing | machine | sewing machine |
| soft | ware | software |
| star | gazing | star gazing |
| sun | set | sunset |
| sun | rise | sunrise |
| table | tennis | table tennis |
| tax | free | tax-free |
| tea | cup | teacup |
| tea | time | tea time |
| tele | pathy | telepathy |
| tele | cast | telecast |
| time | out | time out |
| two | fold | twofold |
| type | writer | typewriter |
| under | value | undervalue |
| under | take | undertake |
| under | estimate | underestimate |
| walking | stick | walking stick |
| wall | clock | wall clock |
| wall | paper | wallpaper |
| wash | out | washout |
| watch | dog | watchdog |
| water | fall | waterfall |
| water | mark | water mark |
| well | defined | well defined |
| wheel | chair | wheelchair |
| white | house | white house |
| whole | some | wholesome |
| whole | sale | wholesale |
| wind | screen | windscreen |
| wind | fall | windfall |
| wind | power | wind power |
| world | class | world-class |
| world | war | world war |
Exercises
Choose the word from the options given to form a compound word:
Question 1.
Which of the words given below can be placed after safe to form a compound word?
(a) chair
(b) guard
(c) shop
(d) van
Answer:
(b) guard
Question 2.
Which of the words given below can be placed after water to form a compound word?
(a) food
(b) stick
(c) fall
(d) out
Answer:
(c) fall
Question 3.
Which of the words given below can be placed after blue to form a compound word?
(a) cane
(b) print
(c) see
(d) land
Answer:
(b) print
Question 4.
Which of the words given below can be placed after moon to form a compound word?
(a) day
(b) light
(c) mark
(d) shine
Answer:
(b) light
Question 5.
Which of the words given below can be placed before gazing to form a compound word?
(a) goat
(b) star
(c) boy
(d) land
Answer:
(b) star
Question 6.
Which of the words given below can be placed after land to form a compound word?
(a) hood
(b) mark
(c) load
(d) drive
Answer:
(b) mark
Question 7.
Which of the words given below can be placed after soft to form a compound word?
(a) play
(b) ware
(c) run
(d) cycle
Answer:
(b) ware
Question 8.
Which of the words given below can be placed before post to form a compound word?
(a) gate
(b) out
(c) late
(d) quick
Answer:
(b) out
Question 9.
Which of the words given below can be placed after fast to form a compound word?
(a) mark
(b) port
(c) good
(d) food
Answer:
(d) food
Question 10.
Which of the words given below can be placed after hand to form a compound word?
(a) light
(b) mark
(c) write
(d) written
Answer:
(d) written
Question 11.
Which of the words given below can be placed after walking to form a compound word?
(a) pole
(b) stick
(c) belt
(d) cane
Answer:
(b) stick
Question 12.
Which of the words given below can be placed before brow to form a compound word?
(a) brown
(b) eye
(c) hair
(d) thick
Answer:
(b) eye
Question 13.
Which of the words given below can be placed after head to form a compound word?
(a) role
(b) leader
(c) manager
(d) master
Answer:
(d) master
Question 14.
Which of the words given below can be placed after sea to form a compound word?
(a) toll
(b) roar
(c) thunder
(d) food
Answer:
(d) food
Question 15.
Which of the words given below can be placed after air to form a compound word?
(a) sea
(b) port
(c) pool
(d) loom
Answer:
(b) port
Question 16.
Which of the words given below can be placed before power to form a compound word?
(a) head
(b) house
(c) horse
(d) mute
Answer:
(c) horse
Question 17.
Which of the words given below can be placed after child to form a compound word?
(a) ship
(b) hood
(c) law
(d) game
Answer:
(b) hood
Question 18.
Which of the words given below can be placed after a break to form a compound word?
(a) car
(b) fast
(c) house
(d) stone
Answer:
(b) fast
Question 19.
Which of the words given below can be placed after car to form a compound word?
(a) street
(b) park
(c) house
(d) top
Answer:
(b) park
Question 20.
Which of the words given below can be placed after cricket to form a compound word?
(a) field
(b) court
(c) ground
(d) area
Answer:
(c) ground