com-pound word: (noun) a word composed of two or more words; specifically, two or more words joined together by a hyphen.
Joined by a hyphen, you say? I must admit, this is news to me on the compound word front. But I'm off-track (compound word already?). While walking home tonight, I passed one of the many pizza places along Queen St. and noticed the word delivery and began pondering its compoundness. In school, compound words were always the likes of somewhere and sweetheart and everything. You know the type, as I'm sure you've spent much time with them in your elementary education years. But what about delivery? It is one word composed of two words: deli and very. And how about pillage: pill and age. Or parent: pa and rent. What else can I come up with?
cart + ridge = cartridge
heat + her = heather
ear + nest = earnest
per + son = person
I think these are excellent examples of compound words, even if no one else does. So there.
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