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Definition of "hyphen" [hy•phen]

  • A punctuation mark ( - ) used between the parts of a compound word or name or between the syllables of a word, especially when divided at the end of a line of text. (noun)
  • To hyphenate. (verb-transitive)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "hyphen" in a sentence
  • "Give her a name hyphen this summer so that she becomes Veneta-Sue, and she'll stick to her declared major of Animal Husbandry."
  • "You know, that pesky hyphen is just sooooo hard to get in there."
  • "Do you mean that yummy-y‘s hyphen is dishonest because you don’t think broccoli is yummy?"