Vol. 10 · Portmanteaus ·The Victorian portmanteau ·1889
Electrocute
electro- execute
- Meaning
- To kill by electric shock.
- Source words
- electro- + execute
- Coined by
- unknown (US press)
- Year
- 1889
Background
Coined in newspaper coverage of the first planned execution by electric chair (1890). Initially narrowly forensic; later extended to any fatal shock.
The Victorian portmanteau
Lewis Carroll didn't invent portmanteau-making, but he named the technique and demonstrated it with enough flair that the word-class is often traced to him. Two of the words here are direct Carroll coinages.
Two words, one coinage.
Browse every portmanteau on the shelf — or cross over to the loanwords atlas.