Vol. 10 · Portmanteaus ·Early 20th century ·1948
Velcro
velours crochet
- Meaning
- A brand of hook-and-loop fabric fastener.
- Source words
- velours + crochet
- Coined by
- George de Mestral
- Year
- 1948
Background
The Swiss engineer de Mestral got the idea from burdock burrs stuck to his dog's fur. He coined the name from French *velours* (velvet) and *crochet* (hook). Patented in 1955, the word is now generic in most countries.
Early 20th century
Industrialisation generated new things that needed new names, fast. Motoring, electricity, telecommunications, and urban pollution all produced portmanteaus within a generation of their arrival.
Two words, one coinage.
Browse every portmanteau on the shelf — or cross over to the loanwords atlas.