In morphology (of the linguistic variety), a blend is a word formation process created by combining part of one word with part or whole of another.

Most typically, a blend will take the first part of the first word and the last part of the last word, as in:
infotainment: information + entertainment
brunch: breakfast + lunch
smog: smoke + fog

However, there are other ways blends are formed, such as:
TriBeCa: Triangle + Below + Canal (Street)
hazmat: hazardous + materials
Fortran: Formula + Translator

Sometimes a blend will contain an entire word; only one of the words needs to be in partial form for a word to be considered a blend:
rebar: reinforced steel + bar
cranapple: cranberry + apple

However, spelling conventions (which are notoriously arbitrary and misleading in English) sometimes leads people to falsely believe that certain words are blends (e.g. weblog {web + log}). However, because no word appears only in partial form, these are actually compounds.

Blend (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Blended or Blent (#); p. pr. & vb. n. Blending.] [OE. blenden, blanden, AS. blandan to blend, mix; akin to Goth. blandan to mix, Icel. blanda, Sw. blanda, Dan. blande, OHG. blantan to mis; to unknown origin.]

1.

To mix or mingle together; esp. to mingle, combine, or associate so that the separate things mixed, or the line of demarcation, can not be distinguished. Hence: To confuse; to confound.

Blending the grand, the beautiful, the gay. Percival.

2.

To pollute by mixture or association; to spoil or corrupt; to blot; to stain.

[Obs.]

Spenser.

Syn. -- To commingle; combine; fuse; merge; amalgamate; harmonize.

© Webster 1913.


Blend (?), v. i.

To mingle; to mix; to unite intimately; to pass or shade insensibly into each other, as colors.

There is a tone of solemn and sacred feeling that blends with our conviviality. Irving.

© Webster 1913.


Blend, n.

A thorough mixture of one thing with another, as color, tint, etc., into another, so that it cannot be known where one ends or the other begins.

© Webster 1913.


Blend, v. t. [AS. blendan, from blind blind. See Blind, a.]

To make blind, literally or figuratively; to dazzle; to deceive.

[Obs.]

Chaucer.

© Webster 1913.

Log in or register to write something here or to contact authors.