Meanings
plural recursive compound words
- human sciencesCompound word composed of at least one other compound word.
The recursive compound word "chocolate teapot" is composed of "chocolate" and "teapot" which itself is also a compound word composed of "tea" and "pot".
1 more example
A structure of recursive compound words has not been discussed by many researchers in the generative linguistics. In compounding, recursion can be defined that a compound noun freely becomes the base of another compound noun (Namiki 1988).
2008 October 29, Makiko Mukai, “Recursive compounds”, in Word Structure, volume 1, number 2, →DOI, →ISSN, pages 178-198
Origin
From recursive + compound word (which itself, being a compound word, is autological), making the word recursive compound word autological too.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
recursive compound word. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/recursive%20compound%20word
“recursive compound word.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/recursive%20compound%20word. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “recursive compound word,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/recursive%20compound%20word.
Source: recursive compound word on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.