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A nonce word<\/strong> is “a word occurring, invented, or used just for a particular occasion”, or “a word with a special meaning used for a special occasion” [source<\/a>].<\/p>\n The word nonce<\/strong> comes from the Middle English nonse \/ nones<\/em>, from to \u00fean anes \/ for \u00fean anes<\/em> (to\/for the one (occasion, instance)). Here’s example of how it’s used: “That will do for the nonce, but we’ll need a better answer for the long term.” [source<\/a>].<\/p>\n The term ‘nonce word’ was apparently coined by James Murray, the editor of the Oxford English Dictionary [source<\/a>].<\/p>\n Some nonce words become more widely used. Others may be used only by certain people. Here are a few examples:<\/p>\n – quark<\/strong> \u2013 coined by James Joyce in Finnegans Wake<\/em>. Adopted by Murray Gell-Mann for the subatomic particle [source<\/a>].<\/p>\n – blurb<\/strong> – “A short description of a book, film, or other work, written and used for promotional purposes.” Coined by American humorist Gelett Burgess on a book dust jacket at a trade association dinner in 1907 [source<\/a>].<\/p>\n – grok<\/strong> – “to drink; to drink in all available aspects of reality; to become one with the observed. Coined by Robert Heinlein in his book Stranger in a Strange Land<\/em> (1961). Used to mean “to understand (something) intuitively; to fully and completely understand something in all of its details and intricacies.” [source<\/a>].<\/p>\n – sniglet<\/strong> \u2013 coined by the American comedian Rich Hall for the 1980s TV series Not Necessarily the News<\/em>. It is defined as, \u201cany word that doesn’t appear in the dictionary, but should\u201d [source<\/a>].<\/p>\n – wug<\/strong> – a blue bird-like creature that appears in Jean Berko Gleason’s wug test<\/a>, which investigates the acquisition of the plural form in English-speaking children. Know mainly to linguists. Also features in one of my songs<\/a>.<\/p>\n A few nonce words I’ve coined include crumptious, snorf, snoob, zambalated, flartled, overflude, flimpsome, plood and tarpool. They appear in my song Plinkin Plookplooks<\/a>. <\/p>\n