A NOMINAL COMPOUND is a combination of two or more words performing the function of a Noun as one unit.
Read the following sentences:
We had a light talk when we sat at the tea table.
All the valuables were kept in the iron safe.
How much is the bus fare from Kolkata to Digha?
Have you gone through the news bulletin in the newspaper?

In the above sentences, the words tea table, iron safe, bus fare, news bulletin, and newspaper are Nominal Compounds.
NOMINAL COMPOUNDS | COMPONENT WORDS | PARTS OF SPEECH |
---|---|---|
Tea table | Tea + table | Noun + Noun |
Iron safe | Iron + safe | Noun + Noun |
Bus fare | Bus + fare | Noun + Noun |
News bulletin | News + bulletin | Noun + Noun |
Newspaper | News + paper | Noun + Noun |
We can break up the Nominal Compounds and work out their meanings in the following way.
Usually, the last word and the first word of the explanatory phrase exchange their position.
Tea table = a table for serving tea.
Iron safe = a safe made of iron.
Bus fare = fare for travelling by bus.
News bulletin = a bulletin containing news.
Newspaper = paper containing news.
For working out the meaning of a Nominal Compound, we generally begin with the last noun (‘table’ in the case of ‘tea table’; ‘safe’ in the case of ‘iron safe’; ‘fare’ in the case of bus fare’; ‘bulletin’ in the case of ‘news bulletin’; ‘paper in the case of ‘newspaper’ etc.
FORMATION OF NOMINAL COMPOUNDS
NOUN + NOUN
NOMINAL COMPOUNDS | EXPLANATORY WORDS | FORMATION |
---|---|---|
air man | a man (employee) of an aircraft. | [air + man] |
football match | a match played with a football. | [football + match] |
radio programme | a programme on the radio. | [radio + programme] |
lunch box | a box containing lunch. | [lunch + box] |
iron determination | a determination as strong as iron. | [iron + determination] |
stone wall | a wall made of stone. | [stone + wall] |
sportsman | a man skilled in sports. | [sports + man] |
mountain streams | streams in the mountains. | [mountain + streams] |
birthday party | a party to celebrate your birthday. | [birthday + party] |
ceiling fan | a fan hanging from the ceiling. | [ceiling + fan] |
NOUN + VERB/VERBAL NOUN
NOMINAL COMPOUNDS | EXPLANATORY WORDS | FORMATION |
---|---|---|
fact finding | finding of fact. | [fact + finding] |
fault finding | finding of fault. | [fault + finding] |
fortune hunting | hunting of fortune. | [fortune + hunting] |
loudspeaker | an instrument bt which one can speak loudly. | [loud + speaker] |
record-breaking | that which breaks the record. | [record + breaking] |
bus stop | a spot where buses stop. | [bus + stop] |
rainfall | the fall of the rain. | [rain + fall] |
sunrise | the rising of the sun. | [sun + rise] |
sunset | the setting of the sun | [sun + set] |
oil painting | painting with oil colour. | [oil + painting] |
VERB/VERBAL NOUN/GERUND + NOUN
NOMINAL COMPOUNDS | EXPLANATORY WORDS | FORMATION |
breakfast | a tiffin that breaks fasting overnight at daybreak. | [break + fast] |
burial ground | the ground where burial is done. | [burial + ground] |
dining table | a table for dining. | [dining + table] |
dotted graph | graph that is recorded with dots. | [dotted + graph] |
fishing boat | a boat for fishing. | [fishing + boat] |
flying fish | a fish that flies. (a special kind of sea-fish.) | [flying + fish] |
frying pan | a pan for frying. | [frying + pan] |
hunger strike | a strike carried with hunger. | [hunger + strike] |
looking-glass | a glass used for looking. | [looking + glass] |
pickpocket | one who picks pocket. | [pick + pocket] |
NOUN + ADJECTIVE
NOMINAL COMPOUNDS | EXPLANATORY WORDS | FORMATION |
---|---|---|
eco-friendly | friendly with the ecosystem. | [eco + friendly] |
flood-stricken | that which is stricken by a flood. | [flood + stricken] |
homesick | one who feels sick (sickness) at home. | [home + sick] |
sea green | that which is green like the sea. | [sea + green] |
snow-white | that which is white like snow. | [snow + white] |
sun-burnt | that which is burnt by the sun. | [sun + burnt] |
thunderstruck | that which is struck by thunder. | [thunder + struck] |
ADJECTIVE + NOUN
NOMINAL COMPOUNDS | EXPLANATORY WORDS | FORMATION |
blackboard | a board painted black. | [black + board] |
darkroom | a room for processing photos in darkness. | [dark + room] |
first aid | aids for applying first. | [first + aid] |
leaden heart | a heart that is made of lead. | [leaden + heart] |
mainspring | a spring that operates the main function. | [main + spring] |
magic lantern | a lantern used for showing magic. | [magic + lantern] |
metal money | money made of metal. | [metal + money] |
postal service | service is given by the postal department. | [postal + service] |
solar energy | the energy emitting from the sun. | [solar + energy] |
MORE NOMINAL COMPOUNDS
Pronoun + noun | he-goat, she-goat, he-man. |
Adjective + noun | easy-chair [a chair on which one can sit at ease] |
Adjective + noun | best-seller [that which sells best] |
Adjective + adjective | blue-black [that which is a blue and black tool] |
Adjective + verb | short cut [that which is cut short] |
Adjective + verb | white wash [a wash with white] |
Adjective + preposition | left-over [that which is left over a time] |
Verb + noun | wash-basin [a basin for washing] |
Verb + pronoun | hold-all [that can hold all the required things] |
Verb + verb | hearsay [that which is generally said and heard] |
Verb + adverb | know-how [the technique of knowing how it is done] |
Adverb + adverb | wherever, whenever |
Verb + preposition | blow-up, cover-up, fall-out, lay-off, lay-out, make-up, turn-over, walk-out |
Preposition + verb | over-flow, out-cry, outlet, outlook, uplift, uproar, upstart |
Preposition + noun | by-law, off-print, over-coat, over-sight, over-work, over-exercise, over-time, over-production, out-growth. |
Noun + preposition | lock-up. |
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Also, Read

Time and Tense

Gerund

Determiners

Punctuation
