Go to 'thermo-' entry Go to 'dino-' entry Go to 'chondro-' entry Go to 'aero-' entry Go to '-logy' entry Go to 'thaumato-' entry Go to 'nano-' entry Go to '-sophy' entry Go to 'bucco-' entry Go to '-ism' entry Go to '-lysis' entry Go to 'galacto-' entry Go to '-anthropy' entry Go to 'pneumo-' entry Go to '-ploitation' entry Go to '-lithic' entry Go to '-sepalous' entry Go to 'onco-' entry Go to '-parous' entry Go to 'dermato-' entry Go to 'multi-' entry Go to 'dodeca-' entry Go to '-zoon' entry Go to 'vermi-' entry Go to 'crystallo-' entry Go to 'biblio-' entry Go to 'eco-' entry Go to 'juxta-' entry Go to 'facio-' entry
Affixes: the building blocks of English
Affixes: the building blocks of English
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-word

In reference to a word that may be offensive.

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People use this suffix to generate euphemisms for taboo terms: the C-word, the F-word. It is used facetiously, especially in political and journalistic contexts, with the implication that to say a word in full would be ‘talking dirty’: L-word (liberal), E-word (Europe).

Many other examples of terms ending in -word exist, such as foreword, buzzword, password, and watchword, but these are considered to be compounds of word.

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