1
an explanation for the origin of a word or phrase that is believed by many people to be true but that cannot be proved, for example, the belief that ‘posh’ stands for ‘port out, starboard home’
Synonyms and related words
Linguistic terms relating to word formation and phrase building
1a
uncountable the process by which people adapt a word or phrase that is unfamiliar or foreign to a more familiar form
Synonyms and related words
Linguistic terms relating to word formation and phrase building