ALL meanings of back-formation
back-for·ma·tion
B b - noun back-formation the analogical creation of one word from another word that appears to be a derived or inflected form of the first by dropping the apparent affix or by modification. 1
- noun back-formation a word so formed, as typewrite from typewriter. 1
- noun back-formation (Uncountable Noun) (linguistics) The process by which a new word is formed by removing a morpheme (real or perceived) of an older word, such as the verb burgle, formed by removing -ar (perceived as a suffix forming an agent noun) from burglar. 0
- noun back-formation (Countable Noun) A word created in this way. 0