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About This Quiz
The year was 2004, and the world was becoming obsessed with an Internet that literally allowed them to find anything by "logging on." A student at Harvard University grabbed hold of this increasingly-widespread technology in an attempt to get to know his classmates better. Prior to his "creation," the only way students had to pair someone's picture with their name was with a printed directory, akin to a yearbook. Mark Zuckerberg's solution for that was a platform that now has one billion active users: Facebook.
You're probably saying to yourself, "Yeah, but this isn't a quiz about social media." And you're right. But it is a quiz about compound words, a category the word "Facebook" most definitely falls into. The literal definition of Facebook is an online book of faces, via photos. Today, Facebook has evolved into much more, but the name has become as much a part of our lexicon as "baseball" and "wallpaper."Â
Speaking of "baseball" and "wallpaper" ... and "Facebook," could you ever have imagined those three things have something in common? Indeed, they are all compound words, or the combination of two separate words to make one new word. Now, we want to know how well you know other fairly common compound words. Sniff out the clues in our definitions and pick the right compound word that matches. We know you'll do extraordinary (another compound word)!Â
Airhead
Airport
Almost certainly, you've been to an airport before, likely running to chase a flight before it leaves without you. The other compound word choices in this question all also deal with matters of the air, even "airhead," which is frequently used as a derogatory comment about someone's intelligence.
Airtime
Airline
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Ballpark
If someone offers to take you out to the ballgame, they probably have a trip to the ballpark envisioned. Most references to "ballparks" are typically associated with baseball, rather than games with other balls, like football or basketball.
Blackball
Butterball
Ballroom
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Notebook
Daybook
Bookstore
Oh, to get lost in a bookstore! Why is it you can spend hours walking around in a bookstore and time melts away, but 15 minutes in the grocery store feels like pure misery? Bookstores come in all shapes and sizes, from large chains to small independent storefronts.
Bookseller
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Wheelbase
Cartwheel
The quite literal definition of a cartwheel is, well, a wheel on a cart. Because cartwheels turn in a circular motion, the word is also used to represent an athletic maneuver where an individual turns their body feet over hands in a turning-wheel motion.
Wheelhouse
Pushcart
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Daylight
Dreamtime
Sunday
Daydream
We aren't sure why dreams, while you're in bed for the night, aren't called "nightdreams," since "daydreams" appear to be their exact opposite. You can have nightmares, though, but nobody wants that.
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Eyecatching
Ballboy
Eyeball
Most people just refer to "eyes" as, well, "eyes," rather than "eyeballs," but both are correct. The word "eyeball" refers to the actual round shape of the structure that encapsulates your seeing apparatus.
Mothball
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Fireflies
Earthbound
Weatherman
Earthquake
The biggest earthquake to ever strike a location in the United States occurred in 1964 when a magnitude 9.2 earthquake was measured at Prince William Sound in Alaska. The vibrations from the earthquake were so strong that their impact was felt as far away as Seattle.
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Grandstand
Babysitter
Grandchild
We hope that question didn't confuse you, but it's true! A grandchild is your child's child. The prefix "grand" added to the word "child" represents a generation removed. So, a grandmother is a generation older, while a grandchild is a generation younger.
Brainchild
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Backhand
Stagehand
Handcuffs
While these metal devices don't actually go on the hands, they do restrict the movement of an individual's hand, essentially "cuffing" them. Handcuffs are metal rings that go around the wrists and, if you're wearing them, you're probably in trouble.
Handmade
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Hopscotch
This one is a bit tricky because the history of "scotch" in this word comes from "scratch," a reference to the lines drawn for this childhood game. The "hop" part is easy, since hopping is an integral part of the game.
Bellhop
Pinball
Daisywheel
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Lifejacket
Laptop
If a "desktop" is a computer meant to sit on the top of a desk, it stands to reason that a "laptop" is a computer meant to sit on the top of your lap. Of course, there are many other places you can place a laptop, such as on a table or counter, but "tabletop" and "countertop" were already taken.
Backslap
Keyboard
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Lifesaver
Buttermilk
Fireball
Milkshake
Most milkshakes have ingredients that are blended together with some type of small electronic device rather than an actual "shaking" back and forth. Regardless, we call them milkshakes today ... and they're delicious if we do say so ourselves.
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Railroad
Roadhouse
Stoplight
Lighthouse
Lighthouses have been around since the Egyptians first started using them some 2,000 years ago. Early lighthouses were likely just large bonfires on the beach. Today, lighthouses are actual towers that "house" lights to help guide boats at sea to safety.
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Newspaper
What would you call a paper full of news? Why, a newspaper, of course! The earliest newspaper dates back to the 1600s, and while the newspaper industry has taken a hit since the internet and social media have become so popular, you can still find them in just about every community in the country.
Newscaster
Wallpaper
Whitewall
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Raincheck
Paycheck
Let's hear it for the almighty paycheck ... although we're sure most of you would like yours to be even more than what it already is. Before electronic deposits, paychecks were actual paper checks paying you for your time on the job.
Taxpayer
Rainbow
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Snowdrifts
Snowflakes
There's nothing quite like the first snowflakes of the season falling, especially to get you in a wintry, holiday mood. After a couple of months of it, though, we're good. Snowflakes are ice-based precipitation that falls to the earth.
Cornflakes
Cardboard
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Waterway
Throwaway
Subway
For a good portion of the country, "Subway" is more reminiscent of a sandwich shop than an underground thoroughfare. But, in this instance, the compound word chosen for this quiz is a representation of a passage"way" sub- (or under) ground.
Highway
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Fireproof
The word fireproof is made up of two separate words: "fire" and "proof." When combined, it literally means that something is "proof against" fire, or resistant to fire, according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary.
Fireflies
Fireworks
Backfire
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Stronghold
Tailgate
A "tailgate" is a boundary (like a gate) for the tail-end of something (in this case, a truck). Football fans also use this to reference a tailgate event, which typically involves enjoying food and drink from the back of a vehicle.
Fishtail
Sunlit
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Sharpshooter
Stagehand
Starfish
Superstar
The compound word "superstar" comes from the words "super" and "star." Stars are bright and shining objects, so it stands to reason that a superstar is one that shines even more brightly. We usually use the word "superstar" in reference to celebrities or athletes.
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Throwaway
Passkey
Throwback
The most common instance of using the word "throwback" today is in reference to social media, where the hashtag #ThrowbackThursday is used to "throw it back" to something in the past. This is typically accompanied by an old photo or status.
Quarterback
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Waterspout
Highchair
Pinwheel
Wheelchair
People with mobility issues rely on wheelchairs (literally, chairs with wheels) to make it simpler for them to get around. The first wheelchair known to have been used was designed for Spain's King Phillip II.
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Spreadsheet
Workweek
Worksheet
Sheets of work — ain't nobody got time for that! Worksheets may exist from the earliest days of school until well after you've started a professional career. All of them are similar, requiring some amount of work to be entered onto the sheet itself.
Toolbox
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Backward
Hereafter
Afternoon
The word "afternoon" usually encompasses the period of time from just after "noon," or 12 p.m., until the evening begins. To say "afternoon" means it's after the noon hour but could run as late at 5 or 6 p.m.
Somewhere
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Footprint
Have you ever heard of the famous poem called "Footprints in the Sand?" Well, it doesn't matter if you don't know the whole thing. The point is, footprints are impressions of feed left somewhere, such as those you leave when walking on the beach.
Underfoot
Shoelace
Foothold
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Skylark
Sunflower
Sunflowers are popular summer and early fall flowers that earned their name for the fact that they turn their blooms toward the sun. Their shape is also reminiscent of a round, sun-like shape.
Sunshade
Bellflower
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Sweatshirt
Shoelaces
Bellbottoms
Bellbottom pants and even jeans were especially common during the freewheeling decades of the 1960s and 1970s. They were named for their wide shape at the bottom of the hem that resembles the wide bottom of a bell's base.
Headband
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Pancake
A cake of batter cooked in a pan (or sometimes on a griddle) is known popularly as a "pancake." Now we're thinking of pancakes topped with warm syrup and butter ... wait, where were we?
Honeydew
Popcorn
Cornmeal
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Candlestick
Spotlight
Candlelight
Light from a candle, which is usually made of wax with a wick at its top, can be more succinctly referred to as "candlelight." The earliest candles were made from tallow and used frequently to illuminate a home before indoor electricity.
Stoplight
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Blueprint
Highchair
Highchairs are specially made chairs for babies and toddlers, elevated at a raised height, to join more closely to a tabletop or counter. This is also a useful feature for adults who are trying to feed children while seated comfortably.
Dishwasher
Bookcase
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Lifeboat
Firehouse
Mainland
Stockroom
A stockroom, interpreted as "a room in which to store stock," is a frequent addition to storefronts. After all, where is all that extra inventory going to be held? "Stock" refers to an excess of goods or supplies.
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Grandmaster
Shoemaker
Have you ever heard of the story, "The Elves and the Shoemaker?" In it, a shoemaker (or one who makes footwear) gets the assistance of some elves, who help him out in his time of misfortune.
Foreman
Slumlord
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Newborn
It's pretty easy to see what the word "newborn" means. If you take it at face value, you'll see that it's a person (or maybe an animal) who has been newly born. There's nothing more cuddly than a newborn, and we love that newborn smell. Ahh ...
Babysitter
Grandchild
Brainchild
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Nursemaid
Homemade
Want something homemade? Then simply make it at home! No, it's not the "home" that made it, but the person whose home it is. Homemade compares favorably to things that are storebought or mass-produced.
Hometown
Sheepskin
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You Got:
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