Dictionary entry

Hyphen

Webster's Dictionary 1913

Hy″phen (?), n. [L., fr. Gr. �, fr. � under one, into one, together, fr. � under + �, neut. of � one. See Hypo-.] (Print.) A mark or short dash, thus, placed at the end of a line which terminates with a syllable of a word, the remainder of which is carried to the next line; or between the parts of many a compound word; as in fine-leaved, clear-headed. It is also sometimes used to separate the syllables of words.