endocentric
/ˌɛndoʊˈsɛntrɪk/
adjective
- Describing a phrase or compound word where one part is the main element and the other part modifies it, so the whole phrase belongs to the same grammatical category as the main part.
- Linguists classify most English noun-noun compounds as endocentric.
- The phrase 'red car' is endocentric because 'car' is the main noun.
- In the compound 'doghouse,' the word 'house' is the head, making it an endocentric compound.
Antonyms