Is Compound Noun Plural (5 Important Facts)

by

In this article we’re going to take a deeper look into the concept of compound nouns with the help of examples and also try to answer the question “Is Compound Noun Plural?”.

Compound nouns are nouns that are usually one entity made up of more than one word joined together.

Can compound nouns be plural?

Yes, compound nouns can be plural, just like any other forms of nouns. However, in some cases they cannot be pluralised.

Example- The school has ordered thirty blackboards.

  • The word ‘blackboard’ is a compound noun.
  • It is made up of two words ‘black’ and ‘boards’.
  •  The’-s’ at the end of the compound noun indicates that it’s also a plural noun.

When are compound nouns plural?

Compound nouns are plural when the noun in question is quantifiably more than one in number.

Example- She had so many daydreams about winning this particular award.

  • The word ‘daydreams’ is a compound noun.
  • It is made up of two words ‘day’ and ‘dreams’.
  •  The’-s’ at the end of the compound noun indicates that it’s also a plural noun.

Which compound nouns are plural?

There are some compound nouns that can be used in a plural form and some that cannot.

Example- We saw about a hundred fireflies during our night trek.

  • The word ‘fireflies’ is a compound noun.
  • It is made up of two words ‘fire’ and ‘flies’.
  •  The’-ies’ at the end of the compound noun indicates that it’s also a plural noun.

How to form plural compound nouns?

Compound nouns can be formed into plural compound nouns through basic rules of English Language, that is, by adding’-s’, ‘-es’ at the end of the noun, or any other suffix that makes a particular noun plural.

Example- The thief’s fingerprints were all over the crime scene.

  • The word ‘fingerprints’ is a compound noun.
  • It is made up of two words ‘finger’ and ‘prints’.
  •  The’-s’ at the end of the compound noun indicates that it’s also a plural noun.

Which compound nouns are always plural?

There are a few compound nouns that are always plural in nature. However, they’re quite limited in number.

Example- The second playgroup is much more well behaved than the first one.

  • The word ‘playgroup’ is a compound noun.
  • It is made up of two words ‘play’ and ‘group’.
  • This is one of the examples where the said compound noun is always plural in nature.
Is Compound Noun Plural
Is Compound Noun Plural

Plural compound noun examples

1.     Dragonflies- My son is extremely scared of dragonflies.

  • The word ‘dragonflies’ is a compound noun.
  • It is made up of two words ‘dragon’ and ‘flies’.
  •  The’-ies’ at the end of the compound noun indicates that it’s also a plural noun.

2.     Sandstorms- The dessert has been experiencing multiple sandstorms for days now.

  • The word ‘sandstorms’ is a compound noun.
  • It is made up of two words ‘sand’ and ‘storms’.
  •  The’-s’ at the end of the compound noun indicates that it’s also a plural noun.

3.     Eyeballs- All eyeballs were fixed on the lead singer of the musical.

  • The word ‘eyeballs’ is a compound noun.
  • It is made up of two words ‘eye’ and ‘balls’.
  •  The’-s’ at the end of the compound noun indicates that it’s also a plural noun.

4.     Pancakes- Our whole family ate pancakes for breakfast this morning.

  • The word ‘pancakes’ is a compound noun.
  • It is made up of two words ‘pan’ and ‘cakes’.
  •  The’-s’ at the end of the compound noun indicates that it’s also a plural noun.

5.     Landladies- The landladies are holding a meeting a discuss the rent prices.

  • The word ‘landladies’ is a compound noun.
  • It is made up of two words ‘land’ and ‘ladies’.
  •  The’-ies’ at the end of the compound noun indicates that it’s also a plural noun.

6.     Photocopies- We need to make at least a thousand photocopies of these brochures.

  • The word ‘photocopies’ is a compound noun.
  • It is made up of two words ‘photo’ and ‘copies’.
  •  The’-ies’ at the end of the compound noun indicates that it’s also a plural noun.

7.     Ladybugs- There are at least four ladybugs sitting on this leaf.

  • The word ‘ladybugs’ is a compound noun.
  • It is made up of two words ‘lady’ and ‘bugs’.
  •  The’-s’ at the end of the compound noun indicates that it’s also a plural noun.

8.     Basketballs- The kids need many more basketballs to play with.

  • The word ‘basketballs’ is a compound noun.
  • It is made up of two words ‘basket’ and ‘balls’.
  •  The’-s’ at the end of the compound noun indicates that it’s also a plural noun.

9.     Postmen- The postmen of our city have gone on a strike as they want higher wages.

  • The word ‘postmen’ is a compound noun.
  • It is made up of two words ‘post’ and ‘men’.
  •  The word ’men’ is the plural form of ‘man’ and it indicates that this compound noun is also a plural noun.

10.  Bookshelves- I have finally filled all of my bookshelves with many books.

  • The word ‘bookshelves’ is a compound noun.
  • It is made up of two words ‘book’ and ‘shelves’.
  •  The’-ves’ at the end of the compound noun indicates that it’s also a plural noun.

11.  Lighthouses- I have been to just two lighthouses in my entire life.

  • The word ‘lighthouses’ is a compound noun.
  • It is made up of two words ‘light’ and ‘houses’.
  •  The’-s’ at the end of the compound noun indicates that it’s also a plural noun.

12.  Policemen- The policemen of our town are pretty lax and laid back.

  • The word ‘policemen’ is a compound noun.
  • It is made up of two words ‘police’ and ‘men’.
  • The word ’men’ is the plural form of ‘man’ and it indicates that this compound noun is also a plural noun.

13.  Classmates- My classmates and I chipped in some money to buy a cake for our favorite teacher’s birthday.

  • The word ‘classmates’ is a compound noun.
  • It is made up of two words ‘class’ and ‘mates’.
  •  The’-s’ at the end of the compound noun indicates that it’s also a plural noun.

14.  Goldfish- Please don’t forget to feed my goldfish.

  • The word ‘goldfish’ is a compound noun.
  • It is made up of two words ‘gold’ and ‘fish’.
  • Sometimes the plural form of a word is the same as it’s singular form, and so is the case with this particular compound noun as well.

15.  Chopsticks- I finally taught myself how to use chopsticks.

  • The word ‘chopsticks’ is a compound noun.
  • It is made up of two words ‘chop’ and ‘sticks’.
  •  The’-s’ at the end of the compound noun indicates that it’s also a plural noun.

16.  Haircuts- I have always taken all my haircuts from just one place.

  • The word ‘haircuts’ is a compound noun.
  • It is made up of two words ‘hair’ and ‘cuts’.
  •  The’-s’ at the end of the compound noun indicates that it’s also a plural noun.

17.  Birthdays- Our birthdays fall on two consecutive days so we always celebrate them together.

  • The word ‘birthdays’ is a compound noun.
  • It is made up of two words ‘birth’ and ‘days’.
  •  The’-s’ at the end of the compound noun indicates that it’s also a plural noun.

18.  Raincoats- Please drop your raincoats in those buckets over there.

  • The word ‘raincoats’ is a compound noun.
  • It is made up of two words ‘rain’ and ‘coats’.
  •  The’-s’ at the end of the compound noun indicates that it’s also a plural noun.

19.  Teardrops- He was crying but there were no teardrops falling from his eyes.

  • The word ‘teardrops’ is a compound noun.
  • It is made up of two words ‘tear’ and ‘drops’.
  •  The’-s’ at the end of the compound noun indicates that it’s also a plural noun.

20.  Raindrops- My project now covered in raindrops.

  • The word ‘raindrops’ is a compound noun.
  • It is made up of two words ‘rain’ and ‘drops’.
  •  The’-s’ at the end of the compound noun indicates that it’s also a plural noun.

21.  Butterflies- The kids at the park were chasing butterflies.

  • The word ‘butterflies’ is a compound noun.
  • It is made up of two words ‘butter’ and ‘flies’.
  •  The’-ies’ at the end of the compound noun indicates that it’s also a plural noun.

22.  Sunrises- I have watched so many sunrises in my life.

  • The word ‘sunrises’ is a compound noun.
  • It is made up of two words ‘sun’ and ‘rises’.
  •  The’-s’ at the end of the compound noun indicates that it’s also a plural noun.

23.  Popcorn- We should buy some popcorn before the movie starts.

  • The word ‘popcorn’ is a compound noun.
  • It is made up of two words ‘pop’ and ‘corn’.
  • Sometimes the plural form of a word is the same as it’s singular form, and so is the case with this particular compound noun as well.

24.  Teacups- She brought out her fancy teacups for the tea party.

  • The word ‘teacups’ is a compound noun.
  • It is made up of two words ‘tea’ and ‘cups’.
  •  The’-s’ at the end of the compound noun indicates that it’s also a plural noun.

25.  Newspapers- I used to deliver newspapers as a teenager.

  • The word ‘newspapers’ is a compound noun.
  • It is made up of two words ‘news’ and ‘papers’.
  •  The’-s’ at the end of the compound noun indicates that it’s also a plural noun.

Conclusion

Hence, in short, the answer to the question “Is Compound Noun Plural?” is that yes, compound nouns can be plural since they function just like every other noun in the English Language.