Occasionally, we encounter compound nouns: two nouns joined together to create a new meaning. In these cases, the first noun modifies the second, like an adjective, replacing the need for the possessive form (‘s and of). For instance:

Compound nouns with two separate words

  • School bus
  • Car park
  • Bus stop
  • Car key
  • Ice cream

Compound nouns used as one word

  • toothpaste
  • haircut
  • bathroom

Compound nouns linked with a hyphen

  • letter-box
  • dry-cleaning
  • father-in-law

Containers

We often use compound nouns to refer to a container, which is usually empty, such as a tea cup, a wine glass, a beer glass, a matchbox, etc.

Example

  • Can you pass me those tea cups?
  • She keeps the insects that she catches in that matchbox.

And we use noun + of + noun more often to refer to a container with its content. For example: a cup of tea, a glass of wine, a glass of beer, a box of matches, etc.

Example

  • Would you like a cup of tea?
  • Do you have a box of matches? I need to light this candle.

References