JargonFile/entries/backronym.txt

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2014-04-26 10:52:28 -04:00
backronym
2014-04-26 11:54:15 -04:00
n. [portmanteau of back + acronym] A word interpreted as an acronym that was
not originally so intended. This is a special case of what linguists call
back formation. Examples are given under recursive acronym (Cygnus), Acme ,
and mung. Discovering backronyms is a common form of wordplay among hackers.
Compare retcon.