22. In some compounds with tree: e.g., apple-tree; but whippletree, crosstree, etc.
23. In compounding personal epithets: e.g., hard-headed, bow-legged, etc.
24. Use the hyphen in the following words:
- after-years
- bas-relief
- birth-rate
- blood-feud
- blood-relations
- common-sense
- cross-examine
- cross-reference
- cross-section
- death-rate
- feast-day
- folk-song
- food-stuff
- fountain-head
- guinea-pig
- horse-power
- page-proof
- pay-roll
- poor-law
- post-office
- sea-level
- sense-perception
- son-in-law
- subject-matter
- man-of-war
- object-lesson
- thought-process
- title-page
- wave-length
- well-being
- well-nigh
- will-power
Do not use the hyphen:
1. When writing points of the compass: e.g., northeast, southwest; but north-northeast, etc.
2. In words ending in like, unless compounded with nouns containing more than one syllable (except when ending in l): e.g., childlike, lifelike; but business-like, bell-like, etc.
3. In compounds ending with man or woman: e.g., workman, needlewoman, etc.
4. In phrases such as by and by, by the bye, good morning, attorney at law, coat of arms, etc.
5. In words ending in boat, house, look, room, side, yard, shop, mill, field, work, chair, maker, holder, keeper, skin, store, book, fold, score, penny, pence when the prefixed noun {50} contains but a single syllable: e.g., twofold, schoolroom, handbook, windmill, bookkeeper, workshop, etc. Exceptions: Court-house and State House.