Hyphens Between Words. Rule 1a. Generally, hyphenate two or more words when they come before a noun they modify and act as a single idea. This is called a compound adjective.
Explanation:
The basic functions of the hyphen are: - To link and glue two or more words together to create a new word. Compound nouns: a wheeler-dealer, some make-up, my mother-in-law... Compound adjectives: a state-of-the-art phone, a good-looking man, a bad-tempered dog, a thirty-four-year-old car...
