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I am having trouble understanding the following:

"the achievable rate of the optimal AF scheme performs close to the cut-set like bound obtained in this paper"

I think that the word "like" (above) is intended to be used as a suffix to express the fact that the bound is "cut-set"-like.

My question is what to do in such a case to show the connection between the words. Is it (a) "cut set-like" (b) "cut-set-like" (c) "cut set(en dash)like" (d) something else

Please help me.

Kris
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Robert Astle
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  • Is it possible to choose an example which we would all understand? – WS2 May 23 '14 at 08:06
  • @WS2 One can understand the example sentence, though the subject may be unfamiliar. – Kris May 23 '14 at 08:09
  • I am sure this has been dealt with already on this site. Have you checked previous posts? – Kris May 23 '14 at 08:09
  • Though cut-set-like, cut set-like, cut-set like, cut set like are all acceptable, *cut-set like* is the best option in the given context. The like may not necessarily be hyphenated, but in the given context, cut and set need to be one hyphenated compound. – Kris May 23 '14 at 08:12
  • If "cut-set" is to remain hyphenated, then one could interpret the noun to be "like bound", which I don't think is the intended meaning here. In addition, I don't (em dash) unfortunately for me (em dash) get easy examples in my line of work, which is why I am grateful that this site exists! – Robert Astle May 23 '14 at 08:18
  • I cannot find any examples of a suffix being joined to a hyphenated compound in the adjectival sense. Thus, I am perplexed by this case and feel that perhaps I am misinterpreting it or something. – Robert Astle May 23 '14 at 08:44
  • possible duplicate of Compounds involving compounds – Edwin Ashworth May 23 '14 at 08:45
  • To avoid ambiguity as much as possible, cutsetlike or cut-set-like are preferable (though rephrasing would probably be best). To avoid reading difficulty, I'd opt for the doubly-hyphenated form. – Edwin Ashworth May 23 '14 at 09:56

1 Answers1

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Generally speaking one should use a hyphenation when two or more words form a single adjective. One simple example might be "a four-lane highway." The highway is not a four and a lane but a four-lane. The hyphen ensures that no confusion ensues. Another example might be a 24-year-old girl. The girl is not 24, year, and old but rather a 24-year-old.

In your example of "cut-set like bound" the phrase would indicate that the bound is both like and cut-set. Although I do not understand exactly what the phrase means, I consider it unlikely that the bound is like. Accordingly, I recommend "the cut-set-like bound" as the optimum phrase.

Elias
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