- This word makes use of semantic change based on metaphor. That metaphor is between the game Tetris, where one tries to rotate and move colored blocks to finish lines, and the filling of space efficiently when packing a car with a lot of items. The actual act loses some of the features of Tetris but still shares this inherent idea of using space effectively by changing orientations.
tetris
noun; other word formation type semantic change from metaphor
act of using one's skills of spatial reasoning to fit items into a compact space, such as the trunk of a car
Etymology : from Tetris formed using blending of tetronimos, the mathematical name for the blocks used in the game, and -is, a technical sounding suffix
Source : (November): “Let’s try to do it all in one trip; we’ll start doing Tetris soon.” (A friend after a camping trip)
Last modified: 30 November 2017