bined with a noun or an adjective; as, soul-killing witches, sap-consuming winter.
Use the hyphen where above, ill, so, or well is joined with a participial adjective to form an epithet preceding a noun; as, above-mentioned book, well-dealing countryman; but, the book above mentioned.
Adverbs ending in -ly are not compounded with adjectives which they qualify; as, a nicely kept lawn.
When used adjectively, the expressions first-class, second-class, etc., are printed with the hyphen; as, a first-class passage; but, a man of the first class.
Use a hyphen when a present participle is united (1) with a noun, forming a new noun with a meaning different from that conveyed by the two words, taken separately; (2) with a preposition used absolutely, to form a noun: boarding-house, dining-room, sleeping-car, dwelling-place, stumbling-block; the bringing-on or the putting-off of difficulties.
In all cases not covered by the above rules the use of the hyphen is to be governed by the International Dictionary.