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• code name
  code name

  noun

  a name assigned to conceal the real identity of a person, as a spy, or to conceal the existence or purpose of a plan, military operation, etc.
• code-name
  code-name

  verb (used with object)

  to assign a code name to.

code name

¹ American  

[kohd neym] / ˈkoʊd ˌneɪm /

noun

1. a name assigned to conceal the real identity of a person, as a spy, or to conceal the existence or purpose of a plan, military operation, etc.

2. Also called code phrase.  a word or phrase assigned a meaning understood only by those who are secretly informed of it.

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code-name ² American  

[kohd-neym] / ˈkoʊdˌneɪm /

verb (used with object)

code-named, code-naming

1. to assign a code name to.

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Etymology

Origin of code name¹

First recorded in 1915–20

Origin of code-name²

First recorded in 1955–60

Example Sentences

The title of the invitation was "Send project Dawn email," an apparent reference to Amazon's code name for the job cuts.

From BBC • Jan. 27, 2026

They referred to the possibility of their characters getting a call from Sweden by a code name: ABBA.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 17, 2026

Goren allegedly worked alongside Ozgur Altun, known by the code name "Abu Yasir Al Turki".

From Barron's • Dec. 22, 2025

The code name Sotheby’s used for a transaction involving another painting Rybolovlev bought from Bouvier — “Water Serpents II,” by Gustav Klimt — was “Cottonmouth,” a kind of snake.

From New York Times • Jan. 31, 2024

The first phase of Hitler's secret attack on America, code name Operation Pastorius, had begun.

From Nazi Saboteurs by Samantha Seiple