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cognomen

[ kog-noh-muh n ]
/ kɒgˈnoʊ mən /
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noun, plural cog·no·mens, cog·nom·i·na [kog-nom-uh-nuh] /kɒgˈnɒm ə nə/.

a surname.
any name, especially a nickname.
the third and commonly the last name of a citizen of ancient Rome, indicating the person's house or family, as “Caesar” in “Gaius Julius Caesar.”Compare agnomen(def 1).

RELATED WORDS

handle, title, epithet, surname, moniker, nickname

Nearby words

  1. cognitivism,
  2. cognizable,
  3. cognizance,
  4. cognizant,
  5. cognize,
  6. cognoscence,
  7. cognoscente,
  8. cognoscenti,
  9. cognoscible,
  10. cognoscitive

Origin of cognomen

1800–10; < Latin, equivalent to co- co- + nōmen name, with -g- on model of nōscī: cognōscī; see cognition
Related formscog·nom·i·nal [kog-nom-uh-nuh l, -noh-muh-] /kɒgˈnɒm ə nəl, -ˈnoʊ mə-/, adjectivecog·nom·i·nal·ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for cognomen

British Dictionary definitions for cognomen

cognomen

/ (kɒɡˈnəʊmɛn) /

noun plural -nomens or -nomina (-ˈnɒmɪnə, -ˈnəʊ-)

(originally) an ancient Roman's third name or nickname, which later became his family nameSee also agnomen, nomen, praenomen
Derived Formscognominal (kɒɡˈnɒmɪnəl, -ˈnəʊ-), adjectivecognominally, adverb

Word Origin for cognomen

C19: from Latin: additional name, from co- together + nōmen name; influenced in form by cognōscere to learn
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for cognomen

cognomen

n.

1809, from Latin com- "with" (see co-) + (g)nomen "name" (see name (n.)). Third or family name of a Roman citizen (Caius Julius Cæsar).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper