cryptonym

American  

[krip-tuh-nim] / ˈkrɪp tə nɪm /

noun

1. a secret name or word; a code name or code word.

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Other Word Forms

• cryptonymous adjective

Etymology

Origin of cryptonym

First recorded in 1860–65; crypt- ( def. ) + -onym ( def. ); probably modeled on French cryptonyme

Example Sentences

It seemed like a dumb cryptonym to me, but Ishmael was somehow amused.

From Nature • Sep. 27, 2016

The money was deposited in an account designated Pry Sumeen 677, a cryptonym derived from the names of three Indian families involved in black-marketeering in Saigon.

From Time Magazine Archive