endearment

American  

[en-deer-muhnt] / ɛnˈdɪər mənt /

noun

1. the act of endearing.

2. the state of being endeared.

3. something that endears; an action or utterance showing affection.

   to murmur endearments.

---

endearment British  

/ ɪnˈdɪəmənt /

noun

1. something that endears, such as an affectionate utterance

2. the act or process of endearing or the condition of being endeared

---

Etymology

Origin of endearment

First recorded in 1605–15; endear + -ment

Explanation

Next time you cringe when a family member calls you by your childhood nickname in public, remember, Snoopy, it's just a term of endearment — meant to show affection, not make you miserably embarrassed. When you break apart the word endearment, you probably recognize the word endear, a verb that means "to make admired or beloved." The suffix -ment can turn a verb into a noun, so endearment is something that shows affection or admiration, like calling someone "my love" instead of his or her name or playfully whacking your brother on the head when you walk by where he sits, doing his homework.