nickname
[ nik-neym ]
/ ˈnɪkˌneɪm /
noun
a name added to or substituted for the proper name of a person, place, etc., as in affection, ridicule, or familiarity: He has always loathed his nickname of “Whizzer.”
a familiar form of a proper name, as Jim for James and Peg for Margaret.
verb (used with object), nick·named, nick·nam·ing.
to give a nickname to (a person, town, etc.); call by a nickname.
Archaic. to call by an incorrect or improper name; misname.
RELATED CONTENT
The Origin Stories Behind Gaga And Other Musicians’ Names Before he was Snoop Dogg, the West Coast rap icon went by his given name: Cordozar Calvin Broadus. He was named after his stepfather. His stage name was inspired by Snoopy though, a childhood nickname. His parents gave him the pet name because of the way he looked. She might be known as Iggy Azalea on stage, but this Australian-born rapper’s official name …
Why Is New York City Known As “The Big Apple” And “Gotham”?New York City goes by many names, such as the “City that Never Sleeps” and the less humble “Center of the Universe.” But the Big Apple is the most kenspeckled. There are many rumors about the history of the nickname. Did the city used to be filled with apple orchards? Does the name originate with a brothel madam named Eve? Actually, the widespread use of …
RELATED WORDS
Nearby words
nicker, nicking, nicklaus, nicklaus, jack william, nicknack, nickname, nickpoint, nicky, nicky nicky nine doors, nicky-tam, nicobar islands
Origin of nickname
Related formsnick·nam·er, nounun·nick·named, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for nickname
British Dictionary definitions for nickname
nickname
/ (ˈnɪkˌneɪm) /
noun
a familiar, pet, or derisory name given to a person, animal, or placehis nickname was Lefty because he was left-handed
a shortened or familiar form of a person's nameJoe is a nickname for Joseph
verb
(tr) to call by a nickname; give a nickname to
Word Origin for nickname
C15 a nekename, mistaken division of an ekename an additional name, from eke addition + name
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 nickname
nickname
mid-15c., misdivision of ekename (c.1300), an eke name, literally "an additional name," from Old English eaca "an increase," related to eacian "to increase" (see eke; also see N). As a verb from 1530s. Related: Nicknamed; nicknaming.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper