nickname

American  

[nik-neym] / ˈnɪkˌneɪm /

noun

1. 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.”

2. a familiar form of a proper name, as Jim for James and Peg for Margaret.

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verb (used with object)

nicknamed, nicknaming

1. to give a nickname to (a person, town, etc.); call by a nickname.

2. Archaic. to call by an incorrect or improper name; misname.

nickname British  

/ ˈnɪkˌneɪm /

noun

1. a familiar, pet, or derisory name given to a person, animal, or place

   his nickname was Lefty because he was left-handed

2. a shortened or familiar form of a person's name

   Joe is a nickname for Joseph

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verb

1. (tr) to call by a nickname; give a nickname to

Other Word Forms

• nicknamer noun
• unnicknamed adjective

Etymology

Origin of nickname

1400–50; late Middle English nekename, for ekename (the phrase an ekename being taken as a nekename ). See eke ², name; newt

Example Sentences

He grew up in Salinas Valley, nicknamed America’s Salad Bowl because of its heavy agricultural production, and founded Taylor Fresh Foods in 1995.

From The Wall Street Journal

"He was bubbly, he was charming, he always had a smile on his face... and that's how he got his nickname baby bear."

From BBC

During that run, which included six stoppage wins, Kelly - nicknamed 'Pretty Boy' - caught the eye by dancing around the ring and taunting opponents.

From BBC

Alcatraz island - nicknamed "the Rock" because it was regarded as an impregnable fortress - is home to the shuttered federal penitentiary that housed some of the most dangerous criminals in the US.

From BBC

“It’s Elizabeth. But if you don’t mind, I prefer Lizzie. My gran says that’s a nickname reserved for barmaids and axe murderers, but I quite like it.”

From Literature

Related Words

• epithet
• moniker
• sobriquet
• style
• tag