nickname
A familiar, invented name for a person or thing used instead of the actual name of the person or thing, often based on some noteworthy characteristic.
Example
“"The Big Apple" is a common nickname for New York City.”
Other meanings
A familiar, shortened or diminutive name for a person or thing.
“My name is Jonathan, but I go by my nickname, Johnny.”
Related words
- nicknameable
- nicknamee
- nicknameless
- nicknamer
- nicknamey
Word history
From Middle English "neke name".
Where this comes from
This definition is adapted from “nickname” on Wiktionary, by its contributors, published under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page is published under the same licence.