nickname

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a familiar name for a person, often a shortened version of a person's given name

   My friends called me by my nickname, but my parents used my full name.

2. 2
   noun

   a descriptive name for a place or thing

   The nickname for the U.S.S. Constitution is 'Old Ironsides' due to much success in battle.

3. 3
   verb

   give a familiar name to

   I nicknamed my schoolmate to deepen our friendship.

4. 4
   noun

   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.

   "The Big Apple" is a common nickname for New York City.

5. 5
   noun

   A familiar, shortened or diminutive name for a person or thing.

   My name is Jonathan, but I go by my nickname, Johnny.

6. 6
   verb

   To give a nickname to (a person or thing).

   Gerald, nicknamed "Jerry", was usually a very cheerful person.

Etymology

From Middle English neke name, alteration (due to a rebracketing of an ekename as a nekename) of earlier ekename (“nickname”), from eke (“additional”) + name. Compare Old Norse aukanafn, auknafn, auknefni, Faroese eyknevni, Danish øgenavn, Norwegian Nynorsk aukenamn, Swedish öknamn, and German Low German Ökelname. For other similar cases of incorrect division, see also apron, daffodil, newt, orange, umpire.