Definition of nickname Nickname

/nɪˈknejˌm/ - [nikneym] - nick•name

We found 13 definitions of nickname from 8 different sources.

What does nickname mean?

Noun Plural: nicknames
nickname - a familiar name for a person (often a shortened version of a person's given name); "Joe's mother would not use his nickname and always called him Joseph"; "Henry's nickname was Slim"
		moniker, cognomen, sobriquet, soubriquet, byname
		appellation, appellative, denomination, designation identifying word or words by which someone or something is called and classified or distinguished from others
nickname - a descriptive name for a place or thing; "the nickname for the U.S. Constitution is `Old Ironsides'"

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nickname (Noun)
A familiar, invented given name for a person or thing used instead of the actual name of the person or thing.
nickname (Noun)
A kind of byname that describes a person by a characteristic of that person.
nickname (Verb)
To give a nickname to a person or thing.

nickname (n.)
A name given in contempt, derision, or sportive familiarity; a familiar or an opprobrious appellation.
nickname (v. t.)
To give a nickname to; to call by a nickname.

nickname
An informal, often humorous name; a name that is either connected to the real name, the personality, the appearance or an anecdote.
nickname
To give a nickname to (a person or thing).

nickname
nik′nām, n. a name given in contempt or sportive familiarity.—v.t. to give a nickname to. [M. E. neke-name, with intrusive initial n from eke-name, surname; from eke and name.]

nickname
A name given in ridicule or contempt: from the French nom de niqne. Niqne is a movement of the head to mark a contempt for any person or thing.

A nickname is a special name that a person may be called that is different from their real name or from the name they were given by their parents. It is not a legal thing; it is a social thing. The name may be given to them by their friends. It may be like the person's real name or completely different. Nicknames often come from how a person looks, or from something they are especially known for doing. They can also be a shortened version of the given name.

Nicknames can also be unkind and rude, and are used by people who dislike the person given the nickname. Often famous people are given nicknames by the writers of newspapers or other people in the media, such as TV.