It might look like nickname is a compound noun formed by adding nick and name together, but the actual history of this word is a bit more complicated. It was formed by metanalysis, or the changing of the division of words based upon how they sound together. In this case, the Middle English word eke, meaning “also” or “in addition,” was joined with name to form ekename—literally, “also-name,” used for a secondary or unofficial name in the late Middle Ages. Over time, an ekename became a nickname presumably because eke had become less familiar as a word. Needless to say, nick in this case doesn’t mean “also” or anything else, it just represents a comfortable and familiar alternative to the word’s original spelling.

Examples of nickname in a Sentence

Noun His mother gave him the nickname “Winky” when he was a baby. Earvin “Magic” Johnson got his nickname from the way he handled a basketball.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Starting with that Mississippi State game, Smith went on a four-game tear with 35 catches for 749 yards and 11 touchdowns that solidified another nickname for the 6-foot-1, 175-pound technician: the Slim Reaper. — NBC News, "Alabama's DeVonta Smith is 1st WR to win Heisman in decades," 6 Jan. 2021 Starting with that Mississippi State game, Smith went on a four-game tear with 35 catches for 749 yards and 11 touchdowns that solidified another nickname for the 6-foot-1, 175-pound technician: the Slim Reaper. — CBS News, "Alabama's DeVonta Smith wins the Heisman Trophy," 6 Jan. 2021 The no-nickname WFT will have their hands full with Tampa Bay, an offense-minded octopus which won its last four regular-season contests to finish 11-5. — Jason Gay, WSJ, "Here’s Your NFL Playoffs, Which Have Mostly Everything, Including, Yes, the Cleveland Browns," 4 Jan. 2021 Cahaly has what is perhaps a surprising explanation for that, saying that the two GOP candidates did themselves a big favor by coming out in support of Atlanta’s Major League Baseball club’s nickname. — Michael Lee, Washington Examiner, "Pollster predicts Loeffler victory but is less confident on Perdue's chances," 25 Dec. 2020 At the vigil on Saturday, loved ones affectionately trotted out the nickname. — Washington Post, "Family holds vigil for man shot while driving with infant son," 19 Dec. 2020 Some people might even keep using the stadium's unofficial nickname. — Rachel Blount, Star Tribune, "TCF Bank Stadium's new name is lurking in these seven questions," 17 Dec. 2020 This was in response to the New York Times reporting the Cleveland baseball team is eliminating the Indians nickname. — Mike Freeman, USA TODAY, "Opinion: Kelly Loeffler continues to embarrass the WNBA. When will the league stop her?," 16 Dec. 2020 Coincidentally, the school’s nickname was Green Wave. — G Smith, NOLA.com, "Moving fast: Tulane's Willie Fritz hires defensive coordinator, offensive line coach," 14 Dec. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb The hurler, nicknamed Thor, has been among the top pitchers in the Mets’ starting rotation and in baseball. — Fox News, "Mets' Noah Syndergaard tries comparing MLB coronavirus deal to his NYC rent fight," 26 May 2020 After his haul is loaded onto the boat, Parker stays overnight with the merchandise, then returns home on the high tide the next morning to restock the shelves in his store, nicknamed ToshCo, with up to $20,000 worth of products. — Cathy Free, Anchorage Daily News, "Welcome to 'ToshCo’: Gustavus man travels 14 hours by boat each week to fetch food and supplies for his neighbors," 20 May 2020 Rabbit images appear throughout the bar’s exterior and interior; customers are playfully nicknamed conejitos (little rabbits). — Eric Velasco, al, "Mayawell bar familiarizes Birmingham with agave spirits," 12 May 2020 This started dawning on people after the California Employment Development Department began processing applications for pandemic benefits, nicknamed PUA, on Tuesday. — Kathleen Pender, SFChronicle.com, "Why some self-employed Californians are mad about unemployment benefits," 2 May 2020 English joined Nelson’s band, nicknamed the Family, in 1966 and continued with him for most of his long career. — Washington Post, "Paul English, Willie Nelson’s longtime drummer, has died," 12 Feb. 2020 As the world was slowly starting to come to terms with our new stay-at-home mandate, the beloved DJ curated a party for thousands of people right in their living room, which was also nicknamed Club Quarantine. — Nandi Howard, Essence, "Will Smith's Bel-Air Athletics And DJ D-Nice Collaborate On Club Quarantine Hoodie," 6 Apr. 2020 Microsoft said the hacking group, which is nicknamed Phosphorus, successfully accessed four accounts, though none belonging to current or former government officials. — Alyssa Newcomb, Fortune, "How Iran-linked Hackers Tried to Compromise a Presidential Campaign," 4 Oct. 2019 Not many club sides wear green, which probably explains why Saint-Etienne are simply nicknamed as such. — SI.com, "50 Greatest Football Shirts of All Time," 28 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'nickname.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

11 Jan 2021

Cite this Entry

“Nickname.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nickname. Accessed 20 Jan. 2021.

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More Definitions for nickname

nickname

noun

English Language Learners Definition of nickname

(Entry 1 of 2)

: a name (such as "Moose" or "Lady Bird") that is different from your real name but is what your family, friends, etc., call you when they are talking to you or about you

nickname

verb

English Language Learners Definition of nickname (Entry 2 of 2)

: to give (someone) a name that is not that person's real name : to give a nickname to (someone)

See the full definition for nickname in the English Language Learners Dictionary

nickname

noun

nick·name | \ ˈnik-ˌnām