sobriquet

so·bri·quet | \ ˈsō-bri-ˌkā

How to pronounce sobriquet (audio)

, -ˌket; ˌsō-bri-ˈkā, -ˈket

How to pronounce sobriquet (audio)

\

variants: or less commonly soubriquet \ ˈsō-bri-ˌkā

How to pronounce soubriquet (audio)

, -ˌket , ˈsü- ; ˌsō-bri-ˈkā , -ˈket , ˌsü- \

Definition of sobriquet

: a descriptive name or epithet : nickname

Synonyms Did You Know? Example Sentences Learn More about sobriquet

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Did You Know?

This synonym of nickname has the same meaning in modern French as it does in English. In Middle French, however, its earlier incarnation soubriquet referred to both a nickname and a tap under the chin. Centuries later, the connection between these two meanings isn't clear, but what is clear is that the "nickname" meaning of sobriquet was well established in French by the time English speakers borrowed the term in the mid-17th century - and was the only meaning that was adopted. In current English, the spelling sobriquet is most common, but soubriquet is also an accepted variant.

Examples of sobriquet in a Sentence

Baseball player Ty Cobb was also known by the sobriquet “The Georgia Peach.” tagged her with the sobriquet “peanut” because of her diminutive size

Recent Examples on the Web The protest movement Hong Kong witnessed in 2014 was blessed with two credible sobriquets. — Antony Dapiran, Quartz, "What do we call Hong Kong’s nameless “2019 protests” in 2020?," 20 Dec. 2019 Rather, the controversy is over his continued use of the sobriquet for cynical political advantage in a somewhat related manner to Senator Elizabeth Warren’s longtime false cultural appropriation of a Native American identity for careerist purposes. — Victor Davis Hanson, National Review, "How Robert O’Rourke Became ‘Beto’," 12 Aug. 2019 But in a Monday post to MASK's Facebook page, organizers rejected the sobriquet. — The Washington Post, oregonlive.com, "Two mothers who fought gun violence for years were shot and killed in Chicago," 30 July 2019 In May 2017, a young hacker who goes by the sobriquet MalwareTech singlehandedly saved the world from the devastating WannaCry ransomware outbreak. — Brian Barrett, WIRED, "Security News This Week: WannaCry Hero Marcus Hutchins Won't Go to Jail for Old Hacking Crimes," 27 July 2019 Critics called it the Blue Whale, a sobriquet Pelli embraced. — Los Angeles Times, "Cesar Pelli’s Pacific Design Center changed the L.A. landscape. In a good way?," 20 July 2019 Eventually taking her destiny into her own hands and adopting a sobriquet that expressed her life’s purpose, Sojourner Truth traveled the country telling the terrible truth of slavery. — Meghan Cox Gurdon, WSJ, "Children’s Books: Tales of Bravery and Brilliance," 8 Nov. 2018 Among his Tour colleagues Donald has earned the sobriquet Mr. Plod. — Harry Hurt, Town & Country, "T&C Profile: Luke Donald," 8 Apr. 2014 Exclusive but not elite, it was stigmatized with the sobriquet University of Spoiled Children. — Alex Bhattacharji, Town & Country, "Can USC Survive Scandal and Shed Its Spoiled-Kid Reputation Once and For All?," 10 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sobriquet.' 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

26 Dec 2019

Cite this Entry

“Sobriquet.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sobriquet. Accessed 20 January 2020.

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