Did you know?
History of Nickname
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
Mckenzie Rankin, Axios, 10 Mar. 2025
Swisher was referring to Trump’s derisive nickname for Warren, Pocahontas, last aimed at her during his address last Tuesday night.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 8 Mar. 2025
Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 11 Mar. 2025
Land of the Giants Big things have small beginnings, and this excellent but oft-forgotten series springing from the fertile mind of Irwin Allen — later nicknamed the Master of Disaster — first aired on the ABC Network on September 22, 1968.
—Jeff Spry, Space.com, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nickname
Cite this Entry
“Nickname.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nickname. Accessed 14 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
nickname
1 of 2 noun
nickname
2 of 2 verbNoun
Middle English nekename "an additional name," from the phrase an ekename (misunderstood as being a nekename), from eke "something added on" and name "name"
Share