nickname
noun/ˈnɪkneɪm/
/ˈnɪkneɪm/
- an informal, often humorous, name for a person that is connected with their real name, their personality or appearance, or with something they have done
- How did you get your nickname?
- He worked in a garage—hence his nickname ‘Oily’.
Culture nicknamesnicknamesNicknames are informal, sometimes humorous, names that are based on a person's real name or on an obvious characteristic or habit. Nicknames were in use before surnames became widely used in the 13th century and were a means of identifying a person. Some nicknames, such as 'Russell' meaning 'red-haired' and 'Brown' referring to brown hair or skin, later developed into surnames.Nicknames make a relationship less formal and may suggest a close friendship. Many people are given a nickname while they are still children and may keep it throughout their life, whether they like the name or not. Nicknames may also be given to politicians, sportspeople and other public figures, especially by the press. This makes famous people seem more ordinary, and also leads to shorter headlines in newspapers, that catch people's attention.There are several kinds of nickname in common use. The most popular are short forms, which are short versions of a person's first name. Some common short forms include: Bob or Rob for Robert, Ted or Ed for Edward, Dick or Rick for Richard, Meg or Maggie for Margaret, Beth, Liz or Lizzie for Elizabeth, and Kathy, Kate or Katie for Katherine.Nicknames may also come from surnames. Nicknames for famous people that have been much used by the British media include ‘Becks’ for David Beckham. Adding a ‘y’ or ‘ie’ to a person's surname is a common way of making a nickname, as in ‘Jonesie’.Other nicknames reflect a personal characteristic. 'Ginger' is often used for people with red hair. 'Shorty', or even, as a joke, 'Lofty', is used for short people. Names like 'Fatty', 'Tubby' or 'Skinny' that refer to a person's weight are rude and generally used only as insults. Nicknames based on skin colour are offensive and should not be used. 'Brains' is used for somebody who is very intelligent, and 'Tiger' for someone who is brave or aggressive. The Duke of Wellington is sometimes called 'The Iron Duke' and Margaret Thatcher was known as 'The Iron Lady' because of her strong and determined character. These kinds of nicknames are less common in the US.Nicknames based on a person's race or country can still be heard but are often highly offensive.The British have nicknames for many other things: a 'Roller' is a Rolls-Royce car and 'Marks and Sparks' is the shop Marks & Spencer. 'The Hammers' and ' Spurs' are both football teams, West Ham and Tottenham Hotspur. In the US all states have nicknames: California is 'The Golden State', Texas is 'The Lone Star State', and Florida is 'The Sunshine State'.Extra ExamplesTopics Family and relationshipsb1- She got her nickname when she was at school and it stuck for the rest of her life.
- He used the nickname ‘Brutus’.
- Leicester Tigers lived up to their nickname in a very attacking game.
- Their nickname for the club was ‘Muscle Alley’.
- His scruffy hair earned him the nickname ‘Shaggy’.
- We used to have nicknames for all our teachers.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- childhood
- affectionate
- cute
- …
- have
- use
- give somebody
- …
- stick
- nickname for
- hence her/his nickname
Word Originlate Middle English: from an eke-name (eke meaning ‘addition’), misinterpreted, by wrong division, as a neke name.Want to learn more?
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