nickname: Meaning and Definition of

nick•name

Pronunciation: (nik'nām"), [key]
— n., v., -named, -nam•ing.
—n.
  1. a name added to or substituted for the proper name of a person, place, etc., as in affection, ridicule, or familiarity: He has always loathed his nickname of “Whizzer.”
  2. a familiar form of a proper name, as Jim for James and Peg for Margaret.
—v.t.
  1. to give a nickname to (a person, town, etc.); call by a nickname.
  2. to call by an incorrect or improper name; misname.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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