noun / verb
nickname
NIK-naym/ˈnɪkneɪm/
An informal name for someone or something, or giving such a name.
The basketball player wears a badge with his nickname, Ace.
Etymology
The first piece expresses an addition, making a nickname literally an “additional name.” It served as a familiar alternative to someone's ordinary name, often originally given in mockery or reproach.
In context
it turns out that gibb which is itself a pet form a nickname of the first name gilbert
More examples
- My grandmother still calls me by my childhood nickname.
- The kids nicknamed their tiny dog Moose.
- Our battered old van has the nickname Rusty.
Forms
nickname · nicknames · nicknamed · nicknaming